Naked and Afraid

[April20]

I fell down the rabbit hole of a marathon of Naked and Afraid on Discovery Channel tonight. I'd never actually watched an episode before. I'm trying to figure out why people do this show. I keep yelling oh helllllllll no. I don't do scary snakes. Or sharks. Or leeches. Oh. Hell. No.

Does anyone else watch this? I don't know why I keep watching but I can't look away! I'm completely freaked out by it!

 

[azstonie]

The commercials alone freaked me out!

 

[Gypsy]

Other than a torturous method of radical weight loss, I see no redeeming value in that show. There are easier ways to get on TV. And you get to keep your close on for most of them.

 

[momhappy]

Reality tv has hit all-time lows recently with the introduction of "naked" tv. They have a naked survival show, a naked dating show, a naked women giving birth in the wild show, and wait for it…. a naked home-buying show (where the potential home buyers go around and look at properties naked) Yes, all-time lows indeed. I don't understand the concept of adding the element of naked? Is it just that we have been shocked to the point where the only shocking thing remaining is nakedness????

 

[April20]

Reality tv has hit all-time lows recently with the introduction of "naked" tv. They have a naked survival show, a naked dating show, a naked women giving birth in the wild show, and wait for it…. a naked home-buying show (where the potential home buyers go around and look at properties naked) Yes, all-time lows indeed. I don't understand the concept of adding the element of naked? Is it just that we have been shocked to the point where the only shocking thing remaining is nakedness????

Naked home buying? Really? I hope they don't sit on the sofa!

 

[Autumnovember]

Yep, I watch! Can't take my eyes off it either!

 

[NonieMarie]

Yep, I watch! Can't take my eyes off it either!

I watch, too. I think the title was used to pull viewers. My fiancée and I critique what they do, when and how they do things. We have to laugh because there is no way we could survive for a week! I find the relationships between the 2 people interesting, You find out quickly which ones are going to work as a team and which ones are going to make the time more miserable because of their conflicting personalities.

 

[ericad]

DD and I watch it - we love it, but honestly it's just watching two nekkid people starve and suffer for 21 days, lol. Sometimes they get projectile diarrhea or have major homicidal temper tantrums, as an added bonus. What really pisses me off is when they bring some dumb ass survival tool, like GOGGLES. WTF? Machete and fire starter, people, MACHETE AND FIRE STARTER!!!

 

[momhappy]

^Guess I wouldn't be much of a survivalist because my survival tool would be mascara

 

[ericad]

^Guess I wouldn't be much of a survivalist because my survival tool would be mascara

 

[JewelFreak]

Every time I think tv can't go any lower, it comes up with something like this program. Beyond a train wreck. Useless and stupid. Then there are equally socially redeeming ones like "My Teen Is Pregnant and So Am I." Makes me ashamed of the human race.

--- Laurie
,

 

[April20]

DD and I watch it - we love it, but honestly it's just watching two nekkid people starve and suffer for 21 days, lol. Sometimes they get projectile diarrhea or have major homicidal temper tantrums, as an added bonus. What really pisses me off is when they bring some dumb a$$ survival tool, like GOGGLES. WTF? Machete and fire starter, people, MACHETE AND FIRE STARTER!!!

One of the ones I saw the other night, the woman brought a cooking pot. A COOKING POT. The dude brought a knife, but neither one of them could start a fire to use said pot. Seriously. Bring a huge knife that will stay sharp and a good quality fire starter.

But at the end of the day, I don't know that I get this show. What's the point? The only task they have is to not die. I think it would be better if they'd let them have appropriate clothing but then have to figure out some puzzle or something. I still can't look away though. I think half of why we watched it though was because DH wasn't going for watching "Little and Looking for Love" on TLC. I love dwarf shows.

 

[ericad]

Every time I think tv can't go any lower, it comes up with something like this program. Beyond a train wreck. Useless and stupid. Then there are equally socially redeeming ones like "My Teen Is Pregnant and So Am I." Makes me ashamed of the human race.

--- Laurie
,

I actually usually agree with you about reality TV, but don't think this is in the same vein. There are definitely educational components to this show. Yes, forcing them to do this naked is the sensationalist "hook", but if you're a fan of the show, this actually becomes a non-issue. They blur everything out except the butts, lol.

The show basically takes professional or hobby survivalists and offers them the ultimate survival challenge. The participants win nothing. There's no prize and it's not a contest, except against oneself and the elements. A man and a woman are each allowed one survival item, but no clothes, shoes or anything else. They're dropped off in a hostile environment (Amazon rain forest, jungle in India, a plain in Africa, etc.) with nothing but each other, their one survival item, and a canvas bag to hold the item in. Plus a map to show them major topography of the area, bodies of water, and their extraction point. A small camera crew goes with them to document the journey, but are instructed not to intervene unless it's for a medical emergency. Participants can "tap out" at any point.

From there the survivalists must find clean drinking water and build a shelter, gather and hunt for food, etc. It's quite fascinating to a couch potato such as myself. My 9 year old daughter is very engaged in the show, and has actually developed an interest in survivalism. She just bought a book about survival and recites interesting facts to me daily - what things grow in our woods near home that are edible, the best way to purify water, the proper way to lash saplings together to form a shelter, etc. She's eager to play survival games with her friends in our (very safe and fully fenced) woods, and has used her imagination to do things like turn cold yakisoba noodles into "earthworms" that they must eat for protein in order to survive. She knows how long a human can go without food, or water, and thinks about nutrition and what she might be capable of if desperate to survive.

Besides that, she's learned about all kinds of predatory animals, venomous vs. non-venomous snakes, diseases that can occur from drinking unsafe water, etc.

When it comes to reality TV I'm a total buzz kill - there will be no Dance Moms or Toddlers & Tiaras, or The Bachelor in our house. Ever. But I have a soft spot for Naked and Afraid, Finding Bigfoot and AGT, lol.

With this show, while participants often start out cocky, they almost always finish completely humbled by the experience, and in complete awe of the ruthlessness and complexity of mother nature.

 

[amc80]

DH and I watch this show. The bug bites alone would make me tap out. I think the fact that there are no prizes ups its value a bit. These people are doing this to challenge themselves.

One job I wouldn't want, though, is that of the person who has to blur out all of the bits. It's funny how by the end of the 21 days, the people don't even notice that they are naked anymore. I like some of the "outfits" people have made. Oh, there was one pair who had to make a raft to go on the river. It full on had raised seats and such. I was so impressed!

 

[ericad]

I totally remember that one, and the raft was seriously amazing!

I also liked the one where the woman found all kinds of trash washed up on the beach - clothes, flip flops, plastic bottles to store water, an old pair of men's underpants, lol.

I also have found that the biggest braggarts are usually the quickest to be brought to their knees by the experience, which I find very gratifying. And the women almost always totally kick butt with their patience and resourcefulness.

Then there was that team where the dread lock dude used a conveniently found animal carcass for its skin (to make shoes) and to harvest sinew for a bow drill, which didn't actually work, but was super clever nonetheless. That guy had some mad survival skills. And he was cute, lol.

My daughter's favorite team was the one with the vegetarian woman because DD is a vegetarian. The woman eventually caved a couple weeks in and ate meat, a lizard I think? But she had a ton of knowledge about edible plants, which I found interesting.

Hahaha, and the annoying guy who got terribly sunburned and spent the first week just lying on the beach crying? Sorry to laugh at his pain, but he was SO annoying, lol. Or the pair who had to pick leeches off their genitals? It's a great show.

 

[packrat]

Never seen any of the naked shows. I see the commercials for Naked and Afraid during my crime shows (Wicked Attraction, Snapped etc).

I like Dance Moms, I admit it. I don't have the grace God gave a wildebeest so I love to watch them dance. We watch the Alaskan shows too, and the wife switching shows.

 

[ericad]

The Swan was my reality rock bottom many years ago, and I banned them ever since, lol.

 

[missy]

Wow, I never even heard of Naked and Afraid. Or many of the other shows mentioned here. Has anyone seen the show where the person doesn't even know they are pregnant till they give birth? Something like that. I never watched it and have no desire to though Naked and Afraid piques my curiosity I admit.

The show basically takes professional or hobby survivalists and offers them the ultimate survival challenge. The participants win nothing. There's no prize and it's not a contest, except against oneself and the elements.

I am definitely going to TIVO this and check it out. I doubt my dh will watch as he abhors reality tv but as erica points out this sounds like more than just a reality show and also sounds like it puts the show Survivor to shame. Worth a look, thanks.

 

[packrat]

The Swan was my reality rock bottom many years ago, and I banned them ever since, lol.

I watched a few episodes of that and wanted to be on it.

I saw one arrrrrgh I can't remember the name of it...It pitted people against each other and the episode I saw was kind of a mind-fck. Kind of a deal to see how mentally and physically tough you are. All the contestants were in separate rooms, no contact w/the others. Just a computer voice to tell them what they were supposed to do. And it was...(it's been like 8+ years so hard to remember) there was a loud siren noise that never stopped and was super loud and the lights always stayed on. They had to stay in the room as long as they could, wanting to be the last man standing basically, but not knowing how everyone else was faring. The longer it went on, then they'd start making them do tests. Repeating back series of numbers was one thing I remember.(I think they would wake them up over and over and over too, to do the tests) oh oh oh Insanity, I think that's what it was called! Just googled it but can't find any info.

It was kind of like a game show mixed w/reality show.

 

[anne_h]

I love "Naked and Afraid"!! I also really enjoy "British Bake-off".

Anne