Compelling video footage takes on a life of its own
Thumper
August 27, 1999, Friday, CITY EDITION
SECTION: FLAIR, Pg. C-1
'COMPELLING' VIDEO FOOTAGE TAKES ON LIFE OF ITS OWN
Douglas Durden
City Councilman Sa'ad El-Amin has become a semi-regular on CBS' "The
Late Late Show With Craig Kilborn. "
Only nobody told him.
A clip of El-Amin, taken from TV coverage of an NAACP press conference
held here in June, popped up on the show's "In the News" segment
several weeks ago.
In the clip, El-Amin is heard saying (and we're quoting from a
newspaper account of the press conference because we haven't actually
seen the clip): "If you want me, I'm here. But you better bring your
stuff because I'm prepared for you."
El-Amin isn't identified; nor is the reason given for the quote, which
is used totally out of context. In fact, there's no context
whatsoever. It's just a bit that has taken on a life of its own.
Kilborn, or Craiggers as he's known to his fans, likes the clip. So do
his writers. Apparently, so do his viewers.
Here's a sample from one of the Internet chat rooms devoted to
Kilborn, whose posing and preening are very much an acquired taste.
From an Aug. 12 posting: "I like the ' bring your stuff' guy more than
the 'what's up with that' girl."
And, in an Aug. 13 response, "Yeah, ' bring your stuff' guy rules."
I'm suddenly reminded why I don't spend much time in Internet chat
rooms.
In its 10 to 20 appearances on the show, the clip has been used in a
variety of ways, according to "Late Late Show" publicist Michael
Naidus. There's been a song written about the " bring your stuff guy":
the "bring your stuff guy" has been sent into outer space.
El-Amin, contacted earlier this week, was unaware of his newfound
celebrity status in late-night TV. He'd heard that footage of himself
had appeared on a late-night network show. But he didn't know which
show, and he didn't know why.
"I just assumed they were running a clip of the Lee incident," said El-
Amin, referring to his recent attempts to have Robert E. Lee's mural
removed from, and kept off, the Canal Walk's floodwall. Coverage of
his campaign went international, with mention in The London Times, the
BBC, and several Canadian papers, El-Amin said.
El-Amin might not have known he is the "bring your stuff guy" on "The
Late Late Show," which airs at 12:37 a.m. weeknights on WTVR-Channel
6.
But he does remember quite distinctly where and why the comment was
made.
"When the NAACP had a press conference supporting the position that I
had taken to remove and keep the Lee mural off of the floodwall, I
attended the press conference as an observer and as a person
supporting that position.
"While I was sitting there, one of the reporters who was familiar with
the telephone and Internet threats made against myself and my family
asked me whether I was continuing to receive threats, and I said I
was.
"They asked how was I dealing with it, and I think I responded in a
way to tell anyone interested in threatening me that I was here, and
if they wanted to, I was ready. They could bring it on. And that was
the context in which the whole incident arose."
CBS' Naidus said the clip wasn't being used by Craiggers & company to
make fun of anyone or any issue.
“It's just simply a piece of video footage they found compelling.
There are other instances where they do make fun of politicians. But
that's not going on here. None of the jokes have anything to do with
the Robert E. Lee issue."
We asked El-Amin if there was anything he'd like to say to Kilborn and
his show.
"I'd like to say, 'Why hasn't he invited me on the show to discuss
this whole issue since it has resonated around the country?' I would
love to have the opportunity to indicate the context of my comments,
and the fact that they were taken seriously by the police
department," said El-Amin, who's not a late-night TV viewer.
"This was not a laughing matter. And I hate to be [portrayed as] one
of those old Wild West things because it wasn't done in that context."