The 9th season of The Amazing Race starts tonight (9PM ET/PT), and I am so very excited. A typical reaction when I tell the uninitiated about this show is, "Eh, I don't like reality shows all that much." But I'm telling you, this is not Survivor. This is not simply a show full of backbiting, manufactured drama and silly "competitions." OK, so there's a little bit of that, but they travel around the world, people! They have to navigate their way through Mumbai on crowded trains and race through the streets of Bangkok on tuk-tuks and cross African deserts on buses full of livestock! All with a camera and sound person in tow, on very little sleep, probably fighting with their racing partner, crazy low blood sugar, not speaking the language, no idea where they're going next. It is drama and excitement to the nth degree, full of villains and goofballs and slutty princesses and soccer moms and spunky retirees and always THAT couple, who should break up immediately if not last month or last year. It's a formula, and it's manufactured to a certain degree, and the inevitable "Ugly American" incidents really piss me off, but my god, it's exciting. (Except for last season, and maybe season 6. But other than that...whooo!)
So, who wants to watch it with me? My usual TAR buddies are playing hockey in Burlington and are living in Vietnam, respectively, and I need at least one other person, so I can keep up the necessary snarky running commentary and yell at the TV without feeling like a fool. If you don't love it, I'll...I'll...um...probably apologize and then evangelicize a bit more.
Posted by thevieve at February 28, 2006 12:23 PMI would, BUT...I am an American Idol whore, and will be tuning into that instead, cell phone in hand, ready to vote vote vote as soon as the show is over. And, just to promote MY fave reality TV show's, MTV Real World Key West premieres tonight at 10pm, and America's Next Top Model on Wednesday at 8pm (my all time favorite reality TV show...). So, yeah. I do not pass judgement on anyone for their choice in reality TV. To each their own!
Posted by: Emily on February 28, 2006 3:54 PMman, if there were any way i could get the amazing race in vietnam, i'd be the happiest girl in the world. did i ever tell you that TAR was part of what inspired me to come out here in the first place? i think it had something to do with those crazy little round boats, and the bikes with a gazillion pointy baskets on them, and the way this country totally made flo lose her shit. heh.
anyway, love from saigon. miss you, and TAR, and the bottles of wine. hope all's good and i'll write soon - promise.
Posted by: emily on March 10, 2006 4:24 AM