I know I shouldn’t find this funny, but when you read an article that roughly states:
Incidents over the past few years have included arrests of Elmo, Mr. Incredible and the Scream on suspicion of aggressive begging and the jailing of Freddy Krueger on suspicion of stabbing a man in a scuffle. Chewbacca was arrested on suspicion of battery after allegedly head-butting a tour guide who complained about his treatment of two tourists from Japan.
I guess I should explain. It appears that armed fighting is going on between the costumed characters that patrol Hollywood Blvd near Graumann’s Chinese and the Kodak Theatre and sidewalk CD sellers. Specifically, actors who dress like movie and TV personalities contend that vendors selling compact discs of music in the 6800 block of Hollywood Boulevard have attacked them and beaten them without provocation. These aggressive music disc sellers congregate near a record store on the block, and may even have ties to a South Los Angeles street gang. Since late fall, more than half a dozen street performers have reportedly been beaten, including one costumed character who was hospitalized with a skull fracture. Several have been attacked more than once.
So the problem is a real one. The performers want to solve it by creating a licensing system for characters and other performers on the block and instituting rules for sidewalk CD sellers. Having been through the area when we go to local theatre (most recently, when we went to see The Life), it can be a bit crazy out there… and we’re locals. Imagine the tourists.
Just imagine. Seeing your favorite superheroes being beat up by street thugs. What is the world coming to?
