I wonder if crab fishermen watch “Deadliest Catch” and cringe when they see the deck workers or the captain break a cardinal rule of crabbing.

Or maybe parents of multiples frown when the TV parents try something with their quints or sextuplets that simply isn’t advisable in the real world.

The new reality of the television shows many of us watch these days is that sooner or later you may be watching a show about something on which you have some level of expertise. It is — supposedly — real life after all.

That moment occurred in our household a few weeks ago, as I’m sure it did in the homes of dozens of newspapermen and women around the country.

TLC’s latest hit, “Extreme Couponing,” often deals with something Kevin and I know well — newspaper inserts.

And in one of the early episodes, the show revealed that at least one newspaper in the country was breaking a very important rule that could endanger us all.

For those of you who haven’t been pulled in to the show, it follows the shopping routines of several Americans each week. These shoppers — usually stay-at-home moms — clip coupons to feed their families.

But they do it to the extreme.

In nearly every show, the shopper is featured buying up to $1,000 worth of groceries and paying less than $5. In some cases — which still baffle me — the stores even pay the shoppers to take the merchandise.

To walk away with so many good deals, the shoppers spend up to 60 hours a week collecting, clipping and calculating coupons.

Since the best source for coupons is often the inserts in local newspapers, the shoppers always go to that source first.

The gasp moment occurred at our house when one shopper said the local newspaper simply delivers their unused inserts to her house. The show featured footage of the woman picking up two large bundles of newspaper circulars in her front yard.

To an extreme couponer, it’s a great deal. But in reality, it’s against the rules.

Newspapers across the country, including this one, sign contracts with the advertisers — Walmart, JCPenney, Belk, etc. — who pay to put inserts into our newspapers.

Nearly all of those contracts include the stipulation that no insert — not even just one — is allowed to leave the building except through the regular inserting process — one copy per newspaper.

Our employees are not even allowed to grab an extra insert that may have a good coupon they want.

We have to account for any inserts not used.

After the show started airing, we did start receiving a few calls inquiring about coupons. With few major retailers offering competing deals in our area, coupons likely aren’t as coveted here as they may be in a big city. Area residents can find good deals in our newspaper though.

We will, however, follow the rules. No one gets extra copies of inserts from us, but everyone is encouraged to buy as many copies of our newspaper as they would like.

And if you are the extreme couponer of the Miss-Lou, let us know; we’d like to share your story.

I don’t know much about crab fishing or raising sextuplets, but sharing the stories of our community through the newspaper and bringing good deals to the doorsteps of our readers, that I can handle.

Julie Cooper is the managing editor of The Natchez Democrat. She can be reached at 601-445-3551 or julie.cooper@natchezdemocrat.com.