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"What was the point?"
Estee 55194 desperate attention whore postings
DAW Level: "Playboy Centerfold"
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09-28-09, 06:30 AM (EST)
 
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"What was the point?" |
In last night's first leg, the producers decided to:1. Eliminate one team before they ever got on the course, robbing them of any joy that might have come from actually participating in the Race. 2. After distributing the remaining pairs on two flights to create a time gap, the contestants were sent to a task which required all eleven teams to be present before anyone could start. Why divide them up just to recombine on the other end of the flight? You tell me. 3. Once everyone was assembled, the order they could leave in was determined by -- random draw. Feeling lucky? If you're not, you could be there a while, especially as other teams start to leave: if that wheel stops on an empty space, it's another spin. Not 'team closest to it gets a shot'. Not 'move over'. Another spin. And another. And another. And another. 4. And if, between roulette wheel and happily wandering tourists, you were so unfortunate as to come in last? Two-hour penalty -- immediately eliminated by the wait for the next flight -- and no elimination. So the whole point of the first hour was to knock someone out immediately in no-course disgrace and send the actual initial last-place finishers onto a second chance. As opposed to, say, letting everyone run a normal first leg with real separation and task departure times determined by skill and effort with just a touch of luck, then removing the first team at a Pit Stop mat -- sending them out with a real experience to remember. As far as I'm concerned, Jiffie got his wish last night: TAR just forfeited next year's Emmy. And deserved to. 
The uncovering of Team PokeHer: random dumb luck or producer plant?
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vince3 17341 desperate attention whore postings
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09-28-09, 06:54 AM (EST)
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3. "RE: What was the point?" |
As far as the discovery of team PokeHer's real identities goes, I have the feeling that the Globetrotters probably decided to spend some of their time in the Pit Stop surfing the web finding about their fellow Racers, and ran into their Wikipedia entries or something along those lines......... either that or they might've remembered seeing one of them on one of the WSOPs and decided to check it out to make sure.......
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emydi 13669 desperate attention whore postings
DAW Level: "Playboy Centerfold"
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09-28-09, 01:49 PM (EST)
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11. "RE: What was the point?" |
no the guy they asked for help in the Tokyo airport recognized them and asked one if she made it to top 15 (i guess the WSOP) and other teams overheard it...they could have gotten more info. but the tourist outed them
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mhdallas 165 desperate attention whore postings
DAW Level: "Blistex Spokesperson"
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09-28-09, 07:43 AM (EST)
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4. "RE: What was the point?" |
Actually, the 2-hour penalty was because the two poker players didn't complete the challenge, not because they came in last. They said they didn't want to keep walking their group all over town, so they just went ahead and signed in, which caused their penalty.And, frankly, I'm glad the Yoga couple were eliminated at the start because that is one couple I could not have stood to watch. Their comment about 'taking one for the team' was beyond idiotic - they lost because they were just too stupid to figure out the clues that the rest of the teams did. I thought that was kind of an interesting twist to the game and it did, in fact, succeed in ridding us of one very obnoxious and obviously less than bright couple. The roulette thing was definitely different - but the show frequently requires 'bunching' so I don't think it was such a big thing that all the teams had to be there before they could start. The luck of the wheel kind of evened out everyone's chances anyway. I think this is going to be a good year for the show because, unlike past seasons, they got rid of the one couple I truly hated before it even started good. The rest of the teams seem fairly okay, although I may have issues with the poker players later on.
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Max Headroom 10028 desperate attention whore postings
DAW Level: "Playboy Centerfold"
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09-28-09, 09:40 AM (EST)
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6. "RE: What was the point?" |
Agree completely, the Tokyo leg was a waste of time. While the Japanese game show concept was entertaining, it's execution was terrible. Why make everyone wait for the wheel to fill up completely? Start the game as soon as two teams are there. Or have fewer seats at the wheel than teams, start the game as soon as the wheel is full, and make the latecomers wait on a first-come basis for a seat to become available. Instead we get a giant bunch point. Whee! And I liked the tourist group concept, as Tokyo is a crowded, confusing city with relatively few helpful English-speakers, but again I have objections. 20 was too large of a group, and it was random luck if you drew the broken-shoe tourist or Mrs. Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Then it's all topped off with a meaningless 2-hour penalty and non-elim. Great job. I strongly suspect this will not be the TAR episode submitted for Emmy consideration. 
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mikey 1136 desperate attention whore postings
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09-28-09, 10:20 AM (EST)
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7. "RE: What was the point?" |
LAST EDITED ON 09-28-09 AT 10:26 AM (EST)I wasn't clear on the gameshow thing. Were they waiting very long for all the teams? I thought that, because the second plane was a half hour early, everyone was arriving within a couple of minutes of each other. If the planes had been spaced out more, perhaps they would have started with the first six teams. In any event, I loved the Japanese game show atmosphere, cheesy graphics and screaming audience. I also loved the duck-herding challenge. The finish between the last two teams was very close. I think the Emmy is very safe. Agree with you on the eliminating the team at the start. While it was probably more fair than what happened when they had a non-pitstop elimination in the first episode a few seasons back (at least Phil told the teams what was coming) -- it probably eliminated a team I didn't know well enough to hate yet, so there was no satisfaction in their demise.
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qwertypie 9721 desperate attention whore postings
DAW Level: "Playboy Centerfold"
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09-28-09, 01:54 PM (EST)
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12. "RE: What was the point?" |
As long as Phil is there, I will watch, no matter how bad it gets.
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moonbaby 17013 desperate attention whore postings
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09-28-09, 04:08 PM (EST)
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14. "Yep" |
the eyebrow never gets old. I'm instantly happy when I see it in action 
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qwertypie 9721 desperate attention whore postings
DAW Level: "Playboy Centerfold"
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09-29-09, 05:47 PM (EST)
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28. "RE: What was the point?" |
And that would make you two even more irresistible 
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Tahj 4136 desperate attention whore postings
DAW Level: "Jerry Springer Show Guest"
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09-29-09, 12:15 PM (EST)
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23. "RE: What was the point?" |
Maybe the point was to satisfy our need for a desired/needed elimination???Huh? I don't have that particular need or desire, especially in the first 10 minutes of the opening season episode. I'd like to at least see them in a full race. While the Yoga team may have seemed cocky I still think they could have livened up things and could have been fun to watch. 
It's a Tribe!
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featherfish81 391 desperate attention whore postings
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10-01-09, 11:13 PM (EST)
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38. "RE: What was the point?" |
I think I would rather have seen them than Lance/Keri. The bully/tagalong has been done before, and no one liked it then. At least the yoga vegans would have been different (though, admittedly, if it continued in the "we set them free" vein, it would have gotten old quickly.)
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Karchita 4469 desperate attention whore postings
DAW Level: "Jerry Springer Show Guest"
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09-28-09, 08:57 PM (EST)
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18. "RE: What was the point?" |
Thanks for expressing why I felt so dissatisfied after the show last night. Yes, team yoga was hideous, but the team that beat them for last place, Mr. Obnoxious Trial Attorney and his whiny wife were no better and maybe worse. I would have been glad to see either of them go, but hated to see anyone eliminated so unfairly. The poker girls, however, I was more than ready to see go and I thought they deserved it because they made more than one stupid mistakes and were bickering within hours of the race start. That may be a record. *sigh* It can only get better from here, right? 
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kingfish 16088 desperate attention whore postings
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09-29-09, 12:40 PM (EST)
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24. "RE: What was the point?" |
LAST EDITED ON 09-29-09 AT 03:10 PM (EST)I like Maria Ho. Don't know why. I’ve seen Tiffany Michele on the Poker shows. I want to see her lose. But I also thought that first elimination was a pointless twist. OK, I'm all for trying new things, and I don't expect them to all be winners. But an elimination before the start? A reality lesson in "life is cruel, so eat it #####!", perhaps. However I do like that the first leg was a non-elimination leg, it gives everyone a chance to settle down and get over the opening jitters without incurring the ultimate penalty. I even like that the first speed bump was relative slap on the hand. In effect the first leg becomes a warm up leg, which I think is good.
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jbug 16685 desperate attention whore postings
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09-29-09, 12:51 PM (EST)
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25. "RE: What was the point?" |
I always knew you were a softie! 
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IceCat 17313 desperate attention whore postings
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09-29-09, 05:20 PM (EST)
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26. "I don't believe the non-elim legs" |
... are entirely fixed in the schedule.As a general principle, they are but I think there is some latitude that may be applied in how/when they occur. I think the producers may have discovered something odd in the behavior of the 'lost' lavender-hatted tourists. Note how, the camera operator didn't even manage to 'notice' the game changing moment and the only shot we got was a brief over the shoulder shot of the two missing tourists. I think two of the locals decided to ditch the Americans who were taking up too much of their vacation time with a seemingly pointless multi-mile walk across Tokyo. If you look closely at the hat people, you can see that some of them are pretty pissed off by the time they reached the end of the course. Having a car randomly pack it in on the side of the road is different than sabotage on the part of one of the hired local performers so the producers made the call and 'abracadabra' *poof* 'non-elim leg!'
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kingfish 16088 desperate attention whore postings
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09-30-09, 08:59 AM (EST)
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29. "RE: I don't believe the non-elim legs" |
Very interesting theory/observation, and I like the thought that they could be that flexible and original. But I'd have to say that the odds were against it.The producers had from the time that the cameraman alerted the producers that two tourists were missing to alert the decision maker of the problem and to come up with a plan B. So that would have given them an hour or two to decide that making that leg a non elim. was feasible and to devise a speed bump penalty. Then they would have had to find a soup stand, make an agreement with them, find a dock master, get him up to speed, and assemble the packets. It is possible, they may have used a local guy that they had dealt with as part of the production process, and that Pho thing was a weak penalty. But the packet would have to be mostly generated on the spot, a speed bump using Pho could have only been used on that leg. Surely they have contingency planning for some possibilities, mostly medical I would think, or maybe family emergency drop outs, and maybe they had a ready made plan B for this occasion.
But if they didn't, then to risk a complete flub up with last minute scrambling with the only goal to keep the pokeher players from being penalized by an unjust event seems unlikely. If the producers did manage to pull this off, they deserve the Emmy. If they did have an on the spot Speed bump in their back pocket for emergency use, I would imagine that they would use the tried and true "We'll take your money" or their back packs or something like that. Even the Pho bump was more a elaborate penalty than they needed. And, if they did this, they opened themselves up to accusations of favoritism and of influencing the outcome of the race. There are a lot of conspiracy theories out there anyway, I would imagine they wouldn't want to risk offering blatant proof of one. Finally: If Maria and Tiffany want to put their flirting to good use, they need to charm the cameraman who spotted the runaways. He's the guy that could have helped then the most.
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IceCat 17313 desperate attention whore postings
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09-30-09, 11:57 PM (EST)
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31. "One hour? How about almost two days!" |
LAST EDITED ON 10-01-09 AT 00:16 AM (EST)All they had to do in Tokyo was decide to have a non-elim and a speed bump and they had an hour to make that decision. They had almost two days to put the speed bump together. The Poker girls departed at 3:22 AM with a two hour penalty that means they hit the mat the day before at 1:22 PM. If you include the hour that you alluded to for camera person provided alert that means they were aware of the situation at approx 12:22 PM. All they have to do is decide whether or not the girls are eliminated during that hour because they have a buttload of time to come up with a speed bump. They had the 12 hour layover in Tokyo, the two hour penalty, the waiting time at the airport, the flight from Tokyo to Ho Chi Minh city, the taxi ride to the bus station the wait for the bus to leave and that took them to 3:30 PM Vietnam time or 5:30 PM Japan time. That's already 28 hours from the time the poker girls hit the mat in Tokyo. Then they had the bus ride and the sleep over on the docks waiting for the 7:00 AM opening time for the boat docks. Notice that the teams were shown eating at dockside soup stands that same night ('how convenient' the producers must have exclaimed). This actually supports the idea that the soup challenge was a thrown together, impromptu thing done to allow for an unscheduled non-elim. So 7:00 AM (Vietnam) is 9:00 AM (Japan) that's over 44 hours after they hit the Tokyo pit stop. Almost two days! And all they could come up with was go to the soup stand half a block up the road, get some soup ingredients, make some some soup. I think they were assuming that that their might be some errors making the soup and that they would have to return several times to the stand for more ingredients. According to Maria's voice over, she was already very familiar with that particular soup and had made it many times before so... wham, bam, thanks for the soup, ma'am and they were done. IMHO Amazing Race should lose it's emmy for not being ale to come up with a better challenge task given so much time. The Survivor crew could have built a giant ferris wheel out of telephone poles, hung exploding fire cauldrons in it, painted it in a culturally significant color scheme, and completed all of their stand-in cut-away sequence photography in the time it took the Not-So-Amazing Race hacks to put a tray of soup ingredients together. To be fair... Survivor only has to worry about one location and they set up a small city's worth of support/construction staff on site... but still.
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zorayah 60 desperate attention whore postings
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09-30-09, 07:49 PM (EST)
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30. "RE: What was the point?" |
Poor tourists. They were yelled at, dragged to their feet and used. These are mostly retired, middle aged people who was suppose to have fun!! Whoever thought of this idea was in poor, poor taste.
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kingfish 16088 desperate attention whore postings
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10-01-09, 09:59 AM (EST)
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36. "RE: Well said!" |
I didn't know they had all that time to get the props together and sort out the details. And there’s no denying both the soup deal and the soup judge were suspiciously convenient, and that the speed bump wasn't as rigorous as one would expect for TAR. Further, the whole scenario for the change to non-elimination is plausible. But as to the technicalities, they still only had from the time the cameraman alerted the producers of the problem (assuming that's how it happened) to the time the girls hit the mat to conclude that the change in plans was feasible and to make the decision. In order to decide it was feasible one would think they had to layout the overall plan in that time, and even the details. In one or two hours it is possible that they could do that, given sufficient motivation, daring, and imagination. And it would involve (to me) admirable problem solving. Well, maybe they did. It did seem kinda ad hoc. I can see the producers not wanting to have one of the more entertaining couples eliminated so soon. When they do get eliminated, I hope the interviewer asks them what they thought about this, and whether the speed bump clue was hand written on the back of a sandwich wrapper, or something.
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