What would YOU do to be able to line jump?

---

Lord Gonchar said:

...some of my dinner faves (lima beans & brussel sprouts)...

---

And there's the proof we were never separated at birth. :)

This is the first thing I haven't agreed with you on, Gonch. How sad. Well, this and Nitro...although you kinda came around on Nitro this year...

Viva la Togo!

Way to go Six Flags, the family thing is working out well for you. This isn't family friendly, I thought that was Six Flags new thing. What a joke.

Limas can be OK....esp. with rice, and LOTS of butter. And salt. And pepper.

Brussels sprouts? Leave them for the Belgians! ;)

*** Edited 9/22/2006 5:03:10 AM UTC by rollergator***

---

Vater said:

And there's the proof we were never separated at birth. :)

---

Well it took long enough. I was ready to do the DNA testing. ;)

As far as the foods...

I thought everybody knew that Ham & Lima Beans is the shiznit.

I find brussel sprout to have an almost smoke-like flavor. (seriously!) If they'd just inject those things with nicotene, I could dump my pals at Marlboro. ;)

*** Edited 9/22/2006 5:38:06 AM UTC by Lord Gonchar***

I'd eat a Klondike bar.

---

gomez said:
Way to go Six Flags, the family thing is working out well for you. This isn't family friendly, I thought that was Six Flags new thing. What a joke.

---

The adverts I have seen for GAdv are stating family enivronment during the day time and screams at night so I think they are trying to do the best of both. Daytime things include trick or treating, parades and stuff for the kiddies then at night the mazes and stuff open for the older crowd. The following link shows the plans at GAdv.

http://www.sixflags.com/parks/greatadventure/ShowsAndEvents/Index.html#SP *** Edited 9/22/2006 2:49:03 PM UTC by dragonoffrost***

---

Lord Gonchar said:
The point is, if you really think about it, there's no more danger than eating any other food, it's just that we're conditioned to:

1. Not think of cockroaches as food

2. See bugs as creppy, crawly gross things

If you can just seperate common sense thought from gut instinct this really isn't that big of a deal.

---

Let me rephrase something from my earlier post: The simple fact is we don't want to put a live, crawling <insert animal or insect of your choice> in our mouths -- let alone proceed to bite down, chew, and swallow. Does that make it a little clearer where I'm coming from?

Thanks to shows like Fear Factor and Survivor, most people know that there is no danger from eating a bug, and that they can actually be a source or protein if you are lost somewhere without any food. So to me, the danger aspect and the fact that it is not a typical food does not come in to play. The other thing you mentioned is the fact that it is "a creepy, crawly gross thing."

Let's say it was a butterfly instead of a cockroach. Most people would not call a butterfly creepy or gross, yet, most of us would not eat a live one. Why? Not because there's some sort of danger, not because it's a creepy crawly, not because it's not a typical food. It's because we don't want to eat something that is ALIVE. Kill it and fry it up and I'd probably at least try it. The same goes with the cockroach.

That's what I was trying to get across when I said you were going to deep. It's really as shallow as not wanting some live creature's innards squirting out in my mouth.

Having said all that, brussel sprouts and lima beans are still disgusting. :)

- Aaron K

---

Lord Gonchar said:
I'm torn on the whole thing.

On one side, I do think people are quick to trade dignity for a few bucks or some silly prize. Have a sense of pride already!

---

Trading dignity for money is a bad thing because??? It sure as heck paid my bills when I worked in the service industry. And even now, I have to trade dignity by putting up with some of the buffoons I work with in order to keep bread on the table.

Sense of pride? I'd rather eat. ;)

---

It's really as shallow as not wanting some live creature's innards squirting out in my mouth.

---

I see. Oddly enough, that doesn't really bug me (pun intended). I'm more grossed out by some foods where much of those 'innards' stay intact - dead or alive. (Have you ever really looked at a canned sardine? Ugh!)

Then again, I'm a HUGE fan of sushi. And I suppose freshly raw food is about as close to live food as it gets (maybe lobster being cooked alive gets kinda close too?)

I'm one of those people that doesn't find too much disgusting as far as foods go. The only candiates I can think off offhand come from the seafood side of things. But I really dig sushi and sashimi and things like that so go figure.

---

Sense of pride? I'd rather eat. ;)

---

Perhaps. I wouldn't call hospitality jobs degrading or a loss of dignity. I mean, stuff needs done and people pay to get it done. I can't think of very many jobs right off-hand that would be truly trading dignity for money.

That comment I made was more referring to crap like Fear Factor or silly reality shows in general where people will do the most ridiculous things and act however they're told to for the chance at a few bucks or some prize.

To me, it's one of the saddest statments of the current condition of our culture and people's attitudes in general.

Then again we live in a country that treats celebrities like other countries treat royalty and give their opinions so much merit that they have the power to sway political thought - so maybe I'm giving the general public too much credit to begin with.

Well, I didn't mean that the job in general was a loss of dignity. What I meant was that you have to treat everyone well, even those who abuse you. There's no dignity in that, but, it pays the bills.

Celebs, Royals? What's the difference? ;)

There's may be no dignity in it, but it's certainly not a loss of dignity or degrading in any way.

Gagging down goat testicles and pig uterus, lying in a container while snakes (or bugs or rats or whatever) are dropped on you and doing some ridiculous endurance stunt for a chance at $50,000 and for the entertainment and profit of others definitely doesn't seem worth it to me and is trading your dignity for a shot at a petty reward.

That's the play here for me. People are too willing totally sell-out and trade their dignity for those sweet line passes, but at the same time I consciously understand that eating the cockroack isn't that big a deal at all.

Which point to prove? I guess I'll never find out where I truly stand as I don't plan on visiting another SF park before this season is over. Oh well, I'd probably try it, wuss out and end up losing on both ends of the deal. ;)

But Gonch here is the real rub, 'how do these stunts compromise your dignity'? Seriously, I've eaten bugs before (most not on purpose), had a rat crawl over me, and would actuly *pay* to hold snakes (some like dolphins, I like snakes). Sure, maybe some people will laugh at you, but at the end of the day, what's the big difference? The vast majority of those people are folks I wouldnt give a rat's ass about anyway (I'm sure you'd feel the same).

Look, everyday, people do things that they dont want to do because someone else tells them to. That's not necessarily them surrending dignity, it's just doing what needs to be done. Take some thing else for example, most of us would rather not have urine sprayed on us but if you have a child, or even a loved pet with 'control' issues, you deal with the pee and move on.

Now, I'll admit that it takes a special type of person to do these stunts. People like myself, who beam at the chance of the spotlight are the targets. While I consider myself shy when it comes to interpersonal relationships, I have no problem with being 'entertainment'. I cant list the number of stupid/dangerous/degrading things I've done in the name of entertainment. But after each one of them I could hold my head high. Why? Because I chose to do them. I think that its only a lack of dignity when you are *forced* to do something that you otherwise would not do or feel ashamed doing.

Specifically, would I eat a roach? I honestly dont know. My guess is probably not as 1) I can easily afford a Qbot and 2) I'm not interested in what a roach tastes like. If it were snake or alligator or snalis or worms or even dog, I'd jump on it because I could see myself eating those even if no one were around. Depending on the right group of people being around, I *might* do it just for chits and giggles (that frustrated thesbian in me again).

As far as business goes, I dont see this as a *bad* move for SF. They are getting more mileage out of the publicity for it than they lose on the free bots. And Fear Factor ties right in with their Fright Fest activities.

Lata, jeremy
-who notes that brussel sprouts are really a type of cabbage...along with broccoli and cauliflower

---

FLYINGSCOOTER said:
I'd eat a Klondike bar.

---

LOL!

Just ONE? ;)

-Tina

I'd skip a line for a Klondike bar....sure, I can see that... ;)

---

2Hostyl said:
But Gonch here is the real rub...

---

Good points. Certainly a good alternate view of things and I do agree with much of it.

But on the subject of choice - is it the choice to eat bugs or the choice to bow to another's whim?

For example, it's not degrading in the least to dance like a goof for your family or friends in the name of humor, entertainment or a good time in general. But the old cliche of the sad drunk at the bar dancing around as people toss quarters at his feet yelling, "Dance, Rummy!" and laughing as he gathers the change to buy another drink is degrading.

But in the end in both situations the dancer chose to dance. Still a big difference in context.

These "Fear Factor" style stunts fall under the latter category in my mind. I mean would these people really be sitting around eating pig uterus for a goof unless somebody was dangling a check in front of them (or bugs for a line pass)?

Or the baby pee thing. Sure, changing diapers is a hazard and just what needs done. But your buddy offering you a twenty to let his kid piss on you is a whole different thing.

But oddly enough, if you offered the same deal to your buddy (I'll let your kid piss on me for 20 bucks) then the balance of power has shifted and it goes from act of degridation to silly stunt. (see: Jackass)

It's all about the context of the situation and that's exactly where I find myself torn - eating a bug is no big deal. Being asked to eat a bug for spectacle and reward is.

^ Is all this coming from personal experience, Gonch? ;)

We need to hang out more. :)

-Tina

I ain't as good as I once was, but I'm as good once as I ever was. :)

(Oh man, I just used a line from a Toby Keith song)

<insert shame>

^ The shame isn't in quoting Toby Keith...it's in KNOWING any Toby Keith lines in the first place....quoting him just makes it worse. "Un-gilding the un-lily?"

Interesting take on the "who's in charge" theory of degradation, and I'm forced to wonder how that applies to say, strip clubs?

I definitely need to play "Find the Gonch"...PPPPPerhaps?

*** Edited 9/23/2006 4:21:49 PM UTC by rollergator***

PPPPPProbably not. ;)

The woman is definitely in power in a strip club situation. If you've ever known a dancer, you know the truth. They're 'using' the guys in the crowd and playing them WAY more than the opposite.

But even on the surface, it's really the girl's choice.

But I think one has to assume to nudity is degrading in the first place for the strip club argument to even be valid...and I don't think it is.

For the record, the same rules apply to prostitution and pornography in my little world. I think all of the above usually leave the woman in a position of power. (keyword is usually - there are exceptions)

(and I'd say the opposite is true in male strip places)

Besides it seems even less dignified to me to have to pay to see someone get naked. A good time, but...

...

...oh, the strip club stories I could tell. :)

^Me too, the problem is the "girls only" clubs are VERY few and far between. Charleston has NO such clubs. The booby bars/strip clubs are a dime a dozen here, though. :( Not that I am against that but come on! Girls like to have fun too!

Even living in Philly for six years, there was only ONE club (The Cave) that offered *entertainment* for us chicks four days out of the week. I loved that place....:)

There will be a *tour group* stop by here in Charleston every now and then but it's rare. :(

Women go ballistic at these places and *rules* do not apply. Then again it depends on how much money you want to spend and the type of *entertainment* the guys are willing to do in exchange for money or goods. ;)

That's just what I heard. ;) I am cheap and poor so I am forced to settle for the dollar bills in the G-strings. :)

I think I had a point but Gonch got my mind distracted and wandering when he mentioned male strippers. ;)

-Tina

*** Edited 9/23/2006 7:49:56 PM UTC by coasterqueenTRN***