Willing Warriors; Tantalizing TV or Anachronistic Anti-Humans?

Of the dichotomous populace of TV watchers, I belong to the half that (generally) likes reality TV. Why? Well, I enjoy experiencing real emotion from real people... from my real couch.

One of my surprise favorite reality shows from last year was The Deadliest Catch.

In a nutshell, the show follows a handful of Alaskan crab fishermen as they risk life and limb to make a LOT of money in a short amount of time, catching crab by using very heavy and dangerous equipment on rocky boats navigating through rough seas full of water so cold that if you aren't wearing a survival suit, (which is so beefy it makes you look like a 4 year old on a snow day; so they can't work in them) and you aren't rescued within a couple of minutes, you're dead.

And oh yeah, they use Bon Jovi music and the whole thing is narrated by the guy from Dirty Jobs who has that awesome voice.

The new season of TDC premiered last night; and despite what I had heard at the end of the previous season about a major change in the format, I was brimming with anticipation.

I'm witholding final judgment for now, but initial signs aren't good.

Why? Well, as I made allusions to, there's a major change in the format... and in the process of considering that, I really have to question my thoughts about TV vis a vis my moral compass. You see, there's a bit of The Running Man appeal in TDC.

Aside: The Running Man, a story by Stephen King, and later a movie starring our favorite Californian Governator, is a game show set in the future that shows a potential culmination to the Reality TV phenomenon; where contestants fight to the death for the amusement of the mob. It's the Gladiators of Rome all over again. This idea has seen many incarnations; in videogames and movies. Sometimes the "gladiators" are prisoners being forced to fight, sometimes it's voluntary and you can win lots of money and prizes, etc.

(SmashTV is one of my favorite games of all time; I'm always a big fan of breakneck-paced action, fighting to survive against endless hordes of mindless enemies.)

So, how does this apply to TDC?

Well, deep sea fishing in freezing waters requires strategy, luck, physical and mental toughness, and it is VERY dangerous.

And the money is very real. The deck hands usually make around $30,000-$40,000, and on up the ladder to the captains, who often make 6 figures. And that's for ONE TRIP; less than a week!! With several crab "seasons" a year; it's a very lucrative business.

Finally, getting to the reason why my moral compass is put into question; the danger and death is very real too. LOTS of things can go wrong out there, 50+ miles from shore, and a lot of them lead to you being dead. If you watched the first season, you saw what I'm talking about. They earn their money.

Now, I know I don't like people dying; I get no pleasure out of that... but I'm questioning myself now... do I like this show because people might die?? I have to admit, the danger and urgency is a necessary catalyst for the subsequent bravery and comraderie displayed on the show to come through; and that's a lot of what makes it appealing.

And this brings me to my point.

Up until this past season, crab fishing in Alaska has been "derby style" fishing.

What this means is, the US Department of Fish and Game decides exactly when the 'season' on a certain crab starts, and how many crab (and of what size) can be caught for this season. Every boat must report all that they catch in real time; so that when the quota is close to being reached, the Fish & Game people put a firm deadline announcement out to end the 'season,' and no crab can be caught after that. There are tamper-proof cameras on each boat that track and record what they catch and when, so no one can cheat.

What does this mean? Well, it means that if you're a crab fisherman, and you're getting paid $7-10 a pound for crab, you want to catch as much crab as possible, as quickly as possible, so that when the horn sounds ending the end of the season, your contribution to the quota will be bigger than anyone else's, and therefore, you can sell more than anyone else. And because no one really knows exactly where the large nomadic biomasses of crab are; that means from the moment the 'season' opens, you're working as much as you possibly can, and that means sleeping the least you possibly can.

And as any cold/flu medication bottle will tell you; you should NOT be operating heavy machinery when drowsy. How about when you've had about 6 hours of sleep over 3 days, and you're on a boat in the Bering Sea with rocky waves crashing over the boat; there are 40mph winds with sleet, and you need to navigate 800lb steel crab traps with a giant hydraulic crane on a slippery deck dotted with deck hands trying to do all manner of baiting, pulling, sorting, etc.

The result of this, in spite (because?) of the danger and the fact that people do get hurt and occasionally die, is some very good television. Depression and elation come and go just like the waves. When a boat has been unlucky, the season is half over, and they all of a sudden hit massive amounts of crab; it's really good stuff.

Or should I say... was good stuff.

Like I said before... the derby fishing was "up until last season." The Department of Fish and Game decided to do away with that style; and is enforcing a system where each boat is only allowed to catch "their share" of the season's quota for that crab; and of course that's all they can sell. The urgency, the volatility, the powerful emotion swings... gone.

This system is much safer; no more sleep deprivation, no more risks, no more back-breaking work at a breakneck pace. Everyone catches what they're allowed to catch, no more.

It's still dangerous to fish for crab; that's for sure... but it's a lot less exciting now.

Now, before you take a look at that comment and start questioning my aforementioned morality; consider this.

EVERY Captain of the crab boats they talked to was upset that Fish & Game was doing this. As dangerous as it was, they ALL lived for the rush of the derby style fishing. It meant that depending on your strategy, effort, and luck; you could strike it rich, or barely cover your costs.

It was a gamble; their very lives and livelihood were on the line as they depended on each other and the hand of cards that the seas dealt them; and they loved it.

In the opener to this season, all the captains featured in the show are at a bar talking about the season, and they raise their glasses in a surly and sarcastic toast to Fish & Game.

If these men WANT to do it; if they want the risk; if they want the competition; if they want capitalism over communism... why should the government get in the way??

They know the risks better than anyone, and they choose to do it regardless. Not everyone has that pioneer spirit in them that almost needs the danger and risk, and while, in general, humans don't need that anymore... I don't think it should be discouraged. That spirit was what carved out a chunk of our land; and that shouldn't be forgotten and abandoned.

Now, am I saying this because I believe it, or because I want the show to "matter" again?

I'm not sure, definitely some of both.

But considering that it's so dangerous, I start to think about some of the other shows I like to watch where there's a lot of danger.

For example, I really like MMA, or Mixed Martial Arts; and this is just about as gladiator as you can get. I first fell in love with MMA when The Ultimate Fighting Championship was born back in 1993. They got together all sorts of expert martial artists to see who would win in a tournament with VERY few rules. (no biting, no eye-gouging) It was barbaric, sure, but it was riveting, and slowly but surely, some insights to some really long unanswered questions, like which martial art is the best in a real fight against someone who knows how to fight?

The sport evolved and eventually tried to become legitimate. (With a lot of success; UFC events are finally now on regular cable instead of pay-per-view; thanks to the SpikeTV reality show, The Ultimate Fighter) Now, there are a LOT of rules in the UFC to protect fighters, and it's become clear as to which styles "work." While the whole "Kumite" appeal is pretty much gone now, the spectacle has evolved into a sport.

Now, that sport is dangerous, obviously, and people DEFINITELY get hurt. But it's very unlikely that someone's going to die in UFC, and again, all of these guys WANT to do this.

Shouldn't people be allowed to do these things if they want to? And, well, shouldn't people like me be able to watch and be entranced and maybe a little envious of their ability to throw caution to the wind?