Imagine a reality series that's three parts The Running Man, two parts Survivor, four parts the Spice Channel, and aimed right at the Travis Bickle demographic.

Well, someone named "Michael Burdick" did imagine that, and he calls it "Hunting for Bambi." The goal of the "game": shooting naked women with paint pellets. Finally: a sport that makes dwarf-tossing enthusiasts look like polo players. Repeat after me: "The teachings of the Catholic Church are degrading to women."

But, to be fair, Mr. Burdick is a sportsman:

Burdick says safety is a concern, but the women are not allowed to wear protective gear -- only tennis shoes.

Burdick says hunters are told not to shoot the women above the chest, but he admits not all hunters follow the rules. "The main goal is to be as true to nature as possible. I don't go deer hunting and see a deer with a football helmet on so I don't want to see one on my girl either," said Burdick.

Ah, yes: "as true to nature as possible." Which explains why I see lots of women around town wearing naught but Keds and a wary look.

Thankfully, we have experts to inform us that it might not be the healthiest pastime around:

But [clinical psychologist Marv] Glovinsky says this so called game that mixes violence with sexuality can be dangerous for men who can not distinguish fantasy from reality, and acting out the violence in this game could lead to them acting out real violence.

"If you're blurring reality and fantasy and you can't make the distinction and you're emotions over power your intellect or your higher mental function, your going to get into trouble, and if you have a control problem to boot, that's really going to cause problems."

Ya think? Still, I'm sure that this falls within that wonderful zone of self-defined liberty Justice Kennedy is always yammering on and on about:

At the heart of liberty is the right to define one's own concept of existence, of meaning, of the universe, and of the mystery of human life. Beliefs about these matters could not define the attributes of personhood were they formed under compulsion of the State.

Yep. "Hunting for Bambi" slides easily under that big-top tent flap.

[Thanks to Peppermint Patty for the link.]