Over the past few years, Alaska has become popular in the world of television. First, it was because of the widely spoofed Vice President nominee for the 2008 election, Sarah Palin, whose dim-witted comments during the race gave other Americans a false perception that all Alaskans are dumb. However, Alaska is now all over t.v., as it is a hotbed for reality television (especially on Discovery Channel and National Geographic) depicting the daily lives and interesting jobs that Alaskans partake in. From long-running classics like Deadliest Catch, Ice Road Truckers, and Alaska State Troopers to newer shows like Alaska: The Last Frontier, Bering Sea Gold, and Yukon Men, almost all corners of the seemingly limitless state can now be seen by all Americans who own a television. So why has America become fascinated with the 50th and northernmost state?

Long have Americans been fascinated with distant lands, lifestyles,  and the unknown. Alaska epitomizes all of these aspects: it is a vast, far away land which has much more extreme elements than the other 49 states. First, the fact that Alaska is so far away from the main 48 states appeals to viewers as exploring the unknown, which has always been an interest for Americans. A perfect example of this interest is when Americans packed their bags and moved west during the 1800s. Not knowing what to expect or if they would even make it were big concerns, yet the pioneer spirit of conquering and exploring new land trumped all potential dangers. This can be related to today, as Americans still have an interest in the unknown. Now that there are shows that can capture this unknown land, Americans can finally explore Alaska and see the different regions from highly populated areas like Anchorage to those with barely any population at all like Cold Bay (only 78 people live in Cold Bay). Another reason why Alaskan t.v. shows are popular is because of the entirely different lifestyle Alaskans live compared to Americans living in the continental United States. Because many Alaskans live in remote areas surrounded by wilderness and covered with snow, the extreme and remote conditions make for  out of the ordinary and therefore captivating television. Along with the remoteness, Alaska is a very violent state which can be seen on Alaska State Troopers, as about 60 percent of households in Alaska own guns and Alaska leads the nation in per capita gun deaths (20.64 deaths from guns per 100,000 people, nearly double the national rate). For example, in just one episode of Alaska State Troopers viewers can see a trooper having to pull someone over for speeding (something that may not seem very dangerous) and most likely face a driver who has a concealed weapon, to troopers having to go out into the wild to rescue someone who ends up lost in freezing and dangerous conditions. Both of these combined make for very interesting television, as viewers see the dangers that Alaskans face on an everyday basis, whether it is encountering bears and wolves or being a state trooper and potentially being shot. However, it is not just the state troopers who have are faced with a hazardous occupation, for their are many other life-threatening jobs depicted on t.v. like Deadliest Catch or Ice Road Truckers. While watching Deadliest Catch, viewers see the crew members face frigid cold waves that crash upon the deck leading to a great potential that one of the men fall overboard. These jobs further show why Alaska-based reality t.v. is so popular because viewers get to see these perilous lifestyles that are so vastly different from the average American’s life, as well as see Alaskans’ everyday struggles and how they overcome them.

So while reality television has become a mainstay in television, Alaska has benifited greatly with many shows depicting the colossal differences between the 48 main states and Alaska. Whether it is the mystery of living in the wild or the sheer wildness of Alaskans, Americans love seeing what will happen next, which is evident by the number of shows and their popularity. Therefore, it is easy to see that contrary to popular belief, all Alaskans are not like Sarah Palin, and while their state is extremely different from most Americans, they live interesting lives that are truly extraordinary.