5 Reasons Why I Love Mythbusters

Mythbusters
Originally uploaded by Gordon D

As the holiday season approaches, I find myself grateful for the many blessings bestowed upon me. One of which is the discovery of Mythbusters, the show that works hard to reveal the truth behind many misconceptions. This is the only reality show that I watch on a regular basis, and taking a cue from another, irregularly updated blog, here are my five reasons for loving the show.

1. The understated, droll humor of Jamie Hyneman - Let's face it, if it weren't for his relative groundedness and down-to-earth demeanor, the show would be extremely over the top. His bio reveals a man of diverse experience; think of him as a younger, sexier James Randi. Adam Savage may be the assertive, go-get-'em leader, but Jamie easily serves as the practical counterpoint.
   
2. It promotes science and reason in a realm of the supernatural - when several prime time shows openly acknowledge a "debt" to psychic phenomena (such as Medium and Ghost Whisperer, this show emphasizes the scientific method over supernatural fakery. The team tests urban legends and other misconceptions, and quite frankly, it makes science cool again.
   
3. Kari Byron - She's smart. She's attractive. She's a redhead. If she weren't already spoken for - and she also loved Doctor Who - I would so write embarrassingly gushing blog posts about her. She and Kristen Bell are in the running for "cutest female geek pin-up queen"
   
4. Episodes now center around themes - for example, a recent show took on comic myths such as changing in a phone booth, whether punching someone can leave a ring imprint on their face, and whether a grappling hook can make a car turn suddenly. They did an episode around airplane myths. Now, it's more than just the typical here's-a-myth-let's-bust-it; they actually proved that it is more dangerous to use a cell phone while driving than driving under the influence.
   
5. The stunts range from the mundane to the F**** Yeah! - when you use a jet airplane to knock over a car, plane, and school bus, or use a decoy seal to attract sharks...or even fire random stuff out of a cannon, you know that if Mythbusters were a comic, Chris Sims would be on that like Mike Sterling on Swamp Thing. Trust me, you won't see this kind of wanton mayhem and destruction on, say, The Bachelor.
   

So this holiday, once you get your gift cards, or some horrible gift that you need to exchange...take my word for it. Buy one of the many Mythbusters DVD sets (as well as other items) from our store. Catch it on the Discovery Channel. You'll thank me later.