"You're going to what?"
Hello beloved readers! Welcome to this week's thoughts on The Amazing Race. Thank you everyone who submitted nickname suggestions for Ronald. You guys crack me up and I love reading all of your comments. I chose Moronald (Thanks TinkerBellAPixie!), mostly because I love how it rolls off the tongue and brain. It's also very accurately descriptive. Loves it.
Before I begin tonight's recap I simply must pause here for a moment and ponder over the ethics of parading a multi-million dollar affluent American television production through an impoverished country and then taking off without a backward glance. Not to be a stick in the mud, but this disturbs me. It's like watching the kids from The Real World gallivanting through India and handing the starving children lollipops before heading off to their next Inferno challenge. Something doesn't seem to add up, but it could just be my pesky conscience talking. I would feel so much better about all this if I knew that CBS donated something to the villages they visited - like building a new school or providing some sort of water piping system. If anyone has any info, I would love to hear it and rest easier. Now let's do this!
We're back in gloomy Amsterdam where Phil explains to us that Moronald busted a gut while riding a cargo bike at the end of last week's episode. Literally - he gave himself a hernia. A Dutch doctor came to his hotel room and reduced the swelling by "pushing the tissue back into his abdomen." Yummy! You know, what can I say? Karma has a job to do and I am not disappointed. Sucks to be you, Moronald - and you, Christina to be his daughter.
Turn your head and cough.
Anyhoo, Leg 2 winners Lorena and Jason set out first tonight and receive instructions to fly to Ouagadougou, a city in a small developing country in West Africa called Burkina Faso. Their next clue is waiting at the city's train station. As they board the taxi repeating "baby" 167 times, Jason and Lorena tell us that now is the time for them to start working on some of their dysfunctional issues. Like the fact that Lorena turns into the little girl from The Exorcist when things don't go her way. Charming. And speaking of dysfunctional couples, here come The Babies, Nathan and Jennifer in second place nitpicking and giving each other dirty looks all the way to the airport.
"How do I love thee?"
The LA Blondes have managed to slap on a little makeup and some super tight leggings as they set off and Jem and Rio discuss their gender reversal issues as if their appearances aren't confusing enough. The siblings are overjoyed to be going to Africa since they are from Ethiopia (really?) and The Hippies pronounce their destination "Go Dog Go," and then tell us about the Zen space they're in. That's fantastic, man. Please comb your hair. The sisters are acting like they've downed a couple of cappuccinos and vibrate their way onto a taxi and then Nick lets Grandpa Donald handle everything - again.
Presumably due to the huge tourist rush to Burkina Faso (yeah right) there is only one flight per day going there. The teams first have to get to Paris to catch the connecting flight to Africa and The Babies are pushing their agent to put them on a waiting list for an already-full 7:20 AM flight. I think their goal is to get onto the Burkina Faso flight an entire day ahead of the other teams.
Moronald and Christina are the last to head out and Moronald is giving us a monologue about regretting how shabbily he treated his dear daughter on the last leg of their journey. I'm pretty sure all he really regrets is that her fat butt tore open his abdomen as he tried to pedal her along. Also, I'm greatly alarmed to note that he seems to own a "Who's Your Daddy" t-shirt in every color. Ew.
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Comments (9)
Oh my God, I wanted to reach through my TV and smack Lorena. I've seen two year olds act more mature then her! I don't know how Jason puts up with her, no wonder he won't marry her. And when she asked him if he still loved her I wanted to puke. I was sad to see the sisters go, I was hoping it was going to be Lorena and Jason. Hopefully next week!!
1 of 9 | Posted by featherhead | Posted on November 21, 2007 4:38 AM
That recap was hilarious. I rarely LOL reading any recap and this one I did many times :) I cannot believe there was not mention of how when Lorena (I think) was trying to milk her camel it definitely looked like she was trying to do something else. I'm mad the sisters got eliminated so early. I really liked them. There's always ignorant people in every season and I think the blondes were cast in that role this season...
2 of 9 | Posted by yankeesfan | Posted on November 21, 2007 7:09 AM
Very funny recap! :)
To answer some of your questions (as I have watched all 11 seasons, thus far, of the Amazing Race)...
First - CBS does pay the people you see in the roadblocks and detours, etc. While I'm sure it's not a high amount to us, it's very lucrative for them.
Second - while the production company has it's own cameramen for the show, they are usually the ones who follow the teams. The company makes a concerted effort to use local cameramen and assistants in any country they go too, in order to aid the local economy. (According to the CBS website, this season over 2,000 locals were employed.)
Third - all airline tickets are paid for by credit card (and that's the only thing they can use the credit card for). Fun fact - when you hear the ticket agent say there are "2 seats available" the agent actually has to have 4 seats per team - because teams cannot travel without their two personal cameramen.
And while I know it's hard to watch images like the child with flies covering his face, I would rather CBS show me what a country is really like - and hopefully be moved to act on my discomfort, rather than see just the pretty sights of Paris and London and ignore the poverty that does shape most of the world.
Great recap! I look forward to the rest of the season, Honey Gangsta!
3 of 9 | Posted by LoneButterfly | Posted on November 21, 2007 7:28 AM
My favorite most horrifying Ugly American moment was when Ronald was trying to teach the student the word 'skyscraper" by reminding him of the movie King Kong. I guess I fast forwarded through the scene where one of the delapitated huts had a "Blockbuster Video" sign out front for all those HDTV plasma movie nights the children must enjoy.
4 of 9 | Posted by lagitha | Posted on November 21, 2007 7:51 AM
THANK YOU LoneButterfly!
Your info makes me feel much better about episodes like this. Employing locals is a fantastic way to help, and I'm so glad to hear that they do give money to the places they visit.
I have watched some seasons of The Amazing Race, and I've always loved it, but I haven't followed the series closely enough to know all the details. It's fun to take a closer look.
Lagitha - LOL on the Blockbuster comment!
Thanks for keeping me laughing (and informed) guys!
Much love!
-HG
5 of 9 | Posted by Honey Gangsta | Posted on November 21, 2007 8:58 AM
Good recap.
I think throwing money around randomly in that situation might have attracted a mob.
While I don't normally like dishonesty, I did enjoy the incident with the cab driver.
I think this was one challenge where grandpa was the best choice. He clearly had milking experience (just maybe not with camels).
I wanted the sisters to last longer! Maybe Karma is getting even for them being so naturally adorable.
6 of 9 | Posted by fire@will | Posted on November 21, 2007 10:00 AM
thanks for the recap Honey!!! Loved the engagement ring . . . that guy is so running for the hills . . . what do these people not understand about being kind to animals . . . . wasn't the donkey a lesson enough!? Personally I thought Grandpa's comments on the sisters was riotous, no!? Sorry to see them go too . . . I'm just so over the bitchy couples . . . for reals, they can just skip them for me and just use nice people . . . is it too much to ask!?
7 of 9 | Posted by juddfan | Posted on November 21, 2007 11:20 AM
Your Loreta comments were funny even though I shouldn't be laughing at someone's obvious distress. Man, she was having a bad afternoon.
I felt sorry for her but I wouldn't marry her. Run, Jason, Run.
I have watched all 11 seasons too and I bought Season 1 on DVD.
8 of 9 | Posted by weasel dearest | Posted on November 21, 2007 1:48 PM
I liked your recap Honey. Thanks for the giggles, they were very much appreciated.
And I just wanted to echo Lone Butterfly, CBS has a pretty good track record of trying to help the local economy of every place they visit, not just on Amazing Race, but Survivor too. So we can feel free to enjoy the mindless entertainment, and maybe, be inspired to try to help in our own way too.
I also wanted to comment about this:
[Q]My conscience is disturbed again. CBS has set up this Road Block and a task that is meant to be dirty and gross and you know they're intently waiting for someone (or everyone) to throw up when they drink the milk, and for the local nomads, this is their life. They do this regularly - Phil even said so - this is how they live and we're watching these Americans trying to stomach it once for our entertainment. Why do I want to cry? [Q/}
followed by:
[Q]Jason lets Lorena do the milking and she is immediately terrified of the camel, who keeps kneeing her hands and knocking the milk out of her dish... and the local nomads stand around in the background...[Q/}
[i]laughing[i/]!!!
One of the best parts of this show, for me, is watching the locals react to the incompetence and ineptitude of the racers. For the most part, the locals are very understanding and forgiving. But a lot of times you can just see the sheer stunned disbelief at American stupidity on their faces, and it's a joy to watch.
9 of 9 | Posted by weejie | Posted on November 21, 2007 7:20 PM