I happen to be hooked on MvW and find it extremely entertaining and even somewhat educational.

I like Bear, although I have always considered him a bit of a nut for the insane chances he takes on the show. But that's the show - worst-case scenarios and most desperate measures.

Comparing Bear to Les is appropriate, but those who consider Les to be less of a nutjob just because he doesn't take some of the flashy chances that Les takes forget the basic point - Les intentionally strands himself in hostile country, completely alone, with minimal kit and 60 pounds of freakin' camera equipment. And of course, there there have been times when Les has climbed down a dangerous rock or ice face, set up a camera, then climbed back up and back down again just to get the video footage.

You can also criticize Bear for walking himself out, in direct violation of the prevailing "stay put" wisdom on ETS, but don't forget that Les does the same thing.

Bear may have staged some of his close calls, but if you watch camera positions and behavior carefully you may find that Les stages a whole lotta stuff as well; he just does it with more sublety than Bear.

Frankly, I think they're both equally nuts, equally entertaining, and equally melodramatic about their situations. I enjoy watching both shows, I pick up a few useful tidbits of info from both, and I'm smart enough to know that what they are both showing are survival techniques that are beyond the skill level of most ordinary people, including me.

I don't think you should blame either one of them for the idiots who might try to emulate them, any more than you should blame Jackie Chan or the Governator for idiots who may try to emulate the semi-super-human feats they accomplish in their movies.