Many kids who were around in the 1980s and 1990s had two specific dreams floating among the rest. To be a contestant on Double Dare and to grow up to get a job hosting Double Dare. Sadly, Double Dare isn't even around anymore as a source of aspirations, but perhaps those of us with a softer stomach might have reasons to be happy we never got to replace the seemingly unflappable Marc Summers, who did not take kindly to pet food. Here's what the former frontman had to say about the physical challenges that almost made him puke.
The one thing that I had trouble with physical challenges, was pet food. You see, if you open up a can of dog food, I pretty much lose it. And so they kept trying to get me to do this physical challenge, and as soon as I walked over to the set, and there was all this dog food, I almost lost it. I puked, almost. And I had to go outside, and they had to change the physical challenge.
To go back I don't even think a particularly weak stomach is necessary to feel the queasy waves sloshing things around. If you know how Double Dare works, you know it's not a show that goes light on the squishy materials. So if the producers were mulling around a challenge that involved dog food, then there are so many reasons to believe that it would have been enough dog food to serve as a Price is Right Showcase Showdown prize. (Game show synergy.)
Perhaps if Marc Summers had worked in a dog food factory before landing a gig at Nickelodeon, he might not have been quite as hesitant to put his own insides on the line for facing that physical challenge with several of his senses. The sight of brown and shiny. The sound of squelchy flops. The smell of processed earthiness. The feel of a river bottom. The taste of...well, that part is probably fine. I mean, dogs eat it, right?
Anyway, the concept of that green slime sitting around for a while is enough to give me the heebie jeebies when I think about it getting into people's mouths and noses. So adding dog food into the equation is just a big fat nope. I'm glad they didn't do that. Cat food and fish food challenges, though? It's up to our memories and imaginations.
In his interview with Business Insider, Marc Summers shared what his favorite physical challenge was, too.
Favorite physical challenge of all time on Double Dare was 'Pies in your Pants.' There was a catapult over here. You'd put a pie down, you'd shoot it up in the air, somebody had clown pants, and they had to catch 3 pies in their pants in 30 seconds or less.
We all remember that one, right? Kids and parents wearing those big pants and running around and slipping all over. It was great. Now picture that physical challenge where there was dog food in those pie pans. I'm sure it'll happen at some point on Twin Peaks this season.
While you can't catch Double Dare reruns playing anywhere, you can soon catch Marc Summers' biographical documentary On Your Marc, which is set to make its theatrical premiere this fall. In the meantime, head to our summer TV schedule to see what's popping up on the small screen soon.
