It seems there’s no line television won’t cross. Remember in 1999 when Ed TV starring Matthew McConaughey came out in theatres? It was a film about an everyday guy who is trapped in a reality show about his life. It was funny and struck a chord with viewers who had yet to even imagine a television industry full of rich Housewives, bounty hunters and duck callers.
We didn’t yet know that John and Kate would have eight or that something called a Honey Boo Boo would get four seasons. And it never occurred to us that we’d watch people bid on abandoned storage containers on Saturday night.
But even as the reality show industry evolved – or devolved – into the myriad of weirdness we see today, there were some networks we could trust not to sink to such base levels. Animal Planet, Discovery, History, or National Geographic were supposedly above it all. They were “real” reality because the focus was as much education as entertainment.
Yet, somehow things have changed. In December, Discovery is letting a man be eaten by a giant snake. Eaten Alive will show a snake researcher and so-called conservationist, Paul Rosolie, being eaten by a giant green anaconda in the Amazonian jungle. He will wear a custom suit that’s been designed to protect him and the snake.
For those who believe this snake sounds like a fairy tale or urban legend (Is it an urban legend if it’s in the jungle?), Rosolie has met the snake before. Yes, they’re acquaintances. The snake tried to kill him once so this time, he’s going to serve himself up.
This is where I have more questions. For example, once the snake swallows you, what are viewers supposed to see? The snake closes its mouth and … it’s dark.
Producers claim that viewers will learn the force with which the snake crushes its prey. Yet, this could be done by sending a much smaller piece of equipment down the serpent’s throat. But it wouldn’t give Rosolie his thrill.
Another key question is how does Rosolie get out? (According to Discovery, both he and the snake, in fact, survived the ordeal.) Do we want to see a snake in the throes of the world’s largest bowel movement? Do we want to see Rosolie as part of the world’s largest bowel movement?
And how do we know it didn’t hurt the anaconda? The process could not have been enjoyable.
The purpose is supposedly to collect more information on its hunting and feeding behaviours. However, that could be accomplished with tags and cameras outside the belly of the beast.
PETA has issued a statement condemning the network and Rosolie. Meanwhile, a circulating petition is asking Discovery to cancel Eaten Alive, claiming it perpetuates negative stereotypes about snakes. They do not naturally eat humans. So it may be a hoax.
I just want to know, when did nature and all its wild and crazy creatures stop being interesting enough on its own merits? Does man have to ruin everything?
