Man vs. Wild: Or is it One Wild Man?

Not many television hosts have broken their back in three places or summited the tallest mountain on earth. Bear Grylls, a British born survival expert, has not only accomplished these feats of human strength but even endured “mind-numbing temperatures of -76°F to pass the 29,500-foot-mark” in a paraglider, over the same peak he climbed years earlier, setting a new world record that was “almost 10,000 feet higher than the previous powered paraglide record”(Link). With his Bond-esque British accent Bear leads the charge in surviving nature’s unbridled wrath on the show Man vs. Wild. The show began its fifth season today, taking viewers to a new breathtaking location, in which Bear must adapt to his untamed surroundings or perish.

Man vs. Wild is a series following survival guide Bear Grylls as he is dropped from one remote location to another and made to endure his way back to civilization without any outside assistance. A typical episode entails Bear being placed into the wilderness where he usually surveys his surroundings and sets out towards his perception of where the nearest civilization is positioned. Along the way Bear usually hunts/forages for food and water while providing a few survival tips using objects he encounters along the way. Frequently obstacles bar Bear’s path and he is forced to decide whether it is riskier to go around said obstacles, or through them (He almost always chooses the latter). Oftentimes Bear will disgorge his knowledge of survival stories in the area he is currently traveling in during his ordeal, and after a few days reaches his exit extraction checkpoint.

The Discovery Channel is known for shows presenting stunning shots, both still and action, involving nature’s infinite beauty (Planet Earth, Life), and Man vs. Wild’s cinematography is no exception. The show allows Bear Grylls to travel to some of the most exotic locales on the planet in order to confirm their harsh, unforgiving environments. He is forced to cross volcanic wastelands, wade through snake infested swamps, and even spend the night in the African savannah in order to provide survival expertise to viewers. Bear also risks his life every episode taking part in heart pounding stunts that often revolve him jumping off of waterfalls, repelling down treacherous cliff bands, and swimming through turbulent rapids. These acts of isolation and bravery are what set Bear Grylls apart from other reality television hosts. Throughout the series Bear has also developed an affinity for showing what you can, if you absolutely had to, eat when trying to survive in the backcountry. Bear’s voracious appetite for fear factor style vittles, while trying to retain energy from sustenance, forces him to eat items such as moose heart, zebra, spiders, carcass maggots, and even fish. By fish, I don’t mean he cooks one over a fire; he literally pulls a fish out of the water and bites into its head severing its spine. If that’s not television that is too gross to look away from then I don’t know what is.

This outdoor reality series has however come under fire due to much controversy over if some of the clips are staged or not. Viewers, adamant about proving that Bear Grylls is a phony, have created numerous websites on the subject (Link). Some fanatics even travel to the exact spots that Bear went to film in order to recreate his scene portraying some flaw. A perfect example of this is when one viewer compares his own footage to a video of Bear, on location in Hawaii, vocalizing the dangers of lava bridges. While I must admit the show obviously has fabricated segments it also provides a lot of stunt double style action sequences that are definitely not staged. Sadly, they are completely the opposite of what a person should do if trying to get out of a rescue situation. No sane person, who was stranded in the middle of nowhere, would risk jumping off of waterfalls into murky waters or attempt to repel down a sketchy looking vine in order to survive. In fact, most people would probably just remain in one spot and search for food and water, while praying for a miracle.

Man vs. Wild is in interesting show because it allows viewers to live through an experience that many of them have never, and hopefully will never, have to live through. One can essentially explore what its like to survive in different climates on our planet. People tend to forget that the show’s sole purpose, albeit it does provide some educational advice, is pure entertainment value. Looking into theories regarding if the show is fake or not only brings one thought to my mind. Who cares? Regardless of these accusations Man vs. Wild is popular enough to warrant Bear Grylls’ position as host of another series in creation right now titled Worst Case Scenario, putting himself into life threatening urban situations such as earthquake survival, and car accidents. Even though there is some debate surrounding the authenticity of the show it is still entertaining, full of exciting stunts, and filmed in awe-inspiring locations; all of which make the show worth watching.