To learn how to be a thief. According to this report, Michael W. Hobbs of Whacko, Kentucky was struggling to find a learned occupation until he began watching the Discovery Channel show, It Takes a Thief.
This show has two ex-cons show how a house can be broken, entered and stripped in a flash. I’ve seen it, and wondered what kind of morons would let these two guys into their homes. They trash the place, destroy whatever they have of value, and then claim that it’s some bizarre abject lesson in how easy the house would be to a professional thief.
And there lies the point. What makes one a professional thief? Does he go to college for it? Is it to distinguish the pro from the amateur? Perhaps it has some to do with the vocation, advocation distinction.
Well, in Kentucky, one apparently becomes a professional thief by watching TV. Mr. Hobbs received a 12 year sentence for his string of burglaries. He hopes to use his time wisely, and that the series isn’t canceled during his tenure. He hopes to eventually get a Th.D.
This show has two ex-cons show how a house can be broken, entered and stripped in a flash. I’ve seen it, and wondered what kind of morons would let these two guys into their homes. They trash the place, destroy whatever they have of value, and then claim that it’s some bizarre abject lesson in how easy the house would be to a professional thief.
And there lies the point. What makes one a professional thief? Does he go to college for it? Is it to distinguish the pro from the amateur? Perhaps it has some to do with the vocation, advocation distinction.
Well, in Kentucky, one apparently becomes a professional thief by watching TV. Mr. Hobbs received a 12 year sentence for his string of burglaries. He hopes to use his time wisely, and that the series isn’t canceled during his tenure. He hopes to eventually get a Th.D.
Discover more from Simple Justice
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
My ex-roommate used to be a big fan of that show. It’s entertaining the first few times, but it rapidly gets repetitious.
While the thieves do make a mess, I’ve yet to see an episode where the thieves actually destroy anything, and each episode sees the thieves put all the stolen items on display for eventual return to the owners. Additionally, Discovery Channel pays for a new uber-security setup that, later in the episode, is used to thwart the thieves as they try to break-in again (and, thus, “show how well” the new security measures work).
Insurance companies buy up much of the advertising time, showing small clips of “How You Can Reduce Your Risk of Theft,” and “If This Ever Happens To Your Family, We’re Here For You;” while security companies buy product placement for the “New Security Measures” segment.