LIke me except more sweating and less walking.
Yesterday, I was inside most of the day watching our LDS Worldwide Church Conference on TV. My kids were bugging each other all day, so I decided to take them outside so I could see what the outdoors looked like. We were really ambitious and decided to go on a walk. After losing my breath after the first few steps I told them to go on without me. I waited for them to get all the way to the end of the street and then walked back with them. I made it back alive, so I decided to tell them to go to bed while I stayed up with my wife to watch other people struggle walking in The The Amazing Race.
Why is that person helping the other? If you did it by yourself you would get more of the money!
Here is my bitter review of the show “The Amazing Race”
The plot: We see the thrilling moments of racing around the world, like the “waiting in the airport” scenes, to the yelling of “Taxi” to cab drivers. My favorite part of the show is when they are sleeping on the bus or the waiting for boat to open in the morning scenes. The problem with this show, is that they decided to shows the glamour of worldwide travel. It is when they start running and competing and getting along really well that this show loses me.
I need more scowling at each other and less running and competing.
The actors: Pairs of complete idiots that compete in a race around the world. They range anywhere from “actors” who can’t act, to fathers and daughters who don’t communicate, to baseball wives that don’t know anything about baseball. Also, I like how the teams are really good at obeying instructions like walking to a pit stop instead of getting a ride there, or not paying their cab driver enough money. This is where this show excels. When people do dumb stuff like wait for a later bus, because they were promised that it would get to a place two hours earlier than another team. This year we have a pair that actually get along. How am I supposed to cheer for a couple that says nice things to each other, gets along with other teams and respects the local cab drivers, travel agents and bus drivers? How about a little disrespect for local people that are doing really crappy jobs for so little money. If you can’t disrespect people in other countries, how are you going to disrespect people back home when you get back?
The view of them struggling and sweating.
Cinematography: The camera work is great because most of it is done by the contestants themselves. Most of the time you get a shaky fisheye view of someone sweating and struggling. It completely captures the anguish of someone having to travel to a beautiful paradise and their struggle of not having to go to work for three weeks and going on a free trip around the world. Also the pain of having to spend time with your spouse doing things like hang gliding and going on free airplane rides.
Overall: This show does a pretty good job of showing the grime and grit of the world, but I need to see more. I need to see these contestants suffer, argue and fight more. When they get to a pit stop they should not be excited to be together, or learn things like “we need to communicate better”. They need to be crying, bickering and telling each other that they never should have come on this race and decide to go on “The Bachelor” or “Big Brother”.
I give Amazing Race: 5 bitter rhubarbs out of 7. They do a decent job of getting the couples to be angry at each other, but they don’t go far enough. And the thrilling races and exciting events happen too often, when I want to see more sitting around waiting and sleeping.
Arrrggghhhh
Bitter Racing Ben
Related articles
- New Amazing Race Cast Features NFL Teammates, Baseball Wives and More (seattlepi.com)
- ‘The Amazing Race’ Returns With New Cast (miami.cbslocal.com)
Ben's Bitter Blog 
Pingback: Bitter Stuff You’re Glad you missed… | Ben's Bitter Blog
I think I watched one episode of that show a VERY long time ago.
I guess the concept is pretty cool, but it just wasn’t my thing.
(Maybe I can be bitter about that??) >.>
LikeLike
You can be bitter about whatever you want. That is what my blog is all about. I’ll take what I can get from you.
LikeLike
Take what you can get in me losing some of my good attitude due to reading your blog?
Haha
XD
LikeLike
Yeah, but I decided that you should keep your good attitude. Leave the bitterness for me.
LikeLike
😀
I’m glad.
You do a much better job with it anyway. I couldn’t make it half (that’s being generous) as entertaining as you do.
🙂
LikeLike
I just couldn’t handle it if I was the one responsible for making you bitter. There are much better bitter candidates. I would have to make you do a 180 in order to get you to be bitter.
LikeLike
Maybe the Amazing race needs to change the teams to three people like separated husband and wife accompanied by divorce lawyer, or constantly at odds dad and daughter with family therapist, or daughter’s weird goth boyfriend. It could get interesting…
LikeLike
That would be great. Nerd, bully and principle. Some interesting combinations could make it great. Plus if they won a leg they would all have to go on the trip together.
LikeLike
Sort of like Amazing Race meets Lord of the Flies
LikeLike
The Next Great Reality Show! Sponsored by Oprah.
LikeLike
I agree- not entertaining enough. More arrests less taxis.
LikeLike
It is especially fun to watch the paint dry.
LikeLike
I watched a couple of episodes from the show because someone from my town was a contestant. The whole thing always seems like a montage from a movie they never let you see. Thankfully, I have seasons 1-47 of the Yule Log and don’t have to depend on modern TV for my entertainment needs. Do they have the Yule Log in Canada? If not, maybe I can buy the rights and air the Canadian version of a log burning in a fireplace. Probably just need to swap out the American log for a Canadian one.
LikeLike
I love the log, but my kids could only watch that for a minute before they changed it to Cartoon Network.
LikeLike
Does your wife enjoy watching TV with you? Just curious because you sound a lot like my husband who rants at the stupid people on reality shows (and some scripted shows). It drives me nuts.
LikeLike
I rant a little in front of her, but mostly just on my blog. I guess it is just our job to drive our wives nuts with complaining.
LikeLike
I’d been wondering why it was so prevalent..
LikeLike
If I ever get married I will be doing the complaining.
LikeLike
Complaining is a big part of bitterness. Let it out!
LikeLike
Grrrrr! I have never seen “Amazing Race”, but I think I should because I just signed up for a half marathon, and it sounds like it might be good training 😉
LikeLike
I can’t believe how few people have seen it. You need to find a good buddy, sister or superfan to join you and you could be a contestant. If you win a leg, you usually win a fancy trip or car.
LikeLike
So-called reality shows such as this one make me bitter. I don’t watch them, except if I happen to catch them accidentally, and then it’s only to make fun of it. Reality shows are a large part of what is wrong with our society – people want to spend a few weeks on a vacation, acting dysfunctional and shirty, and then become famous for it. Instead of becoming famous for actual talent, or for studying hard or working hard. Really.
LikeLike
Or just being content with being normal and not famous. If everyone was famous, no one would be.
LikeLike
Exactly.
LikeLike
That would humble some the more arrogant celebs.
LikeLike
I love a lot of reality shows. Survivor, Big Brother…but I have never managed to sit down and watch more than a few seconds of Amazing Race. I’m much too exhausted to even watch other people race around. And if they aren’t arguing, where’s the entertainment?
LikeLike
I find the show quite exhilarating because you feel like you are actually running the race with them, which I why it makes me bitter. I don’t want to feel exhausted after watching a show.
LikeLike
Why is seven rhubarbs your standard? I thought seven was a lucky number. It doesn’t strike me as the bitter choice.
LikeLike
It changes from week to week. The bitter rhubarb is always the same, but the scale always changes. It’s just a bitter abitrary thing I do because I can.
LikeLike
I love it when they argue. Arguing’s my favorite!
LikeLike
I think I want to start a team just so I can start arguments with other teams.
LikeLike
I want to make deals and pacts and then break them all. Wait…. that’s Survivor or Big Brother or crap… now I’m confused. 🙂
LikeLike
You probably don’t need to know anything about the show you go on. Just need to learn to be weasely to get to the end and fail.
LikeLike
i would be happy to join a team if i didn’t have to navigate or eat gross things. i would contribute by communicating in a friendly way with the locals and find our way in that manner.
LikeLike
I would do it all by myself. Then I wouldn’t have to share the money.
LikeLike
I love this show! I did notice that this season’s contestant were not good at following directions. especially those doctors (gasp). I cringe when they act stupid in front of foreigners or are ignorant towards them, hence the name of “the ugly American”. It’s a good show, yes. I’m gonna keep watching it, darn it! 😛
LikeLike
I’ve watched it ever since the first season and been watching it ever since. Great show. I love seeing every part of countries and not just the parts they show on brochures. Great tasks too.
LikeLike
The girl with the pink ends in this Season playing right now on tv, she can become BITTER. Just up your alley dude! 😛
LikeLike
I have to say that I like that she totally promised those girls the pass and now in the previews she is getting in a fight with them. Also her boyfriend can hardly stand her. Here’s hoping she makes it close to the end.
LikeLike
Of course, the producers love to put in a couple people love to hate and THEY are this season’s couple for that. I know, I noticed that too. Did she say to them, “You are dead to me!” or was that the other team that they promised the express pass to? Haha, no wonder they broke up. She’s a mess. But we shall see how far they go. They are extremely competitive!
LikeLike
I can’t see them not making it until at least until last 4, but they barely skated by this time.
LikeLike
Yes, they did. We shall see. Will you keep doing a weekly AR review each week?
LikeLike
I wish, but I’m pretty sure that was it for me. I do reviews but of just random bitter things. I just so happened to not have any ideas for Monday and I watched it the night before. I’ll leave that to people that review movies….hmmm show could we get for that….you! That is a great idea!
LikeLike
Pfff! I rarely do movie reviews. I do them once in a while to satisfy my bloggers who are straight up movie bloggers. I also do them now so that my son can also join in and add his voice to the movie. He’s my favorite movie partner. We have loads of fun watching movies!
LikeLike
I love watching movies, but I don’t like reviewing them. I look at how they make me feel and how much I like the characters. Critics have hated so many of the movies I love, so I don’t like most of them.
LikeLike
The Amazing Race is one of the only reality shows I’ll watch. I like to see all of the other countries. And usually there’s at least one team that is happy enough about the experience to make it worthwhile, and at least one team that screws up SO ROYALLY (i.e., the team last night that stole a guy’s shoeshine stand and took off with it BY ACCIDENT) that I can laugh at their misfortune in a most pleasing way. It’s a win all around for me.
LikeLike
I agree. It has just the right amount of good exciting races, arguing and colossal screw ups to make it great. Much better than most.
LikeLike
I don’t watch that stuff. But review just the same
LikeLike
That should say ‘funny review just the same’. My hands are tired from typing all day. 🙂
LikeLike
I try to avoid reality shows for the most part, but my wife likes them. But this one is a fun one, so I pay attention.
LikeLike
I don’t watch that crap. I’d rather spend time reading and commenting on your bitter blog entries. On a scale of 1 (rotten to the core) to 10 (more than excellent use of my time) reality shows are a -1 to me.
LikeLike
I’d rather you spend time reading my blog too (though it sounds like a last resort over watching a reality show. I don’t care about that though.)
LikeLike
This is one reality show I’ve actually never watched a full episode of, if you can imagine such a thing. Based on this, though, I think you’d appreciate the bitterness of MTV’s The Challenge.
LikeLike
I can’t believe it. I would guess that the reason you haven’t watched this is because it was on at the same time as Breaking Bad.
LikeLike
Well that’s definitely accurate.
LikeLike
I should go watch Breaking Bad because it sounds like there is some bitterness involved.
LikeLike
Oh there’s a ton of bitterness. And one bitter hat.
LikeLike
Is the hat made of meth?
LikeLike
they have baseball wives who don’t know about baseball? did their husbands know this when they married them?
LikeLike
prolly didn’t care. they just had to tell them they had money and they were on board.
LikeLike
of course..
LikeLike
ladies love the guys that have money.
LikeLike
why is that?
LikeLike
for some reason girls like shoes and purses and places to put them.
LikeLike
yes..you wrote about that house & the guy in his mama’s basement.lol…my godmother had a shoe store in high school , i had shoes & purses grandpa to match.
LikeLike
don’t get me wrong, i like stuff, but most of mine goes towards others.
LikeLike
i understand, but hello kitty doesn’t understand.
LikeLike
hello kitty is an abusive cat that needs to be an outdoor cat. in -80 degree weather, all the time.
LikeLike
wow. you know she can still hit you, when you go outdoors,especially when you take kids outdoors
LikeLike
she can’t because she will be frozen hello kitty.
LikeLike
you put her in the freezer? or it’s that cold outside?
LikeLike
-80 below. frozen kitty.
LikeLike
that’s why kitty is frozen oh!.. thaw her out.
LikeLike
speaking of hello kitty, guess what shirt my little girl was wearing tonight. my bitter enemy hello frozen kitty.
LikeLike
LOL.. ..unthaw her .
i started to wear mine too.
LikeLike
i won’t unthaw hello kitty only my daughter.
LikeLike
you unthaw your daughter or she unthaws hello kitty?
LikeLike
I will protect my daughter from hello kitty.
LikeLike
you are a good father, like that… does she protect you from hello kitty? no
LikeLike
why should she? she’s got a bitter old father.
LikeLike
that’s true, a bitter young father.
LikeLike
nope old.
LikeLike
nope only old to an 8 year old.
LikeLike
old to anyone under 40.
LikeLike
you’re old to a 38 yr old?
LikeLike
yep. way old.
LikeLike
lol very old…2 yrs….you’re a spring chicken..u make baby chicks bitter
LikeLike
I’m a spring chicken compared to my dad and moses.
LikeLike
yes and grandma moses too & mose allison..jazz.
LikeLike
Is that Moses’s wife?
LikeLike
he’s a jazz singer & i think pianist.
LikeLike
is he old though? lIke my dad and moses?
LikeLike
yes he’s 85.
LikeLike
i think moses is a little older than 85.
LikeLike
just a little but we don’t have to do the math & confuse your poor head.
LikeLike
my head gets really confused when it has to add or subtract.
LikeLike
you never have to do math.. they were wrong..don’t even think about X or division.
LikeLike