Fear Factor I watched this show from the beginning, and didn't think it was that bad... for a game show. But then they started including stunts that involved live animals and I was concerned... for the animals. The USHS is not allowed on the set to make sure the animals are treated humanely. The producer's reason? It's a "Reality" show! What utter nonsense! I'm a rat and mouse breeder as well as owning several snakes and other reptiles. I was angered at the way these animals were treated and abused by the contestants! They showed one shot in a recent episode where a snake's mouth was open and someone commented about it getting ready to bite. That snake had a broken jaw from being thrown around and abused. It was in obvious pain and was not about to attack anyone! The snakes they used for that particular stunt were mainly corn snakes and king snakes... both docile species. In another episode, the contestant had to put her head into a tank that was then filled with rats, and then separate some young rats into two different bins. I visited the website and was horrified to see that they recommend picking a rat up by the tip of the tail and swinging it around so it won't bite you. This is incredibly cruel and very dangerous for the animal! the tail would most likely break off when you started swinging the poor animal! The young rats that were supposed to be seperated looked to be around 5 weeks old... at the most. Hardly dangerous. They were picked up, squeezed, shoved, and dropped into a small hole in the top of a critter carrier! Because these are rats and snakes, there really isn't too much of an outcry. But if these had been puppies or kittens, this show would have been pulled immediately! Source: http://www.jumptheshark.com/page.htm ©1997-2002 Jump The Shark, Inc. Jump the Shark® is a registered trademark of Jump The Shark, Inc.  All Rights Reserved.