Man Sues "Fear Factor" For Making Him Sick

Reality TV Forum

Thursday, Jan. 6, 2005

Man sues reality TV show for $2.5 million over rat-eating episode

A Cleveland viewer claims he suffered injuries after watching contestants eat rodents on "Fear Factor."

By Emanuella Grinberg
Court TV
A Cleveland man claims stunts performed on the reality TV show "Fear Factor" made him so ill that he is entitled to $2.5 million in damages from the program and its network, NBC.

Austin Aitken filed a handwritten suit last week in U.S. District Court in northern Ohio, alleging "consumer injury and/or sickness" resulting from a Dec. 27 episode of "Fear Factor" in which contestants were forced to eat rats to claim a cash reward.

"Not only was the viewing in poor taste and outright unheard of but very degrading from a human point of view," the suit claims. "To have the individuals on the show eat (yes) and drink dead rats was crazy and from a viewer's point made me throw up."

Aitken alleges that after watching the stunt his blood pressure rose, causing dizziness and light-headedness, "so I didn't see the doorway on route to my room; I ran into it, causing suffering, injury and great pain."

Aitken told Courttv.com he still feels ill thinking about the show, and that the suit is not about money, but principles.

"This suit is out of a concern to bring to the forefront the harmful effects TV has on viewers," he said. "I hope to shed some light on those issues and make the networks more concerned and aware of the effects of these outrageous stunts."

In his suit, he writes, "NBC is sending the wrong message to its TV watchers that cash can make (or) have people do just about anything beyond reasoning and in most cases, against there [sic] will."

Aitken said he was not warned of the disturbing content that was to air. A spokesperson for NBC declined to comment on the pending litigation, but a disclaimer is posted on the "Fear Factor" Web site cautions, "Some episodes contain graphic scenes. Viewer discretion advised."

Aitken recently completed a 27-month sentence on check forgery and theft convictions after pleading guilty to the charges in 1999, according to court records.



Geez whenever Fear Factor comes on I switch the channel. I can take watching the stunts, but when it comes to the portion of the show when I know they'll be eating something that will make me gag along with the contestants, I change the channel. It irritates me that this lawsuit is going to waste taxpayers money. This guy is an idiot.

This kills me!

Ok, so it must have gone something like this:

Host, Joe Rogan announces to the contestants that for their next stunt, they'll be eating these rats (and he displays the dead rodents).

Cleveland Man: "Hmm...this is interesting...did he say they will have to eat those rats?....I wonder what will happen next?" (continues watching)

The timer is set for contestant #1 and in moments, the contestant takes a deap bite into a yummy rat.

Cleveland Man goes running out of room, ill. He hits his head and upon settling his stomach, picks up the phone and hits speed-dial #1...his lawyer, "This sounds like 2.5 million dollars to me, " the Cleveland Man thinks to himself.

Dammit, those producers of Fear Factor busting into people's houses, tying them to a chair, and making them watch the show!

The only thing this jerk needs is a remote control. What happens if he looks at the sun, is he going to sue that too?

-HECK!

Oh rats, not another lawsuit!

Im really getting sick and tired of the stupid things people sue over!

When will the courts learn to throw this stuff out and stop clogging up the system for this junk?

Yeah, it was a great episode! They went to New York, and in the second stunt used what they aptly called a 'Rat-O-Matic'. A dead rat was put in a blender with rat juices and pureed. Whoever drank it the fastest won.

-HECK!

He can't sue them for making him eat nasty crap (rather, he CAN sue, but he ain't gonna win!)

1) He did it of his own accord. He could have walked away

2) That's what they have him sign the release form for. They're immune.

Yet another opportunist exposed.

That's even worse. What a jackass.

As punishment, they should force him to drink a rat-shake just for being stoopid.

I am not a pansy, but I don't have the strongest stomach. But, I was nursing a hangover, eating chili, and almost launched when a contestant on TV almost did after eating pig anus or some other foul meal.

The funniest one was where they had to suck on a goat's teat, spit the milk into something else, then drink it.

-HECK!

This is some bad s**t.http://smilies.sofrayt.com/%5E/_950/crazy.gif