Axmen- Shelby is a ham

[Brad_bb]

Even though those guys are playing up to the camera, I'll still watch  Axmen.  Shelby Stanga(sp?) is out of control though.  He's like a couple fellas I've known before, trying to show off and end up wrecking stuff.  He's really getting dangerous when it comes to that buyer that was in his boat - at those speeds with quick turns and hitting wood obstacles... it wouldn't take much for someone to get seriously hurt.  In fact I think his cousin in the boat on a recent show was hurt pretty good with a huge gash in his arm.  Now his going crazy on the throttle and crashing into docks and then deliberately wrecking stuff like the boat house/roof.  Seriously, I wish he'd calm down and play it a bit safer before someone really gets hurt or killed.
  Things have really gone to Coatsy's head too!  Gabe Rygard has stopped some of the hamming to the camera, which is a good thing.  I'd rather see some serious, professionals than the Jerry Springer Show.  Never could stand those Springer type shows.

[T Welsh]

Brad_bb, Its TV, and what worse,its reality TV. in my eyes its all staged. Tim

[oakiemac]

I like to watch axmen too but I believe a lot is just done for the cameras. Nobody (I hope) is as stupid as that shelby. Ramming a boat dock on purpose is crazy.

[tomsteve]

i gotta agree that a lot of it is staged. seein gabe rygaard drop a tree on daves truck. yeah, right. dave may not be an experienced logger, but i gotta say he has enough common sense to say," ummm, yeah, i'm gonna move my truck." shelby's the same way. too many times he shows common sense, but then goes and runs his boat onto a dock? and he doesnt take the time to even look at the log first to see if its even worth it? nooooo. lets wreck a dock, tear down a boathouse roof, beat the crap out of my equipment and go in the hole first! i am guessin they all get a little chunk of change for being on that show.

[Buck]

The only reason I even tune in to it any more is to see the horse logging. There is no telling what they will do to mess that up.

[caveman]

It is all made possible by viewers like you (old PBS catch phrase).  C'mon man, the History Channel has become rediculous.  When it first began, it was really cool to me to see video accounts of stuff I had previously only read about.  Then, it seemed, it became the "Hitler Channel" for a while.  Lately, its focus is not so much on history but mainstream entertainment. 
ie.  1. The purple haired woman with a doctorate degree from Podunk University claiming to document the existance of Bigfoot.
      2.  Ice Road Truckers- is that historical?
      3.  Pawn Stars- some history but mainly some bozos who need gambling money selling family heirlooms for fractions of their true value.
      4.  Ax Men- What is historical about it?  Maybe the logs that were cut 100 years ago that are discovered by the Jimmies. 

The frustrating thing to me about Axmen is that it could be an entertaining and informative show without all of the insanely stupid antics that misrepresent the industry.  Someone needs to implement some Barney Feife rules for Shelby before he shoots a hole in his only shirt or loses a toe.  Also, I hate to watch it when the kids are at home due to the language--some historical cussing I suppose. 
Caveman

[Magicman]

Seemingly the only thing on the Travel Channel is that Man vs Food.  He does travel around eating at different "famous" eateries, but what does that have to do with traveling?? 

[caveman]

If I ever travel to Mississippi, I suspect I will want to eat some of that chicken that is so famous on the Forestry Forum.

[paul case]

YES You Would!

As far as axmen goes Who talks like that? bleep bleep bleep. I just turn it off.

Swamp loggers, now there is a show. Real people not reality tv. PC

[isawlogs]

 Paul , hate to disagry with you  :-\

  Swamploggers to me is reality TV    Its informative, does something I don't see up here and it seams to be done the way it should be and also .. ya wont catch me in them there swamps walking with a stick to chase snakes outa my path .... Ya all can keep them critters 

I'm sad they did not do the west coast logging like they did the swamp logging ... man did they miss the boat there  : :-\

[chain]

I like to watch axmen too but I believe a lot is just done for the cameras. Nobody (I hope) is as stupid as that shelby. Ramming a boat dock on purpose is crazy.

Yep, and the reality is..it's show-biz gone wild!

[Al_Smith]

In the real world if some of those bozos carried on like that they'd all be toothless .Oh the people are real allright they just don't act like they do on TV .

It'all highly sensationalized just like any other reality show .It does have entertainment value though much akin to the three stooges .

[tomsteve]

swamploggers does seam more realistic. bobby runs a good business. if its broke fix it. your employee made a mistake? yup, it happens. fix it. skidder got stuck?? yup, it happens. get it unstuck. employees show up and work??? give em an lunch once in a while.

[Misfit]

The term "reality tv" is an oxymoron - with the emphasis on moron. I doubt any of you conduct yourselves the same way as the "actors" on many of these programs.
Even some of the news broadcasts seem to be adopting an "Entertainment Tonight" or "Insider Edition" style of delivery with little or no real news content anyway.
It's all about ratings and sucking in the gullible.

[Brad_bb]

"It's a good day Willie.  We got enough to buy you a pistol and a pocket knife, man.  C'mon paw paw, HERE WE GO!"

He's a character alright, just wish he wouldn't be sooo wreckless for the cameras.  Poor Willie!

[Al_Smith]

It's pretty creative photography they use .

Now those clowns on the coast if anybody acted like that first of all the whole crew would pull the pin .Nobody but a wimp puts up with abuse like that or at least not in these parts .

If that Coatsy guy would have grabbed ahold of me he'd soon learn that old men don't fight fair . >:(

I personally know two west coast fellers and they say exactly what I say .

[mometal77]

Like any show out there they show you the reasoning on what not to do.  Always have an active fire extinguisher in your excavator.  I still think they need to have reality shows on all the politicians we have in office.  I like the show the naked Archaeologist myself too bad it was dis continued.

[Al_Smith]

It's been said the real reason they've got on this "reality "kick has to do with two things .Cost of production and viewership which translates to advertising money---profit
You have the history channel stuff and discovery which many times is the same thing only reedited. Throw in American Idol and nonsense like Ozzie Osborn and this is what you get to watch .

You have ESPN etc but then you also have the major networks broadcasting every major sports event .It's what people want to watch .Well maybe most people .I'd just as soon watch grass grow or paint dry as waste my time watching a danged football game but I guess I'm weird . :D

[Misfit]

I'd just as soon watch grass grow or paint dry as waste my time watching a danged football game but I guess I'm weird . :D

I'm with you on that one Al!  :D

[Al_Smith]

Now here's another  thing that's phoney about that  axe man deal .Every so often one of them  throws a coniption fit and throws a thousand dollar saw around like so much garbage .Nobody does that to their own saw and if they did that to a company saw they'd be fired on the spot .

[RPF2509]

Its pretty easy to press the 'off' switch and get something else done

[Misfit]

Now here's another  thing that's phoney about that  axe man deal .Every so often one of them  throws a coniption fit and throws a thousand dollar saw around like so much garbage .Nobody does that to their own saw and if they did that to a company saw they'd be fired on the spot .

You obviously never met my late brother........  :-[

[Al_Smith]

No ,sorry about the late part though .Evidently he either bought a lot of saws or he became very good at repairing them .

Oh like I should talk .I'd just as soon beat on things with hammer .Like a computer that refuses to do what I want it do .So far I've refrained because it wouldn't  work to repair the problem .--if it would though--

[terry f]

      Shelby's the worst of the worst, and its all scripted, but I still look forward to it every sunday. Hope the horse loggers have less drama and more logging. Have'nt seen a skidder yet, must not be exciting enough. or nobody to fight with.

[oldaxman]

I fast forward through the swamp stuff, it isn't logging. The yarder stuff is interesting though. Yes, they really do talk like that, even worse. Yes, sometimes pickups are left where they can be hit and yes it happens. It is very common to have the yarder right on your ars and you are constantly keeping an eye on the hookers and the skyline all the way up your strip. Then at the top you have the yarder, the loader, a log truck and the crummy and the skyline and the chaser all within a tree length and it does make you sweat. I have noticed here and with non loggers I know that they think the show is fake, nobody can really live that life. Mostly these people work in office setting and are so far removed from this reality that it just doesn't compute. Kind of like I can't believe people sit in a nice cozy office with a beautiful secretary and make 200K a year doing it.  :D