Naked and afraid.

The Discovery Channel has a show called Naked and Afraid. When I first heard about it, I thought "What a stupid idea for a show." But being the open-minded person I am who is also fascinated by the way human beings behave, I decided to take a look and see what I thought about the show.

In the usual version, a man and a woman who don't know each other are taken to a jungle location where they have no clothes, no food, no water - nothing but a map to show where the rivers and lakes are and each gets to bring one survival item. Usually someone brings a machete or flint. They have to live there for 21 days to complete the mission. Usually they co-exist with critters  such as alligators, piranha, big cats, wild pigs, and spiders, snakes, mosquitos, ants - without weapons to defend themselves, bug spray, or anti-itch lotions!

There are other versions of the show where groups of six or more people go out in the same way and live in the jungle for 40 days. No food, no water, no clothes - 40 days. They have to rely on each other and their own skills. Most of them are survivalists of one kind or another and some have been in Iraq or Afghanistan and have experience surviving in harsh conditions.

Here is what I find fascinating about the show. Here these folks are living at the basest levels possible. They have to scrounge for shelter, food, water, warmth, even staying dry in massive rainstorms. Wouldn't you think they would be able to put their egos aside and work as teams, support one another in order to survive?

To be fair, there are those who do exactly that. They put aside whatever differences they might have and work as a team. They come out the other side of the experience stronger and wiser. However, there are others who can't do that. They have to have things on their own terms even if it means no one eats or has water. There are those who dig in their heels and refuse to try to find food unless it is done their way. They refuse to try to find a water source unless their partner will do it their way. It is truly fascinating to watch. There are major lessons in self-sabotage.

And I realize this is exactly what's happening in Washington and the Republican party right now. They are all emotionally naked and afraid and refusing to put their egos aside to work for the common good so everyone can eat, drink, be warm, and survive the elements and wild animals. And I realize if people can't do it in the Amazon, what makes me think they will do it in Washington.

Maybe we should take the lot of them out in the wilderness, take away their clothes, give them a map, a machete, some flint and tell them to figure out how to survive. We'll be back for them in 21 days and see who makes it. Now that's a show I would watch. Pass the popcorn.