Man vs. Wild don't think so.

[texas gun person]

His show isn't showing you the best way to survive. Some people act like he wants you to go jumping into frozen ponds... come on folks. (Honestly I have no clue how people could think this way)

Bear's show is taken to the extreme in some instances to show you what to do IF you end up in a certain situation. Along with just entertainment factors. Sure it's scripted. He doesn't have to go 50 miles out to show you how to do certain things. He takes it to the extreme on his show because some people in survival situation HAVE had to take it to such extremes in order to get out alive.

If you read a book by him you would swear you are not thinking about the same person. Totally different style of conveying information between his books and show.

 

[KuRUpTD]

Seems like this show is for the armchair survivalist. Which IMO could be very dangerous.

I highly doubt that an armchair survivalist or most ordinary people have the physical ability to pull off the stunts that Bear performs even if they wanted to. The guy is a phenomenal athlete and has valid credentials no matter what the "haters" think about him. The extreme antics he performs is his schtick ... helps keep the viewers who watch his TV program entertained ... nothing wrong with that.

If you don't like Bear ... it's real easy CHANGE THE CHANNEL !

 

[countryboy17]

Im sorry to all of you who are hating on Bear but hes a legitimate bad ass, much more bad ass than 95% of the population and can out survive probably all of us on this website. I mean come on hes an ex-special forces. Who cares if its set up or whatever you think it may be, but the things he does are real and no stunt dummys for him and he doesnt just sit around like les stroud who is also a bad ass but doesnt have half the skills bear does which he probably aquired from the special forces.

 

[sodak]

I've only watched enough of these shows to seriously question whether or not these "experts" could really survive on their own, but I hold them in pretty low regard... When people are willing to do stupid things for a camera, I just tend to think they ARE stupid...

 

[pitdog]

Im sorry to all of you who are hating on Bear but hes a legitimate bad ass, much more bad ass than 95% of the population and can out survive probably all of us on this website. I mean come on hes an ex-special forces. Who cares if its set up or whatever you think it may be, but the things he does are real and no stunt dummys for him and he doesnt just sit around like les stroud who is also a bad ass but doesnt have half the skills bear does which he probably aquired from the special forces.

He was in the TA SAS, Englands equivalent of the Reserves !

 

[ROCK6]

Bear's show is entertainment...there are a few gold nuggets, but taking anything like this serious would cause me some concern about you

After watching Discovery's new "Out of the Wild: Venezuela", there would be no way I could stomach a "real" reality show with Bear...stumbling around, bitching, hungry, wet, cold, tired, sore and miserable. Even with all the crap the group has for this new show, they are sucking wind...much closer to "reality". Bear's show is great cinematography in some beautiful areas of the world; add his wonderful British accent, some HSLD (that's high-speed, low-drag for you civilian "legs") infil method and we can't forget him getting naked at least once, and you have a hit show:jerkit: I will admit, I still watch his shows when there's nothing else on and I'm drinking...I was almost tempted over the Holidays to strip down naked, grab my knife/firesteel and see if I could swim across the lake, get a fire going, set up a shelter, kill a beaver (I have a few in the lake:grumpy for clothing and eat some worms...unfortunately I haven't been drunk enough

Forgot to add that he does use some cool clothes, honestly! I stumbled onto Craghoppers a few years ago and didn't even know they sponsored most of his clothing with Bear's own line. Yeah, I thought it was gay, but the pants were on sale and I thought what the hell. They're actually well designed and pretty rugged...so, even if you don't dig Bear, you can still enjoy getting in his pants

ROCK6

 

[Old CW4]

The first and last time I watched him was the episode when he was in the desert, went down into a canyon, then swam under a brushpile damming up the stream in the canyon. There's no way any sane person, supposedly by himself, would try to go underwater and swim through a submerged brushpile unless you had a strong suicide wish. Never watched again.

 

[bush-haus]

His shows IMHO seems to desert one of the most important rules of survival... STAY PUT. If you go lollygaggin' around and get yourself completely lost and off the beaten path, nobody will find you... EVER! For those that have more knowledge this rule can find itself in a bit of grey area, but for those that haven't any experience in the wild this show conveys dangerous messages that you must climb, jump, swim, etc to find yourself out. Hoshposh!!
____________________________________
Beckerhead #32

 

[TheGame]

I highly doubt that an armchair survivalist or most ordinary people have the physical ability to pull off the stunts that Bear performs even if they wanted to. The guy is a phenomenal athlete and has valid credentials no matter what the "haters" think about him. The extreme antics he performs is his schtick ... helps keep the viewers who watch his TV program entertained ... nothing wrong with that.

If you don't like Bear ... it's real easy CHANGE THE CHANNEL !

+1

It is entertainment, and it is keeps me entertained when I do watch it. If I am not entertained, the channel is changed.

 

[Cascade_mtn's]

WOW...... some pretty adamant views here. I personally don't watch any of these "survival" shows like they are any of the books I have read. I watch them periodically for entertainment and I use that word loosely.

I hold zero fascination for either Stroud or Bear. I don't mean to be cruel, but anyone running off to emulate either one is a Darwin award waiting to happen. I can understand trying out certain skills (fire, shelter, water treatment), but to try and cross a glacier with your socks?!?!?!?!?!? well I'll just deffer to the knowledge I have gained from the outdoors-men in my family, my own trial and error, and the well written books I have read.

These are just TV shows after all. I take no more stock in them any more than I would C.S.I. Miami on crime scene investigation. YMMV.....

Edited to add:

Much shorter, and said better than I.....

+1

It is entertainment, and it is keeps me entertained when I do watch it. If I am not entertained, the channel is changed.

 

[stewey1]

He was in the TA SAS, Englands equivalent of the Reserves !

I hope thats a joke, the SAS are an elite special forces group, there selection course alone is enough to break even the toughest soldier, the american equivelant would be delta force,

I like bears show, yes it scripted and yes alot of it is useless, but theres some good info in there and its entertaining as hell, I enjoy it every now and again.

as somebody mentioned his book is almost the opposite of his show, its really well written with a ton of excellent stuff in there that could well help save your life.

the only thing I dont like about bear is the crappy knife he endorses, he should have put his name on something decent

 

[ksquared]

I prefer Man, Woman, Wild....now if only Ruth England was as eager to naked as Bear Grylls is !

By pitdog2010 at 2011-02-18

+1 on Ruth. Is that show coming back, anyone know? Friction fire and boobies - that's must see TV...

-kk:

 

[jaymeister99]

I highly doubt that an armchair survivalist or most ordinary people have the physical ability to pull off the stunts that Bear performs even if they wanted to. The guy is a phenomenal athlete and has valid credentials no matter what the "haters" think about him. The extreme antics he performs is his schtick ... helps keep the viewers who watch his TV program entertained ... nothing wrong with that.

If you don't like Bear ... it's real easy CHANGE THE CHANNEL !

Exactly my point! The armchair survivalist wouldnt keep up too well. Wait until some armchair survivalist watches the show and then goes out thinking "this" is the way to survive.

As for not liking it... I do and did change the channel! And I doubt I will watch it again, unless I want a lesson on what NOT to do in a survival situation. I don't have anything against Bear, actually from what I've heard on this thread I might pick up some of his books. As for the show, Ill skip it.

 

[jaymeister99]

His shows IMHO seems to desert one of the most important rules of survival... STAY PUT. If you go lollygaggin' around and get yourself completely lost and off the beaten path, nobody will find you... EVER! For those that have more knowledge this rule can find itself in a bit of grey area, but for those that haven't any experience in the wild this show conveys dangerous messages that you must climb, jump, swim, etc to find yourself out. Hoshposh!!

:thumbup: Well said!

 

[Cascade_mtn's]

Exactly my point! The armchair survivalist wouldnt keep up too well. Wait until some armchair survivalist watches the show and then goes out thinking "this" is the way to survive.

If that happens I personally wouldn't blame the SHOW. It's not a TV shows responsibility to keep people out of trouble no matter the content. Someone watching MvW like it's a "how to" in a survival situation is in trouble from the start. Not much will likely change that.

If I go and blow my hand off because of something I saw an Mythbusters, should I then be able to hold them accountable? It's "entertainment"!!!!!! May be in poor form to some, but a TV show non the less.

I see your point..... I just don't take it any where near as seriously I guess.

 

[jaymeister99]

If that happens I personally would blame the SHOW. It's not a TV shows responsibility to keep people out of trouble no matter the content. Someone watching MvW like it's a "how to" in a survival situation is in trouble from the start. Not much will likely change that.

If I go and blow my hand off because of something I saw an Mythbusters, should I then be able to hold them accountable? It's "entertainment"!!!!!! May be in poor form to some, but a TV show non the less.

I see your point..... I just don't take it any where near as seriously I guess.

I wouldn't blame the show if (and only if) they have a disclaimer stating this is for entertainment only or "Bear is a professional, dont try this". Mythbusters says on each show "dont do this at home" to (try) to make it moron proof.

Yeah its entertainment, but obviously not everyone considers it pure entertainment. I'm sure theres plenty of people watching the show who dont get this. Thats where I find it dangerous, some moron will try this stuff (if not already) and find out the hard way.

Don't you miss MacGyver?:thumbup:

 

[Cascade_mtn's]

Don't you miss MacGyver?:thumbup:

YES....... yes I do!

Like I said I see your point. It's just so beyond anything I would think of as educational, or use as a reference that I have a hard time believing someone might use the show for those reasons. However I'm sure your right and there are those that will/have.

 

[pitdog]

I hope thats a joke, the SAS are an elite special forces group, there selection course alone is enough to break even the toughest soldier, the american equivelant would be delta force,

No joke:

After leaving school, Grylls considered joining the Indian Army[16] and spent a few months hiking in the Himalayan mountains of Sikkim and West Bengal, Assam. He eventually joined the British Army and after passing United Kingdom Special Forces Selection (where he claims he was one of four to have passed out of his group of 180),[17] from 1994 to 1997, he served in the part-time United Kingdom Special Forces Reserve, with 21 Regiment Special Air Service, 21 SAS(R), as a trooper, survival instructor and Patrol Medic.[18] He claims that he served in North Africa twice.

 

[KuRUpTD]

I wouldn't blame the show if (and only if) they have a disclaimer stating this is for entertainment only or "Bear is a professional, dont try this". Mythbusters says on each show "dont do this at home" to (try) to make it moron proof.

Disclaimer:

Bear Grylls and the crew receive support when they are in potentially life threatening situations, as required by health and safety regulations. On some occasions situations are presented to Bear so he can demonstrate survival techniques. Professional advice should always be sought be for entering any dangerous environment.

Yeah its entertainment, but obviously not everyone considers it pure entertainment. I'm sure theres plenty of people watching the show who dont get this. Thats where I find it dangerous, some moron will try this stuff (if not already) and find out the hard way.

Man vs. Wild has been on the air for 5 years and I haven't heard or read about anyone who has died because they were influenced by what Bear Grylls does on his TV program.

 

[jaymeister99]

Man vs. Wild has been on the air for 5 years and I haven't heard or read about anyone who has died because they were influenced by what Bear Grylls does on his TV program.

Good to hear!:thumbup: But doesnt mean it won't happen. I hope nobody tries this stuff.