Fox News 9:45 Friday Morning

[panthercz]

Biggest compliant of the whole thing is no mention of the fact that not all pythons get huge.
The host is going on about how dangerous they are and if Trey is worried about them hurting him or someone and no mention that ball pythons don't get large enough to hurt anyone.
Trey looked and sounded very nervous and I understand that but that was a critical mistake...

[TheNunciate]

Nicely done, Trey. They seemed that they were trying to throw you off and you didn't get razzed. Fox news blows.

[HypoPita]

...the video is still loading, and all I see is the title "Pet or Predator"...and I'm already mad

[HypoPita]

..."don't pass that guy on the sidewalk"...... :::sigh:::

"I, having no experience with snakes whatsoever, beg to differ on their ability to harm"

well handled man, you did a great job!

[JLC]

I would have to say I'm extremely disappointed with the way Fox handled the interview, and the spin they've put on it afterward with headlines like "Pet or Predator". However, I do believe ANY of the big morning news programs would do exactly the same thing. It's hardly a Fox issue....it's an issue of all the media assuming anyone "normal" will hate snakes and therefore be more drawn to a negative spin pushed as an effort to "get the other side of the story" because they're so "fair."

Trey...kudos to you man! Took guts to get up on national TV that way! I'm sure I would have stumbled and stuttered through the whole thing if it were me!

[AaronP]

I would have to say I'm extremely disappointed with the way Fox handled the interview, and the spin they've put on it afterward with headlines like "Pet or Predator". However, I do believe ANY of the big morning news programs would do exactly the same thing. It's hardly a Fox issue....it's an issue of all the media assuming anyone "normal" will hate snakes and therefore be more drawn to a negative spin pushed as an effort to "get the other side of the story" because they're so "fair."

Trey...kudos to you man! Took guts to get up on national TV that way! I'm sure I would have stumbled and stuttered through the whole thing if it were me!

I agree with you 100% Judy. At least we know that Fox is at least willing to put someone from the other end of the spectrum on the news, we'll just have to see if they continue with this...

[HypoPita]

I agree with you 100% Judy. At least we know that Fox is at least willing to put someone from the other end of the spectrum on the news, we'll just have to see if they continue with this...

+1 Any station will put their slant. It was nice that they picked someone in the field, and that is actually established and knows what he is talking about, to give some insight.

I still think they don't realize their 3 year old banter afterwords sways opinions. Well, maybe the do, and in that case it's worse.

Now if you will excuse me..I'm in the middle of being strangled by my 20 foot hognose..

[littleindiangirl]

That took a lot of guts man, but they sure made it hard to put a positive spin on it.

[JLC]

I couldn't resist putting in my .02 ....even if they'll never read it.

Sent this e-mail:

Dear Fox & Friends,

I saw your interview with Trey Barnard, and I must say, as a long-time fan of Fox News, that I am very disappointed with the way it all was handled. If you really want to show the side of having snakes as pets, then show it. Comparing ball pythons to giants like reticulated pythons or Burmese pythons (as shown in the split video beside Trey) is like doing an interview with a cat lover and showing a split video of lions and tigers, all the while talking about how one tiger escaped and killed someone.

The vast majority of snakes kept as pets in this country and around the world are completely harmless. The vast majority of pythons kept as pets are small species that never exceed 6 foot in length and rarely even that much. There has never been a single recorded or anecdotal incident of a ball python killing someone, despite the millions of them kept as pets. Contrast that with dogs who injure and kill people every year. And even cats sometimes inflict serious injury or kill an infant. Should we ban all dog or cat ownership because of a relative few irresponsible people and some unavoidable accidents?

Also, the vast majority of pet snakes kept across the country could never survive if released into their local environment, much less breed and successfully multiply. What has happened in Florida should be dealt with in Florida. Creating national legislation that treats all snakes and exotic pets as equally dangerous and equally capable of "invading" our environments is preposterous.

I'm an administrator/owner of a website called Ball-Pythons.net. This is a forum setting that specializes in teaching people how to care for their reptile pets. We have over 12,000 registered members with hundreds and hundreds that participate every single day. As people who enjoy and appreciate snakes (and other reptiles) as pets, we come in all shapes and sizes. Personally, I am a mother of three lovely children and the wife of a Lt.Col. in the Air Force. I currently own three snakes, and would own more if our military lifestyle did not make it impractical to do so at this time.

I completely understand that not everyone will "get it" or ever come to like snakes. But should those who appreciate and keep snakes be shown such disrespect when they are invited onto your show and asked to tell their story? I happen to know Trey personally as well. And I'd be happy to have him at my back in a dark alley or on your sidewalk...anytime.

Sincerely,
Judy Clothier
Ball-Pythons.net Administrator/Owner

(also included my personal contact info...ya never know!)

[littleindiangirl]

Great piece Judy!!!!