So last week, I found in my email box a press release about Living With the Wolfman, a new series premiering tomorrow night on Animal Planet, and I’m still trying to decide what part of the show’s description disturbed me most: The male-female-woodland beast love triangle? The anecdote about raw liver being passed from woman to wolf? The fact that our lady protagonist abandoned perfumes and manicures in the interest of communing with nature/getting famous?After the jump, read the full press release, then tell me if you have any plans to watch this mess. I remain steadfastly undecided, so I’m going to let you all decide whether or not I tune in (and, naturally, blog about it). Vote "yes" or "no"* in the comments section below.
From: Animal Planet PR Dood
**To: Slezak
Subject: Animal Planet’s Jaw Dropping Series "Living with the Wolfman"
I wanted to let you know about a fascinating and truly unbelievable newshow that will be premiering on Animal Planet October 21st called“Living With The Wolfman.” The show documents Shaun Ellis, who hasspent the past three years of his life actually eating, sleeping andliving with a pack of wolves as one of them.
What is even more remarkable is that Shaun’s girlfriend, Helen, hasagreed to join him in this unbelievable lifestyle, as she abandons allthe luxuries of everyday life, like manicures and perfumes and eatingwhatever she wants, to learn how to bark and snarl her way intoacceptance as one of the pack. This remarkable transformation of aneveryday woman to member of the tribe is an extraordinary, poignantand, sometimes, cringe-worthy testament of love. It is also a lovetriangle unlike anything else you have seen — between man, woman…andwolf! (There is even a scene where a wild wolf has to eat raw liver outof Helen’s mouth so that she might become accepted.)
Shaun and Helen’s story is truly unbelievable and would make for anunforgettable story or feature, as to why an everyday woman wouldchoose abandon her girly lifestyle to join in her boyfriend’s dangerousmission, the trials and tribulations their relationship underwent as aresult, why and how they would live as wolves and the incredibletestaments of will that were endured to be included amongst a pack ofwild animals. Part soap opera, part dangerous adventure show and 100% unlike anything else on TV this fall.
* Please vote "no."
**Name changed to protect publicist
More on wolves and other furry creatures:
Dean Koontz’s career goes to the dogs (and other canine literature)
I saw it, so you don’t have to!: ‘Beverly Hills Chihuahua’
American Gladiators‘ Wolf and Crush, in da cubicle!
Comments (1-30) of 59 Add your comment
Sorry Slezak- I think I would enjoy your blog- so I vote yes! (I won’t be watching tho.) It could be one of the “We watched, so you didn’t have to” blogs.
Sorry Slezak- I would love to read your blog, so I vote yes! I won’t watch it tho, so sounds like a perfect “We watched, so you don’t have to” post!
Sorry to everyone for the double post- one of the many reasons I won’t be watching- use of the words “girly lifestyle.” Ick!
Hate to do this to you (well, not really), but I have to vote “yes”. And I might even tune in myself, at least once.
I’m sorry, but I can’t let your snarking talents go to waste. YES you should watch and review!
I heart you Slezak, so I have to vote yes.
yes.
I definitely vote for a “I watched it so you don’t have to” post! Sorry Slezak, but at least it has got to be better than I Know Who Killed Me.
no! save your energy!
Sleazak you have to watch this! Your review could be hilarious. Have a bottle of wine and let ‘er rip!
Apparently it’s unbelievable.
The idea of you watching a wolf eat raw liver out of a woman’s mouth made me laugh, so I guess a blog is not necessary. Looks like the no’s are in the minority, though, so good luck!
I vote YES only because I want Slezak to watch it so I don’t have to. I LOVE wolves, but this show sounds so…wrong. A Slezak blog about it sounds so right though.
Sorry Slezak but I vote yes, so I don’t have to.
I vote yes! that looks so weird it must be documented.
also, I was really confused when I first saw this post, because I could have sworn that was Leonardo Dicaprio in the picture. I couldn’t figure out why he’d gone all pudgy and wild for a freaky looking movie…
Yes! What could be better than Slezak blogging on weirdness!!!
I vote yes, so I won’t have to watch this mess, but read your exasperation once you take this hellacious TV trip. It was funny to read the ridiculous description of the show, despite my issues with the exec that wrote it.
Also, whoever wrote that letter needs to find a better adjective for the girlfriend’s pampered lifestyle, other than ‘girly’ (I’m glad I’m not alone on this assessment). That’s childish and demeaning. Better yet, he (and I say he, because there’s no way a woman wrote this sexist drivel) needs writing lessons to break from the promotional hyperbole his prose seems to evoke.
Slezak, I’m voting “no”–save your snark for something interesting. This sounds so boring and stupid that I don’t even want to read a blog about it.
I also have to agree about PR Dood and his choice of the adjective “girly.” I’m female, and I don’t live a “girly lifestyle.” Idiot.
You know how it’s always the best employees who get the most work? Because everyone knows how good they are? And how it’s both a compliment and a curse at the same time? I vote YES. (Only for 1 epi, though — need to give you some time to stretch and limber up before the next AI, after all.)
I like you, Slezak, and this show looks stupid to the Nth degree, so I’m going to be kind and give you a “no.”
And can someone please tell me what is so great about a woman giving up everything in her life (you know, “girly stuff” like family, friends, career, identity) to go moon around after some loser and his pointless exercise in fame-mongering? When he clearly has no intention of giving up anything for her? This show makes “The Bachelor” look like a handbook for feminist living.
I saw the original and it was very interesting. Foolish, but interesting. I will probably watch to see if the….”girly” can handle it.
NONONONONONONONO Noooooooooooo…..This is just too disgusting. Not even bad in a good way. Just yucky.
OK, first, the whole love triangle … can we all say NASTY! How could anyone think this would be something we would want to see? How could anyone put it to you to have to watch, and write, about it? How can I say no? You don’t have much else to do til AI, so go watch it so none of us have to, and we will be here for you each time you are forced to write. By the way, I’m only saying yes to one episode, and if the love triangle comes up, turn it off. That should be used as the seasons last show to keep us “glued” til next season, but if they try to push it thru on the first show, turn it off! Save yourself, and someone call PETA!
So…neither girfriend nor boyfriend watched Grizzly Man where the guy. gets. eaten. by. bears. Oh, right, the bears he had been living with and chilling with for a while. Nbd. And not to be too random, but did this PR seem a little sexist? Why not mention that the guy had to go without colagne and other “manly” stuff too.
***How do they know that eating raw liver out of the wolf’s mouth got them accepted into the pack? Did they ask the wolves? Was it some sort of hazing-tradition?
sorry, but i vote yes.
NO. Didn’t these two see Grizzly Man??
I vote yes. It sounds better than so much other stuff on tv! And, it has wolves.
Yes, because someone MUST do the dirty work for me. And we need Michael to tell us what’s up with the gross liver ritual.
YES, watch it. I need to know what you think.
YES YES YES!!! How could you miss this?