"Flame Retard-ant", Way to Die #205, is the fourth death to be aired on "Better Them Than Us" which aired on March 16, 2011.
Plot[]
Richard was a pyromaniac with an intense addiction to fire. The sense of personal property was all lost on this freak as he usually torched his neighbors' trash cans. One day, he went out into the woods and waited for a camping couple to leave their tent unattended before he doused it in lighter fluid and set it ablaze. Afterwards, he wanted to take it to the next level. He was about to set fire to a tree (possibly with the intention of causing a forest fire), but he didn't realize at first that he accidentally got some lighter fluid on his pants. When he lit the tree up, he also went up in smoke. He flails in anquish as the flames tarnish his body, then jumps into a nearby creek. Despite the seemingly obvious result, Richard did not burn to death. When he was on fire, he suffered third-degree burns that burned all the way into his bones and cartilage. His joints, muscles, and bones melted and fused together, rendering him completely paralyzed. With this factor, Richard was unable to crawl out of the creek, and water seeped into his nose and mouth, resulting in him drowning thus sending this pyromaniac straight to hell. Richard's demise could have been avoided easily if he had either stood far away from the tree or stopped dropped or rolled.
Transcript[]
(Richard hides in the bush, looking at kids making out, Experiments in Lobotomy is playing)
Narrator: Richard wasn't your typical hiker. He was a lonely guy who went into the woods to relieve some tension. But he didn't get off on peeping on kids making out.
(Intense Insane Orchestral Chase is playing, teens leave the tent and have fun)
Teens: (Giggle)
(After seeing them leave the tent, Richard gets close to the tent)
Narrator: Richard was a pyromaniac.
(Richard pours some lighter fluid on the tent, burns it with a lighter, watching the tent burning)
Dr. Marc Kern: Pyromania is considered an impulse control disorder. It is about letting go of stress inside. Arson on the other hand, is just for, perhaps monetary gains. So, it's a very different phenomenon. Pyromania is about the rush. Often with a very strong sexual sort of release involved.
(Richard also poured the fluid and burned the trash can)
Narrator: Richard usually fed his compulsive perversion by torching his neighbors' trash cans.
Richard: Ha-ha-ha-ha.
(Later... Unrequited Lust is playing)
Narrator: Now he was looking to make it to the next level.
(Richard now pours the fluid on a tree)
Narrator: But Richard wasn't just a pyromaniac. He was a total doofus.
([] is playing)
Narrator: He accidentally got some lighter fluid on his pants.
(Richard turns the lighter up)
Narrator: And when the tree went up,
(Tree is burning. So DOES Richard, [] is playing)
Narrator: So did Richard. And here's the kicker:
(Richard runs and jumps toward the lake nearby)
Narrator: The fire burned him, but that's not what killed him.
(Amazing Bell Sequence is playing)
-Richard: (Howie scream)
-Dr. Bal Raj: With severe 3rd degree burns, this extreme heat will cause your cartilage to melt. And your joints will fuse.
(CGI human jumps on the water, but accidentally swallow water, causes to drown himself)
Dr. Bal Raj: As he jumped into the cold water, he went into shock and became immediately confused. With all of these factors, he would not be able to save himself. And therefore, he'd drown from his injuries...
(Recap of Richard poured the fluid and burned the trash can, Bittersweet Ending is playing)
Narrator: Richard's career as a pyro really caught fire,
Richard: Ha-ha-ha-ha.
Narrator: but then, he couldn't take the heat
(Tree is burning. So DOES Richard)
Narrator: and finally...
(Richard runs and jumps toward the lake nearby)
Richard: (Screams)
Narrator: he went under.
(Richard is drowned to death)
Interviewees[]
- Dr. Marc Kern - Clinical Psycologist
- Dr. Bal Raj - Orthopedic Surgeon
Trivia[]
- Also called "Stop, Drop, And Die" on the Spike TV website.
- The producers might have selected Burnside as the location as a joke.
- It is based on the death of 41-year-old Jenny Rider. She sprayed gasoline on her clothes and set herself on fire. As soon as she went up in flames, she regretted it and then jumped into a river in New Norfolk, Tasmania, to put out the flames. She lost consciousness on a rock and drowned.
- A man named Lewis died similarly.
- Normally when someone is on fire, the best option for him or her would be to stop, drop and roll.
- The segment's nickname “Stop, Drop, And Die” is also a reference to the album “Stop Drop and Roll!!!” by the rock band Foxboro Hot Tubs.
Foreign Names[]
- Amante de las Llamas (Flame Lover) - Latin American Spanish dub
- Idiota en llamas (Idiot on Fire) - European Spanish dub
Segment Nicknames[]
- Stop, Drop, And Die (Spike TV)
Gallery[]
