So I've been watching a show on the Discovery channel, called "Out of the Wild: The Alaska Experiment," in which ten people are dumped in Alaska, given a destination (which they don't know, and don't know how far it is) and then must try to survive. I started watching it because it's in the same vein as Survivorman, which I jones for.

The ten people are various things. Bus driver, police officer, lawyer (and an aside: it is a little depressing to see the successful twenty-four-year-old cop, and the twenty-six year old lawyer, and think "they're my age, and I am a bum." But that's the writer's life.) and various other things. Not exactly wilderness men.

I started watching for the survivalist aspect of it. But increasingly, what I'm watching it for is the fascinating example of group psychology and just basic human structures. Because as a writer, or something, I can't help noticing that shit... :)

It's fascinating, though. The group lost all the members that had any outdoor/survivalist training (funnily enough, they all went home first in exasperation). So it's a bunch of city slickers. But what happens is that without even discussing, they fall into interesting patterns. One gentleman is a particularly good hunter, you can tell he has a very sharp eye and very good aim and although everyone takes their turn at hunting, HE brings home the food. And that elevates his status in a non-spoken way.

One of the women, the lawyer, sort of likes cooking. And so she does all the cooking, a lot of the gathering. Another lady (a school bus driver) helps her, but she's definitely in charge. Stores the food, gathers it, all that.

Another guy is particularly creative. And what usually happens is that he's the one who knows how to repair cabins they come across, or get a fire going without burning the place down, or where to make a shelter...or he's the one who says "Wait, stop," and checks the map and compass and gets 'em back on track.

It's fascinating. It's interesting watching the little human community regulate itself. The survival aspects aren't bad (I find myself shouting at the TV and wondering, have they EVER watched a Discovery channel show; "Pluck that while it's still warm!" "don't jump on that log you'll break your damn leg!" "take off your coat you're going to get hypothermic!") but the survivalism is just in there. It's really fascinating to watch the people adapt and take on roles.

Humans are really pack/communal animals who just happen to have the ability to survive on their own (although not well, psychologically, really). It's interesting to see how the community takes shape. Take ANY ten people and put them out there, and almost the exact same thing would happen. It's pretty fantastic.