4.15.2007

Still not the political post I've been promising

Just to be oppositional, I'd like to weigh in by saying that I'm not impressed with Man vs. Wild. I think it's lame, and here's why: he has a camera crew with him! Yes, he squeezes water from elephant dung and wears urine-soaked pants and starts fire with the friction from his own bones rubbing together, but we all know that when things get really tough, the camera guy gives him a Snickers. Please.

The person who's really cool is Dick Proenneke of Alone in the Wilderness. He had no camera crew. He hauled himself into Alaska to live for a year, built his own house from scratch with nothing but hand tools, and stayed there for 30-something years, only leaving in his late 80's. Dick Proenneke could kick the ass of Man vs. Wild any day of the week.

Other ideas for shows:

  • Biffle has done lots of camping over the years with his friend Ken Warren, who was an Eagle Scout and apparently is as handy in the wilderness as Biffle is around the house. Ken is as sweet as can be, but not very entertaining, so a good show would be Ken Warren and Biffle vs. Wild. Biffle would be the Gleep-like comic relief.
  • Or my dad could star in a show. He doesn't really like to leave his blue recliner, so his show would be Piepmeier vs. Hampton Inn.

6 comments:

Ian McCullough said...

MADAM! I believe the delightful blue monkey which Biffle resembles is GLEEK not some abomination named "Gleep". This is a culturally insensitive comment to Geek-Americans such as myself.

Anonymous said...

and wouldn't it be cooler if he had a gps system attached to him and then we could see all the wrong turns he is making? he did eat a lot of worms in the last one I saw....

Alison Piepmeier said...

Bookninja, you are so right--the blue monkey is Gleek, although I do feel that, even correctly named, he is an abomination.

The Dad said...

Yea Alison

So, Piepmeier vs Hampton Inn... huh... funny...(well, they do have a free breakfast...).

As I have stated, I have probably "camped out" more than most people. After a year in the jungles of southeast asia as a guest of the US government, I have "camped" all I want to for now.

Remember the saying, "My idea of roughing it is a black and white TV"

Yea
The Dad

Unknown said...

Well, I'm going to have to strongly disagree with you. Man vs. Wild is quite possibly the best "wild" show ever! Look at it this way, Bear has to not only take care of himself in the wilderness, he also has to take care of his camera guy.

Plus, the show was made so that Bear could teach people what to do if they are lost in some of these tourist locations, not so that he could prove to you that he’s superhuman.

He wrote book about his trek to the top of Everest. In the book, he talks about loosing four of his close friends during the climb. It is from this experience that Bear decided he wanted to help others survive in wilderness areas. So, he made the show. Again, he did not make it to impress people.

Did you know he’s an inspirational speaker and travels around the world speaking to teenagers?

Oh, and Bear is one fine piece of eye candy which makes the show worth watching even if you don’t like what he’s doing on it!

Alison Piepmeier said...

Femme fortis: Bear is certainly a fine piece of eye candy. I'll give you that.

And dad, I think "Piepmeier vs. Hampton Inn" sort of captures the spirit of "roughing it is a black and white tv."