Stranded
I have discovered a new television program that, if you have the Travel Channel, you really must check out. I seem to tune in every week once Monday Night Football is over, and it's slowly becoming an addiction. It's also vaguely educational, so I don't even have to consider it a guilty pleasure. The show: Stranded With Cash Peters.
Disclaimer: I was first introduced to Cash as a contributor to The Savvy Traveler on NPR and his voice is one I fell instantly in love with. He is one of those radio broadcasters (along with Sarah Vowell and Kristian Foden-Vencil) that, when I hear his voice, I will stop and listen to the story and be interested in it regardless of the topic. That makes me a total sucker for this show, but I till love it.
Anyhow, the basic premise of the show is that Cash gets dropped somewhere for 24 hours with just the clothes on his back. Frequently he is dropped outside of the town, so actually needs to find the place to start his journey. He then spends the episode meeting locals and participating in local culture. It is also helpful to know that he is a self-proclaimed sissy.
The local culture often seems to involve extreme-type sports. In part because I'm sure the folks who are into extreme sports are the types who would befriend a stranger with no money and a camera man. ALL the episodes I've seen have involved copious drinking.
His discovery, and mix of joy, trepidation, and mockery of the local culture is just so much fun to watch! I'm pretty sure that his stumbling into people is at least partly staged, but it's staged so well that you can allow yourself to believe that it's 100% off the cuff. If it ISN'T staged at all, then I'm going to give Sweetie a camera and we're going to start traveling the globe in the name of television, as the generosity of the strangers Cash encounters really is extraordinary.
Check out an episode, I'm sure you'll enjoy it.
Disclaimer: I was first introduced to Cash as a contributor to The Savvy Traveler on NPR and his voice is one I fell instantly in love with. He is one of those radio broadcasters (along with Sarah Vowell and Kristian Foden-Vencil) that, when I hear his voice, I will stop and listen to the story and be interested in it regardless of the topic. That makes me a total sucker for this show, but I till love it.
Anyhow, the basic premise of the show is that Cash gets dropped somewhere for 24 hours with just the clothes on his back. Frequently he is dropped outside of the town, so actually needs to find the place to start his journey. He then spends the episode meeting locals and participating in local culture. It is also helpful to know that he is a self-proclaimed sissy.
The local culture often seems to involve extreme-type sports. In part because I'm sure the folks who are into extreme sports are the types who would befriend a stranger with no money and a camera man. ALL the episodes I've seen have involved copious drinking.
His discovery, and mix of joy, trepidation, and mockery of the local culture is just so much fun to watch! I'm pretty sure that his stumbling into people is at least partly staged, but it's staged so well that you can allow yourself to believe that it's 100% off the cuff. If it ISN'T staged at all, then I'm going to give Sweetie a camera and we're going to start traveling the globe in the name of television, as the generosity of the strangers Cash encounters really is extraordinary.
Check out an episode, I'm sure you'll enjoy it.
posted by Swankette at 10:08 PM
3 Comments:
I enjoy the show, too, although his stuff on The Savvy Traveller was funnier because it was necessarily more focused.
He seems to use variants on the phrase "I don't think I'm going to like this" a bit much for me.
But the bull-baiting in Mexico one was hilarious.
I just consider that his catchphrase. And by the inflection in his voice you can tell if it's terror or kitsch he's being traumatized by.
I know what you mean about Sarah Vowell and Kristian Foden-Vencil. We got to see Kristian live--he was a special guest on Livewire (http://www.livewireradio.org) when we were there for a taping. He's a pretty funny guy! They were pretty relentless in teasing him about the way he says his name and he just laughed along with it.
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