Jun 09
Once in a while a fluff television show will become popular and if it resembles anything real it will also lead to a lot of misinformed people believing it to be actuality. Almost daily my friends talk about the match-ups on Spike Tv’s Deadliest Warrior, which is a hit show where three nerds gather around a room full of cool devices and argue over who would beat who. This would be fine if they didn’t go to the extents that they do to prove/disprove inaccurately who would win in a given match-up. For entertainment the show is brilliant, bringing together old nerdy arguments such as Ninja versus Pirate (this hasn’t really happened yet) or Apaches versus Gladiators.
The danger in the show is the fluff antics that make the arguments seem legit. To the casual viewer, a Ninja fighting a Spartan and losing makes perfect sense since well the Spartans kicked so much ass in 300 (rolls eyes hard) but to a knowledgeable history buff and IT expert the match-up is dumb and a Spartan sans phalanx versus a master of espionage would not work out well for the Spartan. One of the flaws of the show is that skill, tactics and culture are ignored in lieu of the weaponry used. Neither is it factored in that a Zulu warrior, accustomed to fighting other tribes would be ill prepared to go up against a Claymore sword and a wooden shield. Still for the sake of entertainment we saw a knight battle a pirate… sigh.
There are a lot of that bother me about the show, hell it’s as bad as watching a car accident occur. You can’t peel your eyes away and I will tell you why. It’s simple really, the weapons are COOL! You get to see supposed expert show the ballistics of a Samurai’s arrow, you get to see katanas cleave pig torsos and you get to see the power of a Claymore in the hands of a strong European. The thing that I cannot get past though is the “computer expert” and his fake screen of collapsing numbers as he “punches in the data” to get the results of each matchup, get the fughoudahere! On one episode he made a little quip about the Zulus having “cotton coffins” and I wanted to reach into the television and snap his puny geek neck. Get rid of that asshole and I would respect the show a tad more.
Still it’s a show about dumb suppositions for guys to talk about and make their own what-ifs. It is extremely entertaining and I do suggest you check it out. HOWEVER, please for the love of god and all the warriors who have passed on the battlefield, DO NOT TAKE THIS SHOW SERIOUSLY. Combat is measured through strategy, the individual or the army, the leadership, the terrain, the weather, the technology (read weapons) and the training. For them to take one element (weapons) of war and use that as the end-all as to who would win a battle, is both asinine and INCORRECT. If you want the real deal behind warriors, their cultures and true matchups, then watch the show Warriors with Terry Schappert on the History Channel.
Knights versus Pirates… what the hell will they come up with next?
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Filed under Access Hollywood, The Nerdiest Topics, Way of The Warrior
Tagged with geek, history, nerd, pig, warrior
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on June 18, 2010 - 11:29 am
I watched this show for about 60 seconds one night.. Blah! Dud. Not!
I’d rather just watch Myth Busters or go to Medieval Times! Love me some Tory, Adam, and Jamie, and Grant.. and the Green Knight is hot!
on June 19, 2010 - 4:27 am
If they changed the name of the title people like myself would not get offended. The show is called the Deadliest Warrior when it should be entitled “3 Nerds Discuss The Greatest Weapons’ Match-ups” because that is what it is. To take skill, terrain and weather out of the equation when talking combat, you cannot honestly think that your stats are anywhere near realistic.
To their credit the match-ups have gotten better so now I don’t have to worry about seeing CIA versus The Spartans or some other nonsense. It’s a 100% frat boy, watch things blow up and go splat type of show so Spike is really a good place to show it. I just can’t be a fan, even though I’ll watch it if its on.
on July 26, 2010 - 10:44 am
You guys are dummies. First of all, it’s just a TV show. It’s not meant to be taken seriously. Second,
“Deadliest Warrior” is an awesome show that has some interesting match-ups. So stop being haters.
on July 26, 2010 - 2:42 pm
Did you read the article Mike? Or did you see the commentary and assumed I completely shit on the show? I urged people to watch the show, I just would like it if people didn’t take it for reality… kinda the same point you’re making.