Survivorman...Bigfoot?!?

Cafe Society
1

I really enjoyed the old episodes of Survivorman, and always had a lot of respect for what Les Stroud did, going out into wilderness survival situations totally alone, doing all of his own camera work, and demonstrating real survival techniques. Unlike that other guy, Fakey McFakerson, who not only faked his survival scenarios, but did unnecessary, dangerous stunts like rappelling down a waterfall cliff, while secretly staying in hotels overnight.

So when I first saw the promo for new Survivorman episodes I was excited, for about a second, until I saw the word “Bigfoot” in the title. Now, I wasn’t entirely surprised, and I don’t think he’s doing it just for a cash grab, because I heard an interview with him somewhere in which he spoke about a Survivorman episode in Alaska where he heard something crashing around, along with some kind of ape-like vocalizations that he believes couldn’t have been made by any known animals in the area.

So he seems to genuinely believe some type of crypto-humanoid thing is out there, and I thought I’d keep an open mind and give his new show a try. I could only get through about 10 minutes of it the other day. Les was pointing at fallen (knocked over!) trees as evidence of possible sasquatch activity, or stripped tree trunks stuck upside-down in the ground as possible markers put up by them. “if a human puts a pole in the ground, he cleans it up, makes it look perfectly nice and round, not rough and crude like this” (rough paraphrasing from memory).

It kind of feels like hearing a friend or relative you always liked and had a lot of respect for suddenly start talking about how the CIA is using his microwave oven to secretly send mind-control signals into his brain. I dunno, maybe I’m being too hard on ol’ Les. We all have our own weird beliefs and idiosyncrasies, right?

2

I’ve been watching these eps. As above, I’ve really enjoyed and respected Stroud’s work on the original Survivorman series; no bullshit and I learned a lot about useful techniques when you’re out in the yonder there.

I can see where these “Bigfoot” eps are a little disappointing. There isn’t nearly enough useful information in there, and it’s pretty clear that nothing definitively proving the critter’s existence was found. (We would have heard much more to that effect long before air time if the opposite were true.)

That said, I think for the most part Les has done a good job of presenting a skeptical view to the audience. He doesn’t just accept all the things he sees as evidence of Bigfoot (unlike the other guy who’s been hanging around with him in these eps). He will present the ideas of the believers without immediate judgement (like the upside-down planted tree trunks mentioned above); that’s actually a perfectly legitimate open-minded approach to the topic–not completely gullible, but not reflexively dismissive either. The series seems to be a decent example of how people should approach such topics: with a clear-minded but skeptical, evidenced-based eye and thought pattern. If everyone approached all the weirdo stuff out there with an eye as jaundiced as Stroud brought to these episodes, a lot less time would be wasted on nonsense.

Besides, even if it is bullshit, it doesn’t mean it can’t be entertaining bullshit. As long as you don’t take it too seriously, I think it’s OK to indulge. (And I will admit, that video of the [alleged] Bigfoot looking at the camera and blinking did give me a bit of the wiggins.)

3

I was saddened to see the “Bigfoot” tag-line on “Survivorman”

Les Stroud put together the best survivalist show on TV (IMO ever). I loved the fact that he went out by himself. Had no crew, did everything by himself, and made it out (usually) in a week without any help from anyone.

He did have communication equipment to contact a rescue crew if needed, but I remember him only using it once… He also cut a couple of situations short, when the situation became too dangerous.

That guy was amazing.

However, sadly, he is now trying to appeal to the lowest common denominator. BIGFOOT! The fact that there is at least one show out there that has run for years, with some fat guy saying “shhh! I think it’s a SQUATCH!” in every promo and every episode would indicate that people not only watch the show, but it gets decent ratings.

I won’t watch Stroud’s show any longer, unless I hear he is attacted by BIGFOOT AND he captures it on camera.

Since I don’t think that’s going to happen, my days of watching Survivorman are over.

Sad, but Les is going for the money. Can’t say I blame him, but of all the survivalist shows out there (including Survivor, those two guys on Dual Survival, with the one guy walking around with no shoes on no matter what arguing like an old married couple, that douche Bear Grillis, and all the rest), his was the only one that struck me as authentic. You could actually learn something from him, and he didn’t have anyone to rely on when the going got tough.

All other shows are scripted, with camera crews and sound guys, and miles of cables for lighting and such… Not the same thing as being in the Amazon by yourself for a week, trying to build a lean-to out of leaves in a driving rainstorm, while mosquitoes eat you alive.

You sold out, Les. RIP, Survivorman. :frowning:

4

I saw this advertised while staying at a relatives and watching their cable.

Just sad.

As already stated, the original Survivorman was good, mostly intelligent tv that didn’t rely on forced, made-up drama.

But who knows, despite the ridiculous subject matter, perhaps it will be fun to watch.

5

There are only so many showbiz hosts who I have respect for as people, and Les Stroud used to be one of them.

I despise the dearth of reality shows, not the least of which is because 99.9% of them are the furthest thing from ‘reality’ as possible. They all merely consists of amateur actors, not ‘real’ ordinary people, but simply those who don’t belong to any acting union yet. They’re all TV pretty and have gone thru a rigorous audition process just like the pros. Plus they’re directed, scripted, shot etc. no different then anything else.

*Survivorman *was something special. No crew, no cameramen, no script, a true reality show. And Stroud was the real deal. He ate bugs, slept on the ground, and made it very clear how totally removed from nature modern humans had become and how quickly everyone would simply die if stuck back out in it. I gained even more respect for him when I read how he quit doing the show for a couple years simply because of the mental toll the stress & isolation from his family was taking on him.

And now, ah, Bigfoot?! Really Les? I consider *The Soup *to be TV’s voice of reason and they are appropriately merciless when criticizing the series Finding Bigfoot, a show so fundamentally stupid as to be barely worthy of their mockery. Having Les Stroud stoop to this is like Howard Stern praising Arsenio, or David Letterman hawking Cool Ranch Doritos, or a Beatles song selling sneakers. A little part of me just died inside… :frowning: