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(#10) People Are Actually Paid To Live in Alaska
If you've ever watched shows like Life Below Zero and wondered how these people make any money, you should know that they may be paid by the state (other than, of course, their income from the show — which is likely nothing at which to scoff). Natives who live in remote villages receive money from the Alaska Native Lands Claims Act. Native corporations under the Act dole out dividends and stocks to those who are 1/8 Native; some of these corporations are in oil-heavy areas with a lot of income.
Alaskans — not just natives — also get paid to live in Alaska, thanks to interest from North Slope oil revenue. That being said, there are still jobs, and Native corporations will often pay outsiders to come to Alaska for jobs like teaching. There's money to be had in some parts of the wildnerness... you just have to be able to survive to get it.
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(#8) One Thing Is Definitely Real: Andy Is A Jerk
National Geographic hasn't shied away from portraying Andy and Kate's turbulent marriage or Andy's anger/control issues. Andy and Kate divorced and she left the show, but fans were shocked to see that Andy was back. Many of them took to Facebook to bemoan NatGeo's decision, and the network did respond...but only to say that “We ask that viewers keep their discussions based on the content of the show, not on speculations about the offscreen personal lives of the cast. Thank you.”
Well, alright then. It doesn't seem like fans' concerns are unfounded, though. One episode showed Andy hitting Kate with a rock and then berating her for it, and Kate posted on Facebook that she suffered from PTSD shortly after it was announced that Andy would be back on the show. However, Kate will be writing a book about emotional abuse in hopes that she can help other women. We'll see if National Geographic listens to its fans and removes Andy from Life Below Zero.
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(#4) Amazon Delivers To Wiseman, Alaska
Wiseman, Alaska is not as remote as the show might like you to believe. There are roads that connect to major cities, and you can buy necessary supplies only 13 miles away. And, to top it off, Amazon delivers to Wiseman — and Amazon has pretty much everything these days. Locals say that small towns like Wiseman are often subsidized by oil corporations, sometimes even owning the houses, and while the townspeople do hunt, it's mostly many of them have modern conveniences, like DirectTV and snowmobiles.
There's no electricity, to be sure, but most people have generators or solar panels. Regardless, bears aren't menacing Wiseman citizens who have no connection to the outside world. A person who worked on the show noted that they never film in places without access to food, water, and other amenities.
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(#6) It's Not Below Zero Everywhere, All The Time
Yes, of course it's cold in Alaska. But the summers are in the 60s and 70s — sometimes even the 80s. And winter isn't as bad as you probably think. Anchorage is warmer in the winter than Chicago, and the southeast part of the state is also pretty warm. In places like Fairbanks, further from the ocean, it can indeed get below zero, sometimes negative 30. The dry cold, however, means that -30 isn't as bad as it seems. Temperature in Alaska varies quickly, though, and a short drive can give you climate whiplash.
Parts of Alaska do see well over 100 inches of snow, but Anchorage has the same yearly snowfall as Burlington, Vermont.
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(#11) Producers Did Not Originally Want To Feature Glenn Villeneuve's Family
Though they did not originally appear on the show, Glenn Villeneuve's wife and daughter, Ameila, came to live with him long before fans got to meet the family. According to a Facebook post in which Villeneuve personally answered questions from fans, producers took three years to decide they wanted to include the reality star's family in the series. Villeneuve actually has four children, two from a previous marriage, as well as Amelia, and his youngest, Agatha.
Villeneuve manages and invests in real estate along with his career as a reality television star. He said, "I could not afford to live the way I do and support my growing family if I did not spend a considerable amount of my time in Fairbanks tending to my business affairs."
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(#9) Chip Hailstone Is Heading To Jail After A Weird Legal Battle
Chip Hailstone has been fighting the courts for some time now. In 2012, he was convicted of perjury and lying to a police officer. Though Chip appealed the conviction, he was sentenced to 15 months in jail in July 2017. So, if you've watched the show and wondered why Agnes and the kids were on their own, there's your answer.
The story surrounding Chip's conviction is, however, a little strange. First, Chip asked for a restraining order against a state trooper, saying that his daughter had reached towards the trooper and he put her in a hold. That incident, according to Chip, made him and his family fearful. Secondly, Chip claimed that a neighbor aimed a gun at his family. Who knows what the real story is, but Chip was convicted for perjury for both of those statements.
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About This Tool
Life Below Zero is a documentary about the living of people in the coldest area of Alaska, launched by the National Geographic Channel. Alaska has the most extreme cold living environment in the world. In winter, the local temperature can even reach minus 62 degrees Celsius. At this temperature, people will freeze to death in a few minutes, and there are also large carnivores such as brown bears.
A group of people with long traditions lives in such a cruel and unforgiving land, they are the bravest and strongest Alaskans. People need to do their best to prepare for the challenge of survival, filming a documentary in such a cold area is not simple. Here the random tool will show more behind the scenes about the great documentary Life Below Zero.
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