SKULLS UNLIMITED INTERNATIONAL NEWS |
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Skulls Unlimited: The Dirtiest Job?
Since the airing of the Dirty Jobs episode featuring Skulls Unlimited, we have received numerous phone calls and emails asking why certain elements of our process were left out...I.E. the really gross stuff. While some very nasty and disgusting scenes made it to air, others were left out. In a recent post to the Discovery Channel's Dirty Jobs web site, Mike Rowe had this to say.
"The original skull-cleaning segment was one of the ultimate dirty jobs, quite possibly THE ultimate. Unfortunately, you will likely never see that version. It was deemed to be too graphic for broadcast, and perhaps it was. It's not my call. The version that aired however, was in my opinion, a bit The Sound of Music with the songs edited out - still a good story, but minus the moments that would stick with you for a long, long time. Let me tell you what I saw on that unforgettable day, memories that I still can't shake.
Step 1. Mail Call. Every morning, [delivery companies] deliver dozens of boxes to Skulls Unlimited, boxes full of severed heads. Bear heads, deer heads, monkey heads, you name it. They come from all over the world, and their collective sight defies description. The first part of my day at SU was spent unloading and organizing these severed heads, removing them from soggy boxes one at a time. They come wrapped in newspaper and bubble-pack, like fine china. It's really no different than a mailroom in any other company, except for the unique contents. To my embarrassment, I can't recall the name of the guy who unpacks these boxes - the work destroyed my short-term recall - but I do remember thinking at that moment that he must have the dirtiest job in the joint. I was wrong, because moments later, there was...
Step 2. Remove the brains from each and every skull. This job is completed with the help of a homemade contraption called The Brain Demiser and Cerebral Extractor, a large barrel with an internal vacuum and a long plastic tube. The actual work is executed by Dale, whose name I will never forget. Dale was quite adept at manipulating the end of said tube into the base of each skull, easier said than done. Once accomplished, he would turn on The Brain Demiser, which churned to life with a hungry growl. Then, with horrible efficiency, the brains from the skull would begin to hurtle through the transparent tube and into the barrel, where they plopped noisily onto the previous deposit. Quite a sight. I'll never forget the sound of brain on brain. Needless to say, I tried my hand at the process, and eventually got the hang of it. Nearly lost it, but held on. Quite unforgettable, rather like...
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Dee unpacking the daily arrivals.
Mike posing with Dale.
Josh explains how the "brain-demiser" works.
Mike cleans the clogged sink.
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Step 3. Flensing. Flensing is the process by which flesh, skin, and muscle are carved away from bone. It is delicate, painstaking work, and requires the skill of a true artisan. Here, Dale proved himself a humble craftsman who was capable of much more than sucking the brains out of skulls. Dale spent most of that morning flensing the days earlier arrivals, and patiently sharing his knowledge with me. I learned a lot from Dale, but mainly, I learned that I do not possess the skill or inclination to work as a professional flenser. Profoundly dirty work, but nowhere near as bad as…
Step 4. Emptying The Brain Demiser. This may be the dirtiest of dirty jobs. It's certainly one of the worst I've ever seen. The task most often falls to Josh, a 16-year old lad who just happens to be the son of the owner. Every day after school, Josh stops by Skulls Unlimited to tackle a number of onerous tasks, but this one takes the cake. Typically, Josh simply approaches the giant barrel of brains, now brimming from a full day of demising, grabs it around the middle, and hoists it onto the lip of a large, stainless steel sink. On that day, I had the honor. Under Josh's watchful eye, I hefted the gelatinous, quivering payload and proceeded to dump the chunky amalgam into the steel basin. Conservatively, I'd put it at over 50lbs of assorted brain. Again, the sound made by a waterfall of cascading, congealing gray matter is unexampled, especially as it collides into a steel sink, and the smell, as you might imagine, is simply indescribable. With momentum and gravity working in concert, the falling brains accelerate rapidly, and the sink fills quickly. Too quickly. Naturally, a clog forms in the drain, and there is only one way to correct the situation. Someone must roll up his sleeve, dig through the brains and remove the blockage. On that particular day, that particular someone, was me.
Anyway, the day held many other horrors that were glossed over or omitted entirely from the show, and though I believe the original cut was far superior to the one that aired, I am grateful that we were allowed to air some version of the original. However, it needs to be said that the jobs at Skulls Unlimited are among the dirtiest I've ever seen, because the segment you saw did not reflect that. Also, the work done by those guys cut from the original was stellar, and deserves to be acknowledged somewhere. So, I'll do it here."
Regardless of the editing, Skulls Unlimited was proud of the episode and would like to express our thanks to the whole Dirty Jobs crew. In addition, special thanks go out to Mike for naming Skulls Unlimited as potentially the "Dirtiest Job"!
To see more behind the scenes photos of the filming of this episode, visit; http://www.skullsunlimited.com/behind-the-scenes.htm
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Skulls Unlimited on MySpace |
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Skulls Unlimited now has a MySpace page. It features the company, the Museum of Osteology and recent and upcoming projects we are working on. To view our page or join MySpace, go to: www.myspace.com/skullsunlimited
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AUGUST T-SHIRT CONTEST WINNER |
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This months winner is....... Jennifer Redlin of Alamo, ND. Jennifer will receive a $50 Skulls Unlimited gift certificate. To enter the Skulls Unlimited T-shirt Contest simply send us a color photograph, or digital image showing you or someone you know wearing one of our T-shirts. Originality will count, so choose a pose in front of a well known landmark, at your job, exotic regions of the world, in the classroom or just lounging around. Each entry will receive a gift certificate for $9.95. We will choose a new winner each month. To learn more about the t-shirt contest or to see previous entries,
Visit
http://www.skullsunlimited.com/t-shirt_contest.html.
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Jennifer Redlin
Alamo, ND
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 MUSEUM OF OSTEOLOGY UPDATE
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Progress on the museum is taking off! The second level mezzanine is starting to take shape and the construction of the classroom has begun. Most of the second phase construction should be completed by the end of this month. The third and final phase will begin immediately following with the construction of the exhibit cases and skeletons.
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Second level mezzanine being built.
Classroom under construction.
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NEW ITEMS |
Asian Golden Cat Skull
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Asian Golden Cat Skull
The Asian golden cat inhabits deciduous forests and tropical rainforests throughout southeast Asia. This species is predominantly nocturnal with a diet of wild hares, small deer, birds, lizards, and other small animals.
| WTQ-436 Skull - Replica | | Teaching Quality: $88.00 |
Order Online with our secure shopping cart at http://www.skullsunlimited.com/asian-golden-cat-skull.html
Order by phone at 1800-659-SKULL or 405-794-9300
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Jaguarundi Skull
Jaguarundi are small, uniformly colored cats native to Central and South America as well as the extreme southern United States. A jaguarundi's coat can vary from red to nearly black. This species is more active during the day than most species of small cats, inhabiting dense undergrowth.
| WTQ-437 Skull | | Teaching Quality: $66.00 |
Order Online with our secure shopping cart at http://www.skullsunlimited.com/jaguarundi-skull.html
Order by phone at 1800-659-SKULL or 405-794-9300
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Jaguarundi Skull
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Fishing Cat Skull
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Fishing Cat Skull
Fishing cats are native to regions of India, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Thailand, Java, and Pakistan. Fishing cats inhabit wetlands, marshes, swamps and forested regions adjacent to rivers.
| WTQ-438 Skull - Replica | Teaching Quality: $66.00 |
Order Online with our secure shopping cart at http://www.skullsunlimited.com/fishing-cat-skull.html
Order by phone at 1800-659-SKULL or 405-794-9300
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NEWSLETTER EXCLUSIVE |
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New Limited Edition Skulls Unlimited T-Shirt
This special edition t-shirt is only being produced in a small quantity. We are offering it exclusively to our newsletter subscribers before it is listed on our website. Unlike our other new designs, this t-shirt will not be re-printed. When they are gone, they are gone forever. Get your piece of Skulls Unlimited history today for this incredible price!
Only $12.00 each! Order at; http://www.skullsunlimited.com/new-t-shirt.htm
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Stay tuned for the September SUI newsletter featuring, more museum updates, new products and some exciting news for Skulls Unlimited. |
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