"Traveling near the Warehouse District with Derrek Miranda is akin to riding in a motorcade with an elected official. Under the moniker Whitewallstuntz, Miranda has carved out a name for himself in downtown Los Angeles. On social media, he can be seen cutting through the most downtrodden parts of Skid Row on his white and neon green Honda Grom minibike, almost always in search of a subject to document."
"Miranda has documented a litany of drug trades in broad daylight, whooped as he recorded violent altercations between homeless individuals that he later titled "Bum Fights" and coaxed sex workers into a brief thrill by taking them on the back of his bike while popping wheelies. But he has also engaged in thoughtful conversation with those who usually go unheard and unseen. He provides resources like clothing or food at a more intimate level than a contracted social services worker."
Derrek Miranda, known as Whitewallstuntz, rides a white and neon green Honda Grom through downtown Los Angeles and Skid Row, documenting street life for nearly 300,000 followers across TikTok, Instagram and Facebook. He records drug trades, violent altercations, interactions with LAPD and stunt clips, while also engaging in one-on-one conversations and providing clothing and food. His content oscillates between advocacy and exploitation, drawing criticism for sensationalizing vulnerable people through titles like "Bum Fights" and stunt-driven encounters with sex workers. Miranda mixes informal aid and intimate encounters with performative stunts, blurring lines between documentary impulse and entertainment-driven spectacle.
Read at Los Angeles Times
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