English Training News: Is Naked and Afraid Fake As Hell?
God Calls Adam and Eve
9. So the Lord called out to the Man, “Where are you?”
10. “I heard your voice in the garden,” he replied, “and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid myself.”
Genesis 3:10
By Vincent C. Torrieri
English Training News
Stimulating, sexy and borderline soft porn, another American TV reality show is being broadcasted on TV worldwide and is one step closer to the Hunger Games.
The contestants, or rather the participants since apparently there is no apparent monetary prize in the end, are in general American suburbanites with families, an education and real jobs.
The participants, may start off well and in good condition, but for those who survive the full 21 days, they are reduced to hungry savages. Almost every episode there is a common theme. Complain. Cry. Curse. Each member on the show in the end asks for our empathy as we watch them suffer through harsh and wild conditions.
Why should we care? God only knows.
Facts
Reportedly one contestant died from a mosquito bite, one of the show’s producers suffered from a poisonous snake bite, nearly causing him to have his leg amputated, and countless others have suffered ill health and serious weight loss upon their return.
Mystery
What can motivate someone to leave their job and families to risk everything for a stay in the wild when there is no financial gain? And how do their families accept a decision to watch their husband, father, wife or mother on TV as they expose their naked bodies in the jungle?
Background
Since 2013, Naked and Afraid has aired on the Discovery Channel and is now on DMAX Sunday evenings in Italy. Each episode chronicles the lives of two survivalists (one man; one woman) who meet for the first time and are given the task of surviving a stay in the wilderness naked for 21 days.
Rules
Partners strip down and meet each other in their birthday suits. Their private parts and the holiest of holy is blurred. The only sneak glimpse viewers get to see is their naked bottoms.
They are provided with satchels containing a personal diary/camera—for use when the camera crew is not there at night—and a map. They all wear identical necklaces with a center bead which is a microphone that has a wire that connects to a wireless audio transmitter hidden in the satchel.
Each survivalist is allowed to bring one helpful item, such as a knife or a fire starter. There is a camera crew who are not allowed to intervene except for medical emergencies when it is “absolutely necessary.” Castmate Alison Teal reports that she was granted an “emergency” tampon. A team is allowed to “tap out” at any point during the 21-day challenge. If they do not tap out, they must arrive at the designated extraction point on the final day to be picked up by a helicopter or boat or another vehicle suitable to the environment.
Bottom Line
Real or Fake? Contestants have to sign a waiver form which protects the TV producers from any lawsuits and a confidentiality agreement to never reveal any of the particulars and the truth behind the show. No surprise. When have American TV reality shows ever been real?
