Join Mike Rowe for his new series, “Somebody’s Gotta Do It,” Wednesdays at 9 p.m. ET/PT on CNN. Rowe introduces us to people who perform unique jobs. Follow him at mikeroweworks.com and Mikerowe.com. Opinions expressed below are solely those of Mike Rowe and the questioners.
Story highlights
TV host says fear of the mob temporarily deterred him from featuring a type of job
"Somebody's Gotta Do It" Host Mike Rowe: "CNN has been great to work with"
Of all the folks he has met, Rowe reveals which ones he keeps in touch with
Rowe reveals bad advice from his high school guidance counselor
Jobs expert Mike Rowe, host of CNN’s new series “Somebody’s Gotta Do It,” took a chance Wednesday. For a little more than an hour, Rowe allowed himself to be asked ANYTHING, by anyone.
Rowe sat down for a Reddit Ask Me Anything online chat, where he dished about:
– The job that disgusted him the most
– What it’s like working for CNN
– How his fear of the Mob affected his decision to showcase a certain job
After more than 2,900 comments, here’s the good stuff. Some of it has been edited for length. (For the full transcript, follow the permalinks.)
1. Forbidden jobs:
Q: “What dirty jobs did you always want to do but the network or producers wouldn’t let you do? (too dangerous, inappropriate, so on),” asked SSJStarwind16.
Rowe: “The segments I was most interested in doing but found the most resistance around was that of a rendering facility. … the Mob is still involved in a surprising number of rendering facilities. Why the Mob has such a rich history in garbage-related industries and rendering-related industries is a conversation beyond my pay grade. I only know how relieved I was to finally find a rendering outfit that was not owned or operated by the Cosa Nostra.
“That facility was in Northern California. And they were called North State Rendering.
“To this day, I’m impressed with how brave they were in their decision to let us provide our viewers with an unvarnished look at what it takes to turn a dead cow into several hundred pounds of chicken feed.”
2. Shockingly awful jobs:
Q: “What job shocked you the most by finding out how awful it really was?” asked nomadbishop.
Rowe: “In the Coast Guard, buoy tenders are responsible for hoisting these giant steel contraptions out of the ocean, and refurbishing them.
“In this case, “refurbishment” means crawling into a woefully inadequate tube not much larger than the space taken up by your shoulders, and wiggling your way like a worm into the shadowy depths whereupon you begin to remove the barnacles and various other forms of nautical life with a stick or some other improvised tool.”
Later, AmerikanInfidel posted that he or she used to do that job, saying, “Buoy guy here. Can concur. Once you start scraping that s**t off and things start crawling around you and dripping down your neck you have got to question the honesty of your recruiter.”
3. His CNN job:
Q: “How has the transition to CNN been? Also, what was the reason for the move?” asked GoldenRy007.
Rowe: “The truth is, it’s become very difficult to produce a show with no second takes, and no script, because the people in charge of putting them on the air would prefer to control them, in the same way an executive might be able to control an episode of ‘The Big Bang Theory.’
“It occurred to me that networks like FOX and CNN were not just news outlets, but fundamentally, nonfiction outlets.
“CNN, in particular, was very interested in exploring alternative forms of programming, very similar to ‘Dirty Jobs.’
“In short, they’ve been great to work with.
“And as long as headlines like Ebola, and ISIS, and terrorism, and natural disasters don’t completely dominate the landscape, I think there will be room for ‘Somebody’s Gotta Do It’ and other shows like it.”
4. Making friends on the job:
Q: “Do you keep in touch with any of the people you met at any of your dirty jobs?” asked Chinooah.
Rowe: “Too many to mention.
“Although I will mention one. There is a farm, in Northwest Indiana, called Fair Oaks. Mike and Sue run one of the largest dairies in the Midwest. We first shot there back in 2006, and Mike trusted me to not only deliver a dozen cows on a cold winter’s evening, he allowed me to perform a cesarean.
“After that, he invited the crew and I to stay with them for the evening, and several days afterward. Which we did.
“To this day, none of us are allowed to fly over Indiana without first landing in Chicago, and driving to Fair Oaks to drink their wine, and their delicious milk. But mostly, their wine.”
5. ‘Worst advice i’ve ever heard’:
Q: “If you went to a guidance counselor in high school, what would he/she have said your ideal job would be?” asked cjmarc.
Rowe: “I did go to a guidance counselor in high school, his name was Mr. Dunbar, and he gave me the worst advice I’ve ever heard.
“He told me that my desire to attend a two-year community college was ‘beneath my potential.’
“As it turns out, the two-year school I ultimately attended allowed me to experiment, and explore all kinds of studies that I simply would not have been able to afford at the university.
“Consequently, I got on the road that brought me to where I’m sitting now.
“Although, to be fair, I should point out that the road also led through several miles of sewer pipes.”