Apparently Bear's son is following in his footsteps.

phat, I know I'm a little late, but you can still get your wife to get you a belated Valentine's Day present.

Whenever you question his survival capabilities, just remember that he and some Everest buddies not only climbed the highest peak, they then "circumnavigated the United Kingdom on jet skis."

But there's more. This from a fan's blog:

"In June 2005, Bear broke a world record by hosting a dinner party at a table suspended below a hot air balloon at 24,500 feet. He rappelled from the balloon's basket to the table, where in full naval uniform he ate a three-course meal before saluting the queen and skydiving to earth. His goal was to support the work of two charities: the Prince's Trust and the Duke of Edinburgh's Award."

(I KNEW there was a reason we fought the Revolutionary War!)

This may come off as a bit crass, but at least it's not crap:

Edward, then Teddy, then Bear (so can we call him Teddy Bear?) Grylls, was raised the son of a wine importer who became a Tory MP in England. Bear went to Eaton and got a degree at London University.

From another fluff site: "He is Christian, and in many interviews has expressed his devout faith. The only alcoholic beverage he will consume is whiskey." (Wonder if he's limiting himself to Macallans?)

His dad, Sir Michael Grylls, served as an MP and was caught up in the "cash-for-questions" scandal in the late '90s. He passed away in 2001.

I caught a glimpse of a literal marathon of "Man vs. Wild" episodes on the Discovery Channel after phat's post. They truly are FOS. Everything he encounters is depicted as the most horrific natural danger in classic Grylls' over-the-top fashion -- to the point of being almost, almost amusing.

Reality TV: We have choices. Will it be those megalomaniacs on the endlessly tedious "The Housewives of Orange County," with its plasticine/saline cleavage every 90 seconds or so, or Teddy "Bear" overstating his predicament standing beside a babbling brook (described by him as a "raging, swollen stream") before he heads off to bed down in the lodge for the night?