Bear Grylls
- Thread starter sinker
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sinker
New member
mikem said:
Not admired by many on UKC....
He is a bit of a k-nob and a bit of a self-publicising self-promoting egotist.
But he HAS got kids back into Scouting, despite it not being as fashionable as it was so I'm prepared to forgive him.
Only ever met him once and his persona off screen was totally different. He's an actor, a brand, he's an advertisement for all that is bad about so-called reality TV but compared to the other crap that is on there, I can live with it.
RobinGriffiths
Well-known member
If this was in Idle Chat rather than Organisations, I'd post Viz's Bear Grylls has Ate Ray Mears article. But as it isn't, I won't.
[gmod]The Bear Grylls posts have indeed ended up in Idle Chat after all...[/gmod]
[gmod]The Bear Grylls posts have indeed ended up in Idle Chat after all...[/gmod]
sinker
New member
mikem said:
Aye, I totally see the point.
As an ambassador for outdoor persuits kids love him and it gets them off their arses and gets them to put their phones down for 2 minutes.
Adults see straight through him.
I just choose to admire the work he has done for scouting and draw a line there. If he gets kids into the Scouting movement its up to us to do the rest when they get there.
As a reality TV celebrity, I don't think any harm has ever come of his antics; unlike "Celebrity Dancing Love Island Strictly On Ice With The Stars" the likes of which have driven several people to top themselves.
Speleofish
Active member
You could argue he's a less sinister figure than Baden Powell... (or actually, dexter)
Cantclimbtom
Well-known member
He has poor judgement, without the tedium of listing it (although can post if challenged) he has done some really embarrassingly cringe worthy stuff to the point I don't understand why he doesn't put foot down and tell the producer to stop with the BS or he'd walk.
On the up side he gives a lot of personal time to promote outdoor adventure and personal development especially kids (including work for no personal gain) like being chief scout etc etc. I used to know someone who had chatted with him at length a few times, who said what a normal down to earth guy he was (despite his background)
I'm happy to overlook some of his embarrassing BS moments on balance of the good he does
On the up side he gives a lot of personal time to promote outdoor adventure and personal development especially kids (including work for no personal gain) like being chief scout etc etc. I used to know someone who had chatted with him at length a few times, who said what a normal down to earth guy he was (despite his background)
I'm happy to overlook some of his embarrassing BS moments on balance of the good he does
RobinGriffiths
Well-known member
RobinGriffiths said:
Yay. here we go then!
I think the main problem I have with him (& Steve Backshall) is that they both sell a fabricated fantasy, but present it as reality. I've read both their autobiographies & both come across as pretty grounded, but not exceptional, individuals - whilst their on screen personas don't particularly reflect that.
tony from suffolk
Well-known member
Please don't make the mistake of assuming media "Personalities" are in control of their on-screen personas. Behind them is an army of manipulators, their employers, charged with ensuring their actors generate and maintain their populist auras. I've never met Mr Grylls, but I am acquainted with a famous person who happens to be a neighbour and, despite her fame, has little control over the content of her programs, or any say in how she's portrayed on-screen.
I'm sure some of you here have gotten involved with TV program makers at some stage; maybe things have hopefully changed now but many years ago, I was flattered to be asked along to a TV production for my expert advice. I was deluded enough to believe they'd be panting at my every word, every suggestion gratefully sucked up and adopted. In reality, they more or less ignored everything I pointed out, and some of the things they put into the scenes "For dramatic effect" were totally daft and unrealistic.
If I'd had any scruples and integrity, I'd have told them to stuff it & remove my name from the credits, but as it happens I was happy to trouser my fee & walk away, confident in the knowledge that no one I knew would ever view the rubbish they'd churned out. Never seen the program myself...
I'm sure some of you here have gotten involved with TV program makers at some stage; maybe things have hopefully changed now but many years ago, I was flattered to be asked along to a TV production for my expert advice. I was deluded enough to believe they'd be panting at my every word, every suggestion gratefully sucked up and adopted. In reality, they more or less ignored everything I pointed out, and some of the things they put into the scenes "For dramatic effect" were totally daft and unrealistic.
If I'd had any scruples and integrity, I'd have told them to stuff it & remove my name from the credits, but as it happens I was happy to trouser my fee & walk away, confident in the knowledge that no one I knew would ever view the rubbish they'd churned out. Never seen the program myself...
alastairgott
Well-known member
mikem said:
I thought Steve was one of the gooduns? Showing caving expeditions abroad and also some more involved uk caving?
Cantclimbtom
Well-known member
I'm sure the Steve Backshall's of this world are frequently asked to list the top 10 arbitrary best/biggest/most extreme whatevers on a regular basis - and maybe the lists are actually from their publicist not them, but I did hear of a top 10 things he enjoyed the most including "Gaping Gill" as number 7 (don't know more specific than just the name). Presumably that scores brownie points on a site like this?
I know different kayakers who have been safety cover on Steve's trips, & he is at best a mediocre paddler, who really shouldn't have been on two of those trips - but he (or the production company) had the funding to make it happen. He's nott a bad presenter, but it's still a fabricated fantasy world they are producing.
