Carry-over from MySpace

I wrote this a while ago and just re-read it and still enjoy it. It's a bit of a rant but makes a good point.

The other day I was watching one of those t.v. shows like Maximum Exposure where people send in video clips of people doing stupid things. This particular episode had a man standing in a tree wearing a skateboard helmet. He announced to the camera that he planned to jump from the tree he was in, about 40 feet off the ground, into an adjacent tree that was about 35 feet tall, falling about 10 feet until he reached some branches that would support his weight. At this point the announcer interrupted with the warning, "Please, do not try this at home!" My only thought was, "No one in their right mind would try this at home." They return to the action and they are now showing the view from his helmet camera. The idiot in the tree is now demonstrating how weak the branches are that he's standing on and explaining how this means he will get a very strong jump. Once again the announcer said, "Please, do not try this at home." "What moron would try this at home?!!!!!!!!!!" The loser in the tree now jumps and comes about two feet short of his target tree. What a shocker there! As they show him in a pile on the ground the announcer says (say it with me), "Please, do not try this at home." You know what? I say,"Please try this at home!" If you are that stupid to think trying to jump from one tree to another while 40 feet off the ground is a good idea, JUST DO IT! The gene pool needs some chlorine. And to you t.v. producers, I realize you need to give the warning or else the tree-hopping moron would sue you. But wouldn't it be nice to not have to say that? Survival of the smartest. And I'm using the term smartest VERY loosely. Your I.Q. barely has to be greater than you shoe size to not try most of this stuff. If you see something on Maximum Exposure, Jackass, or any of these other shows that cater to the least common denominator, that seems like fun, by all means, do it. Just don't cry when your shattered pelvis means you are going to be in a body cast for 6 months.Instead, try it again until it is guaranteed you will never be able to reproduce. Do all of us a favor. Thank You!