It's no secret that Val is a fan of reality TV. Not embarrassed to say so. Won't pretend that she threw out her TV twenty years ago, to climb upon her high horse and gallop across the Blogosphere, proclaiming that she is a highbrow who would never deign to waste time in front of the boob tube, preferring instead to grow her own wheat, harvest and thresh it, and bake artisanal bread to show her superiority to the heathens who purchase the sliced storebought variety.
One of my non-guilty pleasures is the reality survival show Alone. Contestants are dumped into the wilderness with only 10 items of their choosing, to build a shelter, find their own food, and outlast the other nine contestants.
Imagine my excitement upon viewing the first episode this week, to see that there was a MISSOURI contestant! Welp. Of course he was the first one to tap out. But now I must disown him!!! His name is Cubby, 34 years old, and upon reading his bio on the History Channel, it turns out he only moved (from Arkansas) to Missouri when he was 32 years old! I cry shenanigans! Plus, he lives in Barry County, which might as well be in Arkansas, because the only thing separating us is the imaginary state line to the south!
Anyhoo... Cubby started out being quite industrious, building the framework for his shelter. He decided on Day 4 that he was hungry, and took his bow and arrows on a trip through his territory, to assess the wild game available. While walking through the brush, an arrow fell out of his quiver, and as he took a step, in pierced his left inner leg near the knee.
THAT SUCKS!
Anyhoo... Cubby had to PULL OUT THE ARROW, and put a compression bandage on the wound, and try to get back to his camp 30 minutes away. Then he decided to tap out. I don't blame him for that. You don't want to hobble around in the wilderness with a four-inch-deep puncture wound in your inner knee area.
However... I DISOWN Cubby as a Missourian! He's from Arkansas, born and raised. Hasn't even been in (borderline) Missouri for two whole years!
Also, I (in my own challenged way) find it IRONIC that Cubby, who earns his living making bows, was felled by an arrow (that pierced his leg) made by Cubby himself!
Anyhoo... I'll still watch Alone every week. I'll have to pick a new favorite. Probably the one with the least amount of agenda to promote.
That injury sounds suspicious to me. A falling arrow wouldn't go in four inches deep and pulling it out might tear the wound pretty badly. Which is a good enough reason to leave the show. Did they all have bows and arrows? Seems an odd way to gather food for modern day people. Traps might have been better. I don't watch reality shows so I really shouldn't get picky about them.
ReplyDeleteThe arrow fell out onto the ground, in dense brush he was trying to navigate. I was also curious, because wouldn't if fall BEHIND him? Maybe he was taking a step back, trying to take a different route.
DeleteI saw him take out his knife, thinking he was going to cut into his skin, but he just cut the material of his pants to gain access. Then pulled out the arrow.
Contestants can choose 10 items. One did NOT choose a bow and arrow, figuring he would trap small game, and fish. Some bring "paracord," which is apparently the cords used for parachutes, and unravel it into the fibers to weave their own fishing nets. Others have wire to makes snares for rabbits. They can even bring some dried food, I think, as one of their 10 items, but not very much of it.
I'd be taking something that could hold water for drinking at least.
DeleteAll of them take pot, which can be used for cooking, as well as boiling their drinking water.
DeleteOkay, this proves that I am more srong willed than Cubby, a man in an age range that could be my grandson! Remember that screw that shot out of the mower and into my leg ....... I waited patiently for HeWho to use the needle nose pliers to yank it out, then FINISHED MOWING. If he makes arrows, then I find it a liitle questionable that he would be injured by his own arrow. Maybe he was homesick .....
ReplyDeleteYes! I will never forget THE SCREW! It is worthy of nightmares.
DeleteCubby was disappointed with the plot of land he was checking out, it being so dense with brush that he couldn't really see anything, or move easily. Which made getting attacked by bears easy, but hunting difficult.
I don't remember if he was waxing on his homesickness before the incident. I know one of the guys was. You'd think somebody who makes bows and arrows for a living would know how to make a thingy to hold the arrows without them falling out...
How have I missed this show, probably busy watching truly high brow shows like 90 day fiancé...anyway I would be embarrassed by the name Cubby! There re no Cubby's in NJ. Only Cubby I ever knew was the drummer kid on the first Mouseketeers.... Mind wandering...
ReplyDeleteMmmm Annette.
Heh, heh! I don't watch 90 Day Fiance, but when I'm clicking through channels, I am sometimes enticed to watch for an hour or so.
DeleteWe had a dog named Cubby. A black german shepherd who arrived with a sister, up out of the woods behind our house. He came to a bad end, being too dumb to get out from under the truck when Hick started it up for town. He went over the rainbow bridge to a big farm upstate. This ALONE Cubby might have rivaled that dog for brainpower...
Hope your 13-year-old self enjoyed that memory.