Spring Break
When push comes to shove, Discovery's 'Survivorman' trounces 'Man vs. Wild'
Caity Cudworth
Issue date: 2/5/09 Section: Entertainment
02/05/09 - It seems that the age of bold adventurers may, sadly, be coming to an end: seeking your fortune in the vast, uncharted wilderness is a thing of the past ... probably, because there is no more vast, uncharted wilderness.
But since the economy's going down faster than a fat kid on roller-skates, it might be time to ditch your dreams of a respectable 9-5 and start honing your adventure/survival skills.
Gold-hunting, pillaging, and plundering are, as ever, good bets for getting paid (just ask all those Somali pirates, they make bank: $150 million in 2007 alone - and that was just ransom money). So, being able to camp out, climb large rocks, and survive in hostile, unforgiving circumstances could come in handy.
Thankfully, shows like "Man vs. Wild" and "Survivorman" offer practical tips on outward-bound-related matters of life and death. So, if you need to brush up on the finer points of eating weird stuff, scaling icy cliffs, or hanging out in murky swamps, better put down your books and flip on the Discovery Channel.
You never know when you might be marooned in Costa Rica with only a pair of goggles, three ballpoint pens and an elaborate hunting knife. If that day comes, all those hours spent watching television on your couch will finally, finally pay off.
But the question begs - which show is better: "Man vs. Wild," or the slightly more rugged "Survivorman?" Which TV show will, with careful study, better instruct you in the time-honored art of "not dying?"
The debate rages on. Bear Grylls of "Man vs. Wild" is a former British Special Forces officer and professional outdoorsman. Les Stroud of "Survivorman" is billed as a "Canadian musician, film maker and survival expert." Grylls' resume is slightly more impressive, if only because he's climbed Mt. Everest and once ate a three-course meal while suspended from a hot air balloon.
Still, the charge has been leveled that Bear Grylls stays in hotels during shooting. And that does detract from his credibility. The show is called "Man vs. Wild" not "Man vs. Housekeeping."
But since the economy's going down faster than a fat kid on roller-skates, it might be time to ditch your dreams of a respectable 9-5 and start honing your adventure/survival skills.
Gold-hunting, pillaging, and plundering are, as ever, good bets for getting paid (just ask all those Somali pirates, they make bank: $150 million in 2007 alone - and that was just ransom money). So, being able to camp out, climb large rocks, and survive in hostile, unforgiving circumstances could come in handy.
Thankfully, shows like "Man vs. Wild" and "Survivorman" offer practical tips on outward-bound-related matters of life and death. So, if you need to brush up on the finer points of eating weird stuff, scaling icy cliffs, or hanging out in murky swamps, better put down your books and flip on the Discovery Channel.
You never know when you might be marooned in Costa Rica with only a pair of goggles, three ballpoint pens and an elaborate hunting knife. If that day comes, all those hours spent watching television on your couch will finally, finally pay off.
But the question begs - which show is better: "Man vs. Wild," or the slightly more rugged "Survivorman?" Which TV show will, with careful study, better instruct you in the time-honored art of "not dying?"
The debate rages on. Bear Grylls of "Man vs. Wild" is a former British Special Forces officer and professional outdoorsman. Les Stroud of "Survivorman" is billed as a "Canadian musician, film maker and survival expert." Grylls' resume is slightly more impressive, if only because he's climbed Mt. Everest and once ate a three-course meal while suspended from a hot air balloon.
Still, the charge has been leveled that Bear Grylls stays in hotels during shooting. And that does detract from his credibility. The show is called "Man vs. Wild" not "Man vs. Housekeeping."
