Fight the pirates, or give them a reality show?
Former Gov. Rod Blagojevich will be trying to escape from the Costa Rican jungle in this summer’s “I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here” — if he can get permission to leave the country, that is. But now the Somali pirates are getting a reality show!
From the Hollywood Reporter:
“Spike TV is jumping into the pirate-chasing business with a new reality series covering the US Navy’s ongoing operation to end the threat of hijacking off the African coast.
The US Navy is allowing Spike and production company 44 Blue in-depth access as they embark on their mission from a military base in the seaside nation of Djibouti (bordering Somalia and Ethiopia) and on the open water.
Cameras will capture life aboard two US warships (the USS San Antonio and USS Boxer), as they patrol the Gulf of Aden for pirates who hijack commercial transport vessels.
The show, titled Pirate Hunters: USN, is produced by 44 Blue Productions (The True Story of Black Hawk Down, Lockup) and Adam Friedman (Vertical Ascent).”
This inspires another idea: How about a VH-1 reality show called “Pirate’s Booty,” in which women — who, according to news reports, apparently swoon over the ransom-rich pirates in Somalia’s pirate land bases — compete to earn the pirates’ hearts? Then after the pirates have solidified their standing as VH-1 reality stars, they can compete on another season of VH-1’s “I Love Money.” Then there would be no need for them to hijack ships anymore, right?
Or, proceed with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s anti-piracy plan announced today:
- “What we will do is, first, send an envoy to attend the International Somali peacekeeping and development meeting scheduled in Brussels.”
- “Second, I’m calling for immediate meetings with our partners in the international Contact Group on Piracy to develop an expanded multinational response.”
- “Third, I’ve tasked a diplomatic team to engage with Somali government officials from the transitional federal government, as well as regional leaders in Puntland.”
- “And fourth, because it is clear that defending against piracy must be the joint responsibility of governments and the shipping industry, I have directed our team to work with shippers and the insurance industry to address gaps in their self-defense measures.”
Is this the middle ground between the Coffman-Skelton plans and reality TV stardom?
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