Rumor Control: Les Stroud, Nor Bear Grylls is DEAD!!

There are internet rumors floating around that Les Stroud or Bear Grylls has died.  I only know this because I am getting an aweful lot of visitors who are visiting this site using those words in their search engines.  (Yes, I do know this).

To lay these rumors to rest, I can confirm with you that neither one has died, is dead, or has been involved in any sort of accident recently.  These rumors are baseless and the product of someone playing games with everyone else’s emotions.

One way to cure these rumors-that have went on for a couple of weeks now, is to simply type in their names and go to their blogs, which are updated on a regular basis.  I am sure they would love to hear that they have survived yet, another death defying feat…the internet rumor.  Sheesh!  If it were true, Discovery Channel and every other news organization would have some information on this.  Don’t trust the rumors.

Bear Grylls Man vs. Wild Expanded to Two Hours on Discovery Channel? The Controversy Continues…

The controversy surrounding Discovery Channel’s new poster boy Bear Grylls has seemed to have died down a bit recently.  As a matter of fact, when Bear recently announced that his Discovery Channel series Man vs. Wild was expanding to a two hour program rather than the usual one hour for the upcoming season, few people took notice.

I am sure that I will be getting some more entertaining comments pertaining to both Bear Grylls and Les Stroud, as it seems, everytime I mention one or the other it ignites a huge debate about who’s show is better..or who is the baddest survivalist of all..

With that in mind. I am not going to add my two cents here, but I will mention what Mr. Grylls has stated on his blog. 

The new shows will also now be two hours long, instead of one - partly because so many of the locations are so remote, but also so we can go into greater detail, and show the behind the scenes work, including the crew’s role.

One of my goals is to be clearer that this is not a programme about ‘textbook’ survival. It is more like extreme survival, showing what you can do in desperate situations. I always work within my own capabilities and training, but these capabilities might be different from other people’s. I don’t want people to copy what I do, but to watch, hopefully enjoy and in so doing learn something that might one day save their life.

Finally, Mr. Grylls has responded (after a couple of months) to what his feelings are on how the show is percieved.

Perhaps I am a bit fatalistic, but seriously, if we are stranded in an “Extreme Survival” situation, do you think we will have a crew there to chisel out some ice pockets to climb out of the ice we just fell through?  Probably not.

To me, this just shows you how the american television industry operates.  Here, you have Bear Grylls enveloped in controversy for misleading viewers as to what actually is taking place.  People take notice of Bear.  Discovery Channel notices people and POOF!…an extra hour of Man vs. Wild Programming is added to this years season.

My beef isn’t with Mr. Grylls.  It is with the misrepresentation of the programming being fed by Discovery Channel to the American public, and quite possibly the youth…Yes, they are adding a disclaimer to the program this year.  Yes, they conducted their own investigation into the issues surrounding Mr. Grylls Program..and YES, they have now added an extra hour of programming.

Tell me your thoughts people..

“Survivorman” Les Stroud on Bear Grylls: The Interview

Ok, so everyone is familiar with this ongoing debate by now.  It has been noted that aspects of Bear Grylls’ Man vs. Wild show on Discovery Channel has been staged.

Many people have been piping in with their thoughts on this issue.  It has erupted a debate among many viewers of Bear’s show, as well as “Survivorman” Les Stroud’s very successful Discovery Channel series as well.  Who is better?  Who is the real deal?

Well thankfully, Les Stroud has come to answer a few of these questions himself.  Today, being featured on the AOL news, Les Stroud has been interviewed not only about this ongoing controversy surrouding Bear’s show, but also a few questions about Les hosting the 20th Anniversary Edition of Shark Week being featured on Discovrey Channel.

This is definately an interesting read, and just may answer a few questions that fellow viewers might have been asking themselves.  Here is the link to the Les Stroud interview.  What do you think?