Amazing Race: Turning Japanese I Really Think So!

28 Comments

1. 1
   (J)ustPeachy
   Posted March 9, 2011 at 2:34 pm

   Lolz. Love the recap! I’m thinking maybe they were already planning on giving the Globetrotters the 30 minute penalty, but just let it seem like it was because she tattled to make her feel better. They have to give some kind of penalty or the whole gameplay of the show could change. Amazing Race meets Bad Girl’s Club anyone? LOL.

2. 2
   ohralphie
   Posted March 9, 2011 at 2:39 pm

   This episode was very exciting to watch. I am rooting for the Globetrotters, Zev and Justin, and the Cowboys to win it. I love teams that appreciate that this is a fun game and an amazing experience that they get have. I absolutely loathe ASL and the Cheerleaders – all four of them are nothing but douches and I cannot stand the sight of them.

3. 3
   carol
   Posted March 9, 2011 at 2:50 pm

   I think they whole tattletale thing is bs. The globetrotters did not do it on purpose. I don’t even remember them saying anything about to the camera or to each other. Why did team tattletale even take their fanny pack down to the water when the rest of their clothes were left up in the changing room. I think the globetrotters love the race to much to try and sabotage another team like that. You can tell they are enjoying themselves and are actually appreciative of the adventure.

   Also, why have fanny packs never been stolen on any past season? Not by other competitors but an opportunist. They always just sort of leave them laying around.

4. 4
   Snootchy Bootches
   Posted March 9, 2011 at 3:23 pm

   That was so unfair to punish the Globetrotters. They said something about someone dropped their fanny pack before they picked it up. It was just sitting on a rock so they probably thought someone accidently dropped it and were trying to be helpful by putting it in the dressing room where it would be found. If there is one thing the Globetrotters are not, it is spiteful. They even gave up their place on that plane because they owed one to the other team. They have been a positive energy on both of their seasons. Heck, as Globetrotters, it is what they do for a living! Total Bullshit.

   And I was touched by Mike’s love for his dad. For him to quit for his dad because he didn’t want him to get ill was sweet. How many other teams would have been screaming for the other one to hurry up thinking of the win rather than the health of their loved one? Shoot, remember last season when the tattoo douche was screaming at his girlfriend while she was having an asthma attack?

   Thanks for another great recap!

5. 5
   Clair
   Posted March 9, 2011 at 3:57 pm

   Seems to me that Mike quit because HE was the one freezing.

   Go Luke and Margie!

   Great recap.

6. 6
   vallegirl
   Posted March 9, 2011 at 4:27 pm

   I like the Globetrotters as much as the next person but…didn’t Big Easy say they didn’t want to catch the earlier flight because of the connection but gave up the seats so they’d be “even” with Zev and Justin? All’s fair on the race, but they didn’t give up the seats because they’re good guys.

   But kudos to the Special Kids for being the last team to get their car from the vending machine and finishing the leg in first. I don’t know what caused the teams from the first flight to still be at the dojo when Zev & Justin showed up, but I was glad they managed to sprint ahead of everyone.

7. 7
   (J)ustPeachy
   Posted March 9, 2011 at 4:48 pm

   Okay, if what you say is true, that the Globetrotters were trying to help, then yes, no penalty. I thought that they thought it was theirs and once they realized it wasn’t, they put it in the boy’s bathroom instead of returning it.

8. 8
   jersey4041
   Posted March 9, 2011 at 6:05 pm

   I was having a tough time figuring out who to root for this season, I’m a big fan of Gary and Mallory (or as you refer to, needlessly I might add, as “Daddy Issues”) as someone who is very close with my dad, I think its great that they get to do this together and I like that they’re always happy even in defeat. They don’t fight, they don’t get bitchy, they’re not rude. I enjoy watching them. I think they genuinely ENJOY the game. My ONLY problem with them is they’re a little TOO nice. They told Zev and whathisname where the pit stop was and ended up second.

   My second team is the Globe Trotters and I agree with others, there should not have been a penalty for that.They didn’t let the Whites stay when the father could’ve passed out..since when was it about fairness? When taxi drivers get lost or passports get lost or other teams lie they’ve never given penalties or rewards. Not sure why they felt like they needed to appease that brat but they will be Team Tattletale to me from here on out.

   Other than those two, I find no one worth rooting for. The Cowboys were my fave on their season but I feel like they’re missing something this go ’round..anyone else?

9. 9
   roooster
   Posted March 9, 2011 at 6:23 pm

   There was definitely something shady about the way the G’Trotters ended up with Christina and Ron’s fanny pack. The editing was purposefully not precise, but they did show that the G’Trotters said they were taking ‘their’ pack from the waterfall. When they realized at the locker room that theirs was already there, meaning they took someone else’s by mistake, they should have taken it back to where they found it. they showed complete callousness and lack of courtesy by not admitting to the mistake. The Asian DIs probably wasted valuable time and energy searching for a pack which THEY KNEW THEY TOOK GOOD CARE OF. That’s why they did not leave it at the locker room – you never know what the next task will require, or even how the same one will progress. You may be away from your stuff for hours, and I would not feel comfortable leaving my most valuable piece of luggage unattended (by me, that is).
   The reason there were no thefts of belongings thus far is that the stuff is NEVER left totally unattended – there is always a member of production team who keeps watch during the challenges.
   And as for the G’Trotter being class acts and ‘not spiteful’ and ‘bringing positive energy on both their seasons’ – ??? Whaaaaa? Try to recall their previous appearance – for the sake of this argument, the episode at the Sands Resort will be the best depiction of what and who they are. The task was taking the 100ft (or so,) water slide down to the pool opening to the beach. The young dating couple got to the slide first. Then the girl had a total meltdown and started wigging out – it was waaayyyyy too high, waaayyy too dangerous and scary. Her partner kept reassuring her that it is no big deal, any kid at the water park would have done worse, and he almost had her convinced to go. And then the G’Trotter got there. They sized up the situation, and ignoring the guy started telling the girl how dangerous it is, and that she was TOTALLY right to not want to do that, and that the boyfriend is only pushing her to win the competition, that he does not care what might happen to her, and that it is very probable that something bad will happen.
   That was enough for her to disregard everything the boyfriend’s been telling her, throw his logic out the window, and turn into an immovable statue that would not go down the chute. The G’Trotters went ahead of them, got down to the beach and finished the leg safe. The girl stayed at the top, did not follow the guy down the slide, and eventually was allowed to take stairs down, go see Phil and get their walking papers.
   The boyfriend was working so hard to help her with her phobia, and all it took was a couple of well thought out sentences from the G’Trotters and they got the couple eliminated. And the worst thing about it was not the underhanded and ungentlemanly way they went about it, but their perverse joy at screwing with the girl’s mind, at preying on her vulnerability and using it to slay the team. So no, I do not believe that they bring ‘positive energy’ wherever they go. They are just as sneaky, lying and backstabbing as almost any other team. It would not surprise me to find out that the reason the edit was so unclear on the whole fanny pack incident was that the show did not want to show them in really bad light (which would make sense if they were one of the top teams at the end, and the producers wanted the viewers to see only the good side of them. (It is not reality, it is a reality show, after all, so edits rule the day).

10. 10
    roooster
    Posted March 9, 2011 at 6:37 pm

    I forgot comment on the obnoxious behavior of Jen the Redhead after she hit the parked car in Tokyo. To hear her bitch and moan that the ‘guy’ will cost them the race (when it was she who caused the delay), and that it was ridiculous that ‘the guy could not communicate’ with them really did piss me off
    She went to another country, did not bother to learn a word of their language or customs, did not give a damn about the way things are done there, but instead tried to thrust her ‘ugly American abroad’ attitude onto the poor guy. She definitely showed how disgusting some people can get when they expect the rest of the world to adjust to their worldview, to their customs, learn their language. She made it sound like the whole problem was the guy’s fault because he did not speak English!!! It was truly infuriating to watch her behave this way (and no, it does not make any difference that the damage she did to the car seemed really tiny). I never liked the Redheads even on their season, but it seems like Jen’s attitude only got worse with the repeat invite to the show.

11. 11
    ohralphie
    Posted March 10, 2011 at 5:19 am

    @rooster:

    Are you serious? That young lady and her boyfriend were obnoxious assholes on their season and the vast majority of viewers were chanting ‘push the bitch’ during her drawn out hysterical melt down. My god, the woman wore floaties to get into 4 ft of water! What were the globetrotters supposed to do — wait patiently for a few more hours as the bf gently and lovingly cajoled the idiot onto the slide? No, she was never going down the slide and they were right to cut to the chase and make it to the finish line sometime before the next day.
    As to the redheads – never could stand them. They are rude and entitled. It didn’t surprise me one bit that they lived up to the whole Ugly American reputation. But still I have to take exception to your assertation that they should have learned Japanese before going there. If they were on vacation I’d agree with you that they should learn a few phrases and carry an English/Japanese dictionary with them. But they aren’t on vacation they are on the Amazing Race and they really couldn’t learn all the langauges on Earth prior to the start of the race, now could they?

12. 12
    Snootchy Bootches
    Posted March 10, 2011 at 5:52 am

    @rooster: I don’t think you watch the same show that I do. The boyfriend was not graciously trying to help his girlfriend through her phobia. He was screaming at her and trying to trick her to go down the slide! He earned the asshole of the season award on that episode! And the globetrotters actually waited on them for a few minutes before asking if they could go ahead. They were polite about the whole thing.

    Also, you say that they never leave their stuff unattended? What makes leaving it on a random rock safer than leaving something in the locker room? That makes absolutely no sense at all. And if production is always near people’s stuff, then why do we have a couple eliminated almost every season because they lose their passport or some other essential item?

    And one last thing about the Globetrotters. If, like you said, they picked up the pack thinking it was theirs and then realized it was someone elses, where would be the best place to leave it, do you think? Because it was on a random rock, they might not know where they got it from. Should they just choose another random rock? Or should they put it in the dressing room where they know EVERY must return in order to change into their regular clothing?

13. 13
    itchy
    Posted March 10, 2011 at 6:47 am

    I got nothing this season, since I only ever root for cute girls to win these shows (they almost never do, but that only makes me root harder, root! root!), and this season there’s just not much. Those redhead girls remind me too much of that awful loud girl from last year’s Big Brother.

    Of course, I don’t actually watch the show, I only listen to it while I do other things. In reality, this show is really a bunch of people yelling at each other or huffing and puffing from running so hard (from one taxi to the next).

    I too think the Globetrotters were only trying to be helpful with the fanny pack thing. Being sneaky just doesn’t seem to be part of their game.

14. 14
    MrsTimRiggins
    Posted March 10, 2011 at 7:19 am

    @rooster
    I can’t remember their names but are you sure you aren’t the sweet and gracious boyfriend or the girl who had to wear water wings? That was one of the most annoying scenes ever and I’m pretty sure the boyfriend was ready to shove her down the slide.

15. 15
    zerocool
    Posted March 10, 2011 at 7:51 am

    I would have shoved her down for a million dollars. She was perfectly safe.

16. 16
    Bioscotto
    Posted March 10, 2011 at 9:12 am

    Also, am I the only one who is tiring of the repetitive sound effects?? It used to be that the gong or the cymbal would be used only in particular moments to emphasize the gameplay or idiocy of a group. Now there’s a sound effect after practically every sentence:

    “Wow, we’re going to Japan!” *cymbal*
    “Boy, this is going to be fun.” *gong*
    “Let’s hurry to catch a flight.” *cymbal*

    It’s getting out of control, and has lost all meaning as a signaling device in the show!

17. 17
    notwithoutmytv
    Posted March 10, 2011 at 9:24 am

    I feel the same way about Top Chef. I took a season off when I realized that EVERYTHING about the show had started to irritate me, and when I came back, I realized how much they use that shrill-squealing-metal on metal-knife-sharpening noise to indicate non-existant drama.

    If you’re channel-flipping or a casual viewer of the show, I guess the repetition of everything in general (sound effects, flashbacks to what happened just before the commercial break) is meant for you, but loyal viewers go absolutely nuts.

18. 18
    notwithoutmytv
    Posted March 10, 2011 at 9:29 am

    For a million dollars? I would have removed her head and used it to play Skee-ball.

    Which is exactly what I’m going to do with Phil’s head once it’s safe within my grasp. His eye brow I will graft onto my dog, so I can say “Roxie! Do the Amazing Race eyebrow thing!” and entertain my glitteratti guests.

19. 19
    Snootchy Bootches
    Posted March 10, 2011 at 9:36 am

    I like when sound effects are fun. Like remember back in the day when Hottie was on Flava of Love and every time she blinked, they played a bicycle ding-ding noise? That was funny. But now it is just overkill on all the shows it seems.

20. 20
    mere2142
    Posted March 10, 2011 at 9:39 am

    NWMTV – What are your plans for the rest of the heads you’ve requested? Bobblehead Cohen? Patti? That’s quite a collection you’re amassing!

    My only issue with the Globetrotters is that maybe they should have left the fanny pack in a more obviously location since Ron didn’t notice it right away. I think it was an honest mistake and in the spirit of the game I can see them not wanting to bring it all the way back to Ron and Christina and waste that time.

    The penalty set a bad precedent IMO…so now when a team upsets you, all you have to do is complain? If I recall correctly, Margie and Luke did complain during their season about Luke being pushed and nothing happened. I’m tired of these shows making up rules on the fly!

21. 21
    vallegirl
    Posted March 10, 2011 at 9:56 am

    They left it with Ron’s stuff, though. If their plan was to just proceed to the Pit Stop on the assumption that the GT’s had the bag with them why was Ron flailing around the changing room rather than just getting changed? Because had he done that, he would have seen the fanny pack sooner.

22. 22
    notwithoutmytv
    Posted March 10, 2011 at 10:38 am

    @ Mere: My plans are well-documented, but I’ll remind all would-be bounty hunters in this space. Most bounties are unclaimed, so act now!

    Bobblehead: I will use his head to store cigarette butts and used condoms.

    Jeff Probst: I will serve my guests fat-free Fig Newtons out of his head.

    Oprah: Remember that polo-type game the Afghanis played with severed heads in that old Sean Connery/Michael Caine movie “The Man Who Would Be King”? Oprah’s head will make an excellent polo ball. A bit large, but we make do with what we have.

    Gaycrest: Left bookend holding up my vintage collection of Tiger Beat.

    Tewwible Towby: Right bookend.

    Mary Murphy: Mounted on a stick outside my security gate, Mary’s screaming head will be an effective deterrent to Mormons, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and those kids selling candy bars.

    Nancy Grace: Tetherball. For $5 a game, you can play me and punch Nancy Grace in the head over, and over, and over again.

23. 23
    mere2142
    Posted March 10, 2011 at 12:23 pm

    @NWMTV

    Thank you for the reminder of all of your ambitious endeavors! My eyes are always peeled should I be able to help your cause (and collect the bounty for myself!)

24. 24
    Margaret Graham
    Posted March 10, 2011 at 3:17 pm

    Fran & Berry,
    Your recaps are a lovely way to spend my lunch break, and that final photo/caption really made me giggle. You have the perfect sweet/sour/funny-as-hell tone that makes TVgasm so enjoyable!

25. 25
    soapboxx
    Posted March 10, 2011 at 3:48 pm

    The chick with the floaties refusing to go down the water slide is one of my favorite reality TV moments ever! Just thinking about it makes me chuckle. I think the penalty for Fanny-Gate was correct. You can’t have teams touching each others stuff, otherwise it could devolve into just hiding each others shit thru the whole race.

26. 26
    Snootchy Bootches
    Posted March 10, 2011 at 5:41 pm

    What if the fanny pack had been accidentally dropped as the GTs assumed. What if they had just left it there? They would have been skewered for being dicks. So I guess no matter what they do, they can’t win, right?

27. 27
    vallegirl
    Posted March 10, 2011 at 5:45 pm

    I think it was both an honest mistake on the GT’s part but a fair penalty because teams are constantly being penalized for inadvertently breaking challenge rules, and in this case that’s what the GT’s did. They inadvertently interfered with another team.

    There’s a reason why the phrase “the road to hell is paved with good intentions,” exists.

28. 28
    Chicken Lips
    Posted March 10, 2011 at 8:48 pm

    1) I think Rooster is the girl that was afraid of the water slide. My friend and I pretend that we are doing the race and when we were watching that episode I told her it was OK to push me because I’m afraid of things like that, but I like to win. The Globetrotters shouldn’t have had to wait for those two to screw around.

    2) Seriously, Phil? Team Tattle still would have been in fourth place with or without the fanny pack being returned to the random rock and you know that the time difference at the start of the next day wouldn’t make a friggin’ difference because they are all going to be on the same plane/train/bus/other mode of transportation to get to their next place. This was the first time I called BS on my boy Phil. If they did it intentionally, sure impose the penalty. It was an accident and they should take time out of their race to take it all the way back to you when they left it on your pile of clothes that you were definitely taking? After ADI Daddy insulted everyone that was trying to help him (Mallory doesn’t know what she’s doing, we are screwed because of the random driver from the city I’m in’s ineptitude), I wouldn’t have wanted to help him out either for fear of what he would say about me.

    3) I didn’t remember who Team Red was. Even after I looked them up. Then I heard those mouths and it all came back. Those were the bitches that thought that everyone in the world should learn to speak English on the off chance they might be stopping by. And why in the world would they learn any basic words from any foreign language – they’re “Uhmericans”, dammit! Maybe she should have showed a little boob instead of a pretentious uppity attitude and she wouldn’t have had to dealt with the cops.

    Go Trotters, Fake Trotters and the Cowboys!