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RSS'The Amazing Race': Cheaters never win
There are weeks when I watch "The Amazing Race" and become completely despondent with the way we, as Americans, act. I don't like the episodes where we only get to see "the ugly Americans." Thank goodness for Mel & Mike. Things may not always turn out their way, but they're good people and prove that we can be too.
To start the leg, our racers were told that they had to go to Phuket, Thailand and find a gorilla statue. Oh, not just any gorilla statue, there was a specific gorilla statue (they were given a photo). I was happy that the cab drivers in Phuket didn't seem to instantly know where the gorilla was (at the zoo), otherwise I might have felt foolish for not recognizing some wonder of the world. Unfortunately, only Mel & Mike seemed to not get out of their cab to ask where the gorilla was, and only Mel & Mike got lost.
Poor guys, I liked them, but as soon as their cabbie took them the wrong way, they were done. It also meant that they were the last guys who had to pet a tiger and get sat on by an elephant (the night's Roadblock). When Mel & Mike finally were told that the gorilla was at the zoo, they didn't believe the guy because they were sure they were in the right part of the city. Eventually they were convinced, but it was way too late. I think it speaks really well of the guys that they didn't lose their composure at that point. They knew they were in the weeds, but kept smiling until they were on their way to the Pit Stop (at which point they started getting antsy).
I'm sure it was easier for them to smile during the leg because they didn't end up in the herb shop with everyone else. The guy opening the drawers moved like molasses. I guess making the teams rotate turns made sense, but I would have been just as upset as Cara & Jaime were. However, I like to think that I would have dealt with it better. Those two annoyed me immensely tonight. One was repeatedly condescending to everyone she met and the other thought the condescension funny. There's a reason people all over the world hate Americans. A little kindness, a little smile, is that too much to ask? I would yell at my partner if I were on the show, but I don't think I'd yell at the locals trying to help me out.
The other team that really got to me tonight was Mark & Michael. Up until tonight I'd thought them not terribly intelligent, but benign. During the Detour though, where they chose to pull each other in a rickshaw, they moved the bicycle pumps needed to inflate the tires. They got what they deserved upon arriving first at the Pit Stop, a 30 minute penalty. They also had their cabbie show them the route they had to run in the rickshaw, another no-no and another 30 minute penalty. Following the cab was typical less-than-intelligent Mark & Michael, the pump thing was just evil.
Remember, cheaters never win, and Mark & Michael didn't either. With only about four minutes left before they could leave the penalty box, Tammy & Victor swooped in, grabbing Mark & Michael's first place finish (Mark & Michael would end in third, behind Cara & Jaime).
As you, I, and everyone knew as soon as Mel & Mike's taxi took them to the wrong spot, they got sent home this week. I'm going to miss those two, I'm not sure they were the best racers, but they were good people and I think that counts for something.
Odds and ends:
- As the teams were quick to point out tonight, the tiger trainer at the zoo only had one arm. Jokes were made about his losing it to the tiger, but I wonder if there was any truth to that. Anyone with any insights?
- Margie, who with Luke came in fourth tonight, got heatstroke due to the temperature. They called an ambulance for her, but she declined saying she was okay. I certainly hope she was. I like those two (not that I would wish ill on any of the racers).
The TV and Film Guy's Reviews - like a thousand monkeys in a room going for Shakespeare.
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Zap2it Twitter Talk 
The worst part of Michael & Mark's schemes is that neither benefited them in any way. Messing with TAR equipment is about the same as switching road signs, and they should have known that that wouldn't fly. Obviously they should have read their clue more carefully and not paid a cab driver to lead them to the park; after all it was a public park only two miles from the start. How difficult could that be? Pretty idiotic gameplay. Still I preferred their dippiness to the ugliness of the redheads who prefer to scream at all those stupid non-Engish-speaking "foreigners" who don't speak English!!
I agree that the one redhead is obnoxious with her comments about no one speaking English. However, I think her irritation at the herb hop guy was probably directed at the TAR producers for not selecting a local who spoke English.
When Mel & Mike had their picture taken with the tiger, it opened it's mouth in a big yawn and the photographer in me was yelling at the TV, take the picture. Then it looked like the tiger turned it's head and the picture they got was not as good as I thought it could have been.
Dealing with people who don't speak English is part of traveling. She needs to get a clue. What an idiot.
Was I the only one upset at the way the trainer was treating the tiger? If that's the way it's always treated, the trainer's lucky to have just lost an arm.
no, mopapa, you're not the only one. I didn't like the way the trainer was treating the Tiger either, nor do I think the Tiger was too happy. No wonder the guys only has one warm ;) just kidding. don't know for sure what the one-arm thing was about. But that Tiger was an unhappy cat. Poor baby.
Well, I am rooting for Margie and Luke because even if Luke does not deserve half a million dollar for being 'sinister' at times, Margie is one hell of a mom who deserves the full one million dollar. So this comment might be a little biased. But I think that by hiding the pumps, the other racers were riding on flat tires. Which only means that, the one who drags the rickshaw would need more energy to do it. And taking into account the crazy temperatures, I BLAME YOU MARK & MICHAEL FOR CAUSING MARGIE'S HEATSTROKE! Leave that poor woman alone! On the other hand, Margie displayed such humility by saying how embar***ing she was for causing such a ruckus to the producers. SHAME ON YOU, M&M! I sure do hope you guys are eliminated the next leg. Karma's a *****!
And Mel & Mike, such a composed team! But IMHO, they didn't needed the money as much as the other teams (probably Tammy & Victor didn't need them as much too). But kudos to them for a race well done!
When Mel & Mike chose the wrong boxes and they said together, "No !!" I thought that was really funny and they weren't stressed about it. They approached it the right way unlike those cheerleaders.
i cant believe mark and michael were almost 1 hr ahead of everyone at the pit stop.
monday - I think mark and michael were so ahead of everyone because they had fully pumped wheels on their rickshaw. It probably required them way less energy to wheel the thing since everyone else was wheeling around on deflated wheels.
So like Chin said - it was their fault that poor Margie felt faint. She probably exerted more energy than the task needed.
I was hoping this would be another non-elimination because I love Mel and Mike but they made the stupid mistake of not going out and asking people especially when they saw everyone else going a different direction.