OK, this guy deserves the "Sudiegirl Golden Toilet Brush for Consumer Safety" Award

(Sudiegirl's note: I have an associate's degree in paralegal studies, and please understand that no REAL, NORMAL paralegal would consider doing something like this...he must have gotten his paralegal degree from Wal-Mart, possibly from the broad that tried to poison her boss, you suppose? My comments are interspersed throughout, as usual...)

NBC's 'Fear Factor' Sued for Rat-Eating Episode
Thu Jan 6, 1:51 PM ET

Oddly Enough - Reuters
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Watching contestants eat dead rats on NBC's gross-out stunt show "Fear Factor" so disgusted a Cleveland man that he has sued NBC for $2.5 million, saying he could not stomach what he saw.
(New slogan for NBC..."Must Hurl TV")

In a handwritten (left handed with a blue Crayola on Big Chief notebook paper, no doubt) four-page lawsuit filed in federal court in Cleveland on Tuesday, paralegal Austin Aitken said, "To have the individuals on the show eat (yes) and drink dead rats was crazy and from a viewer's point of view made me throw-up as well an another in the house at the same time."
(OK, is this quote verbatim? Also, how do you DRINK a dead rat? I assume it's some "Bass-o-Matic" type action where you throw that furry little sucker in a blender and ZAP! But that last line..."made me throw up as well an another in the house at the same time." Does he mean "as" or "on"? It seems we have the best of both worlds going on in a syntax sense...makes me proud to have my bachelors' in English.)

His suit added, "NBC is sending the wrong message to its TV watchers that cash can make or have people do just about anything beyond reasoning (sic) and in most cases against their will."
(Gee, I'm glad they finally included the "sic" designation. He could have used it in the previous paragraph too...make a note of it, Associated Press. Also, why should this guy even CARE that some yahoo wants to drink a rat smoothie? I don't. As my dear wise mother says, "You can't make other people do." But if this guy has lived on Planet Earth as long as he's been alive, he should understand that some people will do ANYTHING for money. It's not NBC's fault. It's like when you go fishing. Some fish take the bait, some don't. Oh Lord, I've just been thinking about Bill Engvall's "Dorkfish" routine. I wonder if Mr. Aitken is susceptible to the allure of a corndog? Here, boy!)

He said the show caused his blood pressure to rise so high that he became dizzy and light-headed, and when he ran away to his room, he bumped his head into the doorway.
(Wow...this guy is really in tune with his body. However, not so in tune that he avoided the door frame. He should do like I do...just watch TV in bed, and if he doesn't like what he sees, CHANGE the CHANNEL!!!!!!! Sorry about the excess of exclamation points, but this guy really deserves a hearty "DUH!" and a Three Stooges smack to the back of the head. He's probably not married either, or if he is, his wife was out shopping at Wal-Mart and ran off with the greeter that showed the nudie picture of himself.)

In a brief telephone interview with Reuters, Aitken said, "I am not at liberty to discuss the complaint unless it is a paid-interview situation."
(OOH...who does his PR? I'd like to report them for assisting an idiot. Is there some PR industry policing organization? Apparently not. He's also asked his boss what to do in this situation...he must work for an ambulance chaser, huh?)

A spokesman for "Fear Factor" said the show would have no comment until it sees a copy of the complaint. The spokesman said the program did feature a rat-eating scene in New York's Times Square on Nov. 8.
(Ya know what? I hope NBC kicks this plaintiff to the curb. It will almost help me forgive them for "Manimal", "Supertrain" and "Pink Lady and Jeff". Yes, I'm showing my age...so what?)

Over the years, contestants on the program have eaten some weird things, including ground-up spiders and live worms.
(Yeah, that's pretty weird, but probably no different than your average school cafeteria.)

Sudiegirl's final word?
You know, people like the "Cleveland Wonder", Austin Aitken, really make me understand that a little knowledge is a dangerous thing.

Rat Smoothie, anyone?

Sudiegirl