“Real and Chance: The Legend Hunters” ~ First Ep Review
Posted by: Loren Coleman on September 20th, 2010
The initial episode of “Real and Chance: The Legend Hunters” was broadcast on September 19th. The two hosts of the program, according to the VH1 blog, “were introduced to the concept of noodling.”
Painting byKarl Marxhausen
Noodling is fishing for catfish using only your bare hands, practiced primarily in the southern, midwestern and south central United States.
Along the way, [the audience] learned that Real and Chance have weak constitutions — a box turtle is all it took to throw Chance into a tizzy, while you’d think chewing tobacco was a narcotic given the way it did Real in. Also, they are terrible presenters — a running gag was an in-show blooper reel of them attempting (and failing) to set the scene. And yet, they have a TV show and you don’t. Ha ha.
If you missed the episode, check [here] for a brief overview of what went down…
This week’s legend to be hunted: Lee’s Monster, a 150 lb. catfish
Where: Stillwater, Oklahoma
Risks: Losing fingers, being eaten (Lee’s Monster weighs 20 more lbs. than Chance!), pissing off hostile locals
Did Real and Chance have success hunting their legend?
In a word…
No.
The fish they both caught were many times smaller than Lee’s Monster. They supposedly felt a bigger fish underfoot after their successful noodling, but never produced proof. Still, they did earn the respect of a local who referred to them as “girls,” which is about as much of a triumph as you can expect from these two. Then again, calling other dudes “girl” is a very drag-queen thing to do, so maybe winning over said local isn’t so impressive after all.
Were cryptozoology fans offended? Were catfish hunters taken aback? Were drag queens insulted by VH1’s comments? Were Josh Gates wannabes left with new goals?
What do Cryptomundians think?
About Loren Coleman
Loren Coleman is one of the world’s leading cryptozoologists, some say “the” leading living cryptozoologist. Certainly, he is acknowledged as the current living American researcher and writer who has most popularized cryptozoology in the late 20th and early 21st centuries.
Starting his fieldwork and investigations in 1960, after traveling and trekking extensively in pursuit of cryptozoological mysteries, Coleman began writing to share his experiences in 1969. An honorary member of Ivan T. Sanderson’s Society for the Investigation of the Unexplained in the 1970s, Coleman has been bestowed with similar honorary memberships of the North Idaho College Cryptozoology Club in 1983, and in subsequent years, that of the British Columbia Scientific Cryptozoology Club, CryptoSafari International, and other international organizations. He was also a Life Member and Benefactor of the International Society of Cryptozoology (now-defunct).
Loren Coleman’s daily blog, as a member of the Cryptomundo Team, served as an ongoing avenue of communication for the ever-growing body of cryptozoo news from 2005 through 2013. He returned as an infrequent contributor beginning Halloween week of 2015.
Coleman is the founder in 2003, and current director of the International Cryptozoology Museum in Portland, Maine.
If this is worth anything, I don’t even think it made the news here in in Oklahoma. I hadn’t heard a peep about those two being in Stillwater. Frankly, I can’t see those two hosting such a show. Anything to stretch out one’s 15 minutes, I suppose. All that aside, “noodling” is so common and mundane that I can’t believe they’d make it the thrust of this program. Of course, I’m missing the “legend” part. I can only assume it has to do with giant catfish, which have been long rumored to haunt certain lakes. I don’t know which one, but Lake Eufaula is the epicenter of many of those tales. The largest catfish in OK caught by rod was 4.5 feet (98 lbs) and the largest by any means was 4.75′ (118 lbs). The legends I heard growing up spoke of fish around the 6 foot mark. I don’t think that’s outrageous to conceive if they’re catching 4.75′ fish.
How these girls don’t have their own show is beyond me. Plus they have their cryptozoology bona fides.
Niki’s Quick Six Thanks Cryptomundo
Now that’s entertainment.
“Still, they did earn the respect of a local who referred to them as “girls,” which is about as much of a triumph as you can expect from these two. Then again, calling other dudes “girl” is a very drag-queen thing to do, so maybe winning over said local isn’t so impressive after all.”
The alternative would have been the locals calling them as “boy” which has all sorts of implications.
I still can’t believe this is Real and Chance’s 5th show on the network.
Loren, I respect you as one of the top guys in Cryptozoology, but why even bring up this show, on the board? These two idiots are as far as you can get from real researchers. If anything, it seems as though they are making fun of cryptozoology. This has to be the worst show I have ever seen. It’s like watching two hyperactive 10 years olds, on crack, performing bad sketch comedy. I formed this opinion after 3 minutes and I couldn’t take it any longer! I can’t imagine, sitting through an entire episode. Bring back “Monsterquest”!
uh yeah, I’m with MountDesertIslander. give these girls a show!
Remember the days when you’d WANT to be that person on tv? For me at least, I think those days are gone.