Let's face it, these guys run a successful business as well as doing Mythbusters. None of them are idiots.
I don't believe any of them are idiots no matter what their "characters" are on the show. Adam's brilliant idea of the unfolding cube during the "lead balloon" myth should've at the very least proven that.
Adam is anything but an idiot on the show. He's a goofy manchild, but being goofy is not the same as being unintelligent. He's a little accident-prone, as is Tory, but that's more to do with impulsiveness than intellect.
Oh no, I agree with you. I don't think Adam is any idiot at all, either, he's just playing a "character" on the show as they all kind of are. Jamie is playing the stiff-lipped "father figure"/rock. Adam is playing the comic relief accident prone manchild. Kari is playing the cute geek-girl/cheerleader. Grant is playing the geeky genius. Tori is playing the even more accident-prone goof -but a different variety of what Adam is playing. They all have their "roles" I think we can all see that has became more and more evident as this show has worn on and the myths have gotten less substansive and more for show. I still love this show, it still amazes me the results they come up with and how they test these myths and its a fun cast. But they're all playing "parts."
The problem is that the show feels much more heavily scripted in recent years than it did when it first started, which is why it feels like they are playing characters rather than being themselves. Although, I think it's been established that Jamie basically does his best to bend the rules.
I wouldn't go that far. I think they're basically being themselves, just emphasizing certain facets of themselves that have proven popular on the show. And I'm not sure Jamie's changed himself in any way. I think that more than anyone else, he's just being Jamie. I mean, sure, he plays along with the scripted host segments like the Bond hero/villain schtick and such, but he makes no effort to get in character; he just does the lines with an air of "This is silly, let's get it over with." And there's more to Kari's role on the show than being cute or a "cheerleader." I see her as the levelheaded one who balances out the other two goofballs. She's Kermit, Tory is Gonzo, and Grant is Dr. Bunsen Honeydew.
I think you're right on Jamie, on reflection he is the one who's most remained constant over the series and he does tend to have an "air" about him during the "host segments." And, yeah, Kari certainly is the rock/straight"man" of the comic trio of Tori, Kari and Grant.
I agree with the guy that said Kari tends to stay away from the "physical" stunts more than the other guys. Whether this is something that the network insists on, or whether she protects herself from it on her own I'm not sure. It's clear that her main job on the show is to play the "spunky cute red haired chicky" that nerds can gawk over. I don't say that with animosity toward her at all, she does the job that brings her the paycheck, just like the other people on the show.
Kari particpated in the "brace position" myth. Where it was tested whether the brace-position in airline crashes was designed to do more harm than good (as it's cheaper to settle death suits than to pay-out/for injuries over a life time.) They had built a rig where they dropped a simulated airline cabin and after several tests with Buster and Simulaids they tested it on Kari, Adam, and I believe also Scotty. I don't recall the reasons behind the test with the live people, but anyway.. After the rig dropped the seats collapsed and Kari suffered a severe injury and fracture to her leg. (I suspect this myth is one of the reasons why we often now hear about Adam and co. grousing over the insurance company's restrictions.) In following episodes Kari is many times seen with a legbrace, crutches and even one or two following myths she's used to test things during her hospital visits. (IIRC more myths involving MRIs, X-Rays or things of that nature.) So, Kari particpated in a physical myth test and suffered severe injury for it. I can't blame her for being a bit more cautious. There's also probably a pound or more of "chivalry" in it too. There also, have indeed been times where Kari has particpated in the "more physical" myths. The myth centered around tricking/evading a gaurd dog springs to mind. And, again, remember her "character" as well as the "characters" of the other "Junior Mythbusters" she's often grouped with (Tori and Grant) and that this is a TV show with directors and producers behind the camera. It's very likely she's been directed to not participate in the more physical aspects as it's more entertaining to see Tori or Grant try (Grant being the "un-physucal "nerd" and Tori being the clutz). Also the blueprint sessions and discussion sessions are also likely filmed after the tests have taken place. There's a lot going on here for Kari's health reasons and for TV production reasons. I think it's unfair to claim that Kari is opting out of the more physical myths because she's the "girl who doesn't want to do the boy stuff." Her demeanor over the course of this series, I think, would strongly suggest she's no problem doing "boy stuff"; her 'tude is very much (in my eyes) that of a tomboy who just happens to still dress and act like a girl. If you want to criticize the behind the scenes persons of the show for treating Kari like this, go ahead. But calling her "Red Tits" or demeaning her because of the role she's been put in in the show is insulting to her and she's shown her worth many times over and none of it includes her wearing a flesh-toned body suit and having her ass scanned. I want to apologize to Christopher as this thread has strayed way off topic from the myth discussion and more over to Kari's (and other's) role on the show. With luck, the next episode will have more substansive myths to discuss.
I found this assertion questionable, since I recall her being on camera after the plane drop and showing no sign of serious injury. So I researched it online, and I have to say this myth is busted. According to Kari Byron herself on her Myspace blog, she injured her knee when she slipped on ice: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1671108/board/flat/81604188 I did find a post where someone wondered if it might've been connected to the plane drop, but that was pure guesswork. This seems to be one of those rumors that crops up when a speculation gets repeated often enough that it gets mistaken for a fact. She did hit her shin against the seat in front of her in the plane drop, which is probably the source of the confusion, but it was only a 5-foot drop so there was little risk of serious injury. Indeed. This idea that "Kari avoids physical experiments" is another myth. The only times this is the case is where what's being tested involves physical strength and they need to find out who can exert the most strength. Naturally, that always turns out to be Tory. But when maximum strength isn't a factor, you'll usually see Kari as involved as anyone else. That's true.
My mistake on her leg. Like others, I guess I just connected the wrong dots together on what we saw on TV. On the blueprint sessions. It's obvious in a few episodes that they're filmed at very different times than the myths themselves. The biggest tell in some episodes is Kari's hairstyle. She's a bigger pain in the butt in that area than Gates McFadden.
I wish Mythbusters' ratings got so bad that the network decides to force Kari to wear a bikini at work.
Indeed, but she's ones of the few women I find irresistable with short hair. I think her spunky/punky attitude helps sell it.
A bigger giveaway is Adam's T-shirts which change randomly. Jamie, on the other hand, is a continuity dream. The guy never changes. He never even allows his shirt to get dirty. Kari's hair also explains the parasol I've seen her using a lot lately. Redheads burn in the sun easily. Another good example of Kari participating in the physical side - I watched "Chinese Invasion Alarm" yesterday. After they were finished, she clearly helped manually fill in the hole they'd dug. Yes, she did. Both on their rig and at the circus they visited. On their own rig I believe she was able to get the best swing as well.