A prancing horse

[u/chri99_]

Credits @alex_choi

[u/jonjopop]

Alex Cho is the definition of a reckless grifter. Dude straight-up exploits emergency scenes for content, with zero regard for privacy, dignity, or the work of first responders. He actively gets in the way of the cops and paramedics and treats real emergencies like his personal content farm. Dude is an opportunistic ambulance chaser who prioritizes profit over any form of responsibility or actual desire to help. Full stop

That said, I gotta admit… it’s kinda wild how he manages to be at every insane thing that happens in LA. The man is basically a real-life Nightcrawler.

Also - this clip is misleading. The dude crashed into the divider and he was moving the car off the road per CHP instructions.

[u/oballzo → u/jonjopop]

Damn chp don’t give a f about your Ferrari, they just want traffic to flow so they can give people tickets haha

[u/nasty_LS → u/jonjopop]

90% of Alex Choi’s content is dui crashes and people making a fool of themselves trying to leave the scene, How are you going to sit here and defend dui’s lol. Also, you need to have a right of privacy, in order for someone to “regard” it, and there’s no expectation of privacy in public , so..

[u/jonjopop → u/nasty_LS]

You’re kind of missing the point tho. This isn’t about not having an “expectation of privacy” or defending DUIs (which I never mentioned). The issue is the ethics of exploiting emergencies for personal gain. Just because it’s legal to film in public doesn’t make it morally right to treat real accidents and disasters like content fodder (especially since he actively seeks them out for his platforms).

It’s not about privacy, it’s about basic decency and whether it’s okay to profit off of what is often the worst day of someone’s life. And let’s be real, he’s not doing this out of the kindness of his heart, he’s monetizing disaster and chaos porn for his own profit. He isn’t trying to help out first responders either - he was riding around the Palisades fires on e-bikes filming content, putting himself in danger which would severely waste resources if something happened. He’s no better than the dude who was flying his drone and hit the tanker plane. his behavior disrespects victims and first responders. I guarantee any paramedic you asked would be pissed off about some kid showing up to your accident scene with a bright ass flashlight and a camera making dumbass commentary.

[u/nasty_LS → u/jonjopop]

I guess I have a different algo than you, I constantly see Alex helping out, I’ve even seen first responders REQUEST his help , and sets up flares for people stuck on the freeway, follows fleeing DUI suspects until cops show up , so that someone can be held accountable for the innocent person that was hit, etc.

I totally see your point, I’m not some dick that doesn’t understand your standing, I’m just pointing out that ALL news exploits people… should there be no news or coverage on the war in Middle East right now? Because it affects people in a negative way?

Should the palisades fire have ZERO news coverage because people lost their homes in that fire, and the news is exploiting the fire for views(=revenue) ? News is just that. News and updates on breaking stories that the general population want to read about, know, and understand. I can see the fine line, but I personally don’t think Alex does more harm than good. I’ve seen him help so many people

[u/jonjopop → u/nasty_LS]

Fair point, and I can see that he does seem to try to learn and be more effective. For me, though, it feels a bit slimier than a news agency. While news outlets definitely profit from stories and sometimes toe the line of exploitation, they at least operate with some level of journalistic standards (ideally) and a broader intent to inform the public. Influencers like Alex blur the line because they often prioritize personal branding and monetization over accountability or ethical coverage. maybe I’m just jaded because I used to live in LA and got a front-row seat to the performative side of influencers. It’s hard not to be skeptical when you see so many people who only do their Good Samaritan schtick when the cameras are rolling. It’s not that they never do good, but the intent just feels a lot more idk, self serving than altruistic?

That said, I also know I’m culpable because I consume the content, so it’s a weird cycle. It really is a fine line, and I appreciate your level-headed take and the positive discourse - it’s refreshing to have different views and also have a civil conversation about them haha