The Amazing Race

[geargrrl]

I confess. I'm hooked, new season starts tonight.

So, would you do it or not? I think DH and I would be really good at it but I don't have the nerve to actually apply. We've worked all our crap out, we get along well, communicate well, have 20some odd years of experience working things out in crazy situations ( we do adventure travel, and adventures, and travel)

I think we are both way past the drama queen and controlling snippy b**ch stage for me, or the clueless, controlling, fumbling male for him.

With my luck though I'd have major PMS when filming so all my good intentions would go straight out the window.

Discuss.

 

[LilaBear]

With my luck though I'd have major PMS when filming so all my good intentions would go straight out the window.

:ROTF::ROTF:

 

[itri]

Ooh, I LOVE the Amazing Race. My absolute favorite show, the only one that I put down the laptop/magazine/newspaper for.

I dream of doing TAR. I actually really wanted to try out for it after I saw the first season, but couldn't convince STBX to go for it, he insisted he wouldn't be able to take that much time off work. Now that I have a toddler, I don't think I would be able to be gone that long, at least not for a few more years.

My stomach totally turned watching that bungee jump tonight! Yikes!

 

[SnowHot]

I love the amazing race. I would have a blast doing this with my sister. NEVER my husband.

I missed it last night. Dang!

 

[Auski]

I love The Amazing Race and so do my family. We all snuggle up together and watch.

I don't think I've ever seen anything as funny as the run away cheese wheels, I almost pee'd myself laughing. The Swiss guys at the bottom with their beers were hilarious also.

 

[geargrrl]

That cheese thing was, IMSHO, one of the most difficult looking tasks I've ever seen. Wasn't it the "hick" guy who made the sled out of the carrier? That was the way to go. I am sure there must have been a local trick that wasn't shown on how to do it. I told DH the real path was probably up the back of the hill.

Sometimes, I get the feeling that they are trying to fill in certain categories of semi stereo types with the folks that do it, anyone else get that sense?

 

[michpc]

I love the Amazing Race too! Also missed last night's while driving home from Syracuse :-(. If I was to do it, my friend from college, Kim, and I have discussed it. We may possibly be at each other's throats (make for good entertainment), but we'd put our rugby-playing aggression to good use and we're both super competitive. My sister and I would probably come close to actually killing each other (also good entertainment), so that would be a bad choice

 

[geargrrl]

Getting close to the end...

Does anyone think they are trying to get a little more drama and sensationalism into things this season?

I thought the underwear race through Moscow was ridiculous, I mean, what does that have to do with the culture? The local athletes wore warm ups!!

Too much focus on the conflict between Luke's team and Kisha's team?

DH thinks that Victor and Tammy have too much of an advantage with the language (Mandarin) and that the race should have been routed somewhere else besides China. I am thinking this is not the first time there's been a language advantage.

Last but not least, and this is just a thought - I am wondering if the contestants get ( or do not get) cultural briefings about what kinds of dress, etc can be found offensive by some of the cultures that get visited. Every season you get these gals running all over the place in workout tights, short shorts, Lycra spaghetti tank tops etc - which while this kind of clothing has it's place, in many cultures it's frowned upon to expose so much shape/skin. You ever notice people just STARING? I am currently reading Lonely Planet Thailand in prep for a trip we are planning, and it's very specific about what women ( and men) should not wear to be respectful of the local mores. That is just one example, I could give more.

anyway, discuss. :D

 

[Christy]

Of course they focus on the conflict! People love that stuff (not me though—I like everyone to be nice). All of my favorites like the gay dad and son have been kicked off. I’m really not crazy about anyone who is left.

I think doing this would kill my love of travel. Also as soon as I got hungry or tired I’d say, screw the race, that restaurant looks good.

I think it would be hard to route the race around individual contestants--for instance, so many people speak Spanish, and it's hard to avoid the Spanish speaking world. And since the lawyers didn't do that well in Beijing, it doesn't seem like they have that much of an advantage.

I am currently reading Lonely Planet Thailand in prep for a trip we are planning, and it's very specific about what women should not wear to be respectful of the local mores.

Thailand attracts so many young tourists that I doubt lycra workout clothes are the worst the Thai people have seen. Now if they went through Saudi Arabia that would be interesting…

 

[sibhusky]

For years, I've thought how great it would be to do this with my daughter. I'd do the stuff geared towards experienced travelers, she'd do the stuff requiring speed and muscles. Then this season, no one could escape doing the bungee jump. Sorry, I'd have gone home then.

 

[Christy]

This season looked hard, physically. I wonder how everyone's back is after doing that cheese wheel roadblock.

 

[Christy]

Of course Margie had to eat the bugs--Luke does almost nothing.

 

[itri]

ARGH. I really dislike the cheerleaders. I am NOT happy that they're still there because poor Jen had to go to the bathroom. They got LUCKY.

 

[Pequenita]

Simply one of my favorite shows, although this season my viewing has been sporadic. I thought the stuntmen brothers were ridiculous. Were they officially little people? Or are they just really short? Jeez. It must be miserable to be a 4'9" guy.

At this point, I am rooting for Victor and Tammy and Margie (is it possible to root for only 1/2 of a team?). I'm glad that Margie is having fun on the trip and that it's become more than doing something for her son.

 

[sibhusky]

I am really sorry the cheerleaders are in the final three because one of them (which one, they are such clones, do they use the same hairdresser?) has such a horrible attitude, she's the "traveler from hell". "They must understand the word 'taxi' and they're playing dumb!" It's like she thinks the whole world revolves around making American tourists comfortable!

If I were Jen, I'd feel really bad about that bathroom stop. I remember having to go that bad when they made me drink a ton of water before my amnio 22 years ago and then the appointment was delayed THREE HOURS because of an emergency delivery and they told me I had to keep holding it. I guarantee if I can hold it then when I was pregnant I could hold it to win a million bucks!

 

[Christy]

Jamie certainly is bad but Cara seems nice. I would have liked to see the sisters get to the final--they did such a good job coming back from being u-turned. I wonder if the male lawyer really has turned over a new leaf or if the editors have just focused on other conflicts and so he looks like the good guy. He was awful at the beginning of the season.

 

[Consuela]

Of course Margie had to eat the bugs--Luke does almost nothing.

Oh come on, he did the pedicure... hahahaha Margie is awesome!

I had mixed emotions about Jen and Kecia. The one thing I can say is that Kecia is a pretty cool big sis'. She got Jen back in the water to "finish strong" and her response to the bathroom insident was very cool. They had their power struggles throughout, but she really showed what a wonderful, supporting big sis' she is in those two moments.