Marilyn

I agree with Mathieu and Giovanna. Whenever a team does something smart, like checking not just on the departure of a bus, but on its arrival time, I give them points for playing well. There are lots of opportunities for outsmarting the other teams in this way.

On the other hand, I find strategies aimed at hurting other teams, especially when they involve outright lying or bribery, to be distasteful. What's next? Sticking your foot out and tripping a competitor?

It is indeed the old Rob from Survivor, especially the glee on his smug little face when he described how he never put anything into the bribe money. He takes great delight in screwing other people, just for the fun of it, and I find that repugnant.

StCirq

Has anyone else seen the ads advertising AR 8? They're looking for families of four to try out. I'm having a hard time imagining that - sounds like utter chaos to me!

Marilyn

St. Cirq, Phil Flash wants us and our 2 cats to apply -- we're a family of four!

abbynicole27

I see your point, but I also wouldn't call it 'cheating', since their manoevers are not against the rules in any way. Those other things you mentioned (steroids, etc.) are obviously not quite a fair comparison!

lindilindi

I agree that bribery is not ethical.
You have to realize though that the rules of this game are not like the rules in an Olympics. Also, these are competitors and not friends. It may be generational, but I act very very differently in a game than in real life. I don't cheat but I do use all of the resources that I am allowed to use. Ethics in a game don't always apply the same way - you don't really "hurt" other teams by talking them into bribery with money that isn't even theirs!!! And you don't "hurt" anyone by getting an earlier bus!!! Come on! By the way I'm sure all participants have an inkling about Rob's ways, and it is up to them to decide to trust him or not.

StCirq

Marilyn - well, that would give new significance to the phrase "herding cats.

I think the logistics will be a nightmare. And I'm imagining all manner of whining kids.........

JamesA

Quotequot;Do they know ahead of time where they're going?"

Without wishing to spoil the fun if you think about it in many cases they 'have to' know because of Visas!

Many countries AR contestants have gone to ( e.g the surprise at seeing in one series they were going to Russia !! )They would need visas in advance so they would have to get the visas in before the race began.

Anyone think they might be heading westbound to NZ/OZ ?

ucsun

so what is the difference between AR and survivor and any other reality show? is AR some how different because they are travelling? what rob did is normal in survivor and almost expected. even on the apprentice there are some questionable actions.

Barbara

Giovanna, what a stunning leap from a reality show on tv, where nobody has broken the rules, to drug use in the Olympics and steriod use in baseball.

As many of the other contestants have made references to "Survivor" it seems reasonable to believe that they all know exactly what Rob's like.

I don't agree with the bribing and several teams were involved in that. In other AR series, haven't teams bribed taxi drivers to go faster, and other things? Or is that just an extra-big tip? So, when is a bribe a bribe and is this standard going to be applied equally to all contestants in all situations?

Mathieu

Agreed, Marilyn and Giovanna.

And I'm not endorsing Rob's behaviour either, Giovanna. Far from it. The question of ethics and integrity (or lack of it) as you say is exactly what I found repulsive during his final days on Survivor. Apparently anything goes when a million bucks are at stake. Remember that guy in Survivor who went to very elaborate means to fake his grandmother's death in order to gain his competitors sympathy ? The amount of pre-planning and involvement of accomplices to fake such a macabre event shocked me. They all believed him too, while he laughed behind their backs at how clever he was.

I think sadly, like too many things nowadays, it's become too easy to twist a situation around to (supposedly) justify a gainful advantage. You know what you're doing is wrong, but if you can gain from it, then hey, it's suddenly OK to do. When theres little immediate repercussion, the more often you can get away with something, the more often you'll do it.

Now, back to travel.

Marilyn

I think there is a difference between offering an incentive to a taxi driver to drive faster and bribing a bus driver to not open the back door. Do you disagree, Barbara?

crefloors

I can't stand Rob and couldn't stand him on either Surviver. However, you have to give the Devil his due and the way those people on Survivor allowed themselves to be manipulated by him, and KNOWING they were being manipulated, was just amazing. The kid, with his mom, made the comment the first episode of AR about Rob being dumb as a rock, or words to that effect..well, he'll see just how "dumb" Rob is. He has street smarts and often that's the best kind. He figured out the situation last night seemingly instantly. Went for the books because he'd have to spend money for the groceries and hunt them down besides. I couldn't believe some of the others by comparison..floundering all over the place, out of money and the like. I may be premature, but I think that unless something really bad happens to them, Rob and the "lovely and talented" Amber, are going to win this thing.

RufusTFirefly

Giovanna--as others have pointed out, Rob is playing within the rules of this particular contest. As long as he doesn't break the rules of the game, then he is perfectly ethical in the confines of that game.

However, if what he does breaks the laws of the countries he's in, then he would be acting unethically and illegally. I don't know if bribing the bus crew would be illegal there or not.

Barbara

Marilyn, truly I think it's only a difference of semantics. That, and none of us actually like Rob,so he's not going to get away with anything. You could say that the money Rob gave the driver was simply an incentive to open the rear doors later.

I don't hink that any of Rob's little tricks actually made any difference to the outcome.

ucsun

Mathieu,
actuallyl the travel happens to offer nice scenary and great inspiration, but the show is still a psyc/sociological even anthropological study. the interactions and reactions are what is really the interesting portion of the show. be interesting when another team does wrong to see how the other contestants view it.

i remember hell boy in last season came up with a plan to divert attention from the clue box in china when they were at the clay statue site by going off in the wrong direction. poor kris/jon still would be looking for that clue box today if they weren't lucky.

Mathieu

No arguement, Ucsun. It is a socio/psychological study as much as a travel show.

What Hellboy did in your example however was in my books, a smart play. He allowed K&J to come to their own wrong conclusion by observing his actions. He didn't force them deliberately to go the wrong way, or send them on a wild goose chase, which would be unfair.

ucsun

Mathieu, fair point regarding the hell boy example.

yoonny

I hope they move on to a non-spanish speaking part of the world next. (please no yelling, i have nothing against speaking spanish.) I am just getting little tired of "gracias" and "rapido". I am hearing these words in my dreams....... Only the blondes didn't say a word in spanish.

cguest88

To determine how you view Rob's actions really comes down to how you view the two TV franchises and more particularly how you view TAR. If you believe TAR is similar to Survivor around the world, in the fact you need to connive and "play" other players where you are trying to get other to not vote for you to win than you think Rob's actions were likely valid. However, if you view TAR, as I do, as not a Survivor but an extreme version of how many of us travel that includes dealing with cabbies, language barrier and the like to utlimately succeed than you would be disappointed in the "Survivor" aspect Rob is bringing to TAR. I don't mind him keeping info to himself but to bribe foreigns (who are in all likilihood poor) to "screw" over another team turns TAR inherently into Survivor and away from its game of travelling around the globe while trying to beat another team.

Mary2Go

Did anyone hear the blondes exchange in the cab? "My hair is blowing in my mouth." The other blonde "Then tuck it behind your ears." No wonder they lost!