How about contacting the commercial sponsors for the show??? np

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Posted by jif on March 13, 2002 at 06:17:12:

In Reply to: good point! more on the fear factor ... posted by iZ's mom on March 12, 2002 at 20:57:40:

: from an email i received today:

: Recently, NBC's 'hit show' FearFactor has featured several sequences
: with snakes. The most recent one [03/11/02] involved the sorting of
: snakes by colour - I didn't watch it, but I believe they had to sort
: all the albino snakes out in order to win.

: The snakes in the episode were not only thrown around roughly, but
: they were also cooled down in this show and the ones before. Cooling
: down a snake is done in television for one reason only; it slows the
: snake down to a sluggish torpor-like state, so that the snake is less
: likely to bite or spread cloacal contents over someone it considers a
: threat. I guess fifty rat snakes doing their real thing [rat snakes,
: when threatened, will musk and strike to drive away their tormentors]
: wouldn't make good television. Cooling a snake is also very dangerous
: for the snake; being poikilothermic, or cold-blooded, snakes require
: external heat sources merely to survive. Cooling them down very
: suddenly without preparation can result in severe respiratory
: infections - not to mention the potential death of the snake. This is
: especially serious when dealing with neo-tropical snakes, like the
: Burmese python - which has also been featured on Fear Factor.

: Now, I know a lot of you probably don't like snakes. That's fine.
: Everyone has their thing. But can you really condone hurting live
: animals for the sake of a rather inane television show? These people
: are not handling the snakes gently - then it wouldn't be FEARFactor.
: Cooling the animals to ensure that none of the pathetic participants
: actually gets just deserts for how they are treating the snakes is
: also cruel to the snakes, and probably quite painful [I doubt the
: snakes have been given the usual six-week cooldown that breeders use
: for putting their snakes in hibernation].

: Imagine if it weren't snakes being sorted - imagine if, as someone
: said, they were sorting fluffy little kittens and puppies by gender
: and throwing them into boxes on either side. Imagine if it were YOUR
: animal - hamsters, ferrets, wing-clipped birds, etc.

: You'd think animal rights groups would be up in arms about this,
: right? Afraid not. Almost no action has been taken by any group
: towards NBC - why? Because snakes aren't quite as good press as lab
: chimps. So sad, too bad.

: I'm writing this to ask YOU to make a difference. Write to
: FearFactor@nbc.com and tell them to STOP using live animals in their
: 'reality' based TV shows.

: i disagree with actually writing to "fear factor" itself tho ~ they'd prob'ly think it was great that they were getting so much response, whether it's positive OR negative ...

: maybe write to the powers-that-be at NBC?
: Humane Society?
: a national herp/reptile/snake organization????

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: : <small>from an email i received today: </small> : : <i>Recently, NBC's 'hit show' FearFactor has featured several sequences : : with snakes. The most recent one [03/11/02] involved the sorting of : : snakes by colour - I didn't watch it, but I believe they had to sort : : all the albino snakes out in order to win. : : The snakes in the episode were not only thrown around roughly, but : : they were also cooled down in this show and the ones before. Cooling : : down a snake is done in television for one reason only; it slows the : : snake down to a sluggish torpor-like state, so that the snake is less : : likely to bite or spread cloacal contents over someone it considers a : : threat. I guess fifty rat snakes doing their real thing [rat snakes, : : when threatened, will musk and strike to drive away their tormentors] : : wouldn't make good television. Cooling a snake is also very dangerous : : for the snake; being poikilothermic, or cold-blooded, snakes require : : external heat sources merely to survive. Cooling them down very : : suddenly without preparation can result in severe respiratory : : infections - not to mention the potential death of the snake. This is : : especially serious when dealing with neo-tropical snakes, like the : : Burmese python - which has also been featured on Fear Factor. : : Now, I know a lot of you probably don't like snakes. That's fine. : : Everyone has their thing. But can you really condone hurting live : : animals for the sake of a rather inane television show? These people : : are not handling the snakes gently - then it wouldn't be FEARFactor. : : Cooling the animals to ensure that none of the pathetic participants : : actually gets just deserts for how they are treating the snakes is : : also cruel to the snakes, and probably quite painful [I doubt the : : snakes have been given the usual six-week cooldown that breeders use : : for putting their snakes in hibernation]. : : Imagine if it weren't snakes being sorted - imagine if, as someone : : said, they were sorting fluffy little kittens and puppies by gender : : and throwing them into boxes on either side. Imagine if it were YOUR : : animal - hamsters, ferrets, wing-clipped birds, etc. : : You'd think animal rights groups would be up in arms about this, : : right? Afraid not. Almost no action has been taken by any group : : towards NBC - why? Because snakes aren't quite as good press as lab : : chimps. So sad, too bad. : : I'm writing this to ask YOU to make a difference. Write to : : FearFactor@nbc.com and tell them to STOP using live animals in their : : 'reality' based TV shows.</i> : : i disagree with actually writing to "fear factor" itself tho ~ they'd prob'ly think it was great that they were getting so much response, whether it's positive OR negative ... : : maybe write to the powers-that-be at NBC? : : Humane Society? : : a national herp/reptile/snake organization????

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