TV: “Mantracker” Is Not That Kind of Show, But Still Awesome
Sorry fellas, I’d love to tell you that Mantracker is an erotic tale of a young boy’s journey of self-discovery through the wild urban jungle. I’d love to tell you that it was some sort of MTV-style gay sexploitation in the vein of Next (things got pretty wild on the bus on gay episodes of that show!). Unfortunately, Mantracker is only homosexually themed based on the fact that the actual Mantracker is definitely a daddy bear, and that most of the contestants are Canadians whose accents produce false-positives on most American-based gaydars.
Mantracker and his sidekick are gonna getcha! (courtesy The Science Channel)
Instead of drawing inspiration from Bang Bus, The Science Channel’s Mantracker more closely resembles “The Most Dangerous Game.” Basically, the Mantracker hunts contestants on the show for sport. The contestants are on foot, and take off into the wilderness armed with a map, a compass, and a head start. Their goal is to make it to a predetermined destination before Mantracker can pick up their trail, stalk them silently, and brutally slay them.
Ok, he doesn’t kill them (bummer, I know). But it’s still a cool show. And yes, I’ll admit it – I’m on a rugged reality show kick and the Discovery network knows just what I’m looking for. Earlier this week I shared an enthusiasm for The Colony, a reality show that simulates what life would be like after zombies brought down civilization (or, you know, a flood happened or whatever).
I think it’s a good sign that the coolest reality TV out there right now sounds a lot like games we made up when we were kids. At one point or another we all got our friends together and pretended that we were an isolated band of people – whether post-apocalyptic or Swiss Family Robinson – and we’ve all played chase and hide and go seek. Maybe as filming technology advances it frees us as adults to continue to play without rules.
These juicy morsels of prey are about to get Mantracked! (courtesy The Science Channel)
Before you start getting all excited and punch “mantracker NOT ‘gay sex’” into your search bar, fair warning that there is some buzz about Mantracker being fake. I checked into it and the issues seem to center around the fact that many of the shots presented in the show would be impossible to film without foreknowledge of who was going where. The show insists that absolutely nothing is staged, and that after the hunt is concluded they go back the next day to re-film some portions they were not able to capture during the heat of the chase. I buy it, but figured you’d like the heads up.
If you’re really jazzed, they’re actually casting for the next season – would love to see some LGBT representation on the show, so let us know if you’re auditioning!
Just don’t shame us all and get Mantracked.
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