"(Thom Beers) turned crab fishing into one of the best soap operas ever," W. Clark Bunting, the former president of Discovery, says.
For years I have been reading this line, that "'Deadliest Catch' is a soap opera for men." I think that's condescending. At the very least, it's lazy journalism. "Deadliest Catch" has been on cable now for eight years, so we have had a few serious journalists write about the show. Often, the premise of their articles is based around the question, "Why is a television show about crab fishing so popular?" The final conclusion, as if they are discovering an original thought, is that it's like a "soap opera."
Much more than a soap opera
Yes, "Deadliest Catch" is episodic television with reccurring characters who deal with issues familiar to all of us. But that's where the similarities to a soap opera end.
As Thom Beers states in the article, there has to be good storytelling first and foremost:
Good conflict makes for a good story, and "Deadliest Catch" has plenty. There are four classic conflict types:
- Man vs. Man
- Man vs. Himself
- Man vs. Society
- Man vs. Nature
I believe "Deadliest Catch" also taps into the universal story of the "Hero's Journey."
The universal story of the greenhorn
The late Joseph Campbell authored a book entitled, "The Hero With a Thousand Faces." Mr. Campbell studied myths and stories from different cultures around the world and found that there was one universal story that everybody shared. He called it the "Hero's Journey" and he laid out the steps and structure to the story.
In a nutshell, the hero leaves the ordinary world by answering a call to adventure. He meets mentors and acquires training that will help him on his journey. He crosses the "threshold," never to return to the ordinary world the same. He is tested and eventually is confronted with death or his greatest fear. Out of this moment of death comes a new life. He now looks to return home with a new treasure, but not without being severely tested once more as he has crosses back into the ordinary world. The hero returns home with the treasure, which may transform the world as the hero has been transformed. The hero has changed and is never the same. (This is an extremely abbreviated version of the different stages of the Hero's Journey. Click here for the full version.)
I believe this story is why the "greenhorn" stories on the "Deadliest Catch" are so popular. It fits the "Hero's Journey".
Every Greenhorn carries a story in their heart and a question mark on their back… Will they make it? Will he go home broken and defeated? The merciless Bering Sea humbles the hardest soul and quiets the anger and angst of any young buck. The life they once knew is now a distant memory. Their world is now 40 feet of beat-up wooden deck, and a dictator with an ego as large as the Bering Sea.
It's a physical and mental test. As the skipper and crew transform the greenhorn to seasoned fisherman on the Bering Sea, we learn what drives him and what's been holding him back.
Good storytelling is mandatory, but there's more going on here that has produced longevity with the audience. There has to be something underneath the story that resonates with the audience -- and "Deadliest Catch" has this by the boatload.
Hard work and the American dream
"Deadliest Catch" and the Cornelia Marie are a metaphor for the American Dream. Through fishing, a man can still work hard, play by the rules, take a risk in life, and get ahead. However, this is not just an "American dream." The show resonates with men and women across the world through this universal theme of "making your way in life through hard work".
For the past four years, the world economy has been struggling. We are now experiencing major changes in what is valued in terms of work. The industrial age is long over. We no longer need as many folks who can provide physical ability with limited "knowledge" skills. These types of jobs certainly don't bring high wages. The warning now is: If someone overseas can do the job cheaper, then that's where the job is going.
You certainly don't find these types of "skilled or craftsmen" workers on the cover of business magazines or being interviewed by Charlie Rose. Who are the heroes of young men now? What does the media tell us about the definition of "success?" American boys growing up today hear about people like Bill Gates, Steve Jobs or Mark Zuckerberg. They even made a feature film about "Zuck." These are the definitions of successful men in today's society.
What if you're not a programmer or even comfortable on a computer? Or even worse, what if your definition of torture is staring at a computer screen for eight hours a day? What if we as people aren't meant to be sedentary with our brains tied into computer terminals?
Longing for real work
This idea that we are all not cut out to spend hours toiling away in a cubicle is shared by many. Mathew B. Crawford wrote a book entitled "Shop as Soulcraft." In his book, Mr. Crawford "questions the educational imperative of turning everyone into a 'knowledge worker,' based on a misguided separation of thinking from doing."
I was so happy when I found his article entitled "The Case for working with your hands" in The New York Times. In this piece, he mentions the "Deadliest Catch." In Mr. Crawford, I found someone who felt like I did when it came to the idea that maybe working with your hands is not only a good alternative to "knowledge work" but may be more natural and satisfying.
These two passages strike at the heart of why I think "Deadliest Catch" is popular. We long for work that is real because it's more human to undertake this type of work. Through the show, an invisible class of men (and women too) see a world they long for, a world where good people can work hard, and, with a little guts and determination, can make something of themselves.
Work hard, play hard
The popularity of "Deadliest Catch" owes a lot to one man -- our late skipper, Capt. Phil Harris. Phil embodied many of the elements I write about in this article. He worked harder than most men, and enjoyed himself along the way. Folks could identify with him -- he bared it all, from his bravado to his vulnerability.
When asked what his dream was as a child, he answered: "To try and be successful no matter what. I always had this idea that I could very easily just become a bum and homeless. (Laughing.) That idea still keeps me motivated."
As I wrote in an earlier blog post, I still receive emails from around the world as viewers of the show find out about the loss of Capt. Phil. Often the email starts out, "I hope you don't think I'm strange but I feel sad even though I never actually met Phil…" I don't think they're strange.
If you have watched a lot of episodes of "Deadliest Catch," then you've actually logged a lot of hours with another person who decided to let the cameras in to show the good, the bad and the ugly. Phil decided if he was going to do it, he was going to go all the way. And the cameras kept rolling. So, I would think it would be strange if you didn't feel anything after watching that episode.
Phil will be remembered forever by anyone who watches season six, and this story element is unique to "Deadliest Catch".
Gone but not forgotten.
When a boy becomes a man
In today's society, when and where is the threshold that a boy crosses to become a man? Is it after puberty? The arbitrary dates of 18 or 21? When they become a father? In many societies and for thousands of years, there have been ceremonies and activities to mark these occasions. Today, this passage from boyhood to manhood goes seemingly unnoticed. When does a guy feel like a man? You can be 25 years old and still be living your life as a boy -- untested and lacking confidence.
I believe that young men of today long for the feeling of being a "man." They feel the need to test themselves to see if they "have what it takes." Today, that often takes the form of athletic endurance competitions and sports. Perhaps, some young men even join the military to engage in the ultimate test of manhood -- combat. These young men long to be greenhorns, too, and enter the "Hero's Journey," as explained earlier.
For me, one of the definitions of being a man is the ability to support my family. If I can't bring home enough money to feed my family and provide them with what I need, then I am a failure as a man. Where this definition of being a man intersects with hard work is where "Deadliest Catch" lives.
Stories from letters
Hardly a day goes by that I don't receive at least one email from a guy looking for a job. (This despite our contact page that states we don't have any job openings on our boat.) The reasons vary but often include the ideas I have talked about so far. I would like to share some letters I have received. This first letter I just got today. Valiant has a wife and young boy and lives in Slovenia. He was born and raised on a small island in the Mediterranean Sea. He spent his adult life working as a waiter, lifeguard and construction worker.
Out of the thousands of letters I have received, none have included requests for money. The writers ask only for a job -- for a chance. Here is another:
I feel for these men. I have been there -- that place where you're just looking for a break. Not a hand out, just a way out. It seems no matter how hard you try, you can't get ahead.
Some guys are so desperate to break into the fishing business that they are willing to work for free.
I feel this is where "Deadliest Catch" provides a disservice. The numbers they place on the screen for deckhand earnings do not take into consideration any expenses.
Recently, I flew back from Alaska and sat next to a fisherman returning from Dutch Harbor. He was a greenhorn and just finished working the recent king crab opening in the Bering Sea. He had just completed six months working on a fishing boat and made essentially nothing. The few thousands that he was paid barely covered his airfare in and out of Dutch Harbor. For the record, the Cornelia Marie does not operate this way. If you work, you get paid.
Many of the letters I receive are not very elegant in their writing style. This doesn't surprise me, as most of the fishermen I know don't spend much time on the computer writing. If you wanted to reach Capt. Phil, you could have visited him or called. He didn't do email, nor did he care about Facebook, twitter and the rest of them. The only computer he used was on the boat. In this letter below, we see it clearly stated, "I want to become a man, a real man!"
Some of the letters are hard to read as many folks around the world have been dealt difficult situations. My heart goes out to all.
I have had folks from all walks of life tell me they would like to "give it a try." For various reasons, the story of the greenhorn calls. I believe this is why I receive so many letters from folks wanting to go out fishing on the Cornelia Marie. It's the young man who's ready to push himself, test his will and gut-check his courage. It's the unemployed father that finally feels like a man. He couldn't find work in the new knowledge economy, but he can work miracles with his hands. He'll bring home the big paycheck and show his son that's there still a place in the world for a guy like him.
For the record, everything written in this article applies to women as well. I focused on men because they make up nearly 100 percent of the Bering Sea crab fishermen. Of course, women perform and enjoy hard-working jobs. I have a sister who is a professional, full-time welder, and my mother (Cornelia Marie Devlin) was a cannery foreman in Alaska. So take that guys!
Please leave a comment and let me know what you think.
Morgan Howard is the son of Cornelia Marie Devlin, the majority owner of the F/V Cornelia Marie that's been featured on "Deadliest Catch." He was born and raised in Alaska and now lives in Seattle. He serves as a director on two Alaska Native enterprise boards, and he's the founder of Morgan Howard Productions, CorneliaMarie.com and NativeCo.com. His commentary first appeared on his website and is reprinted with his permission.