"Survivor" Pig-Slayer Peppered!

Wed., Jun. 13, 2001 3:00 PM PDT by Mark Armstrong

Survivor Outbacker Michael Skupin just can't avoid getting burned.

The 39-year-old former contestant--who was maligned by PETA for killing a pig and then sent home early for collapsing into a campfire--sustained more injuries when he was attacked Tuesday with pepper spray by an animal-rights activist.

Appropriately enough, Skupin had arrived in Columbia, Missouri, to speak on behalf of a statewide workplace safety program, when he was sprayed in the face repeatedly, according to Columbia's Missourian newspaper.

Two children also were reportedly hit by the pepper spray and were treated at the scene. Police arrested David Cravens, 30, on suspicion of assault. He was released from Boone County Jail Tuesday afternoon on $1,500 bail, the Missourian reported.

Skupin said Cravens had handed him a letter stating that he acted alone--and not on behalf of groups like People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, or, perhaps, the Porky Liberation Army.

Still, the injuries didn't keep Skupin from making his appearance, and he immediately began joking about the incident, calling it his "second workplace injury."

"The message of workplace safety has new meaning in my life after today," he said.

For someone who speaks about workplace safety, Skupin hasn't had the best of luck keeping out of harm's way. The Michigan software publisher was forced to bow out of CBS' hit series during the sixth episode, after he suffered second-degree burns on his hands when he fell into a campfire.

Prior to that, Skupin drew complaints from PETA for stalking and killing a pig during his stay and then using its blood for war paint. After his campfire accident, Skupin said he became a changed man, and he also says he's discussed the pork incident with PETA, and they've since backed down.

Nowadays, Skupin has other things on his mind, including political aspirations. Although he has no prior political experience, he has been tagged as one of six possible Republican candidates to run for U.S. Senate in Michigan.

To do it, Skupin would have to unseat Detroit Democrat Carl Levin, which some believe is much tougher prey than a sedated piglet. "It's kind of fun and wacky," political consultant Ken Brock told the Free-Press. "[But]...I don't think some guy who ended up on a reality TV show is going to be much of a threat."

Does anyone smell "pork barrel politics"?