How Cory Barnette stepped into the shoes of the Bay Area Bushman
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Photo: Courtesy of Cory Barnette
San Francisco's original Bushman made headlines in the 1990s as a busker who hid behind bushes to scare unsuspecting passersby.
- Decades later, Cory Barnette is continuing the tradition with his own vine-and-shrub costume — one prank at a time.
The big picture: This is "Made in the Bay," a series spotlighting content creators with ties to the Bay Area.
State of play: Born and raised in San José, Barnette grew up with fond memories of David Johnson, the original Bushman, at Fisherman's Wharf.
- "Watching him as a kid, I saw how people quickly went from frightened to laughing, smiling, and it became infectious for everyone standing around watching or passing by to also laugh," he told Axios.
- Keeping the spirit of the original Bushman has been key for Barnette, whose videos show him surprising Giants fans, tourists and festivalgoers alike.
The following answers have been lightly edited.
How did you get into content creation, especially as the Bushman?
My dad had sent me a video of someone doing the prank in another state ... . I thought it was cool how the prank took on a life of its own on the internet all these years later, but it would be great to have that representation of where it began and bring it back to the San Francisco Bay Area!
How has living in the Bay Area impacted you?
[San Francisco] has such a rich history of street performing and unusual, offbeat experiences. It meshes well with the tourist crowd that's happy on vacation, looking to be entertained.
What's one part of the process people might not realize takes a lot of effort?
Finding ideal spots to do the prank. ... You have to account for the noise level in the area, the camera setup/angles, obstructed views, how well you can blend in, the direction of foot traffic ... . There was a lot of trial and error.
What's your favorite piece of content you've created?
The videos from the Outside Lands Music Festival were probably the most fun to do. ... Aside from that, my favorite moments have come from interactions with people on the street. ... A couple years ago, I scared someone and a lady walked by laughing.
- She said she had pulled $1,000 out of the bank in cash and lost it just a few minutes prior. She told me that seeing the prank made her forget all about it and reminded her to not take things so seriously. That's what it's all about!