A Mythical Season

April 30, 2006

I’m a big fan of the TV show MythBusters.

I enjoy the show for lots of reasons. The myths are interesting, there are all sorts of high-tech shenanigans happening, and more often than not something gets blown up, shot to pieces, crushed, pierced, launched, detonated, or drenched. Usually, it’s Buster. But sometimes not.

(Just for the record, I don’t tune in just to watch the admittedly lovely Kari Byron, as some of my friends seem to.

I did, however, predict that with her growing cult status, she’d show up in a Maxim Magazine spread, sooner or later.

Looks like I was wrong. It’s FHM instead, coming in June. Eh, you can’t pick ’em all.)

“Some day, those two are going to duke it out with homemade tasers and turbocharged fan blades. You can just feel it.”

Truth be told, my favorite bits lately are when Adam imitates Jamie — deep voice, finger-moustache, and all. Some day, those two are going to duke it out with homemade tasers and turbocharged fan blades. You can just feel it.

But my main concern about the show is that they’ll run out of interesting myths to test. We humans are a superstitious lot, but there are limits to the claptrap we’re willing to believe, right? A forebrained biped’s got to draw the line somewhere, for crissakes.

So I was very happy to stumble upon a secret vault of as-yet-unbusted myths that the M5 guys are planning to explore in future shows. I even got my hands on an episode guide. Check it out:

MythBusters Season Fourteen Episode Guide

Show 243: Cracking Up

Adam and Jamie test the myth that stepping on a sidewalk crack can break a mother’s spine. And as usual, if that myth is busted, they’ll simply find another way.

Show 244: Global Warming

Grant and Kari are put in charge of releasing enormous amounts of aerosols and methane (not respectively, of course) into the atmosphere. Over the course of the next few dozen years, they’ll test the atmospheric effects to determine whether global warming concerns are Busted, Plausible, or Confirmed. Watch the exciting follow-up conclusion, scheduled to air in 2059.

Show 245: Hot and Cold

Adam volunteers to explore the ‘cold hands, warm heart’ myth. Little does he realize the tests involve an ice bath, liquid nitrogen, and a very long, very uncomfortable thermometer. Brrrrrrr!

Show 246: You Can’t Fight City Hall

But the build team does just that in this exciting episode! Armed with petitions, affidavits, and a spunky volunteer citizens’ rights activist, can they convince local lawmakers to rethink a local zoning ordinance? Oooh, the excitement!

Show 247: Dean’s List

Tory becomes a ‘Bereaved Man on Campus’ to test the myth that losing your college dormmate will get you straight ‘A’s for a semester. Tune in, co-eds!

Show 248: Barrel of Laughs

In this episode, Jamie tests the myth that ‘laughter is the best medicine’. Instead of the usual aloe, disinfectant, bandages, aspirin, stitches, tourniquets, nebulizers, or emergency surgeries one might normally receive, for one week Jamie will simply giggle his aches and pains and painful hemorrhaging away. With Adam ‘helping’, it promises to be a laugh a minute episode!

Show 249: I’ve Got the Rhythm in Me!

A comprehensive look at the myth of using the ‘rhythm method’ of birth control. Also includes a feature on the groundbreaking hydraulic modifications made to Buster for this segment. Special episode airing on Cinemax. After midnight only.

Show 250: M5 Melee

Adam and Jamie finally duke it out with homemade tasers and turbocharged fan blades. Despite the sparks flying, there are no serious injuries — except to Buster, who ends up impaled on a bratwurst-propelled rocket dropped from a replica zeppelin. Will Buster’s new hydraulics survive, or will he be reduced to half the mecha-man he once was? Tune in to find out!