"The Amazing Race" is the best reality show, ever.

[VolcanoJen]

Or, not. Discuss.

10:00 pm edt, CBS, tonight. God, how I love this show...

[tedoll78]

1. Or not..

I really, really love "The Joe Schmoe Show." The parody is just dripping with humor, and the fact that much of the show is written on the spur of the moment really impresses me. And I couldn't imagine the show without its host either.. hehe..

[redqueen]

3. Who's the host?

Never heard of this show.

[VolcanoJen]

7. Some guy named Phil, who has a vaguely-Kiwi accent.

It's an awesome show... like "Survivor," "Fear Factor" and The Lonely Planet shows combined into one.

Check it out tonight... you might just end up addicted. :D

[redqueen]

10. Thanks, but I was wondering about "Joe Schmoe"

I'm pretty sure I don't want to get sucked into The Amazing Race... not a big fan of Fear Factor and don't like Survivor. Thanks anyway, though!

A parody, though... now that I might find interesting. :)

[Magrittes Pipe]

2. No, the Joe Schmo Show is.

Just 'cause I like fuckin' with people. And because on the first season of "Schmo," the managed to find the last decent human being left in this country.

[VolcanoJen]

11. I missed Joe Schmo Season 2...

... only because I couldn't understand how they could pull it off again.

I adored Season 1. And I was kinda sweet on Joe Schmo, because I felt sorry/happy for him, at the same time. :-)

Should I check out the repeats of Season 2?

[Magrittes Pipe]

12. Damn! The finale is on tonight!

:(

If you had only posted this last week -- Sunday, they had a marathon of the whole season so far.

I have the same body type as Matt! Can you be kinda sweet on me, too? :loveya:

[VolcanoJen]

16. Baby, I'm sweet on any Clevelander...

... who sports a Reds avatar.

:loveya:

[Magrittes Pipe]

18. Well, I grew up in Springfield, and currently live in Milwaukee...

...hoping to move to Cleveland soon, though. :P

[sundog]

4. I watched one full season of it

and had a great time -- I was also watching Big Brother simultaneously, so CBS must have loved me...

[burythehatchet]

5. what's it about? and why is it so good?

[sundog]

6. a bunch of people go on an amazing race around the world &

get really catty and nasty along the way

[burythehatchet]

8. ok Just like the movie

That movie, late 60's I think, was one of my favorites as a kid.

[VolcanoJen]

9. They travel around the world...

... hanging out at airports, jockeying for flights, performing reality-show-type "challenges" along the way.

The more languages you speak, and the more travel-savvy you are, the nicer and sweeter you are, the better. It's like a reality show for smart people who adore travel.

Check it out... tonight, 10:00 pm edt on CBS!!

[burythehatchet]

13. I will watch it, with a tribute to the original....

[VolcanoJen]

29. So THAT'S where it came from!!

I was always wondering where they got "Amazing" from, but at least I know the "Race" part, now. :D

[winga222]

14. Agreed

Not just the best reality show (damning with faint praise, anyone?) but truly one of the best TV shows of the last few years. OK, that may be faint praise as well but it's a fabulous show!

[VolcanoJen]

15. Oh, thank goodness!

Maybe you just have to be a travel-junkie like me to adore this show. I'm sad every at the end of every season. No more trips to St. Petersburg, Bombay, Hamburg, Capetown...

It's possible I only love it because it allows me to live vicariously. Maybe I should just try out for the damned show already!!

And, a belated welcome to DU, winga222!

[winga222]

17. Thanks

I'm here all the time. Just a little shy about posting.

Enjoy tonight. Egypt looks fabulous. Do you think Americans will ever again be welcome in that part (or most any other part) of the world? Another reason to boot Bush!

[VolcanoJen]

21. I couldn't understand the Fundie Couple who refused the shot of vodka...

... taken from a Cossack's sword in St. Petersburg. They took the "detour" instead. God hates vodka, you know.

To me, an experience like that would be worth the trip, even if I were eliminated in that leg.

[Khephra]

19. I'm waiting for a real life version of $la$her$

A group of people in a complex fighting off serial killers. That might get me to watch...especially if they get some Republican pols as members.

[Misunderestimator]

20. I agree. Though I would be an absolute wreck if I were a contestant.

As long as I had a teammate who could calm my stressful self down... I would LOVE to be on that show! Thanks for the reminder to watch tonight. :)

I AM curious though why there are never any lesbians on ANY reality shows. What's that about? There are always token gay men on most reality shows (or gay male couples on this show).

[VolcanoJen]

22. Have you not seen the Bowling Moms?

Cause... well...

And I always thought the Grannies from Season 1 were lovers, and I rooted for them the entire time. :D

[Misunderestimator]

25. I totally missed them... I only watch sporadically.

I guess what I don't like is that the men couples declare right out front that they are gay. Like last year's winners "The married couple."

[VolcanoJen]

26. Chip and Reichen made me weep for heterosexuality.

They were the most loving, supportive, gorgeous, well-adjusted couple I have ever seen on television.

I was so happy when they won. :D :D :D

[malachibk]

23. BAD NEWS -- you just missed tonight's episode

Because of baseball, TAR was on at 7 eastern time. It was pretty spectacular as always. I won't give anything away in case they replay it.

[VolcanoJen]

24. SHUT UP!

Just under two hours, and we get it in the eastern time zone. :-)

I'm looking forward to finding out how Myrna and her little cousin caught up with my favorite couple, which was obvious from the previews:

[malachibk]

30. Promise. I watched it at 7.

I have it on tape if you need it :)

[MallRat]

27. Yes, yes, emphatically YES!

:hi:

1. It's not as trashy as most other reality shows.

2. It's got that cool travelogue thing going for it.

3. Other than the stresses of participating in a race around the world, there are no contrived plot twists to fabricate tension between teams and team members.

4. No voting off the island. No teeny-boppers using their text messaging phones to vote for a no-talent redheaded geek. And no one selects their future husband/wife from 25 suitors.

5. The game comes first, and the drama is secondary. This makes it more "real" than other reality shows.

-MR

[VolcanoJen]

28. Well, I always did like you, MallRat. :-)

It's the travel, stupid. I love just watching them globetrot frantically across the earth. I especially enjoy the teams that appreciate the incredible experience they've been given... it's tough to slow down and take a look around while you're fighting other teams for a cool million, but a few teams really do enjoy it, and I tend to live vicariously through them.

MallRat + VolcanoJen for next season!! "The Dem Undergrounders!"

:D :D :D :D :D

[M3some]

31. Absolutely....100% best show!!!!

I so agree VJ! I have been watching TAR since season 1 and cannot for the life of me understand why it is not such a bigger hit. It is the best best show and I hope they make 20 more seasons!

The thing I like about TAR is that it just feels so much more genuine than other shows like Survivor and such. There is not the manipulation that you see in other reality shows....these peoples reactions to the race and each other are the real deal. Plus all the wonderful places they visit and the fun things they do! Love it!

p.s. Are you the same Volcano Jen I see on PS? Always enjoy your political posts! :)

[Lorien]

32. Yep. All of the above plus

you get an idea of what those countries would REALLY be like to visit. It doesn't just show you the usual tourist stuff; you see crowded, dirty train staions and heartbreaking poverty (India was a real eye opener).I love travel, but other than Globetrekker, there aren't many shows out there that give you an honest view of the country in question.

"The Amazing Race" and shows like "Frontier house" are the only reality shows I can stomach!

[M3some]

33. Globetrekker.....my other favorite show

So funny that you mentioned Globetrekker....another fantastic travel show. That show is the reason I am going down to Chile in March!

[Lorien]

34. OK, how can NONE of those people have known

what a scarb is? Or that two toed ungulates are difficult as hell to herd? I wonder if the producers look for contestants who are very urban and have never traveled before?

I also always wonder when and where they get to eat.

:shrug:

[MallRat]

35. Exactly how many languages does Mirna speak?

So far, I think I've heard Spanish, Italian(???), and Arabic. Add English to that, and that's 4.

You sure don't see many multilingual attorneys on Survivor or The Bachelor.

-MR

[Tracer]

36. I LOVE!!! this Show!

It is the ONLY network show that I watch. I got hooked by the first TAR and have been a faithful viewer ever since.

I think that it is absolutely hysterical that Myrna chooses to speak English in a funky Spanish/Russian/Egyptian accent in the vain hope that this will make her better understood in those countries.

The above posters are right in that the genuine appeal of this show is a combination of the REAL tensions of travel and the clever way the show is set up to make sure that no team ever gets a huge advantage.

Watch that 7-hour lead disappear!!

[VolcanoJen]

37. Why in hell did Colin and Christie use that fast forward last week??

Dumbasses.

And Myrna's accent is completely annoying. A few episodes ago, she kept squealing "Bellissimo! Bellissimo!" in St. PETERSBURG.

[skypilot]

40. I think that they thought...

...they could maintain their 7 hour lead for the rest of the race. I knew that wouldn't happen. There is always some point where something doesn't open until a particular time and everyone has to wait it out. That happened to them last night at the pyramids.

[VolcanoJen]

43. At the very least, they always bunch up at the airport.

Colin and Christie are still my odds-on-favorite to win, but using their fast-forward WHILE IN FIRST PLACE was a stupid, stupid strategy.

[proud patriot]

38. I've caught bits and pieces of this show

I like it better than survivor, big brother, fear factor.

This one seems to reward creativity and teamwork .
the others sem to reward the lowest common denominator.

Still I don't regularly watch it .

[skypilot]

39. I LOVE The Amazing Race.

I missed the first couple seasons of it because I was trying to avoid the whole reality show phenomenon. I caught it last season when I found out that there was a gay couple competing. I tuned in and started to root for them and in the process realized that it is actually a very good show.

[Mike Daniels]

41. Am totally hooked although I almost passed on watching it

The wife and I decided to check it out this year (never watched it before) and after the third straight introduction of really annoying people (I think it was the twin sisters) we were like "uh-uh".

I went into the den to play around on the X-box but kept turning back to AR just to see if it had gotten any better which it did quickly and it's part of our Tuesday night schedule now.

It is so much better than any show of its ilk because it totally avoids the contrived manipulative BS that the other shows rely on for drama.

Must say we were glad to see the brothers swirl down the drain last night as they pretty much epitomized "Ugly American" every step of the way while they were in the race.

[VolcanoJen]

42. WTF was up with those guys??

What a couple of quitters. And I'm still irritated that the one brother's mysterious knee malady was never clearly explained.

I do hope the creepy twin sisters go next... :D

[LiberalSam]

44. Less "Reality" TV - More "Real" TV

Reality TV has reached an abominable low. I would rather have repeats of good shows than a blitzkrieg of bad reality TV.