This past evening I was watching some of the latest MythBusters’ episodes after I had returned from Aikido. It just so happened that after class a few guys had gotten to talking about court, then DUI checks, then to the MythBusters’ test on how to beat breathalyzers. As I was watching the show, I realized something: MythBusters is probably one of the best TV shows ever. I’m being serious here. Stop and think about it for a second.
First off, the show is quite humorous. “Leader: It’s good for fashion, not for artillery” -Grant. I mean they get some great one liners in there. Plus Tory acting silly and inevitably getting hurt is always funny. Except for the “Hollywood Hang” myth. The shin/wall incident was… unpleasant to watch.
Next, it’s got action. BIG BADA BOOM. Come on, they make a point of blowing stuff up every week it seems. When they aren’t blowing stuff up, well they are still doing crazy things and keeping it exciting and interesting. They make movie magic happen on screen sometimes just for the fun of it. In the end, even when they do science science, it is interesting enough not to bore most people (personally I find it interesting, but I realize that some might not).
It has universal appeal. Almost everyone has seen at least one episode of MythBusters, some watch it religiously (like me). Most people enjoy the show, and that’s really the key. Yes, everyone has seen American Idol (you can’t have turned on a TV or YouTube and not seen a clip at least once). The question is, do you hate American Idol? If you said yes, congratulations, you have a brain. As for MythBusters, some might not seek it out to watch, but they will probably still find it interesting when they happen upon it. I mean, who hasn’t wondered what the real answer is to so many of life’s urban legends? There are very few TV shows that you can mention in public in which everyone has either seen or heard about it. Some you mention and you get the “Who? What?”. Some turn into the “God, I can’t stand that”. And a few shows… you simply don’t admit that you watch in public (Anyone watch Buffy? Yea… I didn’t think I’d see any hands (Editor’s note: I’ll admit to it!)).
Lastly, and most importantly: It’s educational. Ok, yes, I’ll be the first to admit that MythBusters’ science can be… borderline sometimes, but they fully admit it. On a number of occasions they fess up to the fact that they can/have/will screw stuff up and can never collect nearly enough data to definitively PROVE something. It could be that the 3 times they test something, they get lucky… but really it is good enough for most people. They have solid math, science, and logic behind their experiments and that is really important. They explain the hows and whys to people in a manner that doesn’t bore. Really, they make science exciting (Cement truck explosion, ’nuff said).
Now, I’m not trying to say that MythBusters is everyone’s favorite show. My current favorites are Chuck, then Castle, NCIS, and Bones. That doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy MythBusters. I’m sure that most people wouldn’t rank MythBusters as their “Most Favorite” show on TV, because we’ve all got a drama or two that we really enjoy. That being said, the net watchers (those who watch & enjoy minus those who hate & loathe) is higher than say… American Idol. Because seriously, that needs to die.
PS. Kari is hot. (Editor’s note: Jon speaks the truth)