America's Most Smartest Model: New Lows for High Ratings of Reality TV

I only caught the first 3 minutes of the new VH1 Reality show, "America's Most Smartest Model". I actually turned it off. Now, this may come as a surprise to you if you know me, because I am not exactly selective when it comes to "reality" television. But there was something about the intro to the show that made me uncomfortable. Let me preface this before I explain to you just what it was that made me uncomfortable...I don't expect others to agree with my opinions. My opinions are not those of this website, and so on and so forth.

Now, onto why I actually turned the t.v. off. During the opening montage treating us to a cross-section of what we could expect from "America's Most Smartest Model", I noticed an awful lot of jokes at the expense of animals. One scene featured the contestants having to dissect baby pig carcasses; another featured the well coiffed toothpicks dragging farm animals around by a leash in the mouth. Before you start deeming me a tree-hugging hippie, know this...I am not a vegetarian (Despite previous heartfelt efforts.) or a member of P.E.T.A. I don't object to animals being used in films or television either. What bothers me is why these animals had to endure what they had to endure.

Despite the fact that science knows well and good the complete anatomy of a baby pig, I keep my mouth shut about public and private schools insistence upon dissecting them. Who knows how many brilliant young veterinarians have been inspired to go down their career path because of dissecting a pig, frog, bear...or a whatever, in their developmental years. In essence, I try to imagine that those animals' lives are going to science. But to die for the sake of another reality show, isn't that just needless violence? It doesn't sit well with me. When society deems it socially acceptable to sit back and guffaw at models slicing and dicing pig parts...maybe we should start listening to the tree huggers.