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Trying to escape from a drowning vehicle or attempting to shoot a hot water heater into the atmosphere are not things most people get to do in a typical workday. For Discovery Channel’s “MythBusters” hosts Jamie Hyneman and Adam Savage, it’s all just part of the job.
As far as Savage is concerned, “It’s a pretty blue collar job. We get dirty and figure stuff out.”
During their Sunday afternoon presentation in the Field House, there were no crazy explosions, nor attempts to bust any myths. Instead, in front of a crowd of nearly 2,300 people Savage and Hyneman discussed what an average day at work is for them and gave some insight as to what being the hosts of “MythBusters” entails. “When we [give presentations], we talk about what it’s like to do what we’re doing,” said Hyneman. “We’re trying to put out there that this is something fun and we’re constantly thrilled with it.”
There are few TV shows that stimulate and challenge the viewers’ minds while still keeping them entertained at the same time, but “MythBusters” has managed to accomplish that feat. In its fifth year running, the show continues to gain popularity. With over 550 myths busted and more than 2,500 experiments conducted, Savage and Hyneman don’t seem to show any signs of slowing down. They are constantly on the lookout for new myths and ideas to test. “Jamie and I, together provide over half the stories that we end up doing. A good 30 percent comes right from the fans . the rest comes from the crew, interesting stunts from movies, from where ever,” said Savage.
Both Hyneman and Savage have a decorated history as far as life accomplishments go. Before they began busting myths for a living, both men worked in the special effects industry, each working on hundreds of commercials and a number of movies. Jamie has been a boat captain, a diver, an animal wrangler, a cook and the owner of a charter business in the Caribbean. On top of that, he has a degree in Russian language. Adam has been involved in the research and development division of different toy companies, made short films and acted in a number of commercials, and outside of hosting “MythBusters,” he teaches advanced model-making at the San Francisco Academy of Art.
It was the special effects industry that brought these two myth maniacs together. Savage got his start in special effects in 1993 by working for Hyneman, and the two stayed in contact after Savage moved on to work on different projects. When the Discovery Channel approached Hyneman about doing a show devoted to testing myths, he thought it would be too much for him to handle on his own. “I was approached to do this show about urban legends . I didn’t think I could pull it off by myself, so I called Adam and he came down and the rest is history.”
It would probably be impossible to find two hosts more opposite than Savage and Hyneman are. Anyone who has ever watched the show can tell that Savage has the more animated personality compared to Hynemans’s reserved and calm demeanor. “We both have very different styles of working,” stated Savage. “I’m very enthusiastic and energetic and Jamie is.not.”
The people you see on your television screen are exactly who they are. They’re not actors, and nothing about the show is scripted. It’s just Savage and Hyneman working together to solve a problem – they just have a knack for making problem solving entertaining.
They both admitted that neither of them gets along with each other 100 percent of the time, however, they’ve found that’s something they can take advantage of when trying to answer perplexing questions.
Despite their opposite personalities, Savage and Hyneman both expressed a common interest in what they love most about the show. “For us, it’s absolutely the mental process,” said Savage. The bombs and explosions are fun, but ultimately it’s the problem solving that goes with each myth that keeps them inspired. “The biggest bonus for us, personally, is what we’re learning,” said Hyneman. Whether they prove a myth to be true or not, the lessons that come from each experiment are what they consider to be the most rewarding part of their job.
As successful as the show has become, both men admitted that neither would be where they are today had they not failed at some point or another. According to Savage, “Screwing up is the most valuable thing anybody can do. [Failing] turns out to be the most valuable thing about ‘MythBusters.’” Being able to “pat ourselves on the back for doing a good job” isn’t what they’re interested in because they don’t learn anything that way. Learning from their mistakes is how they thrive. “That’s where the real joy comes. When we fail, we grow,” Hyneman said.
Growth through failure and being unafraid to try new things are how the MythBusters have managed to accomplish everything they’ve done in their lives. They’ve managed to form their careers by trying anything and everything that has ever interested them, and who knows where they’ll go next. “We don’t hesitate to move into something or to apply ourselves and you see that in our show and our histories,” said Hyneman. “Colleges do a good job of giving you the foundation of learning, but before you can really get control of the information, it’s really important to just try stuff and experiment.” Savage and Hyneman are living proof of that.
After the MythBusters finished speaking on Sunday, a contented and extremely entertained crowd filed out of the field house. “It was awesome,” said Kory Jacques, a UMaine student. “Really well done.”
If you’ve never seen an episode of “MythBusters,” you can watch the show on the Discovery Channel on Wednesday nights at 9:00 p.m. Not only will you be entertained, you might even learn something new.
Bangor Daily News