Your IQ must drop a few dozen points when they turn a camera on you, because tonight's teams on The Amazing Race displayed astounding stupidity. Faced with three mounds to search for plane tickets, each mound holding tickets for a specific flight (6 AM, 7 AM, 7:40 AM), three-- count 'em, three-- teams stopped at the 7:40 mound and didn't bother to check the next mound to see if it had earlier tickets, despite having plenty of time to do so. The mind boggles.
Rob and Amber have got to be the big underdogs here, since none of the other teams want to see them win again. They're going to be on their own, and I'm rooting for them (although how can you not root for Lynn and Alex?). You've got to give them props for going from last to first (ultimately finishing a close third), even passing people who were on a flight that landed over an hour before theirs. I think it would be terrific to have two Survivor winners (well, a winner and a runner-up) win the Amazing Race as well. Yeah, yeah, give someone else a chance, blah blah blah.
If you're Amber, you've got to want to have Mark Burnett's baby. Amber's fame pretty much ran out fifteen minutes after Survivor: Outback ended. She distinguished herself by not distinguishing herself in any way. She was Jerri's lapdog, a complete zero in the game. Fans rushed to their dictionaries when she was named to the cast of All-Stars, thinking the term had a meaning heretofore unknown to them. Thirty-nine days later, her entire life had changed. Not only was she a million dollars richer, but she was the center of a fairy tale romance with her newfound fiancee and castmate. She was hosting TV Guide specials and walking red carpets. All because Mark Burnett gave her a second chance. Some day-- and that day may never come-- he will ask her for a favor. Rob hopes that Burnett's first child will be a masculine child.
Posted by Peter at March 2, 2005 12:55 AMThat was a little odd, with the mounds. But as usual, TAR surprises us with the flight delay and all of the stragglers on the same flight, so it ultimately didn't matter.
The guy with the blue headband is going to be Jonathan 2.0 with a volume level of 3, I can sense it.
Overall, great start, and feeling better about this than TAR5 or TAR6.
Posted by: Matt J. on March 2, 2005 10:33 AMI've never watched Survivor, so this is my first exposure to Rob & Amber. Frankly, I don't like them, but that's neither here nor there. Clearly, they're excellent game players, so I'm going to have to get used to them.
I'm wondering if they're going to stay with cash prizes for winning legs or if they'll go back to trips after the first one.
Posted by: Eddie on March 2, 2005 1:48 PMThat was a heck of a cash prize. My guess is that it was a one-time deal for the first leg, and that future prizes will be trips ("courtesy of American Airlines' web site...").
Hey, Eddie, when's your first-round match going to air? I'm not watching Jeopardy! every day, so I hope I haven't missed it.
Posted by: Peter on March 2, 2005 2:30 PMInteresting comments on TAR. I actually didn't get to watch it since I was still at work but had it taped along with American Idol. By watching the ads, I am against Rob and Amber; naturally, I am going for the AirForce hero and his gal. You watch American Idol? If so, comments please. This is the first season that I have watched it. I actually am intrigued by the contestants and think several of them are very good and have great potential for winning. At first, I didn't like it because Simon was such a prick to the people who auditioned. Now, I find his comments interesting even though he's still a prick. Hope that's not too much info on something that you may not even enjoy...
Back to Rob, his one-liners on all-star Survivor were quite funny at times, but I hated to see him come in a very close 2nd. Also, I cannot believe that Amber hasn't broken it off with him yet. Time will tell.
b
Posted by: brue on March 2, 2005 3:02 PMnaturally i am against the air force hero and his gal.
Posted by: dana on March 2, 2005 10:52 PMI was rather pissed that the entire question of who would be the first to go was decided by a Peruvian cabbie who refused to step on it, and another one who did. Of course, I'd also like to know if Ryan & Chuck tried to lubricate the guy's ankle with a few greenbacks.
ALL PROPS to Rob and Ambuh for using their fame to gain a guide around town when they first landed. Especially after the other teams huddled up and one of them said "I saw him on Survivor. He's not too bright." Yeah, he's a real idiot, bribing drivers to take the Express Route and such. Just brilliant. THAT'S how you play the game.
Posted by: Chris Lemon on March 3, 2005 10:49 AMI finally watched TAR from Tuesday. Amazing idiots is right! It's funny: My s.o. and I pick who we want to "root" for at the very beginning. Besides liking the POW hero and his beauty pagent girlfriend (I'd hate to see the ugly women where she's from...), I picked Ryan + Chuck. Go figure...they got ousted first round. My s.o. picked the older couple and later was annoyed by the older female. Their days are numbered on the show.
Rob wasn't too abrasive and more tolerable than the Rob that was shown to us in Survivor.
b
Posted by: brue on March 4, 2005 1:10 PMTo answer your question, Peter, March 16.
Posted by: Eddie on March 7, 2005 8:38 AM