"Outback Jack" -- what're the odds he actually from the Outback?

[ForrestGump]

Saw ads for the upcoming 'reality' show, Outback Jack, and the first thing I thought was "dude, I bet he's not even from the Outback." I just checked on Google and, sure enough, I answered the question that I meant this thread to pose: he's an occupational health and safety officer from East Melbourne, about as far away from the Outback as it's possible to get in Australia. Too pretty for the Outback, anyway -- that place ages men and women like you wouldn't believe.

So he's not from the Outback and, in keeping with the journalisit integrity we've come to expect from 'reality' TV, he's not named Jack. He's named Vadim. And the Average Joe people weren't named Joe, either. What's the world coming to?

To his credit, though, he is allegedly a big-time outdoors enthusiast and sportsman, with a lot of trophies won, so the odds are good that he actually knows his way around the Outback and its various hazards and beasties. Good luck to him as he works his way toward fame, fortune, and perhaps niknik with the show's airheaded American girls.

Anyway, I was deeply disturbed by the commercial because of my skepticism over the focal dude being an Outbacker and, more so, because the women featured seem to be (are certainly painted as) really, really, really annoying. I've had the misfortune of dealing with such Americvan princesses in the field and it's not only far from fun, it's dangerous and generally A Very Bad Thing. The line about destroying the Outback and replacing it with a shopping mall would be potent evidence that the show's scripted or that the subjects are playing up for the cameras were it not for the fact that I've more than once heard similar sentiments from carbon-copies of the willfully ignorant shallow bimbos that US mass media so painstakingly celebrates (hello, Jessica Simpson) as some kind of ideal. Sick.

Look on bulletin boards here in LA and you'll see casting calls for what seems like an endless array of 'reality' shows. It's a sick trend that, if anything, is only deepening. Those of us who find most (or all) of these shows basically offensive on one level or another should be prepared to remain offended for a good few years yet should we stray at the wrong time to any of the increasing number of broadcast and cable channels that are producing these shows.

[Teddy_Salad]

1. Hey! I used to live in the Outback and...

it didn't age me!

I look pretty good for 37, don't you think?

[ForrestGump]

6. Dude! Say hi to John, Paul, George, and Ringo!

[alvis]

2. Maybe he went to an Outback Steakhouse... nt

[ForrestGump]

7. Hey, that's DANGEROUS!

:o

[the Kelly Gang]

3. it would have to be one hell of a Walmart to cover the outback..

.. just recently a UK (un)reality show filmed in Northern NSW.."I'm a Celebrity , Get Me Out Of Here"..in what was meant to be a tropical rain forest..except it was someone's banana plantation hired for the shoot and everything had to be imported..from spiders to kangaroos.

Johnny Rotten was one 'celebrity',,but he threw a hissy fit and scarpered after the first week to spend the rest of his time in the 6 star resort Palace Versace on the Gold Coast, which was the most interesting thing that happened.

[ForrestGump]

8. Northern NSW isn't exactly tropical, either

No TV is 'reality,' even (at least in the US) the news.

[supernova]

4. Have an elderly Aussie friend

Apparently the mythos in Australia is that the wilderness (aka The Outback) is some place dark and mysterious, wild and untamed, like Deepest, Darkest Africa. Civilized people fear to tread there. :scared: that's why everybody lives along the coastline. It's the complete opposite of the "Go West, young man!" attitude found here.

I prefer "reality shows" where people cooperate to accomplish something rather than stab each other in the back. That's just not entertaining to me at all.

Edit: And I love movies best of all.

[ForrestGump]

9. I love the Outback, but it IS pretty harsh and unforgiving

More 'desolate' (hate to use that term because there's life everywhere there) than any of the US deserts that I've visted, methinks. Amazing place.

[Teddy_Salad]

13. Ummm, that's not actually true

The reason the coastline is so heavily populated and the interior, or outback in Australia is deserted is because the outback is a very unforgiving place.

I've lived in "The Outback" and it is nothing like you have here in the U.S.

It is all desert and water is pretty much non-existent.
In fact, in some places you can get the annual rainfall in a couple of hours and that's it. It will not rain again for maybe years.
And without water in Australia's outback, with temperatures up to 120 degrees or even greater, a person would be lucky to survive a day without adequate water.

This is why Australian's live along the coast and why Australian's are very wary and careful when they do venture into the outback.

But it is absolutely magical. There is no place like it.

[NightTrain]

5. About the same odds that...

...lookalikes for Gilligan, Mr. Howell and Ginger would all land on the island!

[ForrestGump]

10. Speaking of which, TBS (who're entering the reality-TV game with

Outback Jack) are reportedly going to air a 'reality' series based on Gilligan's Island.

[the Kelly Gang]

11. 'Walkabout' is the best outback film..if you ever get a chance

to see it.
With David Gulupalil and Jenny Agutter

[ForrestGump]

12. I saw it when I was about the same age as Jenny Agutter was in the

film, I think...I can still vividly recall certain of the visuals. :D

I'd like to see it again, because it's a powerful and stark film that I'd probably like even more now.