US show sued for rat-eating stunt

[emad]

BBC

A US TV network is being sued for $2.5m (£1.3m) by a viewer who says he was disgusted by watching contestants eat dead rats in a stunt show.

Austin Aitken is taking action against NBC over its programme Fear Factor.

He said watching the show caused his blood pressure to rise so high that he became dizzy and light-headed.

The legal assistant said NBC was "sending the wrong message to viewers that cash can make or have people do just about anything beyond reasoning".

The hand-written, four-page lawsuit said: "To have the individuals on the show eat and drink dead rats was crazy and from a viewer's point of view made me throw-up as well as another in the house at the same time."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/tv_and_radio/4150893.stm

[Squatch]

1. Have people never heard of the concept of "Changing the Channel"?

[fertilizeonarbusto]

2. Hands down,

the dumbest show on TV-and I'm counting O'Reilly.

[yellowcanine]

8. Can we just sue them filling the airwaves with crappy programs?

[LiberalVoice]

3. Change the fucking channel you sack of shit!

Jesus Christ :eyes:

[TolstoyAndy]

4. "The hand-written ... lawsuit"

ha! that says it all. See, this is why we need tort reform! </sarcasm>

Of course, this show does abuse animals and should be shut down. I guess that makes me a PETA extremist.

[yellowcanine]

5. Didn't G. Gordon Liddy cook and eat a rat to overcome his fear of

rats? Right after he held his hand over a burning candle to conquer his fear of candles?

[MisterP]

15. does he have a fear of gas explosions he could try and overcome?

just asking...

[fishwax]

6. This is exactly why we need tort reform!

Or, wait a minute, maybe it's all a ruse to make us think we need tort reform. :think:

[ET Awful]

7. How do you "drink" a dead rat? n/t

[miss_kitty]

9. blender?

don't know. don't watch-just makes me think of the Bass-O-Matic.

[ET Awful]

10. LOL, I was thinking "blender" as I came back to the thread :)

hehehehe. As I clicked on the thread, I was thinking "I bet somebody replied "blender" or something. :)

[Madrone]

12. It was put in a blender ...

I happened to see the show in question, and they put them in a blender - WHOLE, and then required the contestants to drink them.

As a person who had and loves pet rats - it was disturbing to me as well - and I expected something like this to come of it - although I was thinking PETA rather than some random dude.

[redqueen]

11. Why do people keep forgetting about the 'off' button?

Or failing that, how about just their ability to change the channel?

:crazy:

[bleedingheart]

13. that would require effort...

but then whining about it also requires effort but to some it is easier...

I am amazed at the success of programs that people find so offensive...if people would stop watching...the shows would disappear... seems simple enough...

[redqueen]

14. Ehhhh people LOVE trash

Everyone loves to complain about it, but the fact is it's up to the consumer what succeeds.