THE AMAZING RACE VII --TAR7-- Official Show Thread & photo preview

CBS ^ | Feb 24, 2005 | Veto! with a little help from CBS.com

[hattend]

Nobody was eliminated. It's a two hour leg strung out over two weeks. Guess CBS couldn't afford to pre-empt CSI Miami two weeks in a row.

Rob and Amber were in first place as the show ended. No others showed up to the mat in front of Phil but it appears the current order is Romber, Relly, Juchenna, ExLax and Metch.

[hattend]

Here is me on this year's TAR:

---

Long Beach: "All right, honey! We're going to South America! WooHoo!"

South America: "WooHoo! Raft rides! Zipline Rides! The Andes! That was great, honey! We're going to South Africa! That'll be cool!"

South Africa: "Wow, it's really gone downhill here since Mandella took over. What? We're going to feed lions? Geez, what smells like giraffe poop? What's with sleeping out here in the bugs? What? We're staying in Africa? [sigh]"

Botswana: "Look, I'm serious! WHAT SMELLS LIKE GIRAFFE POOP!? Oh crap! We're going to India? What happened to going to the temperate climates, Phil? There are 2 billion people in India, Phil. At least we should be able to avoid the major cities. Right, Phil?

India: "I still smell poop, but it's from sacred cows. It's holy s#!t. LOL!!! Oh honey, it's only a joke! Hey, I want to stay at the shrine...there were less people there. Hey, what was that? Is my wallet still in my pocket? [pat, pat] Whew! Moscow, Melborne, or Christchurch, next...Right, Phil? PLEASE!!!!"
====
AND THE JOURNEY CONTINUES

[AxelPaulsenJr]

LOL, nice but gross summation of team ex-lax.

[hattend]

Hey, that does sound like ExLax. dang it!

But that would be me talk to my wife about now. My attitude would be sucking about now. Might get eliminated just to be able to take a hot shower.

Now I'm disturbed...I sound like Team Exlax! hahahahahah!!

[Veto!]

India: "I still smell poop, but it's from sacred cows. It's holy s#!t.

LOL. Great summation. PullllEeease, TAR, get back on the beaten path!

I've never been to India but know plenty of people who've made the trip. According to every one of them India reeks from border to border and coast to coast, and it's not entirely because four-legged animals are relieving themselves in the streets.

[JenB]

How about next time is "Amazing Race: Northern Hemisphere"? Although that doesn't keep out India... enough with the third-world nations! I watch this show for the virtual tourist experience!

[hattend]

How about next time is "Amazing Race: Northern Hemisphere"? Although that doesn't keep out India... enough with the third-world nations! I watch this show for the virtual tourist experience!

I second that emotion!

[Veto!]

Just looked at the map of the Lucknow area, where our poor racers are sweating it out in dingy streets. It's in northern India, not far from Pakistan and Nepal.

The producers could take them to Katmandu next, and even up to Everest base camp, but what will you bet they go south to Bhophal, where some American company had an enviro accident? Or to Pakistan where the friendly Muslims can beat them up? I wish TAR aired on any network other than leftie SeeBS. This tour of the third world is beginning to look like Rather's Revenge.

(My kid was in Kathmandu on R&R from Saudi, where he was a project management programmer. He and his buddies got stuck in a snowstorm for a week at a place called Namche Bazaar, the last little town on the trail up to Everest base camp, and had a blast telling yak jokes and having snowball fights. Now THAT would be a Pit Stop!)

[hattend]

They went to Sri Lanka last season so if they continue east to west, then Australia has to be a natural choice.

Of course they also did do that weird jog from Sweden to Senegal and back to Germany last season so maybe they will head on up to Moscow.

Or maybe down to Singapore and then over to Oz. Then from Australia to New Zealand, back into South America and on up to Long Beach.

Taiwan? Phillipines? Japan?

====
How about North Korea?

Detour: In or Out:

Your task, smuggle food into North Korea or infiltrate a border town and smuggle a refugee out to freedom. You have $150, some small arms and a squad of mercenaries to help you complete this task. Good Luck!

[EmilyGeiger]

After the crummy places they have visited, our TAR race covering the U.S. sounds pretty good right now, doesn't it?

[Veto!]

Your task, smuggle food into North Korea or infiltrate a border town and smuggle a refugee out to freedom. You have $150, some small arms and a squad of mercenaries to help you complete this task

FOTFLMAO!

Thanks for the map. Yes, Singapore, Oz, lots of interesting CLEAN places they could get to next, but who knows if the Racers will even live through their India stop? Delhi Belly may do them all in. TV stars must be chuckling about the awful things amateurs have to do for one lousy measly million when all they have to do is strut across a set looking stupid.

We should apply for jobs as TAR producers!

EmilyGeiger has proposed an all-USA TAR, which could be terrific! I'd definitely expect some freepers to apply.

[JenB]

They could go somewhere really cool. Like Mongolia, or Japan. Somewhere the Race hasn't gone before, and which fans would enjoy seeing.

Or they could send us to Indonesia or somewhere else that they can play up the "hot, stinky, and poor" aspect of.

[hattend]

Hmmm...Now why do I think they'll be going into Vietnam?

Just so CBS can show how the Vietnamese people have recovered from the American occupation and aggression.

[hattend]

Or they could send us to Indonesia or somewhere else that they can play up the "hot, stinky, and poor" aspect of.

Based on where they have been so far, I think this is a good bet. This is a terrible TAR season so far (based on my only watching last season, so I'm no expert on the series...LOL!)

[JenB]

I've watched every season and I have to agree. The teams just aren't as fun as some seasons, the legs aren't as cool, it's been less travel-agency-video and more National Geographic.

Some of the problem is definitely the destinations. Some is the chemistry between teams. Rob and Amber are screwing up the whole equation and I hate them for that. Plus they're nasty and I like seeing the nasty folk getting eliminated and so far they haven't been.

I think seasons 2 through 4 have been the best so far.

[hattend]

...the legs aren't as cool, it's been less travel-agency-video and more National Geographic.

That about sums this season up for me.

[Veto!]

Actually, TAR did go to Vietnam one season. I'd have to look up which one. It was pretty interesting. One of the clues was at the Ho Chi Min monument in some traffic circle. Nam is much less dusty and feelthy than India and Africa and the people seemed happy enough to see Americans too. One of the teams was a Nam vet and his wife, the "older couple" (under 50) who finished in second (third?) place, as I recall.

I absolutely loved season 5 with low-flying helicopter cameras shooting wonderful sights in incredibly beautiful, civilized downtown Buenos Aires, Evita's grave, lavish public buildings, and a clue hidden among the dancers in an authentic tango club (swoon). Then they raced on to the gorgeous almost-Bavarian village of Bariloche in the mountainous south of Argentina. Spectacular! Caused me to put Argentina on my must-see list.

And then, they went to the pyramids in Egypt, with photography that showed them like I've never seen them before. We really got a sense of their size and of the perspective of those on the ground.

I cannot imagine why this Race is going to such nasty places, except for the fact that some shows, once they have high ratings and hooked viewers, fire their expensive writers and cameramen and cheapen down the production. Botswana and Lucknow sure do suggest traveling on the cheap. Travelocity is a big sponsor, perhaps we should complain to them. They'd much rather book tours to pricier places like Sydney and Paris and Tokyo.

[JenB]

And they went to South Korea one year, didn't they - some of the teams went the wrong way and nearly ended up at the border?

They went to China last time, I'm sure they've been to Singapore and either Thailand or Sri Lanka (or both?). Time to visit Tokyo, go back to Russia, or spend some serious time in Australia.

[Veto!]

Serious time in Japan would work for me. And yes, Russia and China. Beijing has miles of ancient stuff, the Forbidden City, as I recall.

If I had time, which I do not, I'd check the CBS site and list every place TAR has visited.

[hattend]

If I had time, which I do not, I'd check the CBS site and list every place TAR has visited.

I do, I'm doing nothing but looking out a window at some airplane traffic on the airfield. Be back later with a recap...I type slow, so it may be a while.