Mike Rowe was almost knee-deep in hardening bat excrement when he got stuck in the dark, muggy cave. Suddenly, he no longer paid attention to the screeching winged creatures overhead raining urine on him.
The host of the Discovery Channel show “Dirty Jobs” was sinking fast, his upper body inching closer to the flesh-eating beetles.
“What a stupid way to die,” he exclaimed, trying to pry his legs free.
It took a few moments before bat biologist Jim Kennedy managed to pull him out – and only after Rowe slipped out of his right boot. It would have been an odd way to go, but for Rowe, it’s still a fascinating way to work. He created the show to highlight people such as Kennedy, as well as their occupations.
Truth is, Rowe, 44, is perfect for an odd-jobs show. He loves work.
To him, career counselors and life coaches are a waste; you do what you enjoy, even if it turns your neighbor’s stomach.
That’s why he discovered his niche – performing – after declaring seven majors at two colleges.
Initially, he said, “I wanted to write. I read Russell Baker’s book, ‘Growing Up,’ and I just remembered what a cool way to write, to have so many stories and to have lived such a weird life. That inspired me to do as much stuff that I could so I could have some stories. I’ll write about them later.”
Rowe has sold gazillions of simulated diamonds on QVC, became a fixture in the bass section of the Baltimore Opera chorus, done voice-overs for dozens of Tylenol commercials and hosted local television shows.
In San Francisco, where he lives, he made a name for himself as the host of “Evening Magazine.” That show gave birth to the concept for “Dirty Jobs.” His general manager in 2002 told him to shake up the program to improve ratings, so Rowe opted to interview people in odd jobs.
Ultimately, the segment was named “Somebody’s Gotta Do It.” The show’s popularity prompted him to negotiate with the Discovery Channel about a special, which ultimately became a series.
It’s partly why Rowe is among the hardest-working people in television. Besides hosting “Dirty Jobs,” he hosted the network’s “Shark Week” this year. He also hosts and narrates “Deadliest Catch,” Discovery’s most-watched series, about the perils of Alaskan crab fishing, and narrates “American Chopper.” “For me, the key to changing careers is to never have one in the first place,” Rowe said.
Along each stop, Rowe has displayed an uncanny knack for connecting with his audience. “He’s extraordinarily watchable,” said Jack Comstock, vice president of TV sales at QVC. “It takes a special person to do those dirty jobs, and there’s no better person than Mike Rowe.”
The program, which airs at 9 p.m. Tuesdays, recently taped its 100th dirty job.
The show has no director, no script. Rowe goes out with a camera crew to a job site. A worker at each site tells him what to do.
Initially, he and producers would come up with ideas, but they now often come from viewers as well as the companies they highlight.
In addition to regularly getting mucky and stinky beyond recognition on “Dirty Jobs,” he’s had several cuts, a few broken bones and many bruises. During one recent taping, he came in contact with chemicals that left him with double vision for days.
“Something’s always broken,” Rowe said. “I’m never quite 100 percent.”
His favorite part of the job is meeting down-to-earth people whose work resonates. “If you take the guy who picks up the road kill and morph him with the woman who pulls the fish guts for a biodegradable company and compare her with your average roofer, these people all seem to be in on a joke that investment bankers and accountants are not,” Rowe said.
“They know that without them doing what they do, civilization falls off the rails. When the light doesn’t come on when you hit the switch, when the toilet doesn’t flush when you hit the handle, it’s game over.”
Rowe recently joined the millions mourning Steve Irwin, the Australian host of Animal Planet’s “Crocodile Hunter” who was killed by a stingray barb during an underwater taping.
Rowe’s mother, Peggy, who said she spoke with her son the day after Irwin’s tragedy, often finds it difficult to watch some of her son’s scarier scenes. “Sometimes I turn my head or close my eyes,” she said. “When ‘Shark Week’ aired (recently) he was here, so we knew he was OK, because some of that is kind of harrowing.”
“Dirty Jobs” has more than exceeded his expectations. Rowe said he’s surprised to hear about the scores of parents who watch it with their children.
“I was at the airport in New York recently and a guy came up to me, he looked to be in his early 40s,” he said. “He said he watches the show with his family and he said, ‘After a segment, I say to my kids, that that’s why the plumber who lives down the street deserves our respect.’
“Then 10 feet later, another guy comes up in a Brooks Brothers suit, about the same age as the other guy, and he said he watches the show with his family and he said, ‘I love it because I can say to my kids, ‘See, if you don’t go to college. … “‘
