My New Guilty Pleasure

I will admit two things: 1) most reality TV is pretty crappy and 2) I apparently love crap.  It's junk food for the mind, really.  However, I have a new guilty pleasure: "Swamp People" on the History Channel.  And it's not crap!  The show is set in the bayous of Louisiana (must be said like "Loozeeana") during the 30 day Alligator Season (yes, they have an Alligator Season).  With guys named Cleetus and Junior, how can you go wrong?  Then there's Troy (who talks like Ray, the lightning bug from Disney's "The Princess and The Frog"), who thrust his bare hand into the muddy waters to loosen the line that was caught up in the roots of the Bald Cypress trees that grow in the area...while it was attached to the alligator...THAT HE COULD NOT SEE!  Yeah, I was hooked from that point on.

Then there's Bruce, who looks EXACTLY how you would expect an alligator hunter in Southern Louisiana to look like.  He's got wild hair which he tries to keep out of his eyes underneath a bandana and wears overall shorts with no shirt.  Unlike the other hunters who work in groups, ol' Brucey goes by himself with just his trusty dawg in the boat with him.  And he feeds his dog Little Debbie snack cakes as a treat after they catch an alligator.  When I saw that, I have to admit that my first thought was not for the dog's safety but rather "the sugar in those things can't be good for the dog."

Bruce and his brother Mike (who looks like HE should be named Cleatus) run the family turtle and alligator farm.  Also unlike the rest of the hunting groups, Bruce and his brother have cut out the middle man by processing their own alligator meat and preparing the alligator hides to sell themselves by using a salting method for the hides that goes all the way back to the Civil War days.  The alligator farm is open to tourists so they can make more money, too.  Yes, Bruce is an enterprising soul.

If you want to experience my new guilty pleasure for yourself (you won't be sorry), check your local listings for "Swamp People" on the History Channel.  You can thank me later!

Heather Chavez, Real Estate Virtual Assistant