Bear Grylls completes NW Passage in Rib

[GJ0KYZ]

Let's see Michael Palin or David Attenborough get their sphincters around this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZNwmp...ure=grec_index

Pure Bear man, pure Bear.

[Pikey Dave]

Originally Posted by GJ0KYZ

Let's see Michael Palin or David Attenborough get their sphincters around this:

Pure Bear man, pure Bear.

& pray what's clever about falling off a bike? Feck me even I can do that, I'd have been more impressed if he'd stayed on

[kerny]

Originally Posted by Pikey Dave

& pray what's clever about falling off a bike? Feck me even I can do that, I'd have been more impressed if he'd stayed on

I'll 2nd that

[GJ0KYZ]

The point is, that's Bear doing what he does best: entertaining, adventure activities which in this case was funny as well.

[Poly]

Originally Posted by Pikey Dave

I think the main problem with these overdramatised programs, is that the basic subject matter is BORING to the casual observer & to stretch what should be a 10 minute short into an hour long docudrama, it has to be dressed up.

Nah - the problem is the viewing public are pretty thick. They actually like spoonfed telly and watch this stuff. People watch so they make more. Its like the daily mail - most people seem to agree its sh1te but millions still spend money on it every week

[Chris]

Originally Posted by Pikey Dave

Take diving for instance (which I've done a bit of) It's basically 3 hours of tedium followed by 1/2 hour of sphincter clenching followed by 3 hours of boredom, try making an hour program out of that

Sooo, what you are saying is that to make it interesting for broadcast TV you would need to "dress it up" a bit. Add a bit of drama perhaps.

Nice point well made


Granted David Attenborough and the like make superb television but I doubt that many people whos favourite show is some Japenese Kamakaze load of dog shite are going to watch it.

Lets be honest if you want to compete with all the other dirge on TV that kids get exposed to you have to make it a bit special and dangerous (or appear to).

[willk]

Originally Posted by kerny

Flippin eck Pikey Dave , fractious , affable , sphincter I'll have to get the blinking dictionary out mate l.o.l.

He reminds me of someone....

Dunno who, but I like his style

[Chris]

Originally Posted by GJ0KYZ

The point is, that's Bear doing what he does best: entertaining, adventure activities which in this case was funny as well.

I am confused thats not Bear Grylls on the bike, what relevance does it have?

[kerny]

Originally Posted by Chris

I am confused thats not Bear Grylls on the bike, what relevance does it have?

Its Bears camera man on his day off

[deeyup]

Loving image number 68 on their web site.
Looks like a wakeboard tied to the deck.

Now doing the entire journey on a wakeboard, there's a challenge

[John Kennett]

Originally Posted by Chris

I am confused thats not Bear Grylls on the bike, what relevance does it have?

What?! More fakery?!

I haven't met Bear Grylls, but by all accounts he's a nice enough bloke in person. In my worthless opinion he has rather overdone the weasly worded self aggrandisement though, which just leaves a bad taste. Especially when his web site talks about "honesty and humility"!

Youngest Brit to climb Everest?
It appears that he never was actually. James Allen was younger and climbed Everest before Grylls. He was born in the UK but has dual UK/Australian nationality. The Grylls machine reckons that makes him Australian - go figure. Even if you discount Allen, and I don't see why you would, then Grylls would only have been the youngest for a short time as the younger Michael Matthews reached the summit a few months after. He died on the way down, so to steal his glory for personal gain seems particularly low to me. I notice that the claim on Bear Grylls' web site has now been downgraded to "entered The Guinness Book of Records as the youngest" . . .

Three years serving in the SAS?
It's not a lie, exactly, but it's definitely more weasling isn't it? Three years part time in the TA, eighteen months of which he was out of action because of a skydiving accident. It's hardly a credible special forces CV.

I think it's a shame really as, to me, it undermines what are actually some seriously impressive achievements. Climbing Everest, whatever age, and with whatever level of support, is a major feat. It takes a level of commitment that most people aren't interested in making. Likewise, from what I hear, serving with 21 SAS is definitely in a different league to your average weekend warrior.

But hey, it's only showbiz and he's earning pots of cash from it all!

If anyone thinks Bear Grylls gets a hard time here, you should have a look around and see the flak he gets elsewhere. The Man vs. Truth article on Something Awful is my favourite though.

[Turbodiesel]

Well, i have met him quite a few times, and been out with him testing a few boast for the expedition, i have to say he is a great guy, very normal family man, but he is a nutter, balls of steal!
And yes he might not have been 22sas, but either way he has done some pretty amazing things.

Top man i say.

[martini]

Originally Posted by John Kennett

What?! More fakery?!

Same with the trans-atlantic thing, Alan Priddy got winched on to the deck of an ice-breaker and carried a few miles after getting boxed in by ice. Therefore Alan didn't cross the north atlantic in a rib at all, therefore Bear was the first person to cross obviously

Can't remember the reason for that bearded Irish bloke not counting in all this

[willk]

Originally Posted by martini

Can't remember the reason for that bearded Irish bloke not counting in all this

Possibly because he Sailed, was Bearded and Irish? (three strikes and you're out!)

And seemed so completely deranged that everyone just ignored his accomplishment (which owed more to Thor Heyerdahl than ribbing).

FYI, he hasn't gone away, you know CLICKY

and he did it in a Humber, which I think Humber owners should Big up a bit...

[spartacus]

Hats off to Bear and the rest of the crew for completing this expedition.

However, dig a little deeper, and I've come to the conclusion that this was nothing more than a high-profile corporate stunt. It lacks any of the ecological or scientific credentials you'd expect if they were indeed 'highlighting global warming', however well-intentioned, as I know there's a charity benefiting too.

The company behind it 'Future Capital Partners' is a relatively small London-based investment vehicle specialising in investment opportunities for private clients, corporates and institutional investors across a number of asset classes including media, real estate, transport, renewable energy and life sciences.

They are looking for private and corporate investors to help fund an ethanol plant in the UK. Cut through the PR and you'll see this is nothing more than an investment opportunity with all the hallmarks of Wall Street's Gordon Gekko 'greed is good' attitude to business.

In my opinion, these sorts of ventures should be substantially government funded, so that any profits are reinvested in new technologies to help reduce CO2 and, and not simply paid as dividends to select group of wealthy individuals and corporate institutions.

Rant over.

[BogMonster]

Originally Posted by Pikey Dave

Take diving for instance (which I've done a bit of) It's basically 3 hours of tedium followed by 1/2 hour of sphincter clenching followed by 3 hours of boredom, try making an hour program out of that

There's only one reason I watch diving programs and that's to see the bird with the big fin and the amazing lungs squeezed into the silver wetsuit, Tanya wotsername

[willk]

Originally Posted by BogMonster

and the amazing lungs squeezed into the silver wetsuit

Cracking pair o' lungs, IMHO

[HUMBER P4VWL]

Originally Posted by willk

Possibly because he Sailed, was Bearded and Irish? (three strikes and you're out!)

And seemed so completely deranged that everyone just ignored his accomplishment (which owed more to Thor Heyerdahl than ribbing).

FYI, he hasn't gone away, you know CLICKY

and he did it in a Humber, which I think Humber owners should Big up a bit...

What? How? When? Where? Someone say Humber?

[jefflee2k]

John,

Sounds like we need a new forum catagory: "Tabloid Gossip & Celebrity Enfatuation"

My 2 cents. I can take or leave the guy. He has found a market and seems to be doing well with it. If you find that sort of thing entertaining, take it with a grain of salt and enjoy. If not, turn the channel. What I find most interesting about this whole discussian, is the passion with which some people seem to condemn the man. These same people appear to have spent a good deal of time looking through BG's exploits, whether on his show, website, or press clippings. Seriously, if that type of entertainment is not your cup of tea, I get it, but what provokes so much fervor and hostility?

How do you move a thread anyway? Does John have to do that? This really should be in "Other Stuff"

[willk]

Originally Posted by HUMBER P4VWL

Someone say Humber?

Yes, and when I said Humber owners should big up a bit, I wasn't being personal, I was thinking more of this so there it is in their promotional material, but the Humber Apparatchiks never mention it...