"I Survived" TV show on Biography

[leadcounsel]

While the show could be done better and more efficiently, it's an interesting show.

If you haven't seen it, the premise is generally three different stories told by the actual victims of their escape from certain death at the hands of perpetrators, nature, wild animals, accidents, stupidity, bad luck, etc.

A common theme (typically at least once per episode) is someone being attacked by an armed perpetrator (typically with a gun, sometimes a knife or other instrument). It's interesting to hear victims recount what it felt like to get shot, where they were shot, how they fought back and survived.

I've seen several shows where men and women have taken shots to their head, back, spine, abdomen, legs, etc. and not only lived, but functioned enough to fight back and/or flee impressive distances. Of course these are not scientific accounts nor do we know the type of pistol or ammunition, but it's interesting nonetheless.

 

[FourteenMiles]

That show should be called "I should have had a firearm".

 

[GojuBrian]

I saw that show. In several instances I was thinking, if only they had a firearm and a little training. So many of them not only would had survived, but the bad guys would have been telling their tale from prison, or the morgue.

 

[leadcounsel]

I saw that show. In several instances I was thinking, if only they had a firearm and a little training. So many of them not only would had survived, but the bad guys would have been telling their tale from prison, or the morgue.

I agree 100%. In nearly every instance (with the exception of being surprised) I've seen on this show, where there was an armed perp, the victim could have thwarted his/her attack if the victim was armed.

 

[Snowdog]

My wife and I watch that show on occasion.
I find myself having to bite my tongue much of the time while watching or I'll get an "enough already" from my wife. It seems I make comments during the program (to the point of being annoying). I just find it challenging not to point out how certain people could have avoided becoming a victim had they taken the responsibility of their safety seriously.

 

[Shadow 7D]

What surprised me was both what the victims would allow to be done to them, and how much they cooperated before they reached the point where they fought back. Most were in the process of being killed, or their attacker thought they were dead.

 

[Zoidberg523]

I saw that show. In several instances I was thinking, if only they had a firearm and a little training. So many of them not only would had survived, but the bad guys would have been telling their tale from prison, or the morgue.

This is why my girlfriend wont watch horror/action movies with me.

 

[CCWB]

So any attack on a human by a human can be considered an act of terrorism. I think this is a great show because it not only shows a citizen can be vigilant against an attacker, but also shows how not to become a easy target.

 

[Jamie B]

That show should be called "I should have had a firearm".

Winner of the Common Sense Award!

 

[Shadow 7D]

No, it should be called
"what happens when you have a false sense of security and lack of awareness"
Or
Why you fight and not wait to fight
as most of these are examples of avoidable situations
take the one where a girl is raped after being held for a couple of hours, then jumps out of a 2nd story window when they are planning how to kill her

She hid under her bed when she heard them breaking in, and didn't fight or attempt to escape when they found her...

 

[leadcounsel]

It's a GREAT tool for waking people up (I'm talking about the sheep) as to why they NEED to take responsibility for their own safety.

As many pointed out, the OBVIOUS solution to many of these instances is situational awareness, home security plan, and owning/learning to use/carrying a handgun.

 

[killchain]

Every episode I've seen usually involves someone not bringing enough of something.

There was one especially with some Boy Scouts who were stuck in the Grand Canyon without water... my thoughts were "Should have brought a CamelBak."

 

[myrockfight]

Every episode usually involves someone not bringing enough of something.

Yup...brains.

 

[killchain]

Better to have and not want than to need and not have.

-Heard it from an Army Ranger, hooah?

 

[beeenbag]

yeah ive seen it and thought the same thing.....one of the episodes I seen had 4 or 5 people standin on a sand bar in the middle of a river surrounded by crocodiles. The whole time im thinkin "who goes on a nature trip where there are huge predators (or any trip for that matter) and doesn't take a gun?"

My opinion.... people just don't think! Mick dundee would've took out his knife and had a new pair of boots!

 

[leadcounsel]

There are many lessons though where people CANNOT be armed. For instance, there was a woman passenger on a 1985 hijacked flight, and she was shot in the head and left for dead. Or a woman that was with a man she trusted, and he pulled a gun on her and she did resist and flee, but he shot her and ran her over with his car! Good lessons on survival, even if the lesson is to bring water, a knife, a gun, etc.

 

[parsimonious_instead]

Leadcounsel:

I haven't seen that particular show, but on the rare occasions that I watch "America's Most Wanted" I somehow always seem to land on an episode about a convenience store robbery and a compliant clerk who is killed anyway. I always think to myself, "If only they had fought back or tried something, they might still be alive."

One of the most depressing incidents I've read aboutwas a woman who was hiking a trail when she was ambushed, tied up and beheaded.
What makes her case interesting is that all of the ususal Liberal "answers" to "why carry a gun" didn't apply:
"There are always plenty of fellow hikers and park rangers" - actually no one saw her body until at least a few hours after her demise.
"You don't need a gun, learn martial arts" - well she was younger, more athletic and knew some self-defense but it wasn't enough to overcome an attacker that was older, but stronger and utterly ruthless.
"You don't need a gun, bring a dog" - well, she had a dog and the pooch decided to sit out the fight, even as she battled for her life.

 

[Bad Penny 03]

I liked the show at first because it was interesting.
Now I watch selectively.

After a while it's just the same stuff repeated over and over, which I guess is to be expected.

Hi-jacking/workplace shooting
Mechanical catastrophe (defective machines or industrial accidents.)
Shark attack
Rapist
Natural disaster
Lost at sea or in the wilderness

While the show could be done better and more efficiently

Yeah. This really annoys me and it's common on TV these days.
Which I guess reminds me of why I don't watch that much.

Every episode is laid out like this:

They do a flash forward.
Then commercials for 10 minutes which includes a preview of the episode you're watching.
Then a recap.
Then 5 min of story, 3 of which are still pictures with 2 sentences on it explaining the circumstances, there are maybe 2 or 3 of these in a row...most of which are telling you what you've already seen.
They interview the victim, she/he says 2 words, then there is a pause, then a weird camera angle, then 2 more words and a pause and more stills.
Rinse /repeat.

If you were to take out the stupidness, I swear the shows would be 8 minutes long, total.

That show should be called "I should have had a firearm".

Yeah.
I prefer: "How to be a victim."

 

[DFW1911]

That show should be called "I should have had a firearm".

Yep!

I saw an episode where some hikers were attacked by a Mountain Lion. Did they have a firearm? No, they had a stick.

Do they wish they had a firearm? I'd wager yes after seeing the damage that cat inflicted

 

[leadcounsel]

Guys, you cannot ALWAYS have a firearm! Travel to California, New York, or Illinois for instance? How about most international countries, or even on an airplane...

There was an episode where guys were driving on a back road in Sierra Lione and they were attacked by escaped Great Apes, for instance.

Yes, there are many people that could have and should have owned and known how to use a firearm. But that's not always possible...