Despite seemingly morbid subject, 'Buried Life' inspires

What do people want to do before they die? The new show “The Buried Life,” which airs Mondays at 10 p.m. on MTV, seeks to answer this question.

“The Buried Life” tells the story of Ben, Jonnie, Duncan, and Dave—four college students from Canada who dropped everything one summer to fulfill their list of one hundred things they want to do before they die. But there is one catch: for every task the group of friends crosses off their list, they must help a stranger achieve a goal as well.

In the episodes that have aired so far, the guys have completed three tasks on their list, but more have been attempted. To date, they have attended a party at the Playboy mansion, made a toast at a stranger’s wedding, and delivered a baby. In their most audacious stunt yet, the boys snuck onto the red carpet premiere of “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” in hopes of scoring Ben a date with Megan Fox. Unfortunately, his attempt was foiled by her publicist, leaving goal 39—score a date with a dream girl—still intact.

At the same time, they’ve helped three complete strangers on their journeys. They’ve given a public school its first computer, reunited a father and son after 19 years apart, helped one girl overcome her fear of heights, and helped another girl visit the grave of her deceased mother. Regardless of whether they are successful in crossing another item off their list, they always make a difference in someone’s life, something most people don’t have the opportunity to do all that frequently.

Some students and young adults wonder whether they are really experiencing life the way they always dreamed they would. “The Buried Life” embodies this concept of questioning oneself and directly addresses what it might mean to live life to the fullest. Every episode is exciting and heartwarming, and the fact that these men are college students gives student viewers a relatable source of inspiration.

Many students have their own lists of things they would like to accomplish someday, and “The Buried Life” shows them that it is possible to have the best of both worlds—to diligently study during the school year and pursue other dreams during the summer.

Still, it is often difficult for college students to think of what they want to do before they die because many believe they have forever to live. “I want to move to Cali and join a dance team, and then from there travel the world and teach choreography … that would be a dream come true,” Esosa Oviasu, CC ’12, said.

“I want to travel the world … it’d be great to just buy an around-the-world ticket and just go,” Josef Blake, CC ’10, said.

So, while the possibility of death may seem distant, “The Buried Life” encourages viewers to take advantage of life while it lasts. Is it moving or morbid to think about life in this way? “It’s not morbid. Death is natural,” Margaret Kieu, CC ’12, said.