"The Colony" my take

[Lowdown3]

This just came up on another board. One fellow said basically he couldn't believe it (the Colony show) could motivate anyone for anything other than changing the channel. LOL.

Here is my reply-

Actually I just finished watching the dvd's of the first season- we don't have regular TV service.

It actually DID motivate a lot of people- in the wrong way.

Things I remember being posted on various forums since that ridiculous arse show started up-

*Most notable was the fellow running a small state board that said his plan was to take his gaggle of family and find a farm or BOL and "negotiate" his way in. If the "negotiations" failed they would take the place.

The good news being I saw them once at a get together and they wouldn't have made it out of their drive way, the fellow was about 400 lbs. and seemed hooked on anti depressants , his family was ready to kill each other after a few hours together, they didn't have any skills, training, nor did they have a want to get any. Yet the fellow was clearly a good MANIPULATOR and their is a real danger in people like that. While THEY won't lift a finger to every do anything, they will manipulate others to. And this fellow was looking for weak minded "followers", that was clear to everyone.

*This same fellow would later post that he was "driving around his neighborhood looking for solar panels" to steal after something happened.

Obviously another "Colony" type idea, just like the "negotiating" their way in. The second group of 4 idjits did this early on in the show.

*Then their is the "I'll build a wood gasifier" and "I'll build a water filter instead of buying one" type attitudes. 99% of the time people that spout that crap have never actually built anything except a case of hemorrhoids!

The show in showing how they "found" all the items they really needed, could tend to foster a "why prepare ahead of time" attitude (something also seen from there). Was it a coincidence that this little warehouse had everything they needed for all these projects? Come the flip on.

*Lastly and most destructively is the group dynamics issues. A lot of immature types now think that a REAL survival group does or should act like those idiots on TV. You know, "Like TV like imitates like reality or something." "Like OMG, you didn't like ask me nicely with whipped cream and a cherry on top to help you when that log was falling on your head, like OMG you cannot talk to me that way or I'm walking off like the Prom Queen Nurse did..."

In the show their was no clear, voted on or designated leader. Their ridiculous attempts at "voting" on issues during potentially dangerous times was flat out ridiculous.

Unfortunately that show DID motivate some people- to the wrong end though......

Just remember, it's ENTERTAINMENT nothing more, and you'll do fine. The problem is that ideas are easily taken in to the brain via TV. Besides, "reality TV shows" are "REAL" right? ;)

Lowdown3

[monkeybird]

You are absolutely correct in your review of this show. After episode 2, I quit watching. It's awful and totally inaccurate. You're right about everything they need being conveniently nearby. Also, I was amused by the hand and fist conflict between the colony members and a roving gang. This is supposed to be New Orleans and not one gun was seen anywhere.

This is show is not worth the time spent watching it.

[crossbow]

somewhere i saw about ten minutes of one show, they were unloading spoiled meat from a truck. Somehow all of them had on a new pair of rubber boots and white coats or white sheets around their bodies, I thought this is great, here's 8-10 people trying to survive in a city and they're all carrying sanitary items. I'm not sure where i saw it or what show it was.

[altermoor]

I don't disagree with anything said here except that maybe the perspective is wrong. This was not, despite how it might have been portrayed in previews, aimed at preppers/survivalists. This was just a reality show aimed at people who have become mildly interested in survival ("Survivorman," "Man vs. Wild" people). ...Just as "Top Shot" is a reality show aimed at people who have become interested in guns, and "Top Chef" is a reality show aimed at people who like to see people swear at each other a lot. :p I see "The Colony" as more of a social experiment than anything else. And, given the group of people and the way they behaved, I think it showed just how much of a failure most people would be; it showed that even people with useful skills (a mechanic, a contractor, a nurse, etc.) won't necessarily be helpful in working together in a situation like this.

Two other things... In defense of their possessing some (or many?) of the tools they'd need to do various things: 1) Many medical supplies - and, ostensibly, whatever food supplies - were available because the premise was that they'd survived a pandemic having been quarantined in some medical facility, and 2) One thing about the world today is that most developed societies would leave behind a treasure trove of useful items - as long as one knew how to MAKE USE of them. And in defense of there not being any firearms in the show, well, it would have been over in about five minutes and everyone would have been killed. That's just bad TV - even slightly worse TV than a bunch of grown men "girl-punching" each other. :rolleyes:

[Lowdown3]

I get it. I know it's wasn't designed FOR survivalists. My point was that is that I've seen where it gives people stupid ideas- like the 400 lb. Prozac gobbling fellow with the "I'll negotiate my way in" idea. This is gonna get him and his herd KILLED one day if he ever tries that. I don't see how that is helpful.

Yes their will be things that can be scavenged, no doubt there. But did ANY of their little projects fail for lack of a certain item? Nope. I stock a boatload of wood, various types of nails and screws, plumbing parts, etc. (mainly because it's a 30 drive each way for a good selection of them) but it's very common to come up short on a project and need further supplies. That never happened there.

Yes it was "reality" TV, etc. The point is the bleed over that HAS occured from the show, that is my point. Some guy saying "why buy solar panels when you can live off a wood gasifier"- not having thought through at all nor having ever probably BUILT one. Never mind the constant work in cutting wood, keeping the thing filled, nor the security implications of all that woodsmoke, a generator running all the time, etc.

Security was NEVER a REAL issue in that show, guess I should say never taken seriously. Two nights of having someone stay up is NOT real security.

I'm just concerned about people getting the wrong ideas. When people that are just getting started say "I can build a water filter so why buy one" that's not being a survivalist, that's not being prepared. And of course most of these people spouting that stuff have never actually built anything like that. Having built more than a few filters, I would HATE to be without a real filter and certainly would not "plan" on not having one cause I watched some show and saw people barely scrape by.

I guess that was my point.

[altermoor]

It is a good point...Sorry to have been argumentative.

There's no doubt that many people have an inflated idea of how well they'd do in a SHTF situation. (If it happens, I'm pretty sure I'm toast, but I'm going to do my best to prove myself wrong!)

This goes along with the full-on nut-jobs who think TEOTAWKI would be somehow fun. (It won't be fun for anyone. Even someone with unlimited resources who is able to stockpile a lifetime's worth of food and water and who knows they are 100% secure would have to live out his life knowing virtually everyone he ever knew is dead or suffering...Not fun.)

I have found moments of the show to be compelling - and even learned a few little things (which probably tells everyone how little I know!)

[1Admin]

No problem, we can all debate things, that's not being argumentative. It's all good :)

I know what your getting at, I've never understood the "I don't plan to survive, I plan to THRIVE" little things people like to say. No matter how prepared you are, few people are really going to "thrive" in a post apoc environment.

I got some ideas from the show also- the corrugated tin for a washboard was a "duh! Why didn't I think of that!" moment for sure. One thing I didn't understand was they had all those plumbing fittings and that roof drain seemed to run right over where there little water filter was set up. Why didn't they try to run it right into it, thereby cutting down on the collecting and dragging it to the filter work? Yes they could get so much as to overload the filter but it could have then been diverted to the garbage cans, etc.

[Rmplstlskn]

You mean it is not a "how to" show? (disappointed)

Maybe it is my many years growing up watching horror flicks, but I find a fascination in watching the dysfunctionality... Maybe it makes me feel better about my preps... Thinking, "at least I have that base covered..." Or showing me how trying to "help society" would be folly, and that being a "good Samaritan" may get you killed or robbed... Makes the parable of the "wise virgins" seem even more relevant when they told the others to get lost, find your own oil...

But I admit, I did not know you could make a crude diesel fuel by rendering animal fat... Yech!

Rmpl

[Lowdown3]

You mean it is not a "how to" show? (disappointed)

Maybe it is my many years growing up watching horror flicks, but I find a fascination in watching the dysfunctionality... Maybe it makes me feel better about my preps... Thinking, "at least I have that base covered..." Or showing me how trying to "help society" would be folly, and that being a "good Samaritan" may get you killed or robbed... Makes the parable of the "wise virgins" seem even more relevant when they told the others to get lost, find your own oil...

But I admit, I did not know you could make a crude diesel fuel by rendering animal fat... Yech!

Rmpl

That must be from the new season of it?

From what I understand- big caveat as I've never done it- is that you can supposedly cut regular diesel half and half with vegetable oil and do o.k. If you have a generator or truck you can loan me, I'd be happy to try it out for us ;) J/K LOL

[Rmplstlskn]

That must be from the new season of it?

From what I understand- big caveat as I've never done it- is that you can supposedly cut regular diesel half and half with vegetable oil and do o.k. If you have a generator or truck you can loan me, I'd be happy to try it out for us ;) J/K LOL

They didn't spend much time showing the tractor run for an extended time, but from the video shown, they used 100% rendered animal fat (pork) to run an old diesel farm tractor that had a PTO drive an car alternator to charge their batteries... If true, and it ran longer than just the few seconds shown, then I learned something... But EXTREMELY fuel & labor intensive to make...

But Season 2 is going down hill very fast... Even by stretching the imagination.

Rmpl

[protus]

They didn't spend much time showing the tractor run for an extended time, but from the video shown, they used 100% rendered animal fat (pork) to run an old diesel farm tractor that had a PTO drive an car alternator to charge their batteries... If true, and it ran longer than just the few seconds shown, then I learned something... But EXTREMELY fuel & labor intensive to make...

But Season 2 is going down hill very fast... Even by stretching the imagination.

Rmpl

note how "thin" the "bio" fuel was. They cut it down with something.

The new series is worse than the 1st season.

Either way, there is some good info that can be leeched from it. That is if you look at it as a "what not to do" or " how can i improve this".

Most folks new to being prepared do not do that. They look at the show as a means of "what i should do" .

example is security. Ok...they have none....why?should there be? as a viewer you should be asking yourself that. Instead many balk atthe idea of having 1-2 people stay up all night to keep watch, it does give them reason to whine to the camera though ( i dont know why tom has to sleep all day while we work...). Problem is , they wont be a camera in the PAW>

Another is the mentailty of " i can take what i need.."
In season 1, they go to great lengths to build a solar car iirc.
They then go to a trailer style part, find some can goods/supplies what have you, and have an encounter with those that live in those homes that the "survivors" were ransacking for supplies.
There was an argument on the porch iirc. That went like this-
PAW survivor- these are our homes,what are you doing
TV survivor- Well it looked like no one lived here,so we thought.............
then a fight breaks out,,,,TV folks sit and watch PAW guys bash their solar car up.....

The TV folks didnt care "whos" stuff they were scavanging for their use.....They are in fact no different than the "looters" that attck and take from them in the show...notice how well that goes over with them. It doesnt even sit on their brains that they were the "bad guys" in that scenerio.....
many viewers never get that point. It is lost on them.

" oh im gonna drive around my town, keep track of who i see that has a pre 1985 looking truck..."
ask yourself why would someone post that ( they actaully did somewhere).
They actually think that becuase their neighbors are not "preppers" that they will up and leave and all that stuff will be there for them to "take".
A cold harsh reality is gonna befall some of these people if we truly have an event that bad..

[Matt In Oklahoma]

The show is ok, with small moments of "why didnt I think of that". I didnt watch season 1. The one thing it has been good for is to get my family thinking. They rely on me to much to have everything ready and on hand in events we have lived thru. Something else to keep in mind is that the show has to follow health guidlines so "reality" is a little watered down and comes in the fact that rubber boots appear when messing with dead rotting things and no one gets G-locked in a conflict!
I think most of the folks here coulda owned the aggressors even without our guns in the first conflict! But only because of our thinking, training and life experiances. Something the majority of the population does not have and something we must continue in order to be ready. Great thoughts and posts!