The Amazing Race -- All-Purpose Thread

There's gotta be a team more annoying than one comprised of Miss Iowa and Miss Florida.

Also, sidenote: this may be the only season of the Amazing Race where most of the contestants are younger than me.

 

Looks like you chose right!

It looks like there was no difference in advantage in the airports they left from, which was interesting. Also interesting - non-elim right off the bat! I think you can definitely rebound more easily from a speed bump in the first couple of legs. You just have to beat out one team, just ONE.

I actually think (contrary to all the snark I've thrown around about this season) an advantage of this season is a lot of these people already know each other -- they go to the same conferences, they see the same videos, etc. There are some that are more famous than others but they seem to all respect each other. It'll be interesting to see how a Race goes where all of them know of each team already.

That being said, Brodie, call me.

Roll call - anyone hate their team yet?

Poll update:
WolvEagle - Dana and Matt 21
SpeedTchr - Tyler and Korey 10
WriteThinking - Zach and Rachel 9
bumpy mcgee - Cameron and Darius 8
Huggy - Kurt and Brodie 7
Wenders - Burnie and Ashley 6
MTM - Jessica and Brittany 5
Iron_chet - Marty and Hagan 4
WCIBN - Sheri and Cole 3
TigerVols - Erin and Joslyn 2
Scott and Blair 1

Also, if anyone else wants in next week and wants to take on the last-place (but still could take the ONE MILLION !!!1!!!) let me know. I love how everyone shouts in the first leg "IT'S FOR ONE MILLION DOLLARS!" Actually, right now, you're just trying to be better than at least one other team. You aren't seriously racing for one million dollars for another nine legs or so.

 

Didn't hate it. Other than Cole, no one was over the top.

Little surprised at nonelimination in week 1 of a season that the core audience is leery about.

 

Still trying to remember all the teams but I hope as they dwindle and there are less of them that does not translate into more camera mugging.

Mexico City is so awesome, between seeing it here and last week on The Bachelor (don't judge☺), I really want to go back.

 

I'm curious about the reasoning for this season of teams so internet, Web and social-media related.

Did the show do this, basically, for the social-media exposure? They're looking to reach a younger, more social media-oriented audience? Does it expect to benefit -- perhaps this is even in teams' contracts? -- that the episodes, or maybe analyses by the teams are to be posted on their sites, in their videos, etc?

I just wonder if the show expects to reap any real direct financial/practical benefit from this set-up?

I mean, if you're going to pick a sort of "career" or special-interest, or something to focus the show on, why social media?

All that asked, I kind of found this first episode disappointingly un-compelling. Unusual for me when it comes to The Amazing Race.

 

Possibly to try and boost the ratings. The producers may have decided the "social media specialists'" contestants would use twitter/vine/youtube to hype the show resulting in a significant jump in ratings. Raise them enough and the show might get moved to a better time slot. In the TV industry aren't Friday slots considered the lowest of the low and one step away from cancellation?

 

I think they're not just trying to boost ratings, but they're trying to boost ratings of teens/early 20s audiences. Those are the people that are generally most valuable the powers that be (and their advertisers) and this is an audience that might bring more of them into a show they don't generally watch.

Friday slots lately have been pretty steady, I think. Airing last night at 7 pm on the major networks were TAR, the Vampire Diaries, Sleepy Hollow, Grimm, Hawaii 5-0, Shark Tank, Dateline. Most of those have been around a couple of seasons.

 

I agree, Wenders. Plus, I don't think TAR is considered the lowest of the low, nor close to cancellation, unless maybe Mark Burnett has decided he doesn't feel like producing it anymore.

It is still the best reality-type show on TV, by far.

And, Iron_chet, I was impressed by the sights/sounds of Mexico City, too. I've never been there, and maybe that made it all the more impressive-seeming to me. Definitely a modern urban metropolis, but still seemed to have an old-time, historic feel to it.

 

I tried to watch but was completely disinterested. I have no idea who any of these people are, and why I should care a whit about their silly videos that I have never seen. It was much more interesting when they selected somewhat normal people. Do any of these teams specialize in cute cat videos? If not, zzzzzzzzzzz...

 

Sorry, y'all. Your pool leader was on vacation with no cable this weekend. I will watch the episode tomorrow evening and give an update

 

Okay, interesting choice of location this week. Not surprising that this is the first time they've gone to Colombia, due to the drug issues there.

For two dudes who are apparently smart enough to solve Rubik's cubes and get into MENSA, Cameron and Darius have zero street smarts. Like ARRIVE AT AIRPORT AND FIND TICKETS. How difficult is it?! That being said, I like them and hope they rebound.

I was really surprised at Tyler and Korey rocking the beach challenge.

Poll update:
SpeedTchr - Tyler and Korey 31
WolvEagle - Dana and Matt 29
Huggy - Kurt and Brodie 17
Wenders - Burnie and Ashley 15
WriteThinking - Zach and Rachel 15
bumpy mcgee - Cameron and Darius 10
MTM - Jessica and Brittany 10
TigerVols - Erin and Joslyn 9
WCIBN - Sheri and Cole 7
*Iron_chet - Marty and Hagan 5
Scott and Blair 4

Iron_chet, if you'd like to take Scott and Blair, let me know.

Also, my question to the pool: what country/location has TAR not been to that you'd like to see them visit?

 

I, too, was surprised with Colombia considering the problems there. Has TAR ever been to Australia, particularly the Outback? I can't recall the show going there, but I could be wrong. And, logistically it would be way too much of a challenge, but Antarctica would really be something.

I've said this before: I'd love to see TAR finish one season in the Detroit area, especially since Ford is such a major sponsor. It could be a two-country finale if you include Windsor. One of the challenges could be working on a Ford assembly line. The Dearborn Truck plant, where F-150s are made, is the focus (pun intended) of the Ford Rouge Factory Tour (part of The Henry Ford, better known as Greenfield Village and Henry Ford Museum). They could stop at Hitsville U.S.A. in Detroit (the Motown museum) - there are so many possibilities.