Man Versus Beast II

Although The Corsair is your average (okay, obsessively creepy in restraining order terrain) brand of media observer, Man versus Beast failed to register on my finely tuned media radar.

Now, Michael Starr of the NY Post informs us that Man Versus Beast II is in the cut. --What the fuck?!

(whistles slowly) Jesus H. Christ, is this for real?

Yes, yes (buries head in hands) my little pomegranates, it is.

Starr writes:

"Bam Bam the orangutan, who's ignited controversy over his role on the NBC soap 'Passions,' is heading into the reality TV arena - as a contestant on Fox's 'Man vs. Beast 2,' which airs Feb. 20 (9 p.m.).

"Bam Bam (a male who plays Precious, a female nurse on 'Passions') will participate in a 'Man vs. Beast' challenge against NCAA gymnast/rings champ Marshall Erwin, trying to see who can endure the longest while hanging 11 feet off the ground.

"Other 'Man vs. Beast 2' challenges include Morgan the black Labrador retriever facing off against All-American long jumper Bryan Clay, and Jacob, a chimpanzee who'll see if he can climb a 40-foot palm tree faster than champion tree climber Kap Teo-Tafiti."

Now, I believe that democracy is the highest form of government, offering the largest amount of freedom to its populace. From these freedoms flow the particular pursuits of our happiness.

I came here from a dicatorship in Uganda, and there is nothing -- nothing -- that I hate more than tyranny. I am glad Sadaam Hussein is locked away like a dog.

That having been said, if this type of programming is getting on, perhaps our democracy is getting a bit ill and we had best look to it.

There are whiffs of imperial Roman decline surrounding the broadcast of Man Versus Beast II.