by Elizabeth A. Marion

Created on: April 18, 2010   Last Updated: May 05, 2012

The TV show 'Mythbusters' is all about taking myths, from movies to history to things viewers are curious about, and testing whether or not these myths could actually be true. Many of the experiments, virtually all of them, involve some kind of explosion or other dangerous activity and viewers are reminded frequently not to try any of the experiments on their own at home. Whenever an experiment directly involves a person, the Mythbusters use a dummy conveniently named Buster.

Each episode tackles two myths. However, there are often several aspects to each myth that the hosts explore. Adam and Jamie take on one myth, and the trio of Cary, Grant, and Tory take on the other myth. Adam and Jamie usually end up with the myths that require some type of explosion to be properly tested, while the other three usually take on themes that are a bit more technical.

In the first episode I ever saw, they were testing whether someone could climb out of jail using hair, bedsheets, or toilet paper. I was amazed that all three held up and I was immediately fascinated by the show. I had never seen anything like it before. The show is very entertaining, being hosted by entertaining individuals, but it is also very informative. The show often tests many myths that I had wondered about myself from time to time. It's exciting to see them test a myth that I find interesting and to see whether or not it's actually true. They also often think of aspects of the myth that I would have never considered, usually aspects involving basic physics or chemistry. And the team is very good at making sure all aspects of the myth are considered before the experiments begin.

Mythbusters is one of, if not the, best reality shows on television today. Most reality shows these days are about a bunch of people moving in to a mansion for a week or so and seeing how many fights, name calling, or other rude and disruptive behavior can be caught on film. Then of course there has to be a great deal of editing done to take care of language and nudity so that the show can actually be aired. In a world of reality show hell, Mythbusters is a breath of fresh air. It's interesting, it's fun to watch, and I sometimes learn a thing or two during the program. Try getting that from today's average reality show.

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