Brewer man vying for spot on hunting show

A lifelong hunter in Brewer needs some help in his quest to become a contestant on The World Hunting Association’s newest reality show.

You may recall I was excited when WHA announced the new show and encouraged hunting-savvy Mainers to apply. Well, Benjamin Umel of Brewer did just that, and his application video is featured on the WHA Web site just waiting for people to visit and vote him into the finals.

The grand prize, which will be awarded to one man and one woman, includes a pro staff contract with WHA and a spot on a reality television hunting show.

Four male and four female finalists also will be invited on a hunting excursion in 2007.

To vote for Umel, go to www.worldhunt.com, and click on “casting call contestants” to see Umel’s video, appropriately titled “Tuf Nuf.”

The top 10 finalists will be selected online before WHA makes its final pick.

At the other end of the reality spectrum, some of you may remember my rants about MTV and VH1 forgetting that they’re supposed to be music television stations – not celebrity or trashy reality networks.

VH1 has made some small attempt to fix that by bringing the best of both worlds to its viewers, but I’m afraid to watch.

The station claims that with Eminem supposedly fading fast, they’re worried about the future of rap. Their goal: to find the next white rapper with “Ego Trip’s White Rapper Show.”

Twelve contestants from throughout the United States will participate, including one very scary woman who’s bad side I would never want to be on.

Each episode will show the rappers competing in a variety of challenges that will test their rap-ability, knowledge of hip-hop culture and their ideas about the future of the business.

But is it worth it? The winner gets $100,000. Nowhere did I read that they get a record deal or their own reality show.

Visit www.VH1.com to learn about the contestants, or just tune in at 11:30 p.m. Wednesdays.