We're doomed. A rant.

[cordex]

Watched part of an episode tonight just to see what the fuss was about.
Had I been the chap being picked on in any one of the three that I saw, I would have drawn down at some point in the event.

There'd be:
half a dozen "satanists" in dire need of a bath and laundry service
"You come any closer to me with that knife and I'll arrange a meeting between every last one of you 'n your dark prince."

a murder suspect held at gunpoint until police arrived.
"TV show or not, I think I'm going to wait for the coroner to check that there frozen corpse before I put the safety back on."

a dead actor in a gorilla suit
"I figured my life was more important that that there monkey's. Plus, he had a rifle and I just had a handgun."

They seem to excell at putting people in a position justifying employment of lethal force.

 

[Gray Peterson]

A lot of folks say that gays are not men by the fact that they're gay.

You know what I would have done with the cab driver? It would have went something like this:

Cab driver: I'm gonna kill you all, HA HA HA!!!

Me: Oh really? *Puts a Glock to the cab driver's temple right* Stop the car, NOW!

 

[CZ-75]

Alexander the Great, Ernst Roehm, and the Theban Sacred Band were such effete twinks.

 

[jimbo]

Wow, great rant! From now on, I'll e-mail you my complaints and you can write them up. Well done! Of course, it is easier when you are mad as hell and not going to take it anymore... Still and all, great rant and accurate observation as well.

 

[Mike Irwin]

"Alexander the Great, Ernst Roehm, and the Theban Sacred Band were such effete twinks."

Not to mention the Spartans...


Funny, too, as I mentioned Ernst Roehm myself in a thread a little bit ago. It seems to be the SA's night here.

 

[Pendragon]

Children are taught at every turn that not only should they not use weapons ever, and that they should talk everything out, but getting into a fight gets you in trouble no matter if you started it or not.

We ought not wonder at the results.

So - what happens when they hook they guy who carries and his friends dont know?

 

[sm]

Lawdog, I agree 100%.

Scary part, is these males actually have a "swimmer" succeed and the gene pool increases.

In schools/colleges they teach this crap. Get into touch with your 'feelings". Horse pucky! At one time the ladies were told to keep their "knees together". Now they tell the ladies to NOT resist but submit to stay alive. Guys, told to NOT be assertive, hell much less agressive...go along, submit, think of the GF, wife, kids, "lawsuit", and this really gets me, "what will people think if you FIGHT BACK?

I had a grade drop one letter by a English born and bred Instructor, whom havng been in US for 10 yrs, "felt" it was her job to "educate properly how to handle life". I basically kept her pissed at me. Every time she started this crap I argued.

She asked when is it legal to use lethal force, I told her . ( I didn't reveal I was In fact a CCW). I added that maybe someday "Stupid people" and those advocating passive/submissive behavior, should be added to the list. That went over well.

One can only hope, just gonna have to carry more rds when the time comes I guess.

 

[KMKeller]

Lawdog - The first time my wife saw the preview with the "Yeti" attacking the camper, she remarked that the person in the Yeti suit would have soiled himself had I been there.

 

[mussi]

A lawdog classic. Reminds me of what I did when I spent my time as 1st Lt in the Army educating 208 recruits in my training company.

We had numerous complaints because I ordered them to march 25 km with a 20 kg package (rifle included) in the first week of the recruit school (remember - they have been selected as grenaders, so this shouldn't be a physical issue).

About 40 started whining after half of that about the speed (I'm not a sportsman and I participated personally in that march on foot, with about 10 kg more stuff than the recruits), and later that day, I had numerous complaints from recruits that this march was physically too hard for them. WHAT A BUNCH OF WHIMPS. I have a bad knee, my feet hurt and I made that and every other march of that recruit school on my own feet. If a 26 year old can do, so can a 20 year-old which has been selected for a grenader recruit school (I'm originally from the signals corps of the Swiss army). That evening, I decided I had heard enough whining and wanted to put a stop to it.

My monolog in front of 200+ recruits, corporals and officers is well remembered because I took inspiration Roy Lee Emery in FMJ. Comments like "This ain't a f******g Pope election where I have to check personally if everybody has male genitals. This ain't a fashion exhibition to find out whether you have x or y piercings, or a facial p**** (referring to the many folks that let their facial hair become a beard due to neglect.). This ain't a parentally supervised holiday camp, unless I'm your dad and Master Seargent Michoud (female; her vocabulary would make the drill seargent in FMJ blush) is your 'mum." probably made them notice I was not kidding.

I then took out a few recruits and recounted and questioned their behavior, and then I let my Master Seargent loose on these guys. After one hour standing in the rain without a poncho, most learned the lesson. A few dropped out, but so far, most made it through the recruit school. Looks like my rant also did some good when it came to a vile knife fight because a few 'disadvantaged' foreigners decided to molest some girls in a local bar and these poor, 'disadvanteg' foreigners got a very healthy "Swiss Army style" massage for their deed, and nobody ever talked about it.

My master seargent still terrorizes recruits, but I have moved to quieter pastures, military-wise, where the people have wised up a bit and behave. Looks like her education principles should be applied a bit earlier in life, this would avoid me to do it myself.

 

[Mark Tyson]

Shoot your television.

 

[Joe Demko]

As of February, I moved to new digs. At first, I just put off getting cable TV because I had other matters on my mind. I still don't have it because I found that life w/o TV is actually better. News and weather forecasts are available from other sources. If I really want entertainment, I can rent or buy exactly the movie I want and watch it at my convenience. TV is nothing but a geyser of irritating drek. Cut the cable. Pull the plug. Hit the "off" switch. Once you get over the idea that anything on that box is worth watching, much less paying for, it will be easy. Do it. You'll be glad you did. How much more irreplaceable lifespan are you going to piss away on it?

 

[Don Gwinn]

I almost have my wife talked into killing the TV. Our sons have only lived with us for a little less than a year. They're only six. And they are absolutely obsessed with television. I don't mean a little bit, I mean they will scream, bawl, and shout that they hate us if we cause them to miss a show they're used to watching. The shows they want to watch are the ones they were plopped in front of to keep them busy at their other homes, like The Simpsons. They don't even understand the jokes; it's all a matter of habit.

We've been weaning them off this stuff while vigorously reminding them not to throw fits of rage about the situation, and things are getting better, but I really believe we'd all be better off without that TV. Failing that, I'd like to move it into another room and disconnect the antenna (we already refuse to pay for cable) so we could watch movies on special occasions but the TV would NOT be the focus point of the living room.

I really question whether television itself does not breed passivity in all aspects of life. Actually, I guess I should say I'm convinced that it does, but I wonder how much.

 

[bogie]

Heh - I figure that the taxi will stop pretty soon after the driver's foot comes off the gas, because I've grabbed him by the head and pulled him over the back seat. If that didn't break his neck, he'd have a knee on it... If I was in the passenger seat, I'd reach over and get his attention, and inform him that he _will_ stop, or that he'll be missing a portion of his anatomy that's near and dear to him... and yes, I _have_ gotten guys attention that way in the past... I'm not proud. Grab & twist works VERY well, even with drunks.

Then again, when I was a kid, I walked to the back of our farm one night, where a few... well, more than a few... local kids went to park. There were several cars there. So I retired to the other side of a hedgerow, and fired up a chainsaw. Two of the cars collided trying to go through the gate. Hilarious.

 

[NonServiam]

I see you all attack the sniveling men, but how about the hysterically shreaking young lady? Don't you expect both men and women to be able to defend themselves equally?

Now, my GF carries neither a gun or a knife (local laws), but try and come to Norway with this "entertainment", and I'll show you 5'8" blonde female fury stabbing her heels into the poor cabbie's windpipe or somewhere else... I've seen her do stuff with those heels that made my balls shrink to peanut size just thinking about being on the receiving end

I also know a couple of "little old ladies" who'd have owned that cabbie's behind in a minute.

I want to believe that this is a case of spineless west coast Americans, but unfortunately I think their kind is to be found everywhere in the world

 

[Mikul]

Male Americans are trained to act this way. I was talking with a women about how much easier it is to find a good man today. What was interested was her description of a good man: like to "do things," go shopping, see a show, look at antiques, talk about their feelings.

She seemed confused when I told her how surprised I was that she liked to date women.

 

[Poodleshooter]

I almost have my wife talked into killing the TV.

Do it Don. My wife and I tossed the TV over a year ago. It's very odd how your perceptions of people and life change when you don't have a TV. I use the internet or papers for my news, and avoid the editorializing of news anchors, the mindless babbling, and the porthole into the seedy side of people's lives. It does wonders for your perceptions of your fellow humans.
It's not for everybody, but I find myself with a better outlook on life, and a heck of a lot more time at the range and the reloading bench.
As for your kids-you are definitely not the only parent whose kids react that way to TV.......
It's a convenient babysitter, but in general quite a bad one.

 

[Trisha]

One mirrors the other.

(smiling quietly)

No one ever came to my aid when I was being beaten to a shattered, bloody pulp so many years ago - that's why I train, study tactics and martial philosophy, train some more, and always carry at least a .357 and at least one knife. Never again.

I will not blindly believe today's average standard spineless civilian to be competent and capable should I ever again see the balloon go up and the goblin(s) attack with glee.

It is repugnant that comedy is found within the epitomized craven whinings and loose-boweled droolings of the inheritors of this fading Republic. . .

There is simple causative motivation to devoting endless personal resources of the heart and mind and hands to the gratis training of any who come to me or Susan seeking to know a life of calm light amidst this widening, sucking cesspool of apathy and darkening social decay (yes, we are profoundly defined by our personal code of ethics and morals though we openly be pagan and lesbians - oh indeed. . .).

Perhaps it would be instructive to pen a note to the producers of such vapid entertainment and remind them that some in the general populace will act definitively and with unblinking, unapologetic finality to terminate any deliberate, recognized material threat - long before a buffoon gapes "It's only a joke!"

Enact a "pretend" kidnapping with a "pretend" black rubber knife at the throat of a screaming "pretend" victim and know the potential for very real and final tragedy - as hidden cameras capture the moment.

(sighing)

Such would become headline news, endlessly reviewed and criticized by some. . . Perhaps that is why future venues for said "entertainment" will be in "gun-free" zones, where the producers and participants will have some tenuous hope of garnering only those bipeds who graze. . .

Trisha

 

[George Hill]

Are you telling me that between the two of those -- I can't call them men, because I swear to God that there can't be enough testosterone between the two of them to sprout one single solitary chest hair -- between the two of those ... things ... they didn't have one right cross? A chokehold? Hell, the two of them couldn't just snatch the driver over the back of his seat and pummel the ever-living Cheeze-Whiz out of him?

Classic.

 

[Penforhire]

It is a screamingly funny show at times. My girlfriend and I agree most 'victims' have a strange paralysis response to danger situations.

I mean, there's this skit where a receptionist pulls a handgun out of her purse to shoot a 'werewolf' who seemingly assaulted the "real" victim, who thinks he's really in this to scare the receptionist. This total loser stands by while the receptionist announces her intention to shoot his accomplice-in-make up and continues to stand in paralysis until after she shoots the 'monster' who shortly appears (nice shooting special effect by the way).

All he had to do was say, "woah, this is just a joke we were trying to play on you." But numb-nuts stands by and lets someone get shot instead.

Grrr. Yep agree with Lawdog's rant. The only stand-up guy I remember from those shows at least tried to assault the "hitch-hiking murderer with a head in his bag."

 

[Battler]

The show "Scare Tactics" is blatantly obviously fake.

The responses are pitiful. Pro Wrestling is more convincing.

The situations are very contrived.

A dead giveaway is this: You heard of the show recently, right? They taped the first bunch of episodes, and showed previews. How come at the end they say "you're on scare tactics" and the "victims" have heard of the show?

My response to "you're on scare tactics" would be "what the fu** is scare tactics?", and perhaps even "who the **** is shannon doherty, that silly bi*** from 90210?"


Some of these pranks, like you mention, could lead to serious civil/legal repercussions, if they were real.

 

[Correia]

Ok, I've got to guiltily admit that I've watched this show.

95% of the marks freeze up and choke.

I've only seen a couple of people who wouldn't have been Darwinated. On the episode with the alien abduction, the boyfriend jumped out of the car and sprinted down the road. (left his girlfriend, who sat in the car screaming). So not heroic, but hey Fight or Flight. Either one beats sitting there like a moron.

The other was the kid who actually started punching the actor/killer hitchhiker in the head. Fortunatly for the actor the kid couldn't throw a decent punch.

 

[firestar]

I don't know what show you are talking about but I have seen plenty like it. I like those kinds of shows. I think it is funny when someone who pretends to be tough and cool is revealed as the punk they really are.

You will never see what happens when the "mark" gets violent. They will either stop it right away or cover it up.

I'm not sure how reacting to every unconfortable situation with violence makes you more of a man. I don't see how we are doomed. Too much of that ape-like behavior is what will "doom" us.

 

[Ledbetter]

Outstanding rant.

This show is just one more reason to carry everyday.

Mike Irwin, what do you have against white trash and trailer parks that you need to use them to describe Shannon Dougherty?

 

[2nd Amendment]

Everytime I see something like this discussed it makes me glad we pulled our cable and antenna 6 years ago. The only "TV" in this house is whatever movies we occasionally rent. Our oldest daughter harps some about not knowing what her friends are talking about when they go on about this or that show but it's worth it. Our son spends his days outside playing, wrestling the dog and generally tearing things up like a 9 year old should.

I will admit, though, that there are times I worry about him being a bit niave. He doesn't have the world-wise attitude you see in so many kids today. That doesn't bother me but the idea of it putting him at a disadvantage later in life does. OTOH, considering the programmed sheep out there it may work out just fine.

 

[CZ-75]

Program out all the channels you don't want them to watch.

I do this and I'm not a kid. I just dread the thought that I might accidentally enter the Oxygen channel, CNN, or Lifetime, among others.