Influencer takes viewers 'behind the tent zipper'

Miranda fashions himself equal parts good Samaritan, stuntman and documentary filmmaker. He produces his own short-form videos, feeding an internet audience hungry for unfiltered views of L.A.’s underbelly.

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UNDER the moniker Whitewallstuntz, Derrek Miranda fashions himself equal parts good Samaritan, stuntman and documentary maker.

(ROBERT GAUTHIER Los Angeles Times)

He is among a growing wave of influencers who create content that toes a fine line between advocacy and exploitation.

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 such as clothing or food at a more intimate level than a contracted social worker. He has personally delivered Narcan to help some recover from the brink of overdose in multiple videos.

"I want to show the reality of life, not only behind a closed door, curtains and, you know, a chandelier when you walk in," Miranda said. "I want to show behind the tent zipper.... It just shows real life, how these people still be human beings and live like an animal."

Miranda was born in Long Beach and raised in East Compton. For years, he said, he was primarily employed as a private hibachi chef and rode bikes as a hobby. He said he was struck by a van during immigration protests in June, which put him out of work temporarily. It turned into a permanent leave after his pages started to gain traction.

Since then, he has lived in a camper van while pushing out near-daily content on his page that is occasionally licensed by mainstream TV news organizations — the bulk of his current income.