I know that the purpose of the eating challenges is to be as disgusting as possible–bugs, animal parts, worms, etc.–but last night’s “rotten squid with flies all over it” got me wondering. Can’t people get sick from fish at a restaurant that’s just slightly “off”? Can’t you even die from bad seafood? So how can a person be expected to eat “rotten” seafood? (The contestant refused, but anyway…)
Seriously, does the show test the “foods” somehow (for bacteria/safety/disease) to ensure that no one will get seriously ill? When there are pig parts to be eaten, for example, are they at least boiled to prevent trichynosis (sp?), or whatever they call that thing you get from undercooked pork? Surely it’s too much of a liability for NBC if someone has a severe reaction to something done on the show. Can a simple waiver signed by contestants really cover such a possibility?
We were wondering this, too, while watching. Sorry, I don’t have an answer, just further musings. Maybe if the item in question were irradiated to kill pathogens?
I really wish they didn’t have to have the eating challenges. That has nothing to do with fear, only with disgust. But I realize that probably 90% of folks could pass the physical challenges, so… that leaves us with the gross out contest. Sigh
I think the second challenge should be something more physical as well…something like a claustrophobia challenge, where you get buried alive (with oxygen of course) and the person who can stay coherent the longest as measured by some activity you have to do wins. I don’t mind the ones where they cover the person in rats or bugs either—to me, that addresses the whole fear issue much more than eating gross foods. I think there are dozens of things they could do with the second challenge that don’t involve eating.