# Could you do the "Eating Tests" on Fear Factor?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-do-the-eating-tests-on-fear-factor/209838
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [October 27, 2003, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-do-the-eating-tests-on-fear-factor/209838 "2003-10-27T14:37:22Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)
#### Post date: [October 27, 2003, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-do-the-eating-tests-on-fear-factor/209838/1 "2003-10-27T14:37:22Z")
I’ve tried to imagine myself eating a bowl of sheep eyeballs. I’ve tried to envision what it would be like to chow down on fried fucking spiders. I’ve forced my self to watch these people eating all manner of disgusting gruel. But for the life of me, I will never be able to do ANY of the food stunts on Fear Factor. Could you?
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### Author:  [@Indygrrl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indygrrl)
#### Post date: [October 27, 2003, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-do-the-eating-tests-on-fear-factor/209838/2 "2003-10-27T14:45:17Z")
Maybe if I was guaranteed to win the money, but on Fear Factor, the eating is usually the second thing they do and then they have some impossible-looking physical challenge. It would not be worth doing if I wasn’t going to win the show.
Also, I nearly gagged when they were drinking the seafood shakes on Survivor a few weeks back. Ick.
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### Author:  [@Jessity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jessity)
#### Post date: [October 27, 2003, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-do-the-eating-tests-on-fear-factor/209838/3 "2003-10-27T15:36:55Z")
I’m pretty sure 50K isn’t enough to make me put maggots in my mouth.
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### Author:  [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)
#### Post date: [October 27, 2003, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-do-the-eating-tests-on-fear-factor/209838/4 "2003-10-27T16:18:24Z")
I’m not even sure I could do most of the food stunts if I was starving to death. They’re revolting beyond all recognition.
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### Author:  [@Judith\_Prietht](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Judith_Prietht)
#### Post date: [October 27, 2003, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-do-the-eating-tests-on-fear-factor/209838/5 "2003-10-27T16:25:33Z")
Absolutely not. I can barely watch the contestants do it because I’m so vomit-phobic.
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### Author:  [@Lord\_Ashtar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Ashtar)
#### Post date: [October 27, 2003, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-do-the-eating-tests-on-fear-factor/209838/6 "2003-10-27T16:40:27Z")
Definately not. So call me a wuss.
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### Author:  [@Anonymous\_Coward](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anonymous_Coward)
#### Post date: [October 27, 2003, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-do-the-eating-tests-on-fear-factor/209838/7 "2003-10-27T17:27:26Z")
I could maybe do the Fish Slurpies from Survivor, but the Fear Factor ones are so much worse.
Worms/maggots I would have no problem with but the crunchy bugs (roaches, spiders, etc) I would hate.
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### Author:  [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)
#### Post date: [October 27, 2003, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-do-the-eating-tests-on-fear-factor/209838/8 "2003-10-27T17:55:37Z")
I have yet to see a physical challenge on there that didn’t look like a blast. But I’d be the first to wave goodbye the minute any disgusting ingestation was involved.
Especially not for a weak chance at an after tax 30.
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### Author:  [@SmackFu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmackFu)
#### Post date: [October 27, 2003, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-do-the-eating-tests-on-fear-factor/209838/9 "2003-10-27T18:07:01Z")
I would have no problem with the grossness of the stuff. But I would have issues with the “large amounts of overcooked meat” aspect. I can’t even handle well-done beef sometimes, and that’s without a time limit.
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### Author:  [@godzillatemple](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/godzillatemple)
#### Post date: [October 27, 2003, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-do-the-eating-tests-on-fear-factor/209838/10 "2003-10-27T18:19:28Z")
What does eating gross stuff have to do with “fear” in the first place? I’m not afraid of bugs, but you couldn’t pay me enough to eat them.
I mean, I can see where having bugs crawl all over you might be considered something to be afraid of, but what is this obsesion with eating yucky stuff? Where’s the fear?
Barry
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### Author:  [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)
#### Post date: [October 27, 2003, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-do-the-eating-tests-on-fear-factor/209838/11 "2003-10-27T18:20:25Z")
I can’t even eat squid (or any seafood). No sushi, no chocolate covered bees, and venison sucks. I’d faint on the spot.
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### Author:  [@Intaglio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Intaglio)
#### Post date: [October 27, 2003, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-do-the-eating-tests-on-fear-factor/209838/12 "2003-10-27T18:51:25Z")
No, I could not do the Food Eating on Fear Factor - unless the food was Blueberry Pancakes with Maple Syrup - then yea I’l do it.
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### Author:  [@Intaglio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Intaglio)
#### Post date: [October 27, 2003, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-do-the-eating-tests-on-fear-factor/209838/13 "2003-10-27T18:54:06Z")
Or I’ll eat Blueberry Waffles or Cinnamon French Toast.
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### Author:  [@Invisible\_Chimp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Invisible_Chimp)
#### Post date: [October 28, 2003, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-do-the-eating-tests-on-fear-factor/209838/14 "2003-10-28T00:01:22Z")
I could not do the food challenges on Fear Factor. I love watching the constentants eat the stuff though. It’s my favorite part of FF. Watching it on TV doesn’t bother me. I’ll even watch it during dinner, but if I were actually there, merely smelling some of the more noxious stuff would send me hurling, let alone eating it.
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### Author:  [@malkavia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/malkavia)
#### Post date: [October 28, 2003, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-do-the-eating-tests-on-fear-factor/209838/15 "2003-10-28T00:08:12Z")
Oh goodness… The african cave dwelling spiders.
THEY HAVE HANDS, FOR CHRISSAKES!
No way. Not a chance.
Even thinking about it makes me sick.
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### Author:  [@pepperlandgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pepperlandgirl)
#### Post date: [October 28, 2003, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-do-the-eating-tests-on-fear-factor/209838/16 "2003-10-28T00:23:59Z")
I’d do it.
I have credit card bills.
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### Author:  [@SylverOne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SylverOne)
#### Post date: [October 28, 2003, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-do-the-eating-tests-on-fear-factor/209838/17 "2003-10-28T00:44:14Z")
I gagged just reading the thread title.
::shudders violently::
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### Author:  [@rocking\_chair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rocking_chair)
#### Post date: [October 28, 2003, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-do-the-eating-tests-on-fear-factor/209838/18 "2003-10-28T01:12:41Z")
nope, not enough money in the world.
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### Author:  [@Idle\_Thoughts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Idle_Thoughts)
#### Post date: [October 28, 2003, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-do-the-eating-tests-on-fear-factor/209838/19 "2003-10-28T01:40:05Z")
I think, for the most part I could surpass their eating tests, save for one.
I could not, under any circumstances, eat a cockroach.
I can’t even look at them, my fear is that bad.
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### Author:  [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)
#### Post date: [October 28, 2003, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-do-the-eating-tests-on-fear-factor/209838/20 "2003-10-28T02:01:29Z")
I have never ever watched _Fear Factor._ All I know about it is from the commercials.
And I cannot even watch people eat bugs, let alone consider doing it myself. Just the brief glimpse of a big black squirmy thing going between someone’s teeth, followed by the “crunch” sound effect, is enough to send me to the bathroom with my hand over my mouth. I’m clenching my jaw even as I type this.
It’s strange, because the other challenges don’t seem that difficult at all. Jumping from the top of one bus to another? Riding in a car as it’s flipped by a stunt driver? You know the show has liability insurance out the yin-yang, which demands coordinators and careful planning on every one of those gags. Level of danger is zero.
But bug consumption? No thanks. Utterly revolting.
My wife and I figured this out about ourselves a couple of _Survivor_s ago. The one in Australia, I think. We had entirely missed the first incarnation, so we made the conscious choice to tune into the second series in order to stay connected to a cultural phenomenon. It was okay for a bit, kinda dopey and obviously manipulative, but before long they had the players sitting around a table with the roulette wheel that forced them to choose between eating a bit of apple, a piece of jerky, a couple of small live eels, or a gigantic squirming white grub.
Enough. Click. Hey, an extra hour of free time every week.
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