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Discovery Claims It Will Show a Man Being "Eaten Alive" By an Anaconda

Posted by samzenpus on from the ratings-war-has-begun dept.

An anonymous reader writes Have you ever wished that you could watch a man be eaten alive by an anaconda from the comfort of your own home? The Discovery Channel is betting that the answer is yes with their upcoming special, Eaten Alive. The channel says wildlife filmmaker Paul Rosolie will don a custom-built snake-proof suit, and go inside a live anaconda. They've even released a teaser. It's unclear what scientific conundrum will be solved in the process of feeding Paul to the snake, or how he plans to get out.

31 of 164 comments (clear)

  1. Oh good by paiute · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Now I can literally watch another formerly decent channel turn to shit.

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    1. Re:Oh good by mwvdlee · · Score: 4, Insightful

      If by "formerly" you mean "long gone".

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    2. Re: Oh good by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

      I think he did, and was making a joke. We're talking about watching an animal ingest a human. The next step is digestion, which leads to feces. The actor doing the transformation is a representative of the channel in a way. Thus, we would be watching the first step of the channel (its representative) turning to shit.

      Doesn't explaining a joke make it hilarious?

    3. Re:Oh good by ericloewe · · Score: 3, Informative

      He can literally watch it turn into figurative shit.

    4. Re:Oh good by Andrio · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Yeah, I have childhood memories of watching the Discovery/Learning channel, and seeing so many documentaries and things about technology, science, and just plain learning.

      That went away a long, long time ago.

        Discovery = Reality shows targeting men
        TLC = Reality shows targeting women

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    5. Re:Oh good by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

      Now I can literally watch another formerly decent channel turn to shit.

      I propose they rush straight to rock bottom...

      "Kim Kardashian being eaten alive by an Anaconda."

      I'd watch. No scientific justification required.

    6. Re:Oh good by RavenLrD20k · · Score: 4, Funny

      "Kim Kardashian being eaten alive by an Anaconda."

      Gives a different perspective to the line: "My anaconda don't want none unless you got buns, hon"

    7. Re:Oh good by tlhIngan · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Oh but you still can! You just have to pay even more hard earned cash to get the Discovery2 channel! And if/when that becomes popular they will turn it into another 24/7 reality station and make the Discovery3 channel which will require even more money.

      Keep in mind you won't be able to get the Discovery3 channel unless you also pay for the Discovery2 channel which you also can't get unless you pay for the Discovery channel.

      Everyone who wants A La Carte, well, this is what happens when channels have to compete for your attention rather than being able to specialize because they were included as part of a bundle.

      First, the stations are moving their popular shows around - if you want the full complement of good shows requires buying all the channels in the network.

      Second, channels having to compete means even the best channels will only cater to lowest common denominator. Because who wants to run a specialized show that'll be interesting to a few when you can run a crap show that'll get millions of viewers?

      Pretty much about the only "good" TV left is PBS, and that's because they don't need to compete for viewers (they're forced by law to be carried by everyone) and through funding arrangements and donations, means they don't have to rely on commercial sales. Which is why their programming is practically commercial free and is ridiculously long (an hour show with 55 minutes of content? Compare to traditional TV with 42). And why they can show programs that are higher quality that appeal to fewer people - they don't need to compete for eyeballs and ads and thus don't have to dumb down TV for ratings purposes.

      Discovery, History, etc. - they're all suffering because they know their specialized channels will no longer be viable because the programming appeals to too few, so they'll have to dumb it all down just to appease the masses. So see more stupid reality drama shows and less intelligent programming.

  2. Darwin Award by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    And this year's Darwin Award goes to...

  3. Disgusting by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    There is no way for the Anaconda to survive this. There is no good research that can come from actions like these and the Discovery channel has really reached a new low. Used to love hard-facts documentary channels but now it's just hype and reality tv rubbish.

    1. Re:Disgusting by bruce_the_loon · · Score: 3, Informative

      Constrictors are able to regurgitate their meal in a danger situation. If they succeed in getting the snake to swallow an uncrushable prey item in the first place, it's pretty easy to corner it, provide a visual threat and have it regurgitate him.

      Youtube clip of one getting rid of a dog. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N1Ge4Xsuijs

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    2. Re:Disgusting by mwvdlee · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Regardless, it should be pretty obvious that survival of the Anaconda is a secondary concern.

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    3. Re:Disgusting by Jason+Levine · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Yes, but doing so puts the snake's health at risk. A snake regurgitating a meal could injure itself and so only does it in an emergency situation. This person is putting the snake's life at risk. This isn't for scientific advances or to somehow help other snakes around the world. This is just a publicity stunt. What's next? Holding a shark still while a guy climbs inside its mouth and videos the way down? I'm sure Discovery could play this next Shark Week alongside their latest "documentary" featuring CGI footage being passed off as real proof that a long-extinct species of shark is swimming around our oceans.

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    4. Re:Disgusting by jeffmflanagan · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Yes, you are correct, and everyone involved in this is an asshole.

    5. Re:Disgusting by SuricouRaven · · Score: 3, Funny

      Four men in a giant mongoose costume.

  4. Discovery? by frikken+lazerz · · Score: 4, Insightful

    The channel isn't about learning anymore. Just TV's version of clickbait (advertising, probably misleading, to draw in gullible folks).

    1. Re: Discovery? by paiute · · Score: 4, Funny

      Maybe if you buy 500 channels there might be one or two...

      When cable rolled out those hypothetical 500 channels, it seemed that there might be all kind of niche programming available. Unfortunately, every one of those 500 channels ended up chasing the same demographic after learning the financial meaning of 'niche'.

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    2. Re: Discovery? by jythie · · Score: 4, Insightful

      What generally happens is that as a channel becomes successful in its niche it gets just big enough to attract the type of executives who think they can make a name for themselves by turning a 'niche' channel into a 'success'. Often this is a product of individuals trying to advance their careers at the cost of the company rather then a company wanting to be more profitable.

  5. They have another show coming by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    They have a comedy show coming called: "Ow! My Balls!"

    It'll be broadcast opposite ABC's version - "America's Funniest Home Videos"

  6. Poor animal. by Qbertino · · Score: 5, Interesting

    How are they gonna get him out again? Cut the snake open?

    How about giving the beast some real food and/or just leave it alone?

    Or film it from a distance and watch it eat some of its natural prey.
    Isn't that what discovery channel usually does?

    And, btw, AFAIK boa constrictors - which include anacondas - prefer their prey not breathing anymore. And they don't really care if it's bottled air you're breathing or not. They constrict you 'till you stop breathing. Hence the name. Duh.

    To be honest, I kinda hope this snake teaches the guy a lesson and get's away with it. Now *that* would be some news. :-)

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    1. Re:Poor animal. by Shadow+of+Eternity · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Same thing I'm thinking. There's no way to do this that isn't a serious violation of ethics standards. If you want to give people an inside look feed the poor critter a small camera it can just shit out later.

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    2. Re:Poor animal. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Insightful

      >Or film it from a distance and watch it eat some of its natural prey.
      >Isn't that what discovery channel usually does?

      This bullshit is offcourse a new low, but a friend of mine who worked a biologist in africa witnessed Discovery filming a 'documentary' about snakes about 10 years ago which involved catching (endangered) snakes and throwning them out of a tree (sometimes killing the snake) to film a 'hunting snake jumping on it's prey from a tree'. Or killing pisonous snakes and then wiggling them around for filming because a live snake would heve been too dangerous.

      She completely lost any respect she had had for Discovery Channel up to that point. And I have never been able to watch a Dicovery ' Documentary' and believe what they tell.

    3. Re:Poor animal. by jythie · · Score: 4, Informative

      Yeah, somehow 'death of defenseless creature' as entertainment feels really crummy. Even if one is an omnivore and allows for use of animal products in their ethical framework, the idea of doing something that gruesome 'for the fun of it' can still cross lines.

  7. SHOCKING FOOTAGE by PopeRatzo · · Score: 4, Funny

    I've already had all of this sort of thing I could take with this horrifying video of a man being eaten alive excruciatingly slowly by an arctic fox. (NSFW)

    http://youtu.be/43dAN0C4J_0

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  8. PETA by DaMattster · · Score: 4, Insightful

    It's spectacles like this which have the potential to harm or kill an animal for the sake of entertainment that makes me side with PETA on occasion. Otherwise PETA is too radical for me. There is no science in this.

  9. It turned out when they actually filmed it by queazocotal · · Score: 3, Funny

    that it turned out that the anaconda had a fondness for bread products, and would not eat anything without at least some in.
    The handler turned to the director, and said 'My anaconda don't want none unless she's got buns hun'.

  10. um... by Charliemopps · · Score: 4, Insightful

    So they fired Kari Byron.
    And now they are showing the poop shoot of a snake?

    Man... they're on a roll.

  11. Perfect reason for canceling cable by Ogive17 · · Score: 3, Informative

    The downfall of Discovery Channel was a main reason I "cut the cord" about 2 years ago. They use to be one of my go-to channels when I had some free time. After the success of the crab fishing show (which names annoyingly escapes me right now), they basically switched direction and turned themselves into a reality tv channel.

    On the bright side, I am saving $1020+/year for not having cable.

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  12. Execs in this case know what they're doing... by Rick+in+China · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Many people will complain about this. I initially thought along the same lines as many of the above posters when reading the blurb about what's about to happen - and also think it's terrible. What will happen, though, is the extremity and sleaziness also strikes enough interest that people _will watch it_, even if they hate Discovery channel while doing so. They'll get the viewers. They'll get attention. It'll be passed around. They surely know already that they have a reputation dive akin to GT Advanced's stock dive, so when you're deemed a channel with momentum diving downward so quickly I suppose they thought along the lines of: Embrace It...there are enough people who eat this shit up that it'll likely be their best ratings in recent memory.

  13. PETA! HELP! by shadowrat · · Score: 4, Insightful

    If there was ever a need to let the dogs of peta run wild, it's this. This is disgustingly shameful. It serves no purpose other than to abuse a snake for entertainment.

    Nothing can be gained from this. We already know the snakes can eat a person. We can already send far less obstrusive sensors safely through a snake if we really need to see what's going on in there.

    c'mon a show in which ted nugent would kill and eat an anaconda before our eyes would be more on the up and up than this crap.

  14. Hold my beer by jtwiegand · · Score: 3, Funny

    Gonna get eaten by this snake.