Series/MythBusters

Just because I haven't spotted a conversation about them yet. Just thought I'd make one and see just how popular they are here on TV Tropes.

First things first. They're on right now. I should be watching them. But I know it's a rerun. So instead, I'm here, posting on a message board. Now for the topic at hand: The Myth Busters. What is your favorite moment of the series? Personally, the five-thousand pound bomb they tested in an attempt to create diamonds is one of them, but the cement truck "mega-nade" is still my personal favorite.

Shooting fish in a barrel. With a minigun.

edited 19th Aug '09 8:29:10 PM by colin

My favorite was the underwater car escape. I really wish I could try that. Without the life imperilment that would come from trying it in real life.

Silver Painted Kari Probably the Alcatraz escape or the exploding water heater.

Sign me up for the Cement Truck. Nothing they've ever done since has topped that. Which isn't to demean what has been done since, it's just not the same level of epic.

I like the Bull In A China Shop one where the bulls turned out to be stunningly graceful. Not exactly a crowning moment for the Mythbusters, but certainly for mother nature.

The lead balloon and concrete glider myths were good as well, because there's nothing quite like disproving an old adage on international TV. Also, while not as dramatic or explody as some of the others here, the paper crossbow was pretty good, because yes, you can kill a person with paper.

In terms of humour value I'd say that the best was the alcohol episode. I loved Kari's drunken analysis of the one guy's attractiveness; "you look homeless...but kinda cute" and Adam's aggrieved "I don't think I'm any closer to being sober but I am a lot closer to BEING DEAD!" while on the treadmill.

edited 22nd Aug '09 3:47:56 AM by Idler 2.0

Everyone has their favorite, I see. Another one I liked: Kari on a Humvee with a Dylan Aero M134D minigun chopping down not one, but two trees, though only one at a time. Still, Crowning Moment of Sexy for the series, imo.

edited 20th Aug '09 9:49:37 AM by rallyfan9000

The lead balloon was good but I loved their killer ceiling fan made from a lawn mower blade.

edited 20th Aug '09 11:20:16 AM by OuttaTheBLAM

Goodness. That's just sick.

Another Awesome Mythbusters moment: "What car?"

edited 21st Aug '09 5:20:47 PM by rallyfan9000

One thing which bugged me was in the Exploding Steaks myth, the one about how you can tenderize meat using explosives.

After a few attempts at trying to figure out the best way to go about setting off explosives around steak, the Mythbusters "tracked down someone at the Department of Agriculture" who knew what sort of setup to use, down to "the precise amount of explosives" to use.

What bugs me is: how did this person at the Department of Agriculture know this?

I guess they just have a lot of slow days at the Department of Agriculture offices.

Do you know anyone who would talk to more farmers than a Department of Agriculture worker?

A person who sells seed and feed. (Believe me, I know...)

Exploding Steaks was funny. They even "tenderized" a dryer and wrapped one steak in multiple pounds of Kevlar, all in pursuit of the perfect steak. Seriously. What will they not do to test a myth?

This post was thumped by the Stick of Off-Topic Thumping

I dunno. The show's quickly heading into Strictly Formula territory. Overly long opening sequence, Adam and Jamie having a mock-conversation about the machine-related myth they're about to test, Adam and Jamie building a small-scale test, then deciding that a full-scale test is needed even when the small-scale one already busted/confirmed the myth.

Meanwhile, Tory, Grant and Kari have a mock-conversation about their myth. Then they go to location X and ask a local expert if they have heard of the myth, then they blah blah blah blah unlimited rice pudding et cetera et cetera.

Even the narrator's running out of jokes. He's said "while _____ slips into something less comfortable" 3-4 times already.

edited 1st Sep '09 8:52:43 PM by Inkblot

But if they can keep up the hilariously over the top myths, then is it really bad? Most comedy is formulaic.

I actually prefer not the mega-explody myths, but the ones that require a large personal involvement from the team themselves, like the alcohol myths or the hypnosis myths, because it's funnier that way.

Me too. It's getting to the point where I look forward to the Build Team's myths more than Adam and Jamie's.

It's getting to the point where I look forward to the Build Team's myths more than Adam and Jamie's.

I was actually going to put that in my last post. The build team just has this great chemistry, especially when exaggerating Grant's geek levels or having Tory injure himself in increasingly creative ways.

^^Agreed, Inkblot. Also, I'd rather they have Kari than Scotty, Kari seems to have better chemistry.

I don't know, I still prefer Adam & Jamie. First off, they get first pick of the myths which isn't fair but neither is television. Second, I just enjoy their lack of chemistry to the build team's chemistry. It just seems like it makes for a more competitive environment - especially on Adam's end. Finally, I tune into the show to watch them build and problem solve. Even though the build team is fun, they are kind of interlopers.

Sign me up for the explodey myths. I actually disliked the alcohol myths.

Call me a heathen but.... I've TRIED, I honestly have, but I just can't like this show.

My problem is that these guys spend an entire hour on just one or two myths. this is even worse when the answer should already be a foregone conclusion.

Case in point, today I tried to watch a James Bond-based episode where they wanted to prove or disprove whether or not Oddjob's hat could work, as well as whether Jaws' teeth could cut steel wire. In both cases I already had common-sense theories in my mind telling me these things were impossible so why did I need to watch half-hour experiments? This show would be more helpful, not to mention more interesting, if they simply explained the science behind the myths (sort of like a televised Snopes.com) and only did these lengthy experiments when it was actually called for.

The show gets enough complaints about bad science as it is; imagine how many more it would get if they didn't actually do the experiments.