May 27, 2008
Frank Chu's Wikipedia Page Uncovers His Dark Side
Frank Chu, 48, the Bay Ara;s favoritest pathological resident, has a Wikipedia page, naturally. It goes into much detail about his media whoring, numerous protest signs, and "performance art." It also mentions the following (and, of course, alleged) Chu-helmed hostage crisis:
In early 1985, Chu, then 24 years old, took 11 members of his family hostage in his home in Oakland and was reported to have been beating some with his fists. Chu fired a .38 pistol at one police officer who came to investigate, but missed. Police cordoned off a ten-block area for three hours. Chu eventually released his hostages and surrendered to the police.
Whoa. Very exciting.
Also, Chu's going rate (as of May 2005) for sign space was $100 per week. Barbary Coast Consulting, Adidas, Learn iT!, Quiznos Sub, Rasputin Music, Chris Daly's 2006 San Francisco Supervisor campaign, and Phil Angelides's 2006 California gubernatorial campaign have all used Chu's for advertising purposes.
Image: Wikicommons; thanks, Suckafree, for bringing this to our attention.
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Everyone knows about that right?
Yeah
And he'll talk about it, too.
Chu's going rate (as of May 2005) for sign space was $100 per week.
For the love of God, why haven't you guys gotten in on that action?
This site could have gone blogaritastic sfistagonic in a dozen or so universes by now.
his background sure explains the looks he gives you when you yell out his name like a celebrity sighting. one time i thought he was going to kill me. the guy is a creep! why exactly is this guy out on the streets?
Stop stealing my ideas for your posts, Brock Landers. You are a lamer.
TAYM,
i also spy on your from outside your window in a black helicopter.
Chuh! Likely story. Everyone knows the black helicopters are owned by the UN conspiracy to hate our freedoms, not you. You know nothing.
Wait... I thought everyone knew about Frank's hostage-taking history? His wikipedia page has been up for several years. Why is SFist acting like this is some big scoop?
I've been here 13 years and never knew about this hostage thing. Man, why am I late to all these parties?!
I've read his wikipedia page a few times, but somehow I missed that story. Crazy!
As good as his instincts seem to be about getting on camera, I get the impression he's not "media whoring" but that the TV news guys are watching his back. Of course, he may just have a police scanner implanted in his head.
Wait, you mean the guy holding the protest sign filled with incomprehensible gibberish is *crazy*?
Who could have guessed?!
Yeah he seems a bit (!) paranoid and delusional but I'll bet you any $ he thinks Scientology is completely crazy. And on that I'd agree.
So, sorry, I'll take him over T. Cruise and all the other celeb Dianetics nutbags. And he sells ad space, which is a service. What has Scientology done for anyone besides rob and brainwash them?
...Our stress machine says you are very stressed out... and also sensitive and insightful! Would you like to schedule a counseling session for a moderate fee? et cetera et cetera ad insanitum
That Wikipedia article has been around for years.
The problem, ultimately, is us. Or at least those of us who treat the city we all live in like they're just visiting.
Frank Chu belongs in supportive housing, not living with his in-denial parents who let him wander the streets humiliating himself.
Frank Chu isn't humiliating himself. He doesn't self-reflect in the way the rest of us do. He's oblivious to the cockamamie nature of his thoughts. He lacks awareness of his own absurdity, and therefore, escapes it.
He's mentally ill, yes. And I understand how the public display of his illness would make you uncomfortable. But putting Frank out of sight will not cure him. So please don't blur your discomfit with Frank's well-being. SF has affection for Chu and has granted him privileges usually reserved for leaders and celebrities.
Only tourists point and hoot. The locals name a bar after him. We're not the problem; we're the solution.
I've known Frank for 3 years now and he is a total sweetheart. Sure, he has a mental illness, but so do a good percentage of the folks walking around San Francisco's streets, especially the ones WITHOUT signs.
I'm not saying Frank's psychotic break in 1985 was harmless, but he seems to have stayed out of trouble for at least the past decade. Frank takes no medication for his illness -- most likely paranoid schizophrenia -- but has worked hard to find his own unique way to manage his disease. I'm not saying it's perfect; but nothing is (schizophrenia meds have horrible neurological side effects).
Anyway, I made my own 4-minute video about Frank a few years ago after I finally stopped to talk to him and felt inspired. "Being Frank" doesn't delve into his dark side but rather attempts to give a glimpse into what makes Frank tick today, and to break down barriers between the mentally ill and we so-called "normal" folks. Check it out on my MySpace page:
http://www.myspace.com/paginab
Thanks,
Paige
Well stated, Generic. Frank Chu isn't humiliating himself and the fact that we as a community have made a space where Frank can be Frank says more about our ability to accept differences in people than just about anything.
That is the first non-angry post I've read from you, The Angry Young Man
the fact that we as a community have made a space where Frank can be Frank says more about our ability to accept differences in people than just about anything.
I'm apt to agree but for better or for worse it goes hand-in-hand with the fact that we as a community have also made a lot of spaces where many more of those with severe mental illness who aren't nearly as wacky or amusing can be themselves, too.