I got an email...

the ridge backflip at the beginning was pretty cool. the rest was kind of lame actually…

I was also told those horses are the ones Budweiser uses in their commercials - and that is the business the rancher is in.

if that's the case then the "hundreds of hours" claim wrt the horses training makes sense.

Wait wait wait … Cam is in Tool?

Okay band, I like some of their tracks, but a lot of it is just too 'out there' for my tastes. The stuff around the Aenima album is the best.

I once watched a horse eat a frog.

Should get that on vid and have the two crazy ladies go at it with each other, so they leave riders alone…

I wasn't too impressed with the video, but I don't blame NSMB. They can hardly take the role of censoring the sport and deciding what is socially and morally acceptable to share at the finest level of scrutiny. I see lots of videos involving questionable judgment on here, but would only be truly ticked at NSMB if it included egregious stupidity such as vandalism and vigilantism.

That being said, chasing animals on a bike is stupid IMHO, and it reflects poorly on the whole MTB crowd to have that opening screen-grab of the wheel and the horses pasted out there for all to see. I would suggest that the image of the sport is in a sensitive period of transformation, and there are more than a few opportunistic opponents out there just waiting for any nugget like this to use to support their anti-MTB rhetoric. Certainly, I ask why bother giving them easy ammunition? If the film-makers can't actually just impress us with their riding, and need cheap jackass stunts to sell their show, then they don't deserve the views. I actually thought the rest of the video was pretty good, which makes me think the horse bit was not only needless, but actually detracted from an otherwise positive product.

Controversy can sell in some markets, but here it just generates unwanted bad joojoo. No need to compare it to eating meat, or other acts of question. Just take it as it is, some young dudes on bikes trying hard to look really rad….maybe trying a bit too hard in my books. It would be nice if the people making a buck off bikes always considered the image they are propagating, but clearly in some cases there will be a fail. I won't be cancelling my NSMB user account over it, but I'd like to suggest that the film-makers put a bit more thought into their product.

Unfortunately, I expect this type of crap film-making device will continue to be used as long as the industry continues to assume that their primary marketing demographic are pimply teenage boys that snicker at fart jokes and think everything is radical (including adults who have not surpassed this level of development).

We should expect better of our sport.

It's not the end of the world, and I hardly expect PETA to descend from the rafters with machine guns and batons, but it's not adding anything new or productive or beneficial to riding or the image of riding.

The rest of the video is pretty good.

You shared the video. That right there is where you defended/endorsed the filmmaker's actions.

really? one can't post something on the internet and actually be against or even neutral to what the context of the video is about?

[QUOTE=cerealkilla';2891842]
That being said, chasing animals on a bike is stupid IMHO[/QUOTE]

Nearly as bad as chasing an animal while riding on another animal eh?

Anyone yet to complain about "onine aholes"?

I watched the video. Did not look as though there was much chasing going on. In one scene the horses are following the riders. And in the how we did it video we learn that it was staged.

Sounds to me like a whinny asshole trying to make something out of nothing. For the record. I "chased" some cattle once when I came upon them in forested cover in Moab. Just came upon them and was totally surprised when something large moved and then more large beasts moved, and shat all over. passed them and they stopped. Oooo I am evil.

Do whatever you like. But having the wheel and the horses running away as the frame grab for the video is just inviting a shit storm.

If you only think about yourself and what you think is right, well fine for you. However, if you're shaping the image of the sport, maybe having an occasional intelligent moment of self-critique would serve us ALL well (that's for the filmers, not NSMB).

Regardless of whether it was staged with Robert Redford himself on set to soothe the horses, it still looks shabby and juvenile to the outside observer. No need for heads on a stake or a boycott of UnReal, but I'd prefer my sport not be represented by such asshatism (technical term, look it up).

Wow. Some westerns have scenes where horses get shot. Do we get all pissy about that? That's a pretty bad image for cowboys.

It's a movie clip. Professional horse handlers set up their animals for a professionally staged scene.

If you want to bad enough there will always be something to be outraged over I guess.

Don't compare western movies to mountain biking. It's funny how apologists will always point to some other totally separate scenario, and say "What about that?" as if there is a direct relationship between one thing and another (when if fact there is not). This is a poorly founded line or argument that inevitably chooses to ignore anything and everything that may actually be problematic with the case at hand.

Western movies are not in the eye of media in North Vancouver. Their public profile is not up for negotiation. MTB has continuously struggled to legitimate its own image. This type of stuff sets us back, and adds another "reckless yahoo" checkmark to the image of the industry. Good that the animals were cared for properly. Now if anyone want to explain to me how this video segment is good for the image of mountain biking, I'm all ears.

…or you could just bring up niqabs or child poverty and continue to deflect from the matter at hand.

It's not widespread outrage, some seem more offended than others. But at the root of it is a lack of consideration and forward thinking. I'd like to see the sport evolve a bit beyond "Yahoo, we're radical!" as the leading edge. THat edge cuts both ways in both attracting young dumb kids with money, but also providing the perfect fuel for our critics.

[QUOTE=cerealkilla';2891919]It's not widespread outrage, some seem more offended than others. But at the root of it is a lack of consideration and forward thinking. I'd like to see the sport evolve a bit beyond "Yahoo, we're radical!" as the leading edge. THat edge cuts both ways in both attracting young dumb kids with money, but also providing the perfect fuel for our critics.

I am about to film a MTB movie that takes place entirely on the sidewalk in front of my kids school. But, I won't ride the bike, because it is illegal to do so on a sidewalk. So, I am going to walk my bike. This way I can ensure I project an entirely safe and considerate image of mountain biking.

Sheesh.

I suppose we need to start a thread and have a moral outrage on the objectification of women in Ashes to Aggasiz too. But, probably not, because there is already a boobs thread for that….

I thought the greater crime was how terrible the film was. :damn: