Animal cruelty issues?

Yep! I had imagined that my younger brother--who is pretty adventurous, culinarily speaking--might be willing to eat a bug, and considered getting him some (dead) crickets, worms, scorpions, spiders or some such thing, which had been coated in cheddar or sour cream, or embedded in lollipops. Fortunately I decided against it, because when I later mentioned the idea to him, he said he didn't think that even he would be interested in sampling insects.

I really like bugs myself, but the thought of eating one--how they must feel and taste, and the MOVEMENT of living ones--is unbearable. I have no idea how they found people willing to do it.

I've been told that since insects don't have the same kind of nervous system as other animals, they actually don't feel pain, or at least not to the same degree...although I don't know how they can be completely certain. Killing for entertainment is definitely a big no-no in countries like the US, so I'm wondering why I don't recall hearing a big stink from the American Humane Association or anyone else when this show was being produced. I think the shows that involve hunting, fishing, and farm-animal slaughter are accepted because the people on them supposedly do what they do for a living...to sustain themselves and live off the land, and all that. But crushing a live, struggling animal apart with your teeth, even if it's "just a bug," for the chance of winning a game really sounds nothing short of barbaric. o.O To drive it home, they even show you close-ups of the little things moving around, trying to escape the containers, as some are lifted and chewed to bits. SO. NOT. KOSHER.

Personally, I could never hunt or raise animals for slaughter unless they were going to be killed painlessly at an old age for their species...and the only fishing I'll ever do is the catch-and-release I tried a few times as a little kid. So I still don't watch any of the 'Discovery'-esque shows that involve animals destined to be killed by humans, unless they're being euthanized on a veterinary program. Fear Factor can be kinda fun, but the live-bug-eating parts truly repulse me.

ALSO, even some of the other stunts that didn't involve eating things alive still seemed as though they'd be unfairly stressful to the animals recruited for them. E.g., dumping snakes repeatedly onto people so they could then be picked through and thrown out of the tub...two moray eels scooped up and poured into a helmet, then sliding out and dropping into the tank below...etc. For something that's pure entertainment and benefited only humans, they could have been a lot more considerate of these creatures. I feel as though the AHA dropped the ball by not requesting more humane setups.

Again, I'd gladly do any of the non-eating challenges, but I'd be as careful and gentle with the little critters as possible.

"If you don't have anything nice to say...come sit by me!"