Who's Tougher???

Warning: Rant follows. May have generalizations and be based mainly on gut instincts.

When I see the commercials for the new History Channel shows "Tougher In Alaska" and "Axe Men" my stomach tightens in a knot and I am compelled to put the telly on mute until the commercials are over. I feel embarrassed for the producers of these shows and at the same time chuckle at their arrogant immaturity. I can't really speak on the men profiled in these shows, because I have not watched them. I know that sometimes the way a show is hyped does not always match up to the shows content. But from the commercials they look like the invented and inflated backwoods-American-white-men-are-so-billy-badass crap bordering on racist stupidity bullshit. Why can't Americans just tell a story without all the exaggeration and ignoring of the real truth of the situation. Okay, this is how I see the story they are trying to tell. I see, let's say, euros first contact with Indigenous Alaskans (I don't know when this was) and I see euro reaction to Indigenous Alaskans as being savages. Indigenous peoples who were living rather well, in harmony with their harsh environment, without the use of modern technology. Fast forward to 2008, some Caucasian men living in the same environment, with the benefit of modern technology, who are now being shopped as hereos??? Seems like something is missing. How did things scoot from resourceful people = savages to modern men = heroes. And same formula applied to "Axe Men". And their apparent arrogant attitude and money/greed is what seems to be driving nature out of balance. Same can be said for "Deadliest Catch". Stripping nature of all it's got for large amounts of money. In discussion with my son the other day, I asked if would he stop eating or using what was not in his immediate vicinity for the sake of human beings being able to live on this planet. He had not thought of it that way. Personal greed for things and money seems to be what drives the corporate world. And no one is ashamed of it. Seems kinda flip-flop from what my mother taught me. But that's okay as far as this new way of living is concerned. And through bullshit like these types of shows (and many many others) it keeps getting propagated and shoveled to the next unaware fool.

Rant over.