Reality TV and National Geographic may not be Worlds Apart

What do you think of when you hear the words reality television? Is it the exotic locations, the off-the-wall cast? Is it the bizarre challenges, or unusual circumstances? We know, deep down, that what is happening on reality TV is not reality as it naturally happens. The show is being guided by producers, hence all the crazy challenges that occur from week to week, because honestly, reality as it really happens is dull. But what if it isn’t? Maybe that was the question National Geographic Channel producers asked themselves back in 2003 when they came up for the premise of a new series dubbed Worlds Apart.
Worlds Apart is a 13 part reality series which aired in 2003 but can still be caught online. The ingredients are easy, mix one American family with one vastly foreign culture for a week, sit back and wait for it to boil. And boil they will. Each family must travel thousands of miles to a remote village in places like Peru, Ghana, and Papua New Guinea, where they will essentially become a member of the tribe (village, etc…) and assume the role as an active member of the culture. It’s more than an eye-opening experience. For the families who take part, is it exactly how National Geographic describes, “Culture Shock 101.” In this new environment, far from the every day comforts of life in the states, emotions and tempers are naturally bound to erupt.
But, what makes Worlds Apart stand out from other reality shows is, in fact, the reality. With the exception of the interviews, nothing is staged. From learning to slaughter a chicken, to sleeping in a one room hut—the challenges are all real. Though, the show may be a little on the gimmicky side, that is what makes it stand out from National Geographic’s other productions and ties it all together. Each “character” seems to have his or her own theme music, which varies slightly depending on the mood or atmosphere of the scene, and which always fits the culture in which we, as viewers, are in; it would be a bit awkward to hear jazz music when we’re in Ghana or traditional chants in the states. Another bonus is that the lightness of the show allows it to be a great family show and a fun learning tool for kids. Because after all, amidst all the hoopla and sheer entertainment, this is still National Geographic and part of their mission is to educate. Worlds Apart is not just a show about what happens when people are thrust into a completely new situation; it’s mostly about cultural respect.

I have to say that I was greatly surprised by my enjoyment of Worlds Apart. I only briefly enjoyed reality TV when I was in junior high and watched Big Brother on a regular basis, and don’t have much respect for it as a form of entertainment. Coming into Worlds Apart, I had a mixed set of feelings towards the idea of my beloved National Geographic Channel delving into the world of reality television. But I was greatly pleased with this show, and recommend it both to fans of reality TV and to those like me who seem to tune it out. Worlds Apart is a gem, and I wish the series could have continued.

*Images from Hulu and AOL Video

My Rating:








Watch the series at these links:
The Best of National Geographic Channel: http://www.joost.com/032004g/t/Best-of-National-Geographic-Channel
National Geographic Videos: http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/channel/videos/feeds/cv-seo/Full-Episodes/All-Full-Episodes/




Series Premiere Episode: "Oakton Meets Papua New Guinea"

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National Geographic Goes Inside a Cult

Today, there are over three-thousand cults in the United States alone. Only a handful has made it to the public’s attention. Maybe you can recall some of the more commonly referred to ones such as The Yearning for Zion ranch which made headlines last year when police removed 416 children from the remote Texas compound following a tip from a cult teenager who claimed she was being sexually assaulted by members of the group. In 1997 the thirty-seven members of the UFO cult known as Heaven’s Gate committed mass suicide with the belief that their souls would be transported to a waiting spaceship which coincided with the appearance of Comet Hale-Bob. Or maybe you recall some cult leaders in recent history, like the leader of the FLDS Church (Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints) Warren Jeffs, who, in 2006, appeared on the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted List, and was later found guilty of two counts of being an accomplice to rape and received a jail sentence of ten years to life. The leader of the Branch Davidian Compound in Waco, Texas, David Koresh, proclaimed himself the Son of God. In 1993, Fifty-four adults and twenty-one children were found dead after a siege by the FBI culminated in the burning of the compound. Or Jim Jones, leader of The People’s Temple, whose 909 followers, 276 of whom were children, drank a poisoned fruit punch laced with cyanide in order to, as Jones puts it “[protest] the conditions of an inhumane world.”
Michael Traveser says his group will never commit suicide.
There is a place in the remote deserts of New Mexico which calls itself Strong City, and in April 2007, National Geographic photographers were allowed inside their gates. The leader of the cult is Wayne Bent, though followers know him as Michael Traveser. Wayne Bent claims to be the Messiah. In an interview for the documentary, in which Bent is seated on, what almost appears to be, a makeshift throne and draped in white, Bent made this affirmation; “I am the embodiment of God. I am divinity and humanity combined….I swear it by the One who lives for ever and ever.” As of August 2007, Wayne Bent’s followers believed the world would come to an end at midnight, on the 31st of October 2007, and Michael Traveser is their only route to Heaven. Inside Strong City families and relationships have been dissolved; all emotional ties with anyone other than Michael are broken. There are no sexual relationships, except those in which God tells Michael he must “consummate” with one of the cult’s women; sex is sinful, and Strong City residents strive to life a life free of sin. Members do not work outside the cult. They have no personal possessions and give Michael all there money, which includes any inheritance or social security they may receive. The children of Strong City do not attend public school; Michael feels it is a bad influence, but he lets them educate themselves by surfing the internet. Though, as 15 year old Matthew explains to the cameras, he finds learning things, such as learning about the planets of our solar system, useless. Thirty-one people have left Strong City. Some had to leave their children behind and come back later to remove them from the cult, often by force.
This is where Inside a Cult begins. An Albuquerque news station, KOAT, reports that a sixteen year old girl was taken from the Strong City compound by the state. The documentary then continues slowly and eerily from there. The simple musical score is prominent beneath a softly spoken and simply written narration. The combination of the two, layered with long, compelling shots is oddly captivating, and viewers may find themselves immovable in their seats. Inside a Cult is a complex story which is simply told, and this simplicity makes it gripping. It almost seems as though the show was cut and pasted together in a hurry. Many of the interviews are raw footage, with little to no editing involved. Most of the camera work is hand-held, creating a shaky, unstable feeling throughout. However, unlike many documentary films which exist mostly to tell a unique, real-life story, Inside a Cult does not merely impart the tale. This occurrence is very subtle and unapparent, but it is there in the subtext, if you listen closely. This is an exposé. So while the residents of Strong City have let the photographers in on the pretext of spread the word of God, the producers had a different agenda, one in which uncovers the terrible reality of living Inside a Cult.

I first came across Inside a Cult after completing Carolyn Jessop’s memoir, Escape. Jessop was born into the FLDS and, at 18, forced to marry a man 32 years her senior. Jessop eventually escaped the cult, along with her eight children. Escape was a fascinating memoir and an eye-opening read. Inside a Cult, though it only briefly mentions the FLDS, created a good companion to the book. I recommend both completely.


My Rating:





Want to learn more?

-Inside a Cult Official Webpage: http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/episode/inside-a-cult-3401/Overview#tab-Overview
-Strong City's Webpage: http://strongcity.info/
-PBS Frontline: Waco-The Inside Story: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/waco/
-Introduction to the Branch Davidians: http://www.fountain.btinternet.co.uk/koresh/index.html
-FLDS Directory: http://www.flds.com/
-Lifiting the Veil of Polygamy; Video Interviews with Cult Survivors: http://livinghopeutah.org/polygamy.htm
-TIME Q&A with Polygamy Survivor Carolyn Jessop: http://www.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,1675126,00.html
-Heaven's Gate Official Website (left untouched after suicides): http://www.heavensgate.com/
-TruTV; Heaven's Gate: http://www.trutv.com/library/crime/notorious_murders/mass/heavens_gate/1.html?sect=8


Watch Inside a Cult Here:

Inside a Cult

Watch the Sequel Inside a Cult: Messiah on Trial to find out what happened to Wayne Bent and Strong City after the documentary aired:

Inside a Cult: Messiah on Trial | National Geographic Channel

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Not Everyone Loves a Cliff Hanger: The Mystery of The Girl Who Cries Blood

When we begin there’s no fanfare, no amazing moment that rivets you to the television set, nothing to make you want to devote the next half-hour of your life to the images dancing in front of you…nothing but a teenager walking down a busy street, a sweet smile on her face, a happy bounce in her step. Her name is Twinkle, and “for the most part she is a normal Indian teenager.” But everybody has a story, right?
For those who have been introduced to the mystery of stigmata, Twinkle’s story will seem hauntingly familiar. According to National Geographic, stigmata are a “phenomenon where the victim receives wounds which mimic the injuries Christ endured during his crucifixion.” For believers the appearance of the wounds (most often on the hands, feet, forehead, and waist) is a sign of God’s presence. For others stigmata are a mystery waiting to be solved, and for some, it is simply wishful thinking on the part of believers.
However, Twinkle’s situation is a bit different. The young girl has been dubbed “the girl who cries blood” for a recurring affliction that causes Twinkle to bleed spontaneously and from no visible source. Most striking are the streams of blood which seem to flow like tears from her eyes, but the teen has reported spontaneous bleeding from her hands, feet, scalp, ears…and the list goes on…and on. Family, friends, doctors, mystics—everyone who has seen Twinkle has been baffled by this mysterious affliction. Doctors in India refuse to treat her. Mystics claim she is not ill but possessed, and a leech-like spirit is sucking her blood. Others think it may be psychological, and some claim it is merely a hoax. Even American doctors are puzzled. But Dr. George Buchanan, director of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, wants to solve the riddle of “the girl who cries blood.”
And so the show goes on…following Dr. Buchanan as he attempts give Twinkle and her family a diagnosis and some piece of mind. The feel of The Girl Who Cries Blood is fast-paced and emotional. It takes a concept similar to Discovery Health’s popular series, Mystery Diagnosis, and gives it the traditional National Geographic touch—there’s no reenactments (sometimes home video is used), and no catchy gimmicks. The Girl Who Cries Blood is a show that’s all about the story, and the story is both its saving grace and its downfall. The traditional story arc is followed here to the letter; it begins with the setup, your basic introduction (characters, setting, etc.), followed by rising action, the main events that escalate until we reach…the climax (or peak of the story, where all the action was heading), and fall back down with a resolution, what happens now that the story is over. But it is in these last two, climax and resolution, where The Girl Who Cries Blood will potentially anger viewers. The problem? Well, the show seems to be missing these most important storytelling elements. Before your even ready for it, the credits begin to roll. And since there currently seems to be no publicly known plans for a sequel, The Girl Who Cries Blood only leaves you with questions and provides you no answers.

I have to be honest; I waited all summer to watch this show. After every promo that ran on National Geographic (and there were a lot of promos), my excitement grew. I loved the potential of the story and the mystery behind it. But after the show concluded I wondered, where’s the rest of the story, what happens now? Of course, I am not telling you to avoid watching this show. You should watch it. Make your own decisions. (And let me know what you think!) This is just one person’s opinion.

*Images from channel.nationalgeographic.com

My rating:





* Currently, The Girl Who Cries Blood is not available on DVD, but you can check your local listings (http://www.tvguide.com/) for the next showing!


Want to Learn More?

-The Girl Who Cries Blood official web page: http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/episode/the-girl-who-cries-blood-4450/Overview

-Catholic Encyclopedia; Stigmata: http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/14294b.htm

-Associated Content; What is Haemolacria?: http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/2139349/what_is_haemolacria.html?cat=5



Al Roker talks with Dr. George Buchanan:

Watch a clip from The Girl Who Cries Blood:

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Enter the Thrill Zone with National Geographic

Summertime. A time for relaxation, fun, and adventure. A time for engineering, physics, and psychology? Summertime. A time to come screaming down to earth at insane speeds, feeling our hearts beat out of our chests, our stomachs rising to our throats. A time to push the limits of what we think our bodies can handle and shout in excitement to discover we are still alive. We survived. Summertime, the perfect time…for rollercoasters.

Ever since the roaring twenties we have loved the thrill we get from riding the perfect coaster. There’s just something about that thrill of controlled danger that keeps coaster fans coming back for more. But, rollercoasters as we knew them back in the twenties are no more. The rollercoaster has evolved so extremely since then coaster enthusiasts have given them a new name. They are a new breed, the breed called Supercoaster.

National Geographic’s original series, Thrill Zone, takes an in-depth, ninety minute, look at Supercoasters, exploring the engineering that goes into creating a new coaster, to the physics of coaster design, to the differing psychology of the enthusiasts versus the “coaster phobics.” The world of the Supercoaster is a diverse one, with engineers, physicists, designers, mechanics, and psychologists all working towards a common goal, keeping riders safe and keeping thrills up(who says we can’t all get along).

But, does Thrill Zone succeed in keeping the thrills up? For the most part the answer is yes. Music video style editing keeps the show moving, and tight, dramatic shots add anticipation and mystery. And what, other than actually riding, can be more exciting than seeing that large, initial drop gleaming in the sunrise, patiently awaiting it’s days first load of riders. What’s more, there’s a story here waiting to be told as well. And it may not be the story you would expect. Thrill Zone: Supercoasters is the story of a war—the war to build the biggest and fastest Supercoaster the world has ever seen. It’s about the adrenaline rush. In its ninety minutes, Thrill Zone introduces viewers to today’s coasters and talks to the many different people who brought these behemoths into being. Often, these people are scientists who stress that if you want to understand the workings of a rollercoaster you must first understand the universal law of gravity, and for many out there, physics is not an easily understood science. The laws of physics, the laws of coaster building, are complex and not easily broken down into easily explainable pieces for the average viewer. But whether Thrill Zone, with its use of metaphor, creative writing, and numerous computer graphics, succeeds in explaining this tough science is a decision to be made by the viewer. Where Thrill Zone does succeed, however, is in keeping viewers interested. And they do this by telling a story, starting with the birth of the Supercoaster and the history the brought it here, visiting the Supercoasters of the present (featuring a surprise coaster you won’t believe, dubbed The Blue Flash), and foreshadowing the Supercoasters of the future.

But beneath it all—all the science and all the chaos—the real theme here is a simple two words: What if? What if, in the quest to build the biggest and fastest Supercoaster, we go too far? What happens when, in our desire for an adrenaline rush, we go too big and too fast? How much are we willing to push the limits of what our bodies can handle just for the next big thrill?

My first rollercoaster is by no means a Supercoaster, but it is famous. The Racer has long been one of the most popular rides at Kennywood Park for generations, and is now a historic landmark. Ever since my first ride on The Racer I have loved coasters, and I’ve been watching shows about them just as long. But something about Thrill Zone: Supercoasters left me feeling unsatisfied. As someone who doesn’t grasp science easily I found the physics and psychology parts of the show moved a little to quickly for me to completely understand. But, I still recommend the show to viewers who love a good thrill, after all Thrill Zone does have six seasons of exciting episodes to check out.

My Rating:

Additional Links worth checking out:

Roller Coaster Database: http://www.rcdb.com/

How Stuff Works, Roller Coaster G-Forces: http://science.howstuffworks.com/roller-coaster5.htm

Sorry...but at least for now Seasons of Thrill Zone are not available for purchase but you can watch the Supercoasters episode here and more episodes are available on Hulu....

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