Bear Grylls, nothing more than the ewwww factor ?

appletree_man · **on:** October 18, 2008, 08:05:28 PM

I watch this show for nothing more than a laugh. I'm no survivalist but I know enough to realise if I did half of what this clown does I would be dead within the day.
So why is he popular ? Do people actually learn anything from him, is he a joke, or is it the horror film ewwww factor when he bites the head off a snake, eats a spider, drinks an elephant jobby, etc etc etc ?

jzmtl · **Reply #1 on:** October 18, 2008, 09:20:18 PM

Same reason people watch survivor, american idol etc., for entertainment.

Biru · **Reply #2 on:** October 18, 2008, 10:01:22 PM

My 12 year-old niece loves Grylls, even going so far as to purchase his autobiography as her Christmas present last year. I haven't seen many of his shows, but the recent shows I have seen seem almost more geek show than actual information. And to follow the carnival analogy further, Grylls seems as much P.T. Barnum as authentic survivalist. I personally find him insufferable (again, only my PERSONAL opinion), but when he recently had that off bit about his receiving help from his crew and locals, my niece thought him the victim of an actual character assassination, so go figure.

Benner · **Reply #3 on:** October 18, 2008, 10:47:23 PM

I watch it purely for the entertainment value. I just hope that there aren't loads of people out there thinking that is how they should do it if they were in that situation.

Sea Monster · **Reply #4 on:** October 18, 2008, 10:54:35 PM

I bet he ain't a patch on russel coight,

Freudian Frog · **Reply #5 on:** October 18, 2008, 10:55:09 PM

It's way more entertaining. And he focuses more on finding civilization and retaining water which is probably a better option for most people who don't practice bushcraft.

That's why he does all his episodes in tourist spots.

And I like watching him being a crazy git running around scaling slippery waterfalls and jumping down ravines with a knotted piece of rope to save himself...

EDIT: And I doubt half the things people claim about him. If you ever watch the show there's no way he spends many nights in hotels or any sort of that rubbish. He looks half dead most of the time from starvation and general exhaustion.

duckman1975 · **Reply #6 on:** October 19, 2008, 01:43:53 AM

Doesn't he have good credentials? Correct me if I'm wrong, but he is an ex special forces or something and he did climbed everest and many more.

Benner · **Reply #7 on:** October 19, 2008, 01:45:39 AM

Quote from: duckman1975 on October 19, 2008, 01:43:53 AM

Doesn't he have good credentials? Correct me if I'm wrong, but he is an ex special forces or something and he did climbed everest and many more.

Not sure TBH

. I think the guy knows his stuff, but to make his programme successful he has gone for the entertainment factor rather than the education route.

Freudian Frog · **Reply #8 on:** October 19, 2008, 01:47:55 AM

Three years with the British Special Air Service, youngest Brit to climb Mount Everest (and some other mountains too), and an extensive background in survival training.

EDIT: I think there was something about breaking his leg in Africa too.

I must say he's certainly certified, but I agree he's definitely picked the entertainment route. And education is worth nothing if it doesn't keep a person interested.

duckman1975 · **Reply #9 on:** October 19, 2008, 01:51:40 AM

Show bizz is really brutal, things a respectable guy have to do just to stay in the game poor grylls

but on the other hand the guy must be having the time of his life free travel and getting payed for it too

Guess the guy on dirty jobs have the short end of the stick

Freudian Frog · **Reply #10 on:** October 19, 2008, 01:55:03 AM

Quote from: duckman1975 on October 19, 2008, 01:51:40 AM

Show bizz is really brutal, things a respectable guy have to do just to stay in the game poor grylls but on the other hand the guy must be having the time of his life free travel and getting payed for it too
Guess the guy on dirty jobs have the short end of the stick

I'm just waiting for the day where there's a huge survival story and the guy tips his hat off to Bear Grylls. For teaching him to wrap a urine rag around his face and drink elephant poo.

duckman1975 · **Reply #11 on:** October 19, 2008, 01:59:52 AM

Elephant poo juice hmmmm.... do you think that would sell on my juice stand?

Biru · **Reply #12 on:** October 19, 2008, 02:49:58 AM

If I remember correctly what my niece has told me about him, he broke his back during a parachuting accident in Africa while training with the Special Air Service. His father, I believe, is an MP or something similar and the family owns an island off the western coast of Britain. Again, I could be incorrect there.

I think the main accusation against Grylls was that in an episode where he was in the southwestern US, he stayed a night in a local motel and was aided in some kind of horse round up by local Native Americans and that he failed to credit aid from survival experts in the various locales. I may be incorrect in that matter, but that's what I seem to recall. Mostly a tempest in a teapot. I believe his newer episodes contain a disclaimer or something like one. I don't think anyone ever actually questioned whether he was skilled enough to perform his endeavors.

Although I don't personally care for him, I'll give him his due. Even if he doesn't EVER seem to try to keep his boots dry. Hope I'll never have to pick maggots out of Gnu dung for breakfast...

DaveK · **Reply #13 on:** October 19, 2008, 02:55:37 AM

^^ Yeah the new programs do have a disclaimer at the beginning, where they say that "they may present him with situations" to make the program more interesting.

And yes, I think he was in the SAS for a while, so I probably wouldn't p**s him off

I like his program, it's entertaining.

Gareth · **Reply #14 on:** October 19, 2008, 03:22:31 AM

I'm fairly sure I remember reading that he was in the Territorial Army (our equivalent of the National Guard) and did the SAS training with them. IIRC it came up on another forum and the fact made more than one or two Regular Army chaps a bit cross.

If his show were pitched differently I might be more forgiving. If it just said, "here are some crazy and stupid things I am prepared to do" rather than "here's what you should do" I could live with it.

His advice seems designed to get you into more trouble than you started with. Too much of the early stuff was faked to leave him with any credibility in my eyes. If he can’t, or isn’t prepared to, do it himself why on Earth should I follow his lead?

That’s it rant over. I feel better now.

appletree_man · **Reply #15 on:** October 19, 2008, 03:23:34 AM

He never looks as if he's enjoying what he does

More of an annoying challenge to be overcome.
I'm also a bit disturbed by him knocking off animals in the show, and no i'm not anti-hunting by any means, but tonight he killed an alligator for dinner, and in the past, poisonous snakes, oh come on

jzmtl · **Reply #16 on:** October 19, 2008, 03:44:03 AM

I wonder if he has any say about the show or just follow the script. As for he doesn't enjoy it, I don't think anybody would when you have to eat maggot and drink poo.

Flash · **Reply #17 on:** October 19, 2008, 11:04:14 AM

REAL SAS are after him for giving them a bad name. He was TA and did a training secondment with Their attached TA branch. He is no more "Special Forces" than I am

As for climbing Everest...well if you count getting a helicopter to take you most of the way and then climbing the last 300m...well then I guess you can say that he has

I firmly believe that he lies by omission (he never mentions safety harnesses when doing his "suicidal" climbs and its only now he's been court out and the TV Ombudsman have upheld numerous complaints about him that his latest series has the disclaimer that he receives "Help")

This guy IMHO gives people like us a bad name...stick with the giants of survival like Ray Mears or Lofty Wiseman.

Rant over...have a nice day

,

Flash

Sea Monster · **Reply #18 on:** October 19, 2008, 11:16:16 AM

We have smileys for that now -

Flash · **Reply #19 on:** October 19, 2008, 11:18:38 AM

Thanks Nomad, must have missed that one

As Benner said...I just hope no novices believe his crap and end up doing something stupid...I honestly think this guy is a liability and could cause someone an injury (or worse...)

Sea Monster · **Reply #20 on:** October 19, 2008, 11:28:24 AM

I daresay he's no worse than any of the other crap available on television.

This is why I have strict Cartoons-Only policy.

Mike, Lord of the Spammers! · **Reply #21 on:** October 19, 2008, 11:41:01 AM

I'm with Nick, attempt any of the survival tips that Bear generously provides, and you'll die horribly in a great deal of pain

, the fact that the show is so popular really is worrying as i can see an awful lot of wanabies getting killed or injured (not an altogether bad Darwinist method

) atempring osme of the crap that he pull's beliving that there credable survival techniques

The whole survivalist theory is pretty poor anyway, all survival is, is the art of slowly starving to death

, at least there's a lot of Bonafide bushcrafting legends out there teaching the art of living rather than surviving in the woods

Maybe not as entertaining as the Bear's of this world (at least to the lay person) but give me Messers Mears, Hiddens, Wiseman or Kochansky any day

stressmaster5000 · **Reply #22 on:** October 19, 2008, 09:09:15 PM

I WAS thinking of parachuting down into Africa in search of some of Bear's famous elephant poo juice but since reading this thread maybe I should reconsider?

duckman1975 · **Reply #23 on:** October 20, 2008, 05:10:35 AM

Sorry to sound stupid who is Ray Mears or Lofty Wiseman? Do they have any shows on TV or youtube videos? thanks.
As for Bears, just like the darn guy because my son is really entertained by him. My son really makes a fuss when he eats, after seeing bear eats worms in an episode I got him to eat spaghetti no problems

Nightshade · **Reply #24 on:** October 20, 2008, 06:19:46 AM

John Wiseman : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lofty_Wiseman

duckman1975 · **Reply #25 on:** October 20, 2008, 07:13:54 AM

Sorry to sound stupid who is Ray Mears or Lofty Wiseman? Do they have any shows on TV or youtube videos? thanks.
As for Bears, just like the darn guy because my son is really entertained by him. My son really makes a fuss when he eats, after seeing bear eats worms in an episode I got him to eat spaghetti no problems

Benner · **Reply #26 on:** October 20, 2008, 05:17:55 PM

Quote from: duckman1975 on October 20, 2008, 07:13:54 AM

Sorry to sound stupid who is Ray Mears or Lofty Wiseman? Do they have any shows on TV or youtube videos? thanks.
As for Bears, just like the darn guy because my son is really entertained by him. My son really makes a fuss when he eats, after seeing bear eats worms in an episode I got him to eat spaghetti no problems

Ray Mears is THE survival guy.

Google him and you'll have hours and hours of stuff to look at.

appletree_man · **Reply #27 on:** October 20, 2008, 11:57:49 PM

Quote from: Benner on October 20, 2008, 05:17:55 PM

Quote from: duckman1975 on October 20, 2008, 07:13:54 AM
Sorry to sound stupid who is Ray Mears or Lofty Wiseman? Do they have any shows on TV or youtube videos? thanks.
As for Bears, just like the darn guy because my son is really entertained by him. My son really makes a fuss when he eats, after seeing bear eats worms in an episode I got him to eat spaghetti no problems

Ray Mears is THE survival guy.

Google him and you'll have hours and hours of stuff to look at.

Indeed. I'm certain there's a few vids on YouTube.
http://www.raymears.com

Les Hiddins is also a legend.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Les_Hiddins

duckman1975 · **Reply #28 on:** October 21, 2008, 01:12:45 AM

Thanks you

appletree_man · **Reply #29 on:** May 09, 2009, 09:27:34 PM

Just watching Teddy Edward's latest series, eating slugs and stuff.
Who's the bigger moron, him, or me for watching him ?

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Bear Grylls, nothing more than the ewwww factor ?

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