Playing “the black hat” in the entertainment industry is an excellent career move. Good guys come and go. Mediocre good guys disappear faster than Miranda Kerr’s modesty. More specifically, who remembers the fifth runner-up in any season of Top Shot? Meanwhile, George Reinas and Jake Zweig take their place in the Highly Mnemonic Bad Guy Hall of Fame (next to Jack Palance and Heath Ledger). That said, it behooves the bad guy to watch his or her back. As someone who’s attended a championship wrestling match in rural Tennessee, I can tell you that the line between fantasy and reality can be as thin as the aforementioned model’s bikini strap. Fans get carried away. “Bad guy” wrestlers get stabbed, beaten and threatened . . .
You might make a connection between championship wrestling and reality-challenged people, generally, but I couldn’t possibly comment. The question is: would someone really practice shooting a Jake Zweig target and then come after the real thing?
Jake Zweig thinks it’s funny. So does Mike Hughes (who sells the targets at his company nextleveltraining.com). He told TTAG “I don’t have an issue with it. People are supposed to be looking at the hands.” I think it’s majorly creepy and borderline dangerous. There’s a reason the American Firearms School and other gun ranges don’t allow shooters to put up representational targets.
But if yours does and you have no intention of physically harming the ex-Navy SEAL that commentators love to hate, Mike Hughes would appreciate the business. Which is already brisk. And Jake would appreciate the attention. Win win. And I pray it stays that way.