this is the thread where we talk breathlessly about the best TV show on North American television: THE AMAZING RACE!

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HAHA, just noticed my spelling error :)

MindInRewind (Barry Bruner), Tuesday, 29 November 2005 05:04 (eighteen years ago) link

Lee -- it's both. However, I think they're failing miserably on the "race" aspect of it (too US-centric, challenges are too easy), and "Linz family" != "ratings". Too many drab families!

MindInRewind (Barry Bruner), Tuesday, 29 November 2005 05:09 (eighteen years ago) link

It is entertaining that self-proclaimed Christians the Weaver family are giving Johnathon an Victoria a serious challenge for Most Loathesome Individuals To Ever Appear On A CBS Reality Show.

Dan (And So On) Perry (Dan Perry), Tuesday, 29 November 2005 05:18 (eighteen years ago) link

They're not in Jonathan's league as far as detestibility goes. They're basically decent people with a penchant for moral smugness. Jonathan was a monster who verbally abused his wife 24/7 and constantly seemed on the verge of snapping and biting off her head at any moment.

And how quickly you forget KKKendra from the same season!

MindInRewind (Barry Bruner), Tuesday, 29 November 2005 05:27 (eighteen years ago) link

biting off her head at any moment

I meant that literally. Like with his teeth.

MindInRewind (Barry Bruner), Tuesday, 29 November 2005 05:28 (eighteen years ago) link

They're basically decent people with a penchant for moral smugness.

Oh, this is not even remotely true. The Weavers are on a serious "we are innately superior to everyone around us, ergo things like basic common decency are just beneath us" trip.

KKKendra was awful but even she had the ability to be nice to others from time to time despite her loathesome qualities; the Weavers think it's okay to:

- denigrate someone solely for being a garbageman;
- denigrate people who are being nice to them because they have fake breasts;
- throw trash at out of their car at other cars;
- shout and scream all throughout an overnight bus ride;
- rebuff every friendly or polite overture with sneering contempt;
- basically treat anyone who isn't in their family or in a position to give them prizes like dogshit.

Not even Jonathon was as uniformly and consistently awful and he was literally the end of the world. The Weavers are absolutely worthless human beings who basically represent every single thing detestable and undesirable about American culture; give me the Paolos and their virtually unwatchable bickering any day over their pious self-involved bullshit because, at the end of the day, the Paulos recognize that they're wrong and dysfunctional and each of them saw things that really impressed them and gave them greater respect for their family members during the trip, showing that they are capable of learning how to break out of their destructive behavior patterns. The Weavers, meanwhile, are perfectly happy to wallow in smug, insufferable ignorance and deserve nothing but ridicule shunning for the rest of their days.

Dan (PS: I Hate Them So Much) Perry (Dan Perry), Tuesday, 29 November 2005 05:42 (eighteen years ago) link

I think you've overstated their behaviour with the last two points in your list. The first four are obv. true, which makes them very rude people. I'm sure the Paolo boys endured lots of teasing when they were kids because their dad was (is) a garbage man. Kids are supposed to grow out of that kind of behaviour, but the immature Weaver teens haven't. The mom raised three spoiled kids and taught them to hide behind a veneer of being "good Christians". In their suburban microbubble I'm sure they live very happy lives with their like-minded friends. I think they're a more "typical" family than you have implied, although maybe that was exactly your point when you wrote that they "represent every single thing detestable and undesirable about American culture."

Jonathan had his nice moments (i.e. the way he treated children at various points during the race) but he was essentially a schizophrenic, extremely unsettled person. Victoria kept saying stuff like "Jonathan is great around kids, but I'm not sure I want to have children with him." On a national TV show!

On a side note, I respected Jonathan for being a GREAT competitor -- he and Victoria were a dangerous team who eliminated themselves once J lost his head and made a dumb mistake by not reading a clue properly (this sort of mistake was inevitable, really). The Weavers are dumbasses who are still on the show because the other teams are that much more incompetent than they are. This definitely increases my hatred for them.

KKKendra called for mass sterilization of Africans. Surely this takes the cake for the "most detestable comment uttered by a reality show contestant in the history of ever all-time ever ever."

MindInRewind (Barry Bruner), Tuesday, 29 November 2005 06:21 (eighteen years ago) link

Dammit Barry, you've just ruined the Bransen girls for me.

Keep the juices flowing by jangling around gentleee as you move (Leee), Wednesday, 30 November 2005 06:16 (eighteen years ago) link

The Weavers were in fine form tonight Dan, wouldn't you say?

What's with the camera operators draining people's car batteries? That's twice now. They're lucky that nobody has been eliminated because of it (although the Linzes might be in danger of it).

The Weavers getting stripped of their money had virtually no impact on their race so far. WTF? I think the only time they needed money was to get into Yellowstone.

MindInRewind (Barry Bruner), Wednesday, 30 November 2005 07:04 (eighteen years ago) link

The Weavers are fantastic villains, a class that Jonathan sort of transcended since he actually seemed (and in all likelihood was) physically dangerous and realistically you wanted him gone from the race as soon as possible.

OTOH, the Weavers are more harmless in a realistic way, but as far as TAR is concerned, you want, in a banal way, the fat one and her sister to be thrown off their horses, yet when they avoid elimination, you're grateful that they're still in the race so you can tensely keep on rooting against them. Also, they've gotten farther than Jonathan, though that only makes them more successful in a retrospective way.

I also forgot to mention from the previous episode: "Miss Latin Utah -- even better!"

Keep the juices flowing by jangling around gentleee as you move (Leee), Wednesday, 30 November 2005 07:16 (eighteen years ago) link

Weavers: we don't know anything about ice ... except ice skating!

Uh, you're headed for an *indoor* rink, you fools.

I also liked how the driver basically told them to get lost when they asked him to go fast. Montreal cab drivers are insane, you don't normally have to ask them to take you on a near-death experience through downtown Montreal.

MindInRewind (Barry Bruner), Wednesday, 14 December 2005 02:50 (eighteen years ago) link

Awesome finish!

I swear though, I thought Mother Weaver was going to propose to her cabbie they way she was going on about OMG U R A XTIAN 2!!

Obsessing over the unobtainable and nonexistent. (Leee), Wednesday, 14 December 2005 23:51 (eighteen years ago) link

The number of posts celebrating this finale are testimony to how awesomely great this season was*!

*'nt.

D.I.Y. U.N.K.L.E. (dave225.3), Thursday, 15 December 2005 01:12 (eighteen years ago) link

The geography puzzle at the end was an awesome finish. They (=AR) did one thing right this season.

What was with the "charter plane to a shhhhhhhh SECRET location"? I was hoping they'd fly to Baffin island ... Labrador ... somewhere a little bit out of the way ... Toronto? Were they supposed to unsure whether they were still in Canada? I don't get it.

The Bransens lost when they chose to go the Shoe Museum. I don't think the task itself took any longer than the boat thing, but they had to drive north through the downtown core (this would have been 8-9 AM, during the peak of rush hour unless this happened on a weekend) and then back the way they came to get on the highway to drive to Queenston. Since the Linzes remained close to the lake (and the highway), they saved themselves about half an hour worth of driving over the Bransens. If I had known about this and been around at the time (the Bransens parked on U of T campus about two blocks from my office when they went to the Shoe Museum), maybe I could have altered the final standings ... or organized that foursome :)

MindInRewind (Barry Bruner), Thursday, 15 December 2005 03:02 (eighteen years ago) link

two months pass...
Let's get hyped:

http://www.cbs.com/primetime/amazing_race9/

My early pick: Ray and Yolanda. They're athletes, they're smart, not much seems to faze them, etc.

NoTimeBeforeTime (Barry Bruner), Sunday, 19 February 2006 18:20 (eighteen years ago) link

my picks: BJ AND TYLER, COME ON!!

POOP BITCH (Mandee), Sunday, 19 February 2006 20:04 (eighteen years ago) link

That was fucking awesome!

BJ and Tyler are actually smart!!

The pink bimbos are even dumber than I thought they would be!!!

Lake is a psycho!!!!

NoTimeBeforeTime (Barry Bruner), Wednesday, 1 March 2006 04:27 (eighteen years ago) link

The Frosties gotta go!!!! It feels good to be excited about my fave show again. No more families ever!

scott seward (scott seward), Wednesday, 1 March 2006 11:10 (eighteen years ago) link

two months pass...
We could have had so much fun with this season!!! why didn't anyone watch? I really do think that that lame-o family season took the wind out of the show's sails. but this one had it all. okay, no major blowouts, but still, highly entertaining. good villains (those frat boys! yuck!), good goofballs (loveable hippies! who would have guessed?), good afro-american and oldie teams. good bimbos. that one blonde babe's "I Love Spinning" t-shirt alone would have given us material for weeks! oh well, maybe next time. meanwhile, i can't even watch the finale cuz i have to work :(

this season also had one of the first three team foot races to a pitstop that i have seen in years.

scott seward (scott seward), Sunday, 14 May 2006 21:50 (eighteen years ago) link

don't even get me started on survivor. which was also really good this season. i know i'm probably the only person on ilx who still watches that creaky old thing. even maria doesn't watch it anymore and she was the rabid fan in the family! that finale i actually get to see tonight cuz i'm not working.

scott seward (scott seward), Sunday, 14 May 2006 21:54 (eighteen years ago) link

ten months pass...
Come on, fellows! SCHMIRNA WITH BACK TO BACK FIRST PLACE FINISHES SHOCKER!!!

Leee, Monday, 26 March 2007 04:02 (seventeen years ago) link

One of the Cha Chas referencing Project Runway!

Leee, Monday, 26 March 2007 17:20 (seventeen years ago) link

i kinda think it was yet another bad idea like the family edition. did i really need to see rob & amber again? no, no i didn't. look what that family edition did to this thread! everyone abandoned the show! so sad. i really enjoyed this thread a lot.

scott seward, Tuesday, 27 March 2007 15:14 (seventeen years ago) link

they should just have the gay edition. the amazingly gay race.

scott seward, Tuesday, 27 March 2007 15:17 (seventeen years ago) link

This season has been great and kind of underscores how Uchenna and Joyce are the awesomest people to have ever been on the show.

Also megaLOLZ at Romber's hubris! I like them as a racing team but still, LOLZ.

HI DERE, Tuesday, 27 March 2007 16:24 (seventeen years ago) link

Scott, we can rebuild this thing.

I kinda dis/agree with you about the concept of an All-Stars TAR, especially since none of my favorite teams (Chip & Kim, the Clowns, the Hippies, Colin + Christie (my ironic faves)) were invited onto the show, and the only team that I was familiar with and liked are the Beauty Queens and they were getting their luscious tails handed to them because now they had some real competition, and yes, Romber part IV was redundant yet in a way necessary, but it's really IMO kicked up a notch lately with the surprise rise of thee SCHMIRNA JUGGERNAUT, and I am now feeling the love for the Cha Chas too.

Are the Guidos supposed to be bad guys?

Leee, Tuesday, 27 March 2007 16:27 (seventeen years ago) link

seven months pass...

i know i'm all alone. i don't care. season 12 i am there for you! i think it's still on after 60 minutes. 60 minutes is still on cuzza football i guess.

scott seward, Monday, 5 November 2007 01:19 (sixteen years ago) link

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA THANK YOU AMAZING RACE

HI DERE, Monday, 5 November 2007 04:16 (sixteen years ago) link

omg goth pink weird cuople is from louisville

nickalicious, Monday, 5 November 2007 07:03 (sixteen years ago) link

I don't like them.

nickalicious, Monday, 5 November 2007 07:03 (sixteen years ago) link

It was satisfying to see one of the most annoying teams go home. The donkey walking bit was very revealing of character, somehow.

polyphonic, Monday, 5 November 2007 07:17 (sixteen years ago) link

one year passes...

okay now i KNOW i'm the only person still watching this show. what can i say, it's still the only show on t.v. where you are sure to see obnoxious americans speaking spanish to cambodians. "Rapido, senor!!"

(kazakhstan episode was great. plus, when do you ever get to see kazakhstan? it looked like a very cool place to be.)

scott seward, Tuesday, 18 November 2008 19:43 (fifteen years ago) link

it's still the only show on t.v. where you are sure to see obnoxious americans speaking spanish to cambodians. "Rapido, senor!!"

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
This is the only reason that I'm still watching.

Live from the Witch Trials (SeekAltRoute), Tuesday, 18 November 2008 21:57 (fifteen years ago) link

I was surprised by how nice Kazakhstan was too.

I was bummed to see Molly Shannon and her granola boyfriend go home. They were very entertaining.

polyphonic, Tuesday, 18 November 2008 22:19 (fifteen years ago) link

i would root for the frat boys, but the one who isn't seth rogen is REALLY annoying.

scott seward, Wednesday, 19 November 2008 00:10 (fifteen years ago) link

Yeah. Also, they are terrible at the game and don't deserve to win.

polyphonic, Wednesday, 19 November 2008 00:11 (fifteen years ago) link

They sure lucked out tonight.

nickn, Monday, 1 December 2008 05:46 (fifteen years ago) link

I'll say! Mother and son were SUCH the better team the entire season.

scott seward, Monday, 1 December 2008 06:45 (fifteen years ago) link

Were they though? Well, compared to Team Slack, yes, of course -- but this year has had historically bad racers.

As a weekend Communist, I am mad beyond humanity that none of them knew what Lenin or Stalin looked like. Also, what was Toni's reason for making Dallas do that Roadblock?

Leee, Monday, 1 December 2008 22:04 (fifteen years ago) link

three months pass...

This season is shaping up to be really good! Mel is so awesome.

Leee, Monday, 2 March 2009 04:59 (fifteen years ago) link

Yep, totally rooting for Mike and Mel. I was disappointed that the lawyer siblings didn't go home last night. That dude is insufferable.

lindseykai, Monday, 2 March 2009 16:16 (fifteen years ago) link

haven't read thread for fear of spoilers but have quietly caught up on seasons 1-4 online. season 4 was easily the most forgettable of these.

(*゚ー゚)θ L(。・_・)   °~ヾ(・ε・ *) (Steve Shasta), Sunday, 15 March 2009 19:22 (fifteen years ago) link

Hmm, best Roadblock ever?

Leee, Monday, 16 March 2009 03:58 (fifteen years ago) link

Also, quite a lovely half to one of the Detours.

Leee, Monday, 16 March 2009 04:11 (fifteen years ago) link

eight months pass...

T_T over flight time and big easy... 2 of the bro-iest classy dudes ever on the show. i may even be coerced to go checkout a HGT game next time they're in town.

vlogger working on a thinkpiece about the gastro-truck revolution (Steve Shasta), Wednesday, 2 December 2009 21:58 (fourteen years ago) link

Flight Time definitely chill, he never lost his cool when Big Easy made the world's stupidest decision ever.

Leee, Friday, 4 December 2009 06:20 (fourteen years ago) link

tbh i thought it was a genius move IF all the teams had to go to the airport to travel in the morning. unfortunately this is one of the only episodes i've seen that they start and finish in the same city.

vlogger working on a thinkpiece about the gastro-truck revolution (Steve Shasta), Friday, 4 December 2009 06:30 (fourteen years ago) link

nine months pass...

lots of lolz to be had. melon face thing obv, but the tattooed couple need to stay in as long as possible.

No Good, Scrunty-Looking, Narf Herder (Gukbe), Monday, 27 September 2010 02:04 (thirteen years ago) link


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