Bear Grylls - love him or loathe him?

[slowmotion]

[QUOTE 5021752, member: 45"]He's ok.

His book about being the youngest (at the time) person to climb Everest is very good.[/QUOTE]
Ahem.....he wasn't the youngest person at the time to have done so.

 

[Tim Hall]

Ahem.....he wasn't the youngest person at the time to have done so.

Can you add to that tantalising statement?

 

[classic33]

[QUOTE 5021914, member: 45"]Sorry, youngest Briton.[/QUOTE]
Doubt on that part as well.

 

[slowmotion]

Can you add to that tantalising statement?

Sure. How about Bertrand Roche (17) in 1990, or James Allen (22) in 1995?

 

[slowmotion]

[QUOTE 5021925, member: 259"]He was the youngest person to climb Everest with his own minibar?[/QUOTE]
From this hotel?

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1558242/Bear-Grylls-faked-Channel-4s-Born-Survivor.html

 

[Tim Hall]

Sure. How about Bertrand Roche (17) in 1990, or James Allen (22) in 1995?

Ta. Although I see ,after a spot of furious googling on my part, that his claim is the youngest Briton to have done so. Anyhow, I'll just repeat my story of how I met a bloke who had been on an escape and evasion course with him and claimed the Ursine one had a novel approach to hiding Mars bars about his person, such that they wouldn't be found in a search. I'm hoping he kept the wrappers on.

 

[AndyRM]

His thing with Obama was weirdly compelling viewing.

 

[slowmotion]

Hmmm....

http://www.explorersweb.com/polar/news.php?id=16114

 

[FishFright]

Bear Grrrrrrryls , takes on harsh environments and conquers them will power, skills and a hotel.
Ray Mears finds out what people who live there do and does that .

No contest

 

[Alan Frame]

As far as I'm concerned, you can't beat a good Les.

Stroud or Hiddins.

[QUOTE 5021918, member: 45"]What's wrong with you lot?? Have you forgotten Bush Tucker Man already?[/QUOTE]

Nope.

 

[slowmotion]

It's all pretty harmless fun really, even if some of it might be media fantasy. YouTube has loads of survival tips too. I learned how to friction saw my way out of zip-tie hand restraints using a shoe lace in the event of being kidnapped. I sleep easier in my bed with that knowledge.

 

[CanucksTraveller]

He's a bare faced liar, and when he's not out and out lying he's at the very least stretching the truth and embellishing. The amount of times he's been caught out... anyone with a remnant of pride would have slunk away in embarrassment. Not this brass necked get.

 

[DRM]

Ray Mears, Les Hiddens or Lofty Wiseman for me, When Bear Grylls was made Chief Scout, I thought it was a good choice for publicity, but Ray Mears embodied more of the ethos of the Scout Association, it was a bit of a worry that someone would get hurt trying to emulate B G, Ray, on the other hand learns from indigenous people, but also is prepared to pass on knowledge to them when it has been lost. Les Hiddens must have saved countless lives with his work with the Aussie Armed Forces, & Lofty Wiseman has definitely walked the walk for real.

 

[Tangoup51]

Between Bear & Ray- they're like Apples and Oranges but on the same tree, - Bear is more surreal and dramatic which can capture the attention of a wider audience who may not have solid interests in survivalist topics.

So that is ofcourse a good thing - teaching more people. - however that wider audience focus means you lose clarity on your topic as youre stretching it to reach people who don't understand it.

So as a result, Bear isn't as thorough.

Ray and others don't aim to capture a wide themed audience, so they're much more close-knit and tight with their presentation, they try to teach people who genuinely have a interest in survival and what not.

They don't aim to capture the attention of the local teenager who flicks through the tv.


So, my upshot summary is this; Bear is more "show" rather than tell with his presentation; that attitude can bring in a wider array of people who may of not been interested in survivalist topics but now are interested. -That can be a gateway to finding more thorough survivalists, like of Ray.



I'd liken bear grylls to that of Lance Armstrong - you can hate him for not being honest but he did inspire alot of people to cycle.

 

[slowmotion]

Between Bear & Ray- they're like Apples and Oranges but on the same tree, - Bear is more surreal and dramatic which can capture the attention of a wider audience who may not have solid interests in survivalist topics.

So that is ofcourse a good thing - teaching more people. - however that wider audience focus means you lose clarity on your topic as youre stretching it to reach people who don't understand it.

So as a result, Bear isn't as thorough.

Ray and others don't aim to capture a wide themed audience, so they're much more close-knit and tight with their presentation, they try to teach people who genuinely have a interest in survival and what not.

They don't aim to capture the attention of the local teenager who flicks through the tv.


So, my upshot summary is this; Bear is more "show" rather than tell with his presentation; that attitude can bring in a wider array of people who may of not been interested in survivalist topics but now are interested. -That can be a gateway to finding more thorough survivalists, like of Ray.



I'd liken bear grylls to that of Lance Armstrong - you can hate him for not being honest but he did inspire alot of people to cycle.

Yes, I agree.


Bear Grylls is a media tart.