Introducing to MetaFilter: Reg Mellor, one of my all-time heroes.

June 18, 2008 1:30 AM

The King of the Ferret LeggersReg Mellor has been a hero of mine ever since I first heard of him, maybe ten years ago. A total whack-job, it's true; a hero nonetheless. I've been a member here for a while and hadn't posted anything, thought of Reg, searched and found nothing posted here about him; I'm hoping some of the rest of you will enjoy reading about him as much as I have.
posted by dancestoblue (25 comments total)

Ferret-legging never really recovered from the betting scandals and crowd violence that blighted the 82-83 season IMO, plus the EFLA's introduction of the ban on Plus-fours. There may be some hope though, as I understand Richard Gere is looking to introduce the sport to America, though I perhaps misheard that report.
posted by Abiezer at 1:42 AM on June 18, 2008 [2 favorites]

I'm surprised there's no clips of Reg on YouTube, because they used to show him on TV quite often. However, to give some idea what he faced, here's a clip of Richard Whiteley interviewing a ferret.
posted by PeterMcDermott at 2:14 AM on June 18, 2008 [3 favorites]

Great resource -- thanx for posting.
posted by ryanrs at 2:21 AM on June 18, 2008

Wow, as old as the internet itself. Katz's book is pretty good, though none of the rest of the stories quite measure up to Reg's. Reg would be, what, 93 today? Assuming he's still with us?
posted by maxwelton at 2:22 AM on June 18, 2008

I remember seeing people doing this on the television when I was kid, novelty acts on variety shows... including Sylvester 'Dr Who' McCoy. They should bring it back.
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 3:19 AM on June 18, 2008

"little is known of the diseases carried by the ferret because veterinarians are afraid to touch them."

That's magic
posted by milkwood at 3:50 AM on June 18, 2008

Huh...my sister's boyfriend had a ferret that was sweeter and more domestic than the cat it played with. I guess these are the wild variety.
posted by mrmojoflying at 4:47 AM on June 18, 2008

Mr. Graham Wellstead, the head of the British Ferret and Ferreting Society, says that little is known of the diseases carried by the ferret because veterinarians are afraid to touch them.

ok. I know it's hyperbole. still, great article.
posted by es_de_bah at 4:52 AM on June 18, 2008

damn, milkwood beat me to the punch!
posted by es_de_bah at 4:54 AM on June 18, 2008

Wait! Wait! Hold everything!

Ferret legging is real?!
posted by Kattullus at 5:14 AM on June 18, 2008 [1 favorite]

Wow.

I can't help but picture the guy as some kind of cross between Groundskeeper Willie and G.G. Allin.
posted by greenie2600 at 5:14 AM on June 18, 2008 [5 favorites]

This sounds similar to the central Tennessee sport of mock mule stumping where a man stands on a stump (thus "stumping") and simulates (thus "mock") copulation with one of the large hybrid pack animals.
posted by Pollomacho at 5:27 AM on June 18, 2008

You must be sober, and the ferrets must be hungry.

This is useless without a YouTube link and a ferret or two nearby for "try it at home" purposes.

"You just got be able ta have your tool bitten and not care."

I'd hit it.
posted by not_on_display at 5:29 AM on June 18, 2008

My mother was a ferret legger!

As a teen growing up in Manitoba, she said once a ferret ran up one of her pant legs and down the other. Said she was very worried because it was "her time" and thought it might go nuts at the smell of blood. Whole thing probably lasted five seconds.

Don't know if it was a pet or what. This would have been in the early 1930's just outside Winnipeg.
posted by timsteil at 5:35 AM on June 18, 2008

The reining champion of fish-legging used to loiter around these parts...
posted by Joseph Gurl at 6:17 AM on June 18, 2008 [3 favorites]

timsteil, isn't that anecdote the entire plot of the new Guy Maddin film?
posted by stevil at 7:56 AM on June 18, 2008 [1 favorite]

OK, I LOL'd. May I just point out that just about everything he says about ferrets is wrong? I'm going to post this URL to my local ferret shelter's bboard at Rocky's Rescue. This ought to go over well.
posted by Fferret at 8:00 AM on June 18, 2008

This is Pinky, he's a very loving cat.
posted by zippy at 8:24 AM on June 18, 2008

Pikny! Ah, cat-legging...and handing...and groining...
posted by gottabefunky at 10:35 AM on June 18, 2008

Anyone else immediately think of the SNL sketch where Michael Palin put seafood salad and a cat in his trousers?
posted by Halloween Jack at 10:38 AM on June 18, 2008

P.S. Couldn't find a viddy, but here's a transcript.
posted by Halloween Jack at 10:40 AM on June 18, 2008

Ferrets... I hate ferrets. A female roomate I had for a while owned a ferret. The little fucker could squeeze itself as flat as a piece of paper. It regularly crawled under my bedroom door -- that's right, under it -- and shit on my bed. Once it crawled up my pant leg while I was watching TV and I could not get it out. Plus they smell.

I hate ferrets. I would rather have Pinky the very loving cat clawing my nads than to be in the same room as a ferret.
posted by Guy_Inamonkeysuit at 12:42 PM on June 18, 2008

I ferret legged once. But it wasn't on purpose; I was talking to my sister as her pet ran around the room doing what ferrets do, when it espied my ankle. Within a blink of an eye it was under my pants and going up my leg.

Fortunately, I had handled it enough to know that it wasn't dangerous or trying to hurt me or whatever, because that ensured that my screams were manly manifestations of my surprise and not at all like-a-terrified-little-girl shrieking.

Despite what my sister may say.
posted by quin at 2:35 PM on June 18, 2008

I Can't Stand My Filthy Hippie Owner

by Thunder the Ferret
posted by Skot at 2:54 PM on June 18, 2008

Ferrets aren't just for trousers, You can race them, pageant them or use them as a fashion accessory.

Just keep them away from me!
posted by fallingbadgers at 10:56 PM on June 18, 2008