RAW 6-27-11 Shawn Michaels' MacMillan River Adventures Promo (via AmandaHBKshowstoppa)
It's an interesting idea for a reality show, isn't it? Watch retired wrestler Shawn Michaels (who looks suspiciously like Rutger Hauer in the "Hobo with a Shotgun" trailer), venture off into the wilderness and superkick hunt animals, armed with his trusty crossbow and other equally deadly weapons. Set to debut on The Outdoor Channel tonight, Shawn Michaels' MacMillan River Adventures shows off HBK's real-life hobby, and the promotion of the show was the main reason Shawn showed up on Raw last night.
While the nature of the show will not sit well with some fans, for obvious reasons, Michaels has defended himself against critics (notably Shane Helms who has slammed the idea of an incredibly wealthy man like Shawn needing to hunt to feed himself and his family), telling TMZ:
“I am a Christian, I am an American, I am a family man, and I am a predator, and MacMillan River Adventures will allow my long-time fans and newfound friends to see what really makes Shawn Michaels the man that he is today.”
Shawn Michaels also insists that, rather than doing this purely for fun, he eats everything that he kills (he eats bears!?) and pointed out to Joey Styles in an interview with WWE.com:
“The meat that people get in the grocery store has to come from somewhere. The only difference between me and 98 percent of other people out there is that I just bypass the grocery store.”
"There is only so much habitat out there. It’s far more cruel to let younger and older animals starve to death, or fall prey to coyotes, bobcats, mountain lions and other predators, than it is to take them at a mature age … after their prime breeding time and use them for consumption. We’re hoping to educate people that it’s not the senseless killing of animals.”
Shawn then noted he was trying to get his good friend ,Triple H, interested in hunting. Triple H (who has the beard for it, if nothing else) is apparently "very intrigued" by the idea. It seems members of the animal kingdom will soon be treated to the 922nd DX reunion (nevermind hunting them, this may be the ultimate cruelty to inflict on Bambi and friends.)
Wrestling has had a tumultuous history with reality television. "Hogan Knows Best" was a big hit for VH1...which ultimately led to the breaking up the entire Bollea family, and leaving Hulk a bankrupt, broken shell of man whose wife had left him and shacked up with the barely-legal pool boy. Hulk has since admitting doing the show was "a huge mistake." Wannabe actress Stacy Keibler looked set to take the mainstream by storm when she placed third in ABC's "Dancing with the Stars", but, sans the odd bit part, never did anything of much note afterwards and has faded into obscurity. Viewers were then treated to an unstable Joanie Lauer revealing her substance abuse problems to the world on "Celebrity Rehab with Dr Drew" (a drunk Sean Waltman even showed up in one episode to ramble incoherently and pick a fight with fellow contestant Jeff Conaway.)
Yikes. And those were just the shows that got made. Other proposed wrestling reality shows that never made it past the pilot stage: a sitcom for A&E revolving around Mick Foley's family (Foley said his family were later rejected for not arguing and swearing enough and committing the ultimate reality show sin of actually being quite happy and getting along); a self-help style programme that would follow former diva (and Jerry Lawler's ex) Stacy Carter trying to make in the world of real estate; a series that would follow Mickie James' attempt to be a success in country music; a series focusing pn the, frankly, bizarre romance between New Jack and Terri Runnels and finally, Ric Flair was in serious talks to do a programme that showed him drinking and partying with his son Reid (who adapted so well to the lifestyle he ended up in rehab) and generally being the old man who would never grow up. And they say reality tv is all scripted.
All things considered, a hunting show might not be that bad after all.