Naked And Afraid - General Discussion

[ari333]

This topic replaces the old Naked & Afraid forum which has been vaulted at the location below:

http://forums.previously.tv/forum/329-naked-and-afraid-v/

[niklj]

I thought it was a very interesting show too and it made me very excited for the new season. It's great to see how passionate and thoughtful the crew behind the show is as well.

[ramble]

Agreement here too, it was interesting & fun to see the behind the scenes stuff. The teasers for the new season were good as well. I'm excited to see this show again.

[Taylorh2]

I tnink I remember on the first shows that aired, the females would make cover ups from large leaves. I haven't watched this show after seeing a couple of episodes but then I startyed to notice that the women nolonger coverd up. I wonnder if production told the women to stop doing it ?

[niklj]

In case anyone was wondering, Naked After Dark was cancelled according to Josh Wolfe and Taryn Southern's Twitter accounts. I honestly didn't even realize it wasn't on until it occurred to me late last night. It had potential as a show but had too many dumb bits that overshadowed its good qualities. Should've just been a half an hour show.

[PityFree]

If it was cancelled, I am not surprised. I was only surprised that - according to the "behind the scenes" stuff - people actually volunteered to do that show. 21 days of starvation and torture? With no prize? Who signs up for that. Plus, it was just a matter of time before a cast member was seriously injured or killed. 

 

It isn't terribly entertaining to watch people sitting around starving.

Edited July 7, 2014 by PityFree

[niklj]

Oh no--the aftershow "Naked After Dark" was cancelled, not the actual show "Naked and Afraid." That one is doing quite strongly in the ratings. The aftershow was the one where they had random Twitter questions, Bob the Blur, and interviews with the cast members (BTW the contestants are having Q&As with fans on the official Facebook page now instead).

Edited July 7, 2014 by niklj

[ramble]

The contestants are also supposedly doing a brief interview video on Discovery.com under the title "Naked Confessions."

[lottiedottie]

So here's my not-claim to fame/six degrees of separation story...I just found out that a parent of kids at my kids' school was on the show. I don't know her and when I looked her up on the N&A website I didn't recognize her (which is kind of funny because the school my kids go to is pretty small and everyone looks vaguely familiar).

[Taylorh2]

What is the actual prize ?

[PityFree]

What is the actual prize ?

Not dying.

 

At least that's the prize as far as I have been able to tell. 

[Taylorh2]

No really! What do they get for completing the challenge ?

[ramble]

I believe there really is no prize. At least that's the way the show is presenting itself. It's for the adventure seeker. The risk taker. The prize is seeing it through. From a Discovery press release:

They must survive on their own for a full 21 days, with nothing but one personal item each and the knowledge that the only prize is their pride and sense of accomplishment.

[ramble]

Btw, Discovery has a test on their site to assess your own PSR. It's here.

I tried & got, ready for this: 1.1 Hahahaha! In no way surprised. That's why I watch this type of show & don't apply for it.

[Dagny]

I thinks it just fluctuates between 1.1 and 9.0. Even answering running away from mosquitoes and not knowing how to start a fire gets you 9.0.

[blackwing]

I'm wondering if there are safety consultants or whatnot on this show.  At least twice now we've seen the males kill a fer-de-lance, supposedly one of the deadliest snakes in the world.  Is there a survival guy that walks the path ahead of the contestants that is fully clothed and wearing steel boots?  I just can't imagine them letting people, even people who are willing participants, step on a snake.  I know in the first season one of the producers got bit by a fer-de-lance, and he wasn't naked and it looked awful.

 

Is there anyone at night that wards off creatures from the campsite?  What if a snake had slithered in and took a bite out of both of the people while they slept?

[Neurochick]

Aren't they alone at night?  I thought the camera crew left at night, but I may be wrong.  I mean if you sign up for that show, I guess you're supposed to understand the risks.  After all everybody on the show are adults.

[blackwing]

Yeah, supposedly the camera crew leaves at night, but they always seem to embellish things on reality shows.  Like how in Survivor Africa they made it seem like with all the wild animal noises that the contestants could be mauled by lions at any minute, but in reality, they had an enclosed compound with guards with guns watching over them.

[helloagain]

Serious question: what do the women do when they have their period?  Are they allowed tampons?  Or do they bleed all over themselves? Does the blood attract sharks??

 

This show is losing it's "must see" shine for me.  Same challenges each episode.  Oh no! Can't start a fire! Oh no! Can't find some water! Oh no! What is outside our shelter?!

[blackwing]

This show is losing it's "must see" shine for me.  Same challenges each episode.  Oh no! Can't start a fire! Oh no! Can't find some water! Oh no! What is outside our shelter?!

 

I kind of agree.  It's the same thing every time.  The only thing that's really different is the bare butts of the people facing the challenges.

 

In this manner, I tend to agree with Carrie.  Tom was completely satisfied just sitting there bored out of his mind for 21 days just looking for firewood and trying to avoid dying.  She wanted more of an adventure and something to do.

 

There's no prize for making it to the end.  It's all personal satisfaction.  So the people aren't necessarily motivated to do anything which would make for more interesting TV.  If I were running this show, I'd make it more like a game show.  They get some small monetary amount for completing certain tasks from a task list of maybe 20 tasks.  The harder the tasks, the more money you get.  For example, weave shoes out of palm leaves.  Retrieve crate containing "treasure" that's buried somewhere underwater in the bay.  Retrieve 3 papayas, hint, papaya trees are growing near the spot on your map marked with a green X.  

 

Would make it way more interesting than just seeing them sit around.  They'd also probably really work as a team if money was involved.

[ari333]

Is it our DVR or was there no show last night? Sunday, 7-27? TIA

[fib]

Ari333, it's your DVR unfortunately.  But it looks like there's another airing Tuesday night at 10 ET and wednesday around midnight. Argentina Impossible.  Here's the full schedule from DSC: http://www.discovery.com/tv-shows/naked-and-afraid/tv-schedule.htm

Edited July 29, 2014 by fib

[henripootel]

Yeah, supposedly the camera crew leaves at night, but they always seem to embellish things on reality shows.

Yeah, I think they're fudging how much danger these guys are in, among other things.  I for one simply can't buy the idea that they're not being fed at least minimally.  Given that they genuinely seem to be sleeping rough (the bug bites alone convince me of that), a couple of days of no food (or just a few bites) and most folks would be listless lumps, not to mention far more susceptible to infection.  That'd make for some crappy tv.  Even with the substantial weight losses they're reporting, I'd bet long odds that they're slipping them survival rations.  Huge difference between a thin diet and no food at all.

[Dagny]

I for one simply can't buy the idea that they're not being fed at least minimally.

 

There is a reason the challenge is only 21 days. I think every show opens with "the human body can only last for 3 days without water and 21 days without food". We have seen a couple of the people struggle when they couldn't secure the water source and pushed it close to the 3 day limit.  The scouting team probably makes sure that not only is the place isolated, but it has some water and a little food (grubs!). Eating grubs, worms and bark probably help.  

 

This last episode, I think the couple lost the most weight and had a huge problem finding food.  Weirdly, I think the Bayou group had the easiest because they got the nutria and all the snake that were after them.

[henripootel]

I think every show opens with "the human body can only last for 3 days without water and 21 days without food".

This is before you can actually die of dehydration or starvation.  I know hunger strikers have gone twice this long before expiring but they're huddling quietly in what one assumes are far more amenable conditions, and usually take fluids freely.  They also don't pop right back up once they start eating again but often require medical supervision to recover.  

 

Long before death (a couple of days without food is my understanding), people get all listless and staggery - not pretty on tv.  And yet we're given to understand that some of these folks go three weeks or more with barely anything to eat, all the while searching for food, doing talking head interviews, sleeping rough, and being eaten alive by bugs.  My guess: extremely unlikely.  The vitamin deficiencies alone would be a problem.

Edited July 29, 2014 by henripootel

[Dagny]

I think that a couple of the people have mentioned that it took them several months after the show until the started to feel remotely okay.  The near starvation diet must have definitely consumed muscle.

[tv-talk]

This show is so fake, the least they can do is not choose people who just want to lay around on a starvation diet for 3 weeks. 

[fib]

I think they're set up with a chance to succeed, though the conditions are clearly tough.  I think the best example of that was when EJ and Laura joined forces in Peru after two (though really three) other survivors quit in week 1. The first 2 struggled much more significantly than EJ and Laura with the basics like fire starting.  But EJ and Laura did have some struggles.  

We're clearly told that the locations are scouted in advance and picked carefully - the campers know where they 'should' camp, and have water and food sources.  

As far as the wild animals staying away? I think really most wild animals scare easily and the relatively heavy traffic of the production crew during the daytime might reasonably be enough to keep them away. 

The thing that I have been most skeptical of so far is the saucepan that Ky found in the Bayou so she and her partner could boil water.  Really? A saucepan, just sitting there where you're looking for firewood.  Things that make you go hmm...

[Dagny]

It was the Bayou and I think she found also soda cans. We toss so much stuff, the Hawaiian lady got fitted with a new wardrobe before the end of the mission. :)

[ramble]

I think they eat a lot more bugs & grubs then we're shown. I know from the small amount of online reading I've done contestants have mentioned none of the fishing being shown or similar situations. I don't think it's a feast but maybe some daily tidbits. Although, since it's reality TV, I don't rule out any production mantipulation.

[blackwing]

There was the episode where the couple found clothes.  The guy who got really sunburned and lobster red found some underwear that just happened to be his size.  And they were briefs, so if they are too large or too small they aren't going to fit.  The electric blue colour looked pretty new, not faded or washed out like if they were actually drifting in the ocean for days.  I believe the girl also got some underwear.  Seems fishy that they couldn't find any other salvageable clothing.  If they had found anything else, he would have put it on, as he was suffering badly from the sun.  They conveniently find something that protects his genitals from the sun, since I'm betting that part of him suffered even more because of a presumed lack of regular exposure to the sun and was more sensitive.  Producers probably felt bad that they were giving him something, so she conveniently gets something too.

[Dagny]

They conveniently find something that protects his genitals from the sun, since I'm betting that part of him suffered even more because of a presumed lack of regular exposure to the sun and was more sensitive.

 

Unfortunately, there are many coastal spots that, because of the currents, accumulate tons of garbage.  On the north coast of Utila (island off of Honduras), the north side was just covered in garbage from the tides.

[tv-talk]

The ups and down people experience while supposedly not eating are most obvious evidence they're being fed as required. If you are run down and beat after a week of no food you don't become energetic after 3 more days of not eating- this happens on the show all the time as they lay around moaning they're starved and dying but then get into physical activity days later after supposedly not eating. The audacity to set up that one guy going after the fer de lance...are you kidding me? No chance that wasnt staged. 

 

Certainly not suggesting it's a stroll in park to be out there but the actual danger is definitely minimal. 

[haydensterling]

I've said this before but they're eating power bars at least part of the time.  They would have zero energy to do any of the physical things they're required to do if they weren't getting some kind of caloric intake that was a bit more hearty than bugs and grubs.

 

And if they're not being helped by the producers, then show me them doing more hunting and fishing.  I find that way more interesting than listening to some dude lying on the ground and moaning about his junk getting wrecked by the sun--I kept wondering why he didn't make some kind of twig skirt or some such--the girl was making mad hats and bikinis and whatnot, wasn't she?

[Dagny]

I kept wondering why he didn't make some kind of twig skirt or some such--the girl was making mad hats and bikinis and whatnot, wasn't she?

 

On one of the outtakes, she joked about how they could use one of the mats to use to lay down on or carry coconuts or his body out.

[Scout Finch]

I don't quite understand why they're always freaking out about not getting to the extraction point on time. It's not as if they'll then be stuck living (naked and afraid) there indefinitely if they don't. At a certain point anyway, I'd probably be all, "Hey, I just made it through 21 days. I'm going to stay right here and you can just come pick up my tired, starving, bug-bitten ass."

Edited August 1, 2014 by Scout Finch

[Dagny]

The thing about the show that really stands out for me is that I am more distracted than ever watching the end of times or post apocalyptic TV/movies. The people are pretty fat and have great steel weapons. How does that happen decades after everything went down the drain?

 

Noah - forget the rock monsters, the really nice teeth and Jennifer Connelly having great hair throughout the movie, the family operated as nomads, without livestock, in a barren environment, but still had wood for burning, metal tools and lots of fabric. Where did they get tar to seal up the ark?!?

 

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes. Forget that there are lots of other dams east of San Francisco, where did they get all of the gas? Cloths that stiff fit, toothbrushes.

 

Nobody is around to make the nice stuff anymore. How!

[fliptopbox]

I'd like to know more about this "rigorous psychological and physical testing" the participants have to go through before the show. Anyone know what it involves? Also, how do they determine each person's PSR? And really.. what does that even mean anyway? Most people could probably do a somewhat adequate job surviving if they had a firestarter and a machete to work with. You may not immediately know what to do but I'm sure if it's either survive or die you'd figure out something.

[Taylorh2]

Scout Finch,  I also wondered why they were always freaking out about not getting to the 'extraction point' on time and I thought that it might be that the transportation out only left at a certain time each day? Maybe if they missed their ride out, they would have to wait until the next day to leave?

[Scout Finch]

That makes sense. Having to wait another day for pizza, cold Pepsi and a shower would make me tend towards urgency too!

[fib]

I would guess that if you don't make the extraction point, you don't 'complete the challenge' and it impacts your PSR negatively. Also, then you're stuck in the wild another night, except now you're miles from your shelter, your fire, and your water source, which would be really depressing.  

But yes, generally, I think the boat/helicopter/jeep will will return for you in reality :)

Edited August 4, 2014 by fib

[Neurochick]

The thing about the show that really stands out for me is that I am more distracted than ever watching the end of times or post apocalyptic TV/movies. The people are pretty fat and have great steel weapons. How does that happen decades after everything went down the drain?

 

 

This.  I watched the Argentina episode last night and the woman really looked bad after 21 days of not eating a lot and cold temperatures.  She really looked like I'd expect a person to look in a post apocalyptic world.  I do have a lot of questions/concerns about this show.

 

We live in a very litigious society, people sue for everything and anything.  I wonder how many papers these people have to sign, stating they won't sue.  I remember that woman Manu?  She got Dengue Fever and was very,very sick for a long time.  I don't know if she's over it today, but she was bad.  I wondered who paid for her medical care?  What happens if some of them become ill years, maybe decades later?  I mean these people are exposed to all types of shit, cold temperatures, hot temperatures, bugs and they're naked as well.  

[PityFree]

I personally think people are idiots for going on a show like this - the stress and damage that results from near starvation can follow you for years. The pediatrician who was on the show would have known that more than the others, and yet she was willing to do it. IDK what is wrong with people.*

 

*But if they want to do anyway simply so they can be on the Tee Vee, they are free to do so.  

[fib]

...the stress and damage that results from near starvation can follow you for years. 

No Kidding.  The blond guy who got the horrific sunburn in the Maldives will probably get skin cancer. They can't draw simple straight lines from one sunburn to a skin cancer, but the amount of sun damage he sustained was unreal.  

Though I feel free to admit that the show made it pretty clear that his decisions seemed as much to blame for the sunburn as the conditions.  The other really pale person on a tropical island (in Fiji) got some sun but never burned, in large part because she seemed pretty careful to seek shade and cover when the opportunity presented. 

[Boton]

Commenting in the possibly vain hope that producers monitor this thread.

 

I think the show has a good initial concept, but I'm going to get bored in just a few more episodes, because I know how it goes:

Day 1:  Meet.  Either make veiled acknowledgement of the awkwardness of meeting a naked stranger, or ignore it completely.  Exude optimism.  Reach camp site and have some sort of discussion about whether shelter or fire is the priority.

 

Night 1:  Fail to sleep because either shelter or fire was inadequate.

 

Day 2:  Struggle with fire.  Discuss dehydration.  Make sure to use the term "keep hydrated" instead of "dammit, I want a drink of something!"

 

Day 4:  Fail to die from dehydration.  

 

Day 4-20:  Sit like lumps.  Eat grubs, crabs, or something with the caloric content of an apple.  If actual animal is caught, skewer and cook the thing whole instead of making rudimentary attempt to behead/pluck/gut whatever it is.  Unless its a snake.  Dramatically peel any snake, but then fail to use resulting skin as cord, lashing, foot binding, etc.  Have discussion about "needing protein," as if the absence of carbs or vitamins isn't an equal problem as far as energy and health.

 

Day 20:  Rally miraculously.  Prepare for extraction.

 

Day 21.  Fail to starve to death.  Reach extraction.

 

Anyway, I would love to see something more complex than the PSR scoring.  On one of the PBS House reality shows (Frontier House, I think), they had the "settlers" reach their new settlement and prepare for winter, even though they would not be spending the winter there.  They were then scored on how likely it was they would starve during winter.  (I think all of them would have, except one couple without kids who probably would have lived on grit and determination.)  I'd love something like that.  Drop these people in the middle of nowhere, but score them on the progress they make toward sustaining life long term.  All of these participants are exclusively playing the 21-day game, and it shows.

[henripootel]

Dramatically peel any snake, but then fail to use resulting skin as cord, lashing, foot binding, etc.

Mrs. Pootel and I have begun to name this the boa ex machina, the magical snake that appears along trails.  Big, fairly safe, and easy to kill, with just enough 'ick they're eating a snake' to keep the promo monkeys happy.  

[tv-talk]

Boton....."Marooned" with Ed Stafford is on occasionally and fits what you are looking for to a tee. He's dropped off somewhere naked and with no camera crew, spends a month there trying to improve his situation to the point that he would be thriving rather than just surviving. They dont show it very often, probably because half the time he seems to be going nuts, but it's the real life version of Naked&Afraid.

[Dagny]

Japan is combating a Dengue Fever outbreak in one of their parks.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-29026023

 

Now that we've seen in happen to Manu. Yikes!

[ghoul31]

I just watch the show for the bare ass

[Scout Finch]

I can't believe that after watching every single episode of the show from the beginning, that it just NOW dawns on me why they always wear that necklace. Duh, it's their microphones. I am an imbecile!