Alaska - The Bush People

 8/10/2014

It's no surprise to people who know me, I have a great fondness for "reality" shows.  I know that these shows are scripted and they aren't what could be considered "good" television.  Even knowing that, I still like these kind of shows.

The latest reality show I've found is The Alaska Bush People.  Husband, wife and seven people living "off the land".  The 5 acres of so-called Alaskan wilderness where, as the show claims, the “recently discovered” family shunned modern society to eke out a simple existence deep in the bush.  Apparently, at the end of filming 2012, sat in a subdivision less than 10 miles south of Copper Center..  The town is easily accessible from a dirt road just off the highway. There’s a pizza place about a half-mile away. The surroundings are wild enough -- the production crew even hired someone to carry a shotgun for bear protection, numerous locals say -- but the area is by no means wilderness.

We’re told to believe that the Browns decided to pack up, sell the land, sell their SUV and go back to Southeast Alaska by boat, thereby making everything you’ve watched so far utterly pointless. It’s like the producers said, “So, Billy, this cabin-building thing was great and all. But this stable home stuff, it’s just not good TV. And, you know, it’s a lot colder up here than we thought it was going to be. And the crew’s already sick of Grizzly Pizza. Here’s an idea: How about we pretend you get forced off the land in dramatic fashion and we go back to Ketchikan and show some whole new and exciting ways for you and your family to always be on the brink of death? We’ll get picked up for another season, and we can get someone blonder and perkier to play the part of Birdie. How’s about it?”

The father Billy has written three books each selling for $24.95.  This would lead me to believe that they must have a bank account of some kind.  I doubt that they would expect to "barter" for the sale of their books!  Also Mom Brown is working on a cookbook, which when finished, will likely sell for probably $24.95.

I have searched the internet and can find no site indicating how much the Discovery Channel pays the Brown people.  But, you know and so do I, that they are paid for allowing a film crew to follow them around.

If you can remove yourself while watching this show, and realize that these people are neither freezing, hungry or poor, and all you want is a "reality show" to watch, this one might fit the bill.

P