I'm a Celebrity...get me outta here!Hmmmm?

anniehoo

If anyone knows this programme,you'll know its about random "celebs" living in a controlled Jungle environment for a couple of weeks,doing tasks and being voted out depending on their popularity.

They use a HUGE amount of insects,reptiles and mammals (rats and mice for example) in their tasks. Its been on for years now and always wondered how its lasted so long.On tonights show,they literally had a closed box of maybe 20 or so wet rats...literally they were soaked.

I may be opening a can of worms here (pretty apt in fairness) by bringing this up,but what do people think about this?

Im not the biggest insect lover ill admit, but i find them absolutely fascinating though and actually find rats and mice quite cute (as a pet only though) and understand they're vermin for many people. There was even a beautiful snake let loose into the mix.

I understand this thread will probably descend into chaos (try your best peeps to see everyones point of view) but what do you think about the use of live "creatures" in a show like this?

2qk4u

Snip--In fracted.

anniehoo

2qk4u wrote: »

They are rats, who gives a **** ?

Perfect start...

The Sweeper

I never watch it, but I'd be against using the more sentient creatures, who would feel distress at the environment and the noise, just for human entertainment. Actually I'm against it generally because even with the bugs that are 'just bugs', it's that whole higher order of life argument that just because we can do something, that doesn't mean we should.

mikom

anniehoo wrote: »

They use a HUGE amount of insects,reptiles and mammals (rats and mice for example) in their tasks. Its been on for years now and always wondered how its lasted so long.On tonights show,they literally had a closed box of maybe 20 or so wet rats...literally they were soaked.

Just like in a sewer............... like a sewer rat.
Rats are prone to getting the sniffles in such a situation.

anniehoo wrote: »

Im not the biggest insect lover ill admit, but i find them absolutely fascinating though and actually find rats and mice quite cute (as a pet only though) and understand they're vermin for many people. There was even a beautiful snake let loose into the mix.

I heard they have a task coming up where the contestants get to ride a horse.
The swines.

ppink

I dont watch it either, I am not sure what they do with them that is wrong? Your description of the rats does sound a bit sewer-like.

I am totally against other animals used for entertainment like whales, dolphins etc held in completely unnatural environments. I am still not happy with caged birds either, even though some people say they are happy I still cannot justify taking them from the vastness of the sky to a cage or room in a house. I am open to reasoning but have never heard a good argument.:)

Cherry Blossom

I think there might be a lot of ifs and buts in this one! What goes on behind the scenes, are any of the animals tame, is stress to the critters themselves monitored etc. I didn't see it but I'm imagining a person closed in a box full of rats with no way out for the rats, if you throw in the assumption that the rats are not tame (ie. not accustomed to being up close and personal with a human), the person might be screaming their head off etc. - I'd consider this far from humane treatment of the rats imho.

anniehoo

wrote:

I heard they have a task coming up where the contestants get to ride a horse.The swines.

Feelin the sarcasm on this one mikom.

Id be pretty confident if theres a horse used, its well looked after and wouldnt be subjected to as an extreme environment as the smaller animals i.e.the rodents/reptiles are.

Ive never been either a rodent or reptile owner (theres plenty out there who have them as pets), so i find it more difficult to empathise as much as i would about a horse for example.

I understand,as i said in my first post why many species are considered "vermin" and therefore dont affect people as emotionally as a horse would. But, ive seen plenty of owners of reptiles...and insects, emotionally attached and genuinely care about their pets. This programme just amazes me why its been allowed continue year after year to be honest.

Whispered

I watch it (hangs head in shame) and there was a recent task where they had to go through a maze on their hands and knees, in parts there were rats. There were clearly some dead rats in there too. I've also thought at times that the reptiles have a hard time on it and I was surprised to see this year a lot more reptiles and crocodiles used in situations that are not appropriate. I have no problem with using them in a tank that the person has to swim through etc, but to force them to come face to face with a person in an unnatural environment made me wonder.

I'm a hypocrite though, I have no sympathy for the spiders used and I know that they react to voice and must feel some form of fear. They certainly react to their environment anyway.

It's an interesting question.

mikom

anniehoo wrote: »

Feelin the sarcasm on this one mikom.

Id be pretty confident if theres a horse used, its well looked after and wouldnt be subjected to as an extreme environment as the smaller animals i.e.the rodents/reptiles are.

Ive never been either a rodent or reptile owner (theres plenty out there who have them as pets), so i find it more difficult to empathise as much as i would about a horse for example.

Having been raised on a potato farm I would quite happily take a flamethrower to any rat that gets anywhere near me.

anniehoo

mikom wrote: »

Having been raised on a potato farm I would quite happily take a flamethrower to any rat that gets anywhere near me.

Fair enough and this is where you consider them "vermin" as they clearly have/had a massive detrimental effect on your crop and therefore your livelihood.They're wild animals doing what they do to survive.You're protecting your crop and doing what you can do to survive.

But and this is where the crux of my question is,outside of that do you think its ok to use these animals unnaturally in a show like this?

mikom

anniehoo wrote: »

Fair enough and this is where you consider them "vermin" as they clearly have/had a massive detrimental effect on your crop and therefore your livelihood.They're wild animals doing what they do to survive.You're protecting your crop and doing what you can do to survive.

Well we could have done other things to survive, but those fuckers made it harder on us.

anniehoo wrote: »

But and this is where the crux of my question is,outside of that do you think its ok to use these animals unnaturally in a show like this?

I suppose you could say the IACGMOH workers are doing what they do to survive.

The Sweeper

Hmmm. Apparently I'm a Celebrity have been in hot water for this before.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/6602109/Im-A-Celebrity-hit-by-animal-cruelty-complaints.html

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1233618/ITV-says-sorry-allowing-Im-A-Celebrity-winner-Gino-DAcampo-kill-rat-jungle-serve-risotto.html

If you google " 'I'm a celebrity' animal cruelty " it brings up quite a few results. o.O

Hellrazer

anniehoo wrote: »

Perfect start...

Annihoo--dont respond to the trolls.

Why couldnt you have reported this instead of responding??Ive a good mind to start issuing infractions for users that respond to trolls instead of reporting them.

User has received a warning.

2qk4u

Hellrazer wrote: »

Annihoo--dont respond to the trolls.

Why couldnt you have reported this instead of responding??Ive a good mind to start issuing infractions for users that respond to trolls instead of reporting them.

User has received a warning.

I dont understand the warning ? did I upset a rat ?

Hellrazer

2qk4u wrote: »

I dont understand the warning ? did I upset a rat ?

You got a warning for firstly your comment when plenty of users here keep rats as pets and secondly for the language used.

Waterfordlass

This show disgusts me. A bunch of Z list celebs who don't give a damn what critter suffers as long as they get their names in the paper.
Whether or not you like creepy crawlies, rats etc. They should not be used and harmed in the name of entertainment.
And kinda' off topic...I hate Ant and Dec.

Discodog

ITV were prosecuted by an Australian Court for cruelty.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/7186106/ITV-fined-1600-for-animal-cruelty-over-Im-a-Celebrity-rat-stunt.html

All of the animals are clearly tame & probably trained/acclimatised.

Whispered

Discodog wrote: »

All of the animals are clearly tame & probably trained/acclimatised.

Sit cockroach, sit! Good boy.

ziggy23

The thing I really hate is the ones where they have to eat insects especially when they have to bite the head off something . I think thats just wrong.

2qk4u

Hellrazer wrote: »

You got a warning for firstly your comment when plenty of users here keep rats as pets and secondly for the language used.

Sorry but I only speak English, and if people keep rats then thats cruel.

Hellrazer

2qk4u wrote: »

Sorry but I only speak English, and if people keep rats then thats cruel.

No need to be so smart.You can take a small break from the forum for arguing with a mod.

Odysseus

ziggy23 wrote: »

The thing I really hate is the ones where they have to eat insects especially when they have to bite the head off something . I think thats just wrong.

Real question, why do you think it is wrong? I spend time in some hostile environments and train for when things go wrong. I have eaten many insects live over the years, so if I do get lost with no food, I know what other types of food is available to help me survive.

Whispered

Odysseus wrote: »

Real question, why do you think it is wrong? I spend time in some hostile environments and train for when things go wrong. I have eaten many insects live over the years, so if I do get lost with no food, I know what other types of food is available to help me survive.

They are not eating for survival, they are eating for entertainment. In my eyes there is a difference.

Fair play to you by the way - are they as disgusting as they look?

portgirl123

sorry guys, but from sept onwards i cant wait for im a celeb to start. i love it.

argosy2006

Its nothing new though, I mean look at that Old show Fear Factor,
Eating all sorts of insects, Sucking goats, so on,
Its all accepted on tv, We assume some creatures have feelings, and some don't ,
at end of day what is difference between a cat and a rat, Circumstance

Odysseus

Whispered wrote: »

They are not eating for survival, they are eating for entertainment. In my eyes there is a difference.

Fair play to you by the way - are they as disgusting as they look?

Ehhh yeah you could say that, hardly taste of the day. However, I see that distinction you are making, but the with the poster I quoted I don't think that point came into it, though maybe I'm wrong.

Discodog

There were some moments in the "Bushman's Hut" that featured mammals other than Rats & they did look a little startled. But following the prosecution I am sure that the producers are being very careful. The Australian animal welfare groups will be keeping a good eye on the filming.

So far the animals have shown remarkable restraint & calm when being confronted by screaming hysterical humans. I am at a loss to understand how a woman that dated Simon Cowell could be scared of creepy crawlies :eek:

planetX

there was a trial where someone was crawling through a tunnel with toads, and there's no way he didn't squash some. I didn't like that, they were put in there with no escape, it was cruel.

Discodog

Whispered wrote: »

Sit cockroach, sit! Good boy.

"Pavlovian Cockroaches Learn Like Dogs (and Humans)

Training bugs may help us understand our own brains.
by Wynne Parry published online September 5, 2007"


http://discovermagazine.com/2007/sep/pavlovian-cockroaches-learn-like-dogs-and-humans


:D

ItsAWindUp

The deliberate harming of any living creature for the purposes is entertainment is wrong. End of.

Latatian

Saw this show for the first time recently and the one thing that hit me was that the rats were really tame. Stick a bunch of dogs or cats together in an enclosed space with a human who's screaming at them, or into a box and get a total stranger to pick them up by their tails and feet, and someone would have got seriously bitten. The rats took it all in their stride.

Not a rat person, but if I was on that show I'd be walking out of the trial with two of those in my pockets. At least they'd be able to help me eat the insects...