So, how was your summer?""
Ugh. It was a question I heard over and over at the beginning of the semester, and one I dreaded answering. That's because, while most people talked about the amazing places they traveled or the great internships they landed, my charming little anecdote went something like this:
""Me? I cleaned out two or three garbage trucks, which really put the enormity of the world's maggot population into perspective. I scraped some dead animals off the street. I was also lucky enough to pour tar onto a scathingly hot road in 95 degree weather. And, if I was really lucky, I got to take a trip out to the local landfill...""
That was always about the point where people's jaws dropped, because no one could believe the dirty and often disgusting summer job I had working for my city's department of public works. It was hard for my friends to fathom doing some of the work I did every day, which often made me feel like nobody understood my occupational plight except for my mud-splattered, sweat-drenched co-workers.
But then, ""Dirty Jobs"" came into my life, and I finally found a show where jobs like mine get the attention they deserve.
The Discovery Channel series, hosted by the charismatic and hilarious Mike Rowe, focuses on some of the filthiest occupations in America. Rowe and his camera crew travel around the country, where Rowe works alongside the men and women who perform these gritty jobs.
""Dirty Jobs"" has featured everything from avian vomitologists to garbage pit technicians. One of the best things about the series is that many of the jobs are so bizarre that the average viewer realizes even the most obscure jobs have to be done by somebody (worm dung farming, anyone?).
""Dirty Jobs"" has the perfect host in Rowe. With his rugged appearance and perfect comedic timing, Rowe is not only willing to try his hand at anything, but also determined to let the regular workers who do these jobs steal the spotlight. There is nothing quite like watching Rowe spend a day as an ostrich wrangler, running from the angry birds while the seasoned wranglers look on with shouts of encouragement and laughter. Rowe allows the cameras to catch his worst blunders to show that these blue-collar workers are doing tasks that would overwhelm the average American, and they do it every day without complaint.
For me, one of the highlights of the show was an episode shot in good old Madison. Rowe worked alongside septic tank technicians, crawling through sludge and other mysterious substances to ensure the septic systems were operating properly. By the end of the show, Rowe had declared his adventure in Madison was the dirtiest job he had ever worked on. That's something to take pride in, folks.
In a recent interview, Rowe emphasized that without the many workers willing to take on disgusting jobs, civilized society would be impossible for the rest of us. ""Dirty Jobs"" is solid proof of that. So take a moment to appreciate the bug breeders and roadkill collectors of the world, because without them life would be just plain dirty.
Think your summer job is worth being on ""Dirty Jobs""? Compare summer jobs with Casey at Mysliwy@wisc.edu.
