Why Aren't There Scuba Celebrities?

[TMHeimer]

But I'm referring to young DIVERS. You're right on the Beatles as was Eric on Sammy Davis Jr, but I'd expect anyone seriously into music would know both.

---------- Post added December 27th, 2014 at 09:18 AM ----------



I'd think they were just smart if they didn't know the Monkees or PeeWee Herman, but Buddy Holly? I am often surprised to see how many twenty-somethings at karaoke know the music from the 60s and even the Big Band era.

Agree on both accounts. Of course we career musicians know it all (though when it comes to some old or new pop music my wife says I sometimes have my head in the sand--I tell her I'm still looking for shells...). I also agree with RJP regarding some 40 year olds, as that was about the age I figured some would not know of Sammy Davis Jr, when I said "older than 20s".

 

[Jeff Toorish]

I suspect another reason we don't have top of the mind scuba celebrities, with the possible exception of Cousteau, is because diving is not a spectator sport or activity. People become celebrities because other people watch them either on TV or in person. That's tough with scuba.

Jeff

 

[CT-Rich]

I suspect another reason we don't have top of the mind scuba celebrities, with the possible exception of Cousteau, is because diving is not a spectator sport or activity. People become celebrities because other people watch them either on TV or in person. That's tough with scuba.

Jeff

Not at all true. Someone like Cousteau, or Jonathan Bird, Mike Nelson or Chatterton for that matter, are famous because we can go along with them. The adventure is the diving, not the diver. I have been making my own little videos and I am all about the marine life and what I see on the dives. At the same time I have seen plenty of dive videos that basically putter around showing there friends doing this or that. When someone starts making a TV show or movie that has a consistently engaging storyline you will see celebrities.

James Cameron has been doing some interesting projects, Abyss, Titanic and his recent flight down into the Marianas Trench. You could certainly say he is A) a big celebrity B) a advocate for the oceans. He has produced more than a half dozen documentaries and several ocean related movies, including Piranhas II. If he became interested in being a producer on a scuba themed show or feature film, it would be produced.

Robert Ballard is another diving celebrity. It just hasn't gotten the right mix of fuel to light the fire yet.

 

[TMHeimer]

CT, I like what you suggest. It seems TV these days is trying to probe every nook and cranny to find the next big show. Maybe that's why there are a zillion new shows premiering all times of the year now. Scuba could be a great niche. Look what happened with Big Bang Theory. Though a sitcom, it's different from the run of the mill "let's try this angle" crap. A show like Sea Hunt (I was old enough to catch the re-runs) would be great--taken into modern day themes/scenarios. There's all sorts of new stuff underwater for people to be introduced to. Better than the workings of an airport on "LAX".....(remember that one?).

 

[Ayisha]

Hey wait a minute, isn't Dr Bill a celebrity?

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

CT, I like what you suggest. It seems TV these days is trying to probe every nook and cranny to find the next big show. Maybe that's why there are a zillion new shows premiering all times of the year now. Scuba could be a great niche. Look what happened with Big Bang Theory. Though a sitcom, it's different from the run of the mill "let's try this angle" crap. A show like Sea Hunt (I was old enough to catch the re-runs) would be great--taken into modern day themes/scenarios. There's all sorts of new stuff underwater for people to be introduced to. Better than the workings of an airport on "LAX".....(remember that one?).

If they were to do a modern version of Sea Hunt similar to what they did with the modern day Hawaii Five-O I think it would be a hit. They could work on themes such as U/W poaching rings, drug smugglers, wreck looters, even terrorist threat scenarios, which seems to be an endless supply of material. They could put the new Sea Hunt on steroids like they did Hawaii Five-o and update it with modern action and give it the flare we expect of an action drama these days.
I'd watch it.

 

[RJP]

If they were to do a modern version of Sea Hunt similar to what they did with the modern day Hawaii Five-O I think it would be a hit. They could work on themes such as U/W poaching rings, drug smugglers, wreck looters, even terrorist threat scenarios, which seems to be an endless supply of material. They could put the new Sea Hunt on steroids like they did Hawaii Five-o and update it with modern action and give it the flare we expect of an action drama these days.

I'd watch it.

You and four other people...

The problem would really be that the diving part of the show would need to be de minimis in order to have enough action, plot, dialog, etc to keep television viewers from changing the channel.

"Officer Jarrod, come quick! The bad guys are getting away..."

[video=youtube;HnJzOkUH7N4]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HnJzOkUH7N4[/video]

 

[CT-Rich]

I think we might want to avoid having too many characters that are DIR.... They would never get in the water, episode after episode, waiting on getting their matching backplate wing combos. end then they would abort the dive as soon as they realize the bad guys are going to escape by changing their logged dive profiles.... or when the bungee necklace for their redundant air supply has broken. Not to mention all the character development that would happen as they rehearse endlessly in the local quarry.

I could certainly see Mike Nelson's boss being DIR "Mike, you can't go after those diamonds, your Pony bottle is mounted to the tank.... You crazy bastard.... you're going to die with that configuration....."

I think, taking a page from Star Trek, you don't have to explain everything..... Might be cool to mention deco, but having to watch the guys twiddle their thumbs might be a tad dull.

 

[RJP]

I think, taking a page from Star Trek...

You wouldn't want to be the new guy in the red drysuit, though.

 

[AlexL]

Hey wait a minute, isn't Dr Bill a celebrity?

oooh nooooooo, you're thinking of MR bill.