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Bear Grylls - Man, Myth or Legend?

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jhen said:
Search for 'bear grylls enema' in youtube. (can't post links until i have 5 posts?!?)

Hilarious, brought tears to my eyes :D
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Haha gold, "this should only be undertaken as a last resort"

Don't think I'll be trying it anytime soon...
 
I just watched a few episodes for the first time this week. The show is obviously staged, it is often quite blatant and always evident. I find it insulting as a viewer when he tries to convince me that his adventures are genuine, although at times it is so blatant that it's amusing. It was funny to see him get sick in the jungle, then find a medicine so effective that it didn't just work immediately after taking it, it worked before he took it, as soon as he got the idea to look for it! Brilliant! He then went on to cut down trees with a knife and a piece of wood as a hammer stone, then you see his finished raft with trees cut down with absolutely perfect circular-sawed blade cuts.

If he didn't try to play the "this is all absolutely genuine and my camera crew are not allowed to interfere unless my life is in danger" crap all the time I would find it thoroughly enjoyable, the show does contain some useful and interesting stuff, but it would be much more enjoyable if I wasn't being insulted. If there was some effort put into at least making the deception believable it wouldn't be a painful reminder of how stupid most people are.
 
Sdajii said:
If he didn't try to play the "this is all absolutely genuine and my camera crew are not allowed to interfere unless my life is in danger" crap all the time I would find it thoroughly enjoyable, the show does contain some useful and interesting stuff, but it would be much more enjoyable if I wasn't being insulted.
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It's strange that you mention the staging because since it's first airing on discovery channel I've been watching and found it very refreshing that on numerous occasions he has spoken to the camera and noted why they or how they set up certain scenarios. I also like the fact that sometimes he can't even light a fire.

I never get the impression that he is attempting to be in genuine situations. The whole premise of the show is to offer possible solutions if actually stuck in certain situations. To do that effectively he needs to stage some scenarios. I have never felt the show's producers have ever attempted to make false premise.

At the start of the show on Discovery, they even make a point of noting that it is staged and note clearly that local knowledge is always used to keep the topics relevant.

The late Steve Urwin was great at staging filming and never admitted it in his shows and in fact openly refuted it. I bet his trousers burnt that night. David Attenborough also stages for filming yet does not openly state such.

cheers,
 
Sdajii said:
I just watched a few episodes for the first time this week. The show is obviously staged, it is often quite blatant and always evident. I find it insulting as a viewer when he tries to convince me that his adventures are genuine, although at times it is so blatant that it's amusing.
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Les Hiddins -- Bush Tucker Man and Malcolm Douglas have numerous survival and adventure series that are both real and informative. That is if you want to learn something about Australian outback.
 
I like Bear but Ray Mears is the real deal. He is so much less of a showman than Bear but he just brilliant, and has so much more knowledge. Read this below:


Bear Grylls admits television rival Ray Mears is much tougher than him
Survival expert Bear Grylls has admitted that Ray Mears, his elder television rival, is "much tougher" than him.

By Lucy Cockcroft
Published: 8:20AM BST 18 Sep 2008


Bear Grylls is a former Territorial Army SAS soldier Photo: MARTIN POPE Eton-educated Grylls was speaking for the first time about his public bashing by Mears, 44, who dismissed him as a "boy scout" and a "showman".

The 34-year-old said: "He's so rude about me in the press, it's outrageous," but admitted that Mears was "brilliant" and "much tougher".


Grylls also welcomed being compared to a scout and said: "I love boy scouts. They are brilliant. One of the best things this country has ever done is boy scouts."

However, he went on to issue a thinly veiled warning to Mears, lest he was thinking of making any further derogatory comments.

The former Territorial Army SAS soldier, who was investigated by Channel 4 last year after a series of damaging allegations about staged scenes in his programme Born Survivor, has claimed to know some of Mears's own trade secrets.

He said: "Ray has given me a bit of a grilling in the press but it would be so easy for me to come out fighting.

"I know all the inside stories because we've had the same crew on a lot of things so I could really go to town but I don't want to. He's a great guy and he does a great job and it's so silly to get into a silly catfight."

The spat began when Mears, who founded a bushcraft school 25 years ago, laughed out loud in a Radio Times interview after being asked if he watched his rival's programmes to pick up survival tips.

He said: "Do I look for tips from Bear Grylls? Yes, on how not to make television programmes! As far as I'm concerned, these people are just showmen."

It followed damaging allegations about staged scenes in Grylls's Born Survivor series.

A programme adviser revealed a smoke machine had been used to augment an erupting volcano, Grylls had been helped to build a raft, and wild horses apparently tamed by the adventurer had been brought in from a nearby ranch.

It was also revealed that Grylls did not always sleep rough but stayed some nights in hotels and motels during filming.

However Grylls' claims his new series of Born Survivor, to be broadcast on the Discovery Channel next week and on Channel 4 in October, will be "100 per cent transparent".
 
Who gives a toss if half of the stuff is staged- Its TV people!!

Its a great show with a unique slant. Would you prefer another reality show with fat slobs or Man Vs Wild showing scenery that 99.999999% of people will never get to see in person and situations that are very entertaining and some times even educational.

Some of the stuff he does is clearly staged but some of it is down right hard and dangerous. How much can a person do over 4 seasons without having to resort to actually thinking up and then staging scenes? (At least he is not throwing his dog out of a speeding 4X4, remember that tosser Alby Mangels?)

Only thing I don't like about it is some of the "stats" of people lost, inquired or killed he often talks about seems way way off.
 
How many people on tv drink camel dung juice or drink their own urine? That's what this show is about, not learning how to survive in the wild.
 
Stan 101 said:
It's strange that you mention the staging because since it's first airing on discovery channel I've been watching and found it very refreshing that on numerous occasions he has spoken to the camera and noted why they or how they set up certain scenarios. I also like the fact that sometimes he can't even light a fire.

I never get the impression that he is attempting to be in genuine situations. The whole premise of the show is to offer possible solutions if actually stuck in certain situations. To do that effectively he needs to stage some scenarios. I have never felt the show's producers have ever attempted to make false premise.

At the start of the show on Discovery, they even make a point of noting that it is staged and note clearly that local knowledge is always used to keep the topics relevant.

The late Steve Urwin was great at staging filming and never admitted it in his shows and in fact openly refuted it. I bet his trousers burnt that night. David Attenborough also stages for filming yet does not openly state such.

cheers,
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It's amusing that he sometimes can't light a fire, because when he pretends to do it using a rotating stick or a flint it's blatantly obvious to anyone familiar with fire that he gets the job done using matches or a lighter. In one episode he is spinning his stick and then you see old glowing embers scattered around (not connected to it, but nearby the source of heat, and clearly from a long burning fire).

I don't know how you can miss him trying to be genuine! He repeatedly talks about being lonely all by himself, he repeatedly says the camera crew are not allowed to intervene unless his life is in danger.

Steve Irwin was a thief, a liar and a generally nasty person away from the public eye, and before he got his manager and became famous he wasn't much better in the public eye.

There was a time when honesty and integrity were valued, there was a time when people were offended and angered when someone tried to deceive them. It's sad to see that now people will actually applaud someone who lies to them.

Trembling Hand: I don't watch reality TV with fat slobs either. I don't find something appealing just because something else is worse! Do you honestly feel that way? I guarantee if you go to court on charges of assault you won't get let off by using "But I'm not as bad as the murderers" as a defense. I watch very little television, for the most part I gave it up when I was a teenager.

It's a shame, Grylls does have some genuine talent and ability, it would be nice if he was more genuine about it. Then again, most people no longer value credibility or honesty.
 
Sdajii said:
There was a time when honesty and integrity were valued, there was a time when people were offended and angered when someone tried to deceive them. It's sad to see that now people will actually applaud someone who lies to them.
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LOL. You have to be a seriously lost soul applying that to most things. AND TV :eek::eek: just lol.
 
Sdajii said:
As I said, I barely watch television. If you enjoy being lied to, knock yourself out, enjoy the telly :) There's a reason it's called the idiot box :)
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Hope you stay away from watching movies as well. They are clearly lying to you too.

Amazing hey?
 
Trembling Hand said:
Hope you stay away from watching movies as well. They are clearly lying to you too.

Amazing hey?
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Actually, fiction is not a lie. The difference between fiction and lies is that one is claimed to be fact and the other is presented honestly as fiction. This is quite a basic concept, I'm sure you'll get the hang of it soon enough.

I watch far fewer movies than most, but I do watch some.


Mr J: Don't worry, I enjoy life's simple pleasures, probably more than most! I don't mind humour or entertainment being simple sometimes, I just don't like being lied to, and find it especially insulting when the lies are blatant and the liar expects me to believe them.
 
I just don't like being lied to, and find it especially insulting when the lies are blatant and the liar expects me to believe them.
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Can't you find the humour in it though? If I need a laugh, I'll just turn on ACA, TT, Fox news, or something similarly ridiculous :D.
 
Riddick said:
Whilst I really do respect the knowledge of ASF users when it comes to stock chat, there is a bit of misunderstanding regarding Bear Grylls, and especially the episode you are referring to where he floated down through the rapids, ostensibly using a bag for floatation. He was in fact wearing a PFD under his shirt, which his production crew talked about in an interview online some time later. As a white water kayaker and paddling instructor, having paddled big water in Asia, Canada, New Zealand and Australia, I can tell you I have never heard of the existence of a 'life suit'. Dry suit: yes, rescue suit: yes - but not a 'life suit'. They don't exist. What I can tell you though is that white water is dangerous and every year around the world there are a great many deaths and near misses caused by incorrect equipment and/or lack of knowledge. My point being here is that I would find it hard to believe that the insurance comapny and the network would want their 'star' or 'talent' to undertake something potentially dangerous without a back up plan.
That being said though, a PFD will not keep you alive if you knock yourself out or get a foot entrapment.
As for abseiling and retrieving rope: That is pretty much the idea of abseiling: - that you complete yor repel, pull your rope and repeat the cycle in order to descend a face/bluff/crag/mountian etc.
I work in the adventure industry, am a mountaineer and climbing guide and I will tell you that rapelling and retriveing rope is one of the MOST basic skills in the business.

It isn't my aim to defend the reality or otherwise of the show - from my time teaching survival in the Pilbara in WA I would suggest that Bear's approach to covering distance durning the day, in the heat, is not how most folk in the business would go about it -i would suggest he is a skilled and physically fit guy (6 hours a day cardio and fitness training!) with a long history of adventure sports (SAS paratrooper and youngest briton to summit everest) and he does train for his scenarios with locals who have the knowledge and skills relevant to the area he is travelling in. He would also have a pretty good idea, by looking at a map etc and pre-planning his route, as to what he is getting into and where hi resources would be. This ensures he actually finds interesting things for the show. A crossing of the simpson desert for example, walking at night and sleeping during the day would make for pretty boring viewing for instance.
So:

Is the show about entertainment, sometimes at the expense of 'reality' and 'truth'? - Absolutely
Are some shots and stunts set up for the benefit of viewers (eg the eyeball cooking episode?) - Absolutely
Is Bear Grylls a very skilled, physically prepared hard **** - Absolutely.

So for the simple face he makes a ghood show and eats crap no one else ever would for our entertainment the verdict must surely be 'Legend'.
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knowing other names for a life suit .. (clever)

retrieving your rope when you just tied it to a tree (pretty difficult..)

being in love with bear grylls .. (priceless)
 
Sdajii said:
As I said, I barely watch television. If you enjoy being lied to, knock yourself out, enjoy the telly :) There's a reason it's called the idiot box :)
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you never watch TV becuase you are always on the internet - that is where the "real" truth is! :)

Its a great show and its for entertainment purposes, its as simple as that really, yes some things are staged and some arent. If people dont like it then switch the channel. I think the Mentalist is on that time of night, next thing you will say that show isnt real either?
 
matty77 said:
you never watch TV becuase you are always on the internet - that is where the "real" truth is! :)

Its a great show and its for entertainment purposes, its as simple as that really, yes some things are staged and some arent. If people dont like it then switch the channel. I think the Mentalist is on that time of night, next thing you will say that show isnt real either?
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lol :)
 
Sdajii said:
Actually, fiction is not a lie. The difference between fiction and lies is that one is claimed to be fact and the other is presented honestly as fiction.
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Dude, we must be watching different shows because the Man Vs wild show I watch makes a point that he does demonstrations to show how one may survive in specific circumstances. He generally gives reasoning why he thinks this.

I'm finding it highly amusing you believe the show attempts to portray him in real situations at all times. The show never makes that illusion; you do.

cheers,
 
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