A little more on topic, someone brought up the internet as being part of the problem. I 100% agree. Before youtube, streetfire and all these other easy to post video sites, forums, etc the hype just wasn't there, it was still kind of an underground thing that only gear heads got. Today it's less underground and more people get into it.
When the OGs of this site first started posting F&F wasn't even out, it was the weekend after that movie came out that Charter St. as we knew it back in the day was no more. Huge bust, Pikey on NBC4, etc. etc.
Now you've got people putting Girls Gone Wild style street racing DVDs and all the other bullshit, so it's no wonder the media is all over it.
The OG guys still keep it legit and do their thing on quiet industrial parkways, but you get all the young asshats trying to get attention giving everyone else a bad name.