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Discovery.com: Welcome to our live chat with Mike Rowe, host of "Dirty Jobs."
Discovery.com: He's ready and willing to answer as many questions as you can ask in one hour's time. So ask away. Stay tuned for more new episodes of "Dirty Jobs" this month, Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET/PT.
Mike Rowe: So I'm in my hotel room somewhere outside of Harrisburg logging in with mere moments to spare. Please ask me something fascinating.
Funkinated: Wanted to know if you've ever really harmed yourself doing these things AND are you SINGLE? I'm a lesbian, but find that you are so attractive.
Mike Rowe: Interesting. I, too, am a lesbian, trapped in a man's body. I live in constant pain. Several stitches recently removed from left calf. Toenail on right front toe growing back after being stepped on by cow. Cracked rib healing nicely. Limp almost unnoticeable. I take as many precautions as I can, but they are never, ever enough. All part of the glamour.
kileismydirtyjob: Being the mother of your unofficial mini-Mike, Kilemikerowe, I would like your advice on his future. As of right now he wants to be a "poo poo truck driver" or a "backhoe operator." I always had a broader, cleaner idea of his future employment opportunities, but right now you are his superhero and you are who he will listen to.
Mike Rowe: Don't despair. It's always best to aim at something easy to hit. In time, aim can be adjusted and your son can aspire to whatever floats his boat somewhere down the road. For now, in one man's opinion, poo truck driver is a fine and noble dream.
amiblu: Is there any dirty job that you would do if you stopped doing the show?
Mike Rowe: Of the jobs featured on the show there are several. The one I most often comment on when asked this question has yet to air. It was shot nearly a year ago in Hawaii. The job was taro puller. Taro is the key ingredient in poi. Poi is rather disgusting and, in my opinion, should not be deliberately consumed unless you are very hungry. However, pulling the taro root knee-deep in warm water in paradise is not a bad way to spend a day.
an39: Which job do you think was the hardest physically to do (not the most disgusting)?
Mike Rowe: It's a close race, but any of the following would qualify as an honest answer: indoor demolition, hot tar roofer, sludge remover, and two that have yet to air. The first is gandy dancer, which is railroad work. The second, which is the best example of brute work I have yet to encounter, is Malibu stream restoration. Many years ago, residents in the hills of Malibu, Calif., constructed large, concrete dams in the streams that ran through their property, creating watering holes. Unfortunately, steelhead salmon swimming up the stream from the Pacific are no longer able to reach their spawning grounds. Consequently, these man-made barriers need to be removed. The tools: a sledgehammer, a jack hammer, and wedges. Back-breaking, exhausting, unforgettable pain.
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Jennifer: Which was more stressful to you, the alligator farm OR the ostrich ranch? Watching you "freak" out in both episodes was rather funny. AND question two: what is your favorite vacation destination?
Mike Rowe: Excellent question. The ostrich episode was more terrifying retroactively. I say this because alligators have always frightened me, as they would any rational person. Ostriches, however, appear benign. I remember them fondly from "The Swiss Family Robinson" as large, harmless creatures one could ride if so inclined when their heads weren't stuck in the sand. However, toward the end of my ostrich experience I was made aware of several interesting facts. One, their toes are razor sharp. Two, they can kick with 2,000 pounds of force. Three, they can go from zero to 50 mph in four seconds. Four, they have not evolved in millions of years and are, essentially, dinosaurs. Five, last year, twice as many people died from ostrich attacks as from sharks. Alligators, on the other hand, scared me before, during, and after in equal measure, while ostriches continue to haunt my dreams. I like to vacation on ostrich ranches.
zulux2: Hi Mike, where are you coming to us from tonight?
Mike Rowe: I have been in my opulent, elegant and completely indulgent hotel room outside of Harrisburg, Pa. The only thing true about the aforementioned sentence is the fact that I'm in a hotel room outside of Harrisburg. In layman's terms, it's a dump.
zulux2: Do you ever watch "DJ" when you are sitting alone in your hotel room?
Mike Rowe: Tragically, yes.
Holly: After seeing you wade through, shovel and clean up poo, I'm wondering how many courses of antibiotics you've taken after starting "Dirty Jobs"? Or do you just plug in to an IV drip of Cipro at night?
Mike Rowe: Cipro is, in fact, the antibiotic of choice preferred almost categorically among garbage men, sludge removers, construction workers, and removers of poo in all its many forms. However, I have been lucky since the beginning of this program; I have built up an immunity that I believe to be unrivaled in medical parlance. In other words, I'm just lucky.
ArleneAndLilly: Hi, Mike! I just wanted to thank you for a wonderful program, which we look forward to watching every week. Very educational and, of course, with your wit, funny, too. My question is very silly: Obviously you are filthy after doing one of your shoots, and I am sure that you are EXHAUSTED. Do you snore? I would be snoring like a bear!
Mike Rowe: I've been told by more than one source that I do not snore per se. It is more of a tragic and pathetic rattle that seems to emanate from my throat but, in fact, vibrates my entire body. It is sad, pathetic and ultimately annoying.
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shrieker: Have you ever gotten infections from any of the jobs you had to do?
Mike Rowe: There have been several wounds that have been slow to heal, but at the moment everything seems to be working properly, for the most part — with some exceptions that we don't need to discuss here.
trudee: Hi Mike, watched the show tonight. What plans do you have for those mushrooms?
Mike Rowe: The mushrooms are long gone. If memory serves they found their way onto a frozen pizza that was in my opinion conspicuously void of adequate topping.
Will Wallace: Mike, LOVE the show! You make it enjoyable! Say, did you wash those pants from tonight's "mushroom farm," or did you just burn them?
Mike Rowe: I did attempt to burn them. Unfortunately, before I could actually put the flame to the material itself they exploded like flash paper. It was alarming and I was asked to leave the restaurant.
pdaustin: Mike, just wanted to say you and the show ROCK, and when I read you were a Travis Magee fan, well, Mike, you ROCK HARDER! What is your favorite Magee book? Mine is "The Empty Copper Sea."
Mike Rowe: I prefer "A Tan and Sandy Silence," also "Bright Orange for the Shroud." You rock, too, because the Travis Magee mysteries are without a doubt the finest pulp fiction ever written. In the words of Travis Magee, be wary of all earnestness.
mish1103: Hi Mike! It is a pleasure to speak with you! Thanks for taking the time to talk to us! You and the "DJ" crew do an incredible job! My question is, what would you say is your best and your worst quality? It can be physical attributes or personality traits. Thanks! Michelle (Mishy) in Pa.
Mike Rowe: My best quality, professionally, is my approach to television. I say this because I feel as though I have had the opportunity to "be in on the joke" for a very long time. I guess what I mean to say is perspective. Perspective in television is hard to find and, at the moment, I really feel as though "Dirty Jobs" has it. On Sunday, I watched the Academy Awards briefly. I flipped around and found that "Dirty Jobs" was being run in a marathon. And it occurred to me that "Dirty Jobs" is pretty much the opposite of the Academy Awards. I like that perspective. And, for the moment, I'm glad I have it. My worst quality is also this same perspective. It gets me into trouble from time to time.
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alex445: How do you stand the smell of some of the jobs you go to?
Mike Rowe: Sometimes I don't. But, in the end, everything I endure on the show — from unpleasant smells to unanticipated pain — is without question always endured by the man or woman standing next to me who does the very same job day in and day out. It's easy to stand anything when you're standing next to them.
zulux2: Where are you off next?
Mike Rowe: Tomorrow morning I am going to a Mennonite farm outside of Amish country. There I will meet a man who makes his living taking care of cows' feet. Cows, as you may know, stand for hours at a time in their own goo. It's important to keep a cow's feet as clean as possible. Toward that end I will be introduced to some sort of device I have never seen before and I will learn how to trim the poo-filled hooves of bovine. It should be a big day!
Ned: Hello Mike! Enjoy your job. I'm a firefighter ... what did you think about the job?
Mike Rowe: The Oakland Fire Department was kind enough to let me burn down a crack house and then attempt to put it out. Initially, I wasn't interested in profiling firemen because it had been done so many times before. However, there is no way to describe the feeling of walking into a room that is fully engulfed by an out of control fire. The heat pushed me straight down onto the floor and I was nauseous for the rest of the day. To answer your question, I came away with the same feeling that I've always had toward firefighters: respect and admiration. However, experiencing it firsthand was unlike anything I'd imagined.
shibalady: What's the nastiest bug or beast you've had to work with/around?
Mike Rowe: In a segment that has not yet aired you will be introduced to flesh-eating beetles that are used specifically to consume the meat from a variety of skulls. The name of the business is Skulls Unlimited, and they keep millions of flesh-eating beetles on the premises. Kind of creepy. The rat in my lap from the sewer episode also lives large in my memory.
rowerulez: Hey Mike ... dirty jobs can you think of ... I have seen you do everything. Where do you get all these ideas from?
Mike Rowe: Initially, my hope for "Dirty Jobs" was to have the country program the show. This was difficult at first because no one knew what the show was really about. Now 80 percent of the jobs I do originate with a viewer suggestion. To be candid, I ran out of ideas myself about two months in. The viewers are the reason the show continues to air.
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country: Have you dealt with any marine mammals?
Mike Rowe: Many. The marine mammal segment was shot outside of San Francisco and involved the rescue of several sea lions and sea lion pups. The Marine Mammal Center is kind of like the Humane Society, only for seals and such. Five hundred volunteers allow the facility to function and I spent the day with them, turning fish into fish milkshakes and trying to get the seals to eat them. One more thing I can cross off my to-do list.
SludgeLover: Mike, you seem to be in great shape. Do you work out often, or are your dirty jobs enough of a workout?
Mike Rowe: I work hard to maintain the illusion of fitness. Dennis Quaid said in a recent article if you take care of yourself in your 20s, you probably won't have to worry too much about your 40s. Of course, Dennis Quaid never had his arm inside of a cow — to my knowledge anyway. Anyway, thank you.
country: In the episode of hot tar roofer ... why did you take the steps?
Mike Rowe: Perhaps it was too long ago, or perhaps I have simply blocked that whole parade of pain from my mind, but for whatever reason I'm afraid to say that I don't know what you're talking about.
Julpop38: You mention your mom quite a bit on the boards. What does your dad think of all this?
Mike Rowe: He is wild with jealousy and rage. I'm only kidding! No, I'm not. Yes, I am. My dad claims to be very proud of me. My mother, too, seems to think I turned out OK. Regardless, I'm proud of them, and believe from time to time they still watch my silly little show.
roush99: Any chance of you coming to Maine to do some clam digging or lobster fishing?
Mike Rowe: Yes. In fact, my friends who work on "Deadliest Catch" are currently investigating a similar series based on New England lobster fishermen.
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Dude: What is your favorite football team?
Mike Rowe: The Baltimore Colts. I'm a little behind the times.
shrieker: What was your major in college, and how did they ask you to be a host of "Dirty Jobs"?
Mike Rowe: I didn't declare a major until my final year. By that time I had accumulated enough random credits to go in several directions. I wound up with degrees in communications, speech and music. "Dirty Jobs," I'm afraid, is no one's fault but my own. The original idea was a segment I created for a program called "Evening Magazine," which used to air in San Francisco. That segment was called "Somebody's Gotta Do It." After putting it on the air and seeing the viewer response I sent it to a producer I know who then sent it to Discovery. The rest, as they say, is dirty history.
zulux2: Mike, do you have good insurance coverage?
Mike Rowe: Incredibly, no. I'm working on it, but for reasons too mysterious to even contemplate no one seems interested in underwriting the policy.
generalee01: Which is worse: the honey wagon or the L.A. storm drain cleaning?
Mike Rowe: Few things can rival the honey wagon. Raw sewage is in a category unto itself. However, it bears pointing out that raw sewage is treated in a very thorough and comprehensive way. The end product is actually quite benign. However, storm drains and the trash that is dumped into them runs straight into the ocean without being filtered or treated in any way. So, I would say if you're the earth, storm drains are worse. But if you're a simple man with a simple little show the honey wagon is not your friend.
germanwolf74: When did a cow step on you, Mike?
Mike Rowe: Several moments ago. There's one stepping on me right now. Ow! Ow! Damn it! Get off me you fat cow! You're killing me!!!!!!! Who in the hell let that cow in my room?!? Oh, it hurts so bad! Please someone get this cow off me!
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yankees8566: Hey Mike, I'm a great fan of your show and I'm wondering if you are running out of jobs ? I really don't want your show to end.
Mike Rowe: Thank you. I'll confess something to you all now. In some ways "Dirty Jobs" is really not about the dirt. If you look at it, it's kind of like a talk show that just happens to take place in a sewer. The truth is, if "Dirty Jobs" continues to grow an audience we will probably run out of dirt a lot faster than we'll run out of interesting people. So, as with all things TV related, the viewers will decide how long the show will last.
glblake: Mike, how long does it take you to film one segment of your show? Do you normally have to stay overnight in different locations?
Mike Rowe: To be efficient we need to shoot at least three segments per trip. To stay sane it is unwise to spend more than one week away from home. Therefore, the working model requires me to shoot three segments in one week. Typically, each segment should take a day to a day and a half. With travel, that makes for a very busy week.
Retnuh: Hey Mike — great show, and I love your commentary. However, often it seems your guests don't quite like your humor. Have you ever really offended any of them?
Mike Rowe: Probably. But here's the thing: It's really important to try and do an honest show. I will tell you that I have never left a shoot with any kind of confusion or hard feelings. But I am committed to react as honestly as I can in the moment. Typically, shows like this try too hard to turn regular people into heroes. The other extreme is to turn them into straightmen. I don't like either option, so I try and keep it real. Sometimes that confuses people who might be expecting a more traditional exchange.
mieledio: Hi, Mike. Edi here. We all know you don't mind getting dirty on the job, but what about at home? Are you a neat freak, a slob or somewhere in between? Thanks!
Mike Rowe: If I weren't such a minimalist I would probably fall toward the sloppy side. However, I subscribe to the old adage that says "the more things you own the more things own you." Therefore, I don't believe I possess enough things to be sloppy.
blackpassion: Is there anything you won't eat now that you have seen how some things are processed or made?
Mike Rowe: Nope.
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littledonny: Mike, have you ever stayed friends with any of the guests of your show? A lot of them seem really fun to hang out with.
Mike Rowe: Several of the people profiled on "Dirty Jobs" correspond regularly on the "Dirty Jobs" message board. Many have written to me privately after leaving. Some have sent me presents. One man who I shall not name was kind enough to send me some Tupperware with some poo in it through the U.S. Mail. It was a lovely holiday gesture that I will cherish always.
Pam: One of your answers to a question on the message board included a tidbit that you became an Eagle Scout (congrats by the way, 25 years later!). I'm curious to know what you did for your community service project? Thanks, Mike.
Mike Rowe: I read and volunteered at the Maryland School for the Blind. It was, ironically, the first time I had read anything out loud and one of the reasons I became interested in narrating.
amber: I just wanted to wish you an early "Happy Birthday!" Any special plans? Are you big on celebrating birthdays or are you more of the type that just lets it pass by quietly? Thanks for all your hard work! Amber
Mike Rowe: I've never fully understood the celebration of an event that I had absolutely nothing to do with. I'm grateful for every birthday I've ever had and look forward to many more. But, in my opinion, the best way to celebrate the anniversary of your birth is to send a thank-you note and some flowers, or perhaps a small container of Tupperware with some poo in it, to those directly responsible.
montypythonlover: As a Monty Python lover, who's your favorite Python and what was your favorite Python movie? Because, as I well know, you've seen something from them, from all the quotes you've spurt out on the boards.
Mike Rowe: John Cleese. "The Life of Brian" is probably my favorite collection of MP scenes. "The Holy Grail" is probably my favorite MP movie. But, really, if I'm flicking around and I see any of them I watch until it's over.
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Julie: What comedians do you enjoy? I love Robin Williams ... he makes me smile before he even says a word! Has anyone thought of doing a show harvesting flowers or plants that are used in perfumes and cosmetics? On the silly side, would you ever appear on "Dancing With the Stars"? Thank you again, kind sir. There is a hammock for you under the trees at the Happy Hammock Oasis. Hugs, Julie
Mike Rowe: I also enjoy Robin Williams, but frankly think he is a more talented actor than a comedian. Currently, I laugh at Chris Rock. I just saw Dennis Miller's stand-up special and something flew from my nose, which is high praise indeed. We have coming up shortly my favorite flower-related show of all time. Without giving too much away, I deconstruct the floats in the Rose Bowl. It might not sound like much, but every float was covered with rotten vegetation and putrid fruit. There will be no perfume, but it will be a most dirty evening. While I love to dance, the stars are a bit too Hollywood for me.
Discovery.com: Thanks for a great chat! Unfortunately, we are almost out of time. Do you have any parting words for us?
Mike Rowe: I was serious when I said "Dirty Jobs" aspires to be a different kind of show and very serious about relying on the viewers. Not only for ideas but, perhaps, for something more in the coming season. For those of you who are not camera shy keep an open mind and keep watching. Thanks a lot. See you soon someplace DIRTY!
Discovery.com: Well, thanks for joining our live chat. In case you missed anything, look for the transcript of this chat on the fan site later this week, and stay tuned to Discovery.com for more "Dirty Jobs" features and updates.
Discovery.com: Don't miss the next "Dirty Jobs" premiere, "Plumber," on Monday, Tuesday, March 14, at 9 p.m. ET/PT.