Tv Personalities On Hot Handling

[Mustangrde1]

It seams that a lot of people are starting to ask question and make reference to Television personalities and their handling of hots lately.

I have actually been debating about making a post on this for a while but feel it should be done. If you like them fine if not IM not sorry for my opinions.

First and foremost these people want the ratings so they can see the profits not only the one doing the handling but their bosses at the network. There are definitely a couple true drama experts on the camera. They enjoy pushing the envelope well beyond safe levels. I can only draw a conclusion of shock and danger factor for ratings.

If you think their jobs are cool and you want to be just like them. I have to ask is the Undertakers job cool too and would you like to meet him as a client?

There are also a few who portray a much more realistic view of what happens in a field biologist life and yes they do dramatize it as well for ratings.

Most of these people have years of handling skills under their belt. Keeping in mind that there are tricks to reducing the odds of a venomous bite for camera work such as Chilling or Narcotics or Venomoids and certainly Camera angles. Not to mention a full safety crew and emergency team on hand.

What we see is a final well edited version of what really happened and I am certain the editors are looking for drama and shock factors for the final cut. After all it is TV and ratings mean money to them. Please never try what you see them do. Enjoy their show for what it is when you watch it and do not condone the activities they perform if it is so obviously dangerous. Standing up and supporting any of these people on the camera when they do something so stupid or dangerous just gives them a car blanch to keep doing it. Sooner or later someone will meet the Undertaker because of one of these fools action on camera when a person tries to imitate them. The animals are beautiful but to be honest how many I often wonder are out of private collections or zoo stock. I have seen a lot of Imported animals and just cant remember the last time I saw one in such a flawless perfect coloration that these shows often show.

[BOAS_N_PYTHONS]

MUSTANGRDEL:

Nice post, very well thought out and expressed - I agree with it , that my 2 cents.

Cya...

Tony

[Gregg M]

Just to give you an idea and to back up what Scott said about the animals being used in the shows........ There is a dumba$$ that goes by the name of Austin Stevens....... In one of his segments he jumps into a river and plucks a 4 to 5 foot gaboon from it........ He was in East Africa......... The map before the segment gave his exact locality......... The funny thing was he pulled a West African gaboon viper from the body of water........ And if anyone has ever seen a wild gaboon viper you know for sure it looks nothing like what he pulled out from that water......... Besides that mistake, He had the thing by its tail and when he got it to the clearing, he handled the thing like it was a ball python....... This is the same show where the idiot got tagged by two venomous snakes.......

[Mustangrde1]

Awe Gregg i was trying so hard not to mention names LOL even edited myself 10 times for use of the "S.I." word. Great and valid points though... and I dont think for one minute a mainline injection from a cobra and he would have been out withen a few hours to find the " eaxact same snake" well unless he had it in a hot box the whole time.

[jtpRUGGER]

Scott, when are you going to make a tv show? Maybe you could use it to debunk some of the myths about hots. It would also give you a better excuse to indulge yourself with your Dendroaspis addiction...

[Mustangrde1]

Josh actually as you know there is one in the early stages trying to be put together by myself and Julio. Unfortuantely Dendros are not yet invasive to FL so I will have to suffer with the iggys lol. By the way will you hurry up and get your butt down here your Pigmy is eating me out of house and mouse. What do I look like im runnning a pigmy rattler motel, um dont answer that. you either ray

[jtpRUGGER]

Dont answer that? You think I can leave that alone?!?! Hmm...pigmy rattler motel....do you actually think you AREN'T running one? Lets see if you don't think so in say, I dunno, September?? What was it last year? 9,243,567 S.m.barbouri??

[Mustangrde1]

Lmao.... no not quite that few man. And you should talk Mr Copperhead Gravid female ambulance service for the great state of Texas.

[jtpRUGGER]

Hey, its not my fault if the BB's on our ranch are easy! I'm just there to help out. Maybe I should start some maternity classes for them...planned parenthood for coppers anyone?

[jtpRUGGER]

Oh yeah, on that note Scott, did you get my pigmy knocked up yet? You know I prefer my female snakes to be gravid when I get them...

[Mustangrde1]

Um actually i just took the males out of the feamles and the dirty should be done.

[Mustangrde1]

Heh i just watched Austin again last night. He was trying to find O. hannah. The one he found was massive and very well marked im curious who owns that beauty.lol

[Gregg M]

Well, you know it was not a wild caught.......LOL...... I dont think the markings on that King are found on them in the area he was supposed to be.................LOL

[ChokeOnSmoke]

Do you guys think any one host is more professional than the rest ? In regards to handling hots.

[Mustangrde1]

Deffinately. There are host that use proper safe handling equiptment. I would put these as more professional then those looking for ratings by using the preceived danger involved in freehandling for ratings. Also ones that use Scientific names for identification lend more creadance to their shows as well as giving proper " locataions" they are in and actually using the proper species native to that area.

[cobraman]

I would agree with Scott's above post with the exception to the issue on using scientific names. If I were one of those guys on TV I would use the common name and always follow that with the scientific name, but I would not use just the scientific name. I may be wrong (because I don't watch those programs) but I think those programs tend to be aimed at the youth instead of adults. If I am correct in that presumption, most kids are not interested in the scientific names, or at least would not prefer them to the common names.

[C.m.pyrrhus]

I just had to add this small bit of info I found on a google search. I was not familiar with the name Austin Stevens, but now I know who the fella is.

Check these sites out here, just odd that this fella made it to TV in my opinion.....

#1..This site first. (http://www.tigressproductions.co.uk/programmes/otherprogs/anaconda.html)

#2..This site second, a decent read for laughs (http://www.amishrobot.com/archive/000297.html)

[Mustangrde1]

err ummmm 40 feet and 1000 pounds did i read that right lmfao.

[scalawag]

40" (inches) around. Or maybe just a 15 footer. oops.

[herpetological]

Years ago wildlife programs always ran a discalimer for example, Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom.... All scenes wether actual or created ...you know the rest. At least then they admitted to it. Also, they didn't seem to play up the dangers or dramatize so much. I have to say that I have respect for Steve Irwins enthusiasm and love of the specimens but, as an example to "wanna be" young enthusiasts " he leaves much to be desired. Austin is simply a joke... If he ever did have any sensibility it's followed the producers money trail. Corwin at least is funny at times. Although it's obvious much of it is staged. Now the two I respect.... Dr. Brady Barr and Mark O'Shea. I've spoke with both and......... they are legitimate researchers. Mark does not play-up his programs so to speak. He's had two episodes where they did not find the species they were looking. It could have been set up to look like they found that species(As in borrowed) But, he wouldn't allow it. Barr does make mistakes and doesn't have them edited out. I'd like to see a program that stresses the dangers but, doesn't overplay it. One that shows respect for the species they are working with and shows responsible handling. Last but, not least honestly represents the difficulty in finding some species in the field and what a LEGITIMATE field biologist has to endure. I can just imagine what prima donnas some of these guys are in the field? I want to see them wear shorts, tennis shoes and dress shirts collecting with me. I'd like to see the guy in a beat up truck, counting his change to buy gas, batteries, bug spray, beer(Or soda), some Slim Jims. With an old map and several herp books on the dash. Wadding thru knee deep water that smell like s**t, getting covered in mosquitos, ticks maybe a few leeches only to finally find what they are looking for. The specimens are photographed or placed in a secure container. The crew returns to the guys house only to see a flawless expensive reptile room.(That why he was counting change!) LOL's!!!! JMHO

[Mustangrde1]

Ray that has to be one of the best post ive read in a long time. Well said.