Survivor:The CBS TV show.

[hoosierarcher]

I saw the"Sticky" post about Survivrman v Man VS Wild and thought I'd like to discuss CBS's Survivor.
I haven't watched this from the very beginning of the series but watched the last three seasons. It blows my mind that these people know months ahead of time that they are going and where they are going and almost all of them do absolutely nothing to get ready for living in harsh conditions. If it weren't for the fact that the usually include at least one country boy or ex military guy per tribe they'd be hopeless. Even after they win a challenge that gets them fishing gear they barely catch fish, let alone how they do without it. This season they actually provided beans and rice. In past seasons it has been rice only. Only one Survivor member to date has made fire before getting the Air Force Donne magnesium and ferro rod firestarter. She employed another tribe members glasses. Speaking of the magnesium and ferro rod starters, everytine I watch someone use it they are beating the heck out of it trying to use brute force to make the sparks jump out and ignite their tinder. Hour upon hour of luckless attempts it's infuriating to watch.
Oh speaking of the beans provided this season, NO ONE knew how to cook them from a dry state. Last Season the eldest player won the million PLUS the TV audience vote 100K and he was the guy that was most able to survive in the wild. He rebuilt their shelter, and made benches from scratch. He made traps for both land animals and fish. And you know what CBS did, failed to show him use them for fear of upsetting animal rights activists. The one animal they showed them eat was a turtle one of his traps had caught.
My last problem with the show is that from day one now the tribe members are looking for ways to blind side other tribe members. They spend no time at all trying to build a team that can win challenges and there by avoid tribal councils. In short there is no real sense of tribe, just petty bickering and conflicts of personality.
I'd like to see a show along similar lines where if you actually did something to better help the tribe survive you were immune from removal. If you are one of the ones that just lays around in camp you're gone. I'd also like to see this show done where one team has be to Hood"s Woods type of classes and the other is just "off the street." And the tribe that took the classes took them together before the show started and have already done team building exercises and have had to work together to get tasks done. In other words give one tribe a dramatic head start. What opinions to you folks have about the show?

[crashdive123]

All of the examples that you list are either why people will or won't watch the show. To most of us, a how to or documentary type program would be interesting to watch. Sadly though, to most viewers they would rather watch the "beautiful people" and the drama that is generated by the lack of experience and all of the internal fighting. While it is a poor example of how to truely survive in the wildernes IMO, it probably is a better example of how to survive against (not with) your fellow man. Remember the premise of the show is to be the last one standing, so while the title infers survival, the goal of the show demands elimination of your team mates. Besides, drama creates ratings.

[Rick]

I can honestly say I've never watched any of them. I watched part of a couple very early on and found it pretty bad TV. As Crash said, it's more survival of the individual and even as "entertainment" I find it lacking.

[SARKY]

After the first season I actually sent in a tape to be on the show. Nope they didn't pick me. Half the idiots they have on the show I would have used for bait the other half.... well I do have a recipe for long pig. Now that's survivor

[Rick]

And they didn't pick you? I'm sure cannibalizing the other contestants would have sent the ratings through the roof.

[endurance]

I admit that I got into the first two or three seasons, but after that the script for these shows becomes obvious: they pick a dozen of the most attractive people they can find, add in a couple skilled folks (one time there was an airforce or navy pilot, but they voted him out as quick as they could because he was a threat). Once there's any group cohesion, split them apart or pit them against one another. Make sure it's in a hot climate so the women are always in bikinis and the men are always shirtless. If they filmed in Alaska the ratings would be miserable.

It's more a show about group dynamics than survival. It is cool when one of the good ol' boys/girls actually gets the respect he/she deserves, but it doesn't happen very often.

Discovery did a series called The Alaska Experiment last year that was far from perfect, but was none the less interesting. Four groups of total city slickers dropped off at remote cabins in the Alaska wilderness forced to fend for themselves for three months in the fall (I think it was September-ish thru December-ish). They were given carbs like rice & potatoes, but no proteins or fats. They had to put up their own firewood, catch their own fish, and some groups were given 1-2 days with a big game guide to secure meat, but then they had to can or smoke their own food. Again, group dynamics played a larger role than real survival for the most part, but it wasn't set up that way as much (although one family was particularly dysfunctional early on, but did improve).

There was one real adventure during the filming that probably scared the $#!* out of the producers and camera crew. A group of three decided to hike to their neighbors cabin, just 40 miles away. They packed for eight days, four days there, four days back. Ha! You're not going to do 10 miles a day in Alaska. In the end they were so dehydrated they were suffering from auditory halucinations, hypothermia, and I'm sure the crew had to intervene, but it wasn't shown. It also had some good scenes of one couple slowly losing their minds to cabin fever, but fortunately, their visitors from the other cabin saved them from what could have been pretty tragic.

In all cases, Les Stroud is still the king of survivor television, IMHO.

[Beans]

It blows my mind that these people know months ahead of time that they are going and where they are going and almost all of them do absolutely nothing to get ready for living in harsh conditions.

A timely post. My wife and I was watching the show last night and the comment came up " why didn't someone take some classes Etc to learn to at least build a fire? They showed some scenes not shown before and one member was "trying" to start a fire with a bow set up. Sad attemp.

[hoosierarcher]

After thinking about it more referring to the way people are on each other and looking to blind side each other from thr get go, it dawned on me that the producers in the fieldprobably have a lot to do with it. They probably put bugs in peoples' ears. I have to agree with those that say they pick some of the most attractive people they can find with one or two token older folks.
I remembered that the one time they had someone, a woman from Alaska or The Yukon and was a lumberjane. She got the shelter going and went out and found all kinds of food for the group was they most physically intimidating women ever on the show and was voted out first JUST because she was so strong. Survivor is really the wrong name it would be more accurate to call it something like "The Lord of The Flies revisted"

[Ole WV Coot]

Got to agree with Remy this time. Interesting to watch the "do onto others before they can do it to you".

[SARKY]

A timely post. My wife and I was watching the show last night and the comment came up " why didn't someone take some classes Etc to learn to at least build a fire? They showed some scenes not shown before and one member was "trying" to start a fire with a bow set up. Sad attemp.

It is sadder than you know, there was one season where it was down to the last 4, the 2 guys refused to pick the person to vote off as they both had immunity so the 2 girls had to compete to see who would be in the final 3. It was a fire building contest, they had to build a fire the burned thru a rope and released their flag......several hours later they finally gave them matches and it still took one of the almost an hour to get a fire going.
The Alaska experiment was very good. and certainly more realistic.

[wildography]

I admit that I got into the first two or three seasons, but after that the script for these shows becomes obvious: they pick a dozen of the most attractive people they can find, add in a couple skilled folks (one time there was an airforce or navy pilot, but they voted him out as quick as they could because he was a threat). Once there's any group cohesion, split them apart or pit them against one another. Make sure it's in a hot climate so the women are always in bikinis and the men are always shirtless. If they filmed in Alaska the ratings would be miserable.

It's more a show about group dynamics than survival. It is cool when one of the good ol' boys/girls actually gets the respect he/she deserves, but it doesn't happen very often.

Excellent post... the CBS tv show 'SURVIVOR' isn't a show about who can "survive" in the outdoors... its a show about how to try and back-stab, alienate, conive, scheme, use false friendships, and use people to further your own agenda... while - at the same time - shedding a few tears, some laughs, some "emotional" moments, and some drama... in the hopes that you get laid, get a movie deal, or make some money... or, hopefully all three.

Though, I must admit... I DID like the bikinis!

[endurance]

Remy, obviously beauty is a matter of perception, but my perception is that these are far more good looking people than I see every day on the street, even when they've gone 30-odd days without a shower. While there's some exceptions, most look exceptionally good in a buff top or shirtless.

Sex sells. CBS knows it. There's nothing wrong with that, but they do everything they can to enhance the drama. They're filming 24/7 and they show 72 hours of film condensed down to 41 minutes of TV every week. Who knows what real life is like on the set, but with the exception of a few shows (Australia seemed like a really good group), it's almost always filled with conflict, deception, games and manipulation. But it's for a million bucks, so what else would one expect?

[klkak]

The show sucks!

[hoosierarcher]

klkak Come on dude tell us how you really feel.Don't hold back.

[crashdive123]

:censored::censored:Don't sugar coat it, tell us how you feel.:censored::censored:

[laughing beetle]

Glad you are back on-line Klkak. And yes, that show sucks.

[hoosierarcher]

Oh and on thinking about some of the folks on this season is seems being an a**hole is a bonus for inclusion on the show for at least a few men or women.
I don't remember the name of the show but there was a program on one of the UK channels where two men were given fishing equipment and sent into the bush. They had to live off the land for days and catch fish too. The one that caught the most fish or most pounds of fish would get gear to help them maintain comfort. On the first day they could win a tent. The second day some extra bait and some snacks and the final day the winner got a 8 course meal served by a waiter with wine and liquer. They great thing about it was the participants were all fisherman but had differing amounts of bushcraft knowledge. I only caught 2 episodes on BBC America I believe it was; but it was quite good IMHO.

[klkak]

klkak Come on dude tell us how you really feel.Don't hold back.


Don't sugar coat it, tell us how you feel.

The boss said we had to keep our comments "PG13".

[SARKY]

And they didn't pick you? I'm sure cannibalizing the other contestants would have sent the ratings through the roof.

for my video, I had the wife tied to a spit over a fire with my pet rats on my shoulder. Well the wife wasn't actually over the fire, we used a long lens to compress the distance and make it look like the fire was right under her.

[Rick]

Now that there is funny, I don't care who you are!

[RBB]

I saw the"Sticky" post about Survivrman v Man VS Wild and thought I'd like to discuss CBS's Survivor.
I haven't watched this from the very beginning of the series but watched the last three seasons. It blows my mind that these people know months ahead of time that they are going and where they are going and almost all of them do absolutely nothing to get ready for living in harsh conditions. If it weren't for the fact that the usually include at least one country boy or ex military guy per tribe they'd be hopeless. Even after they win a challenge that gets them fishing gear they barely catch fish, let alone how they do without it. This season they actually provided beans and rice. In past seasons it has been rice only. Only one Survivor member to date has made fire before getting the Air Force Donne magnesium and ferro rod firestarter. She employed another tribe members glasses. Speaking of the magnesium and ferro rod starters, everytine I watch someone use it they are beating the heck out of it trying to use brute force to make the sparks jump out and ignite their tinder. Hour upon hour of luckless attempts it's infuriating to watch.
Oh speaking of the beans provided this season, NO ONE knew how to cook them from a dry state. Last Season the eldest player won the million PLUS the TV audience vote 100K and he was the guy that was most able to survive in the wild. He rebuilt their shelter, and made benches from scratch. He made traps for both land animals and fish. And you know what CBS did, failed to show him use them for fear of upsetting animal rights activists. The one animal they showed them eat was a turtle one of his traps had caught.
My last problem with the show is that from day one now the tribe members are looking for ways to blind side other tribe members. They spend no time at all trying to build a team that can win challenges and there by avoid tribal councils. In short there is no real sense of tribe, just petty bickering and conflicts of personality.
I'd like to see a show along similar lines where if you actually did something to better help the tribe survive you were immune from removal. If you are one of the ones that just lays around in camp you're gone. I'd also like to see this show done where one team has be to Hood"s Woods type of classes and the other is just "off the street." And the tribe that took the classes took them together before the show started and have already done team building exercises and have had to work together to get tasks done. In other words give one tribe a dramatic head start. What opinions to you folks have about the show?

For some reason, my wife really likes this show. Personally, I think it should be named "How Not To Survive." As you say, the petty back biting and blind-siding are counter=productive to the "tribes" survival.

[RBB]

Discovery did a series called The Alaska Experiment last year that was far from perfect, but was none the less interesting. Four groups of total city slickers dropped off at remote cabins in the Alaska wilderness forced to fend for themselves for three months in the fall (I think it was September-ish thru December-ish). They were given carbs like rice & potatoes, but no proteins or fats. They had to put up their own firewood, catch their own fish, and some groups were given 1-2 days with a big game guide to secure meat, but then they had to can or smoke their own food. Again, group dynamics played a larger role than real survival for the most part, but it wasn't set up that way as much (although one family was particularly dysfunctional early on, but did improve).

There was one real adventure during the filming that probably scared the $#!* out of the producers and camera crew. A group of three decided to hike to their neighbors cabin, just 40 miles away. They packed for eight days, four days there, four days back. Ha! You're not going to do 10 miles a day in Alaska. In the end they were so dehydrated they were suffering from auditory halucinations, hypothermia, and I'm sure the crew had to intervene, but it wasn't shown. It also had some good scenes of one couple slowly losing their minds to cabin fever, but fortunately, their visitors from the other cabin saved them from what could have been pretty tragic.

IMHO.

I was on another forum and got to talking with the father from the "dysfunctional" family quite a bit. He said you've got to understand that they have the camera on you all the time and of course they picked out the very worst footage of conflict between him and his daughters. He said, for the most part, they got on together very well and really did better, or as well as, the other groups.

I remember thinking, when the group from California decided to walk to the cabin 40 miles away, "This is not going to turn out well."

Without a trail, I wouldn't care to walk 40 miles in Minnesota in the winter - and we don't have near the up and down depicted in the show.