I hate to burst your bubble but if you think TAR is not supposed to be like that, then why on earth do you think the producers decided to put Rob and Amber on it in the first place? No matter what we think the game of Amazing race should be like (and personally I agree that it should be more about travel smarts than deception), the producers are the ones who create the game - and Rob and Amber are playing their game quite well.

Actually, I was quite impressed with the efforts and sucess of many of the racers who spoke Spanish, several of them far many more expressions than "Gracias" and "rapido". One of the girls/lifelong friends spoke very good Spanish. I am used to people who claimed to know Spanish and all they know is a couple of expressions.... Rob is not my favorite by far, but he is not traveling, he is playing a game. Amber is doing the lap dog thing she does so well. Let the best player win, which not necessarily needs to be the best traveler....

The couple that won AR5 had, by far, the best combination of class, focus, and respect of any of the couples that has ever won this game. Just my opinion.

Abby,

I don't agree, they put R&A on there to turn TAR into Survivor not because TAR was a trav lling Survivor. I agree to some extent there is a "game" to be played in TAR though it is more about beating your competition through analysis, strategy and asking the right questions at a ticket counter than screwing someone over ala Survivor. The "game" aspect happens much later on when there are usually only a few teams left and the million becomes that much more attainable. Also, Survivor is about playing an alleged "game" so that people at the end vote for you. TAR is simply about getting from point A to point B faster which can be accomplished via beating players to clue boxes, cabs, planes and not alliances. (though TAR is starting to develop that formula).

I don't watch Survivor b/c it is a bunch of people screwing over their teammates (even in the beginning) and I don't want TAR to turn into that.

Whatever we think TAR is or should be about,the only thing that counts is ratings. If bringing in people like Rob gets higher ratings, then the producers will do it again.

I don't get the whole "alliance" concept as it applies to TAR. I can't see how an alliance does you much good, or not being in one does you any harm. Maybe you feel you can trust info from the teams you have made an alliance with?

Since TAR pits every team against each other from the beginning, and since the eliminated teams have no influence on who wins, it's very different from Survivor.

When it gets down to just a few teams, no one will hesitate to abandon their "alliance" anyway.

I wonder where AR finds their destinations and things to do. Being a researcher for this show seems like it would be an awesome experience.

I don't want TAR to be another Survivor either, and I respect your opinions - I just feel that the reality of this game is that people are going to lie to get ahead, and since it's not against the rules, and everyone goes into this knowing that it will happen, there's no sense in calling it 'cheating'. That's my humble opinion and you can feel free to disagree - I won't take it offensively.
I find Rob and Amber amusing, so I hope they stay on till the final, but since they already have a million, I'd prefer to see someone else win the thing.

Amen, Moldyhotelsaregross! That'd be the best job in the world, I think.

JamesA - the contestants do NOT know where they are going in advance.

From what I know it is a logistical nightmare organizing that show! In many countries a local production company is sub-contraced to provide visa, and other immigration, assistance for the contestants and all the crew, as well as additional television technical crew.

I read an article that the producer and his wife are two of the people that scout out locations. She is on one team and he is on the other. They come back and pool their ideas together. I have to say it is the best reality show, that and Survivor.

I'm in agreement with you on that, Madison. Also, while location scouting/production may sound attractive, I've known several people who've made a living that way and it can be one giant headache.

The job I want is coming up with the roadblocks and detours!

Mrilyn, I completely agree with you about the alliance thing. I can't see how it benefits anyone on TAR, although it may actually have helped the charming couple who won the last one. Didn't they have that alliance with ...can't remember their names, but I didn't like her at all.

Sorry, MArilyn!

I can't speak to the comparisons to Survivor because I don't watch it. I have seen a few episodes and definitely agree that I would hate to see TAR go in that direction. Perhaps there could be a spinoff, "Cut Throat Amazing Race."

I think some of you have missed my point entirely. It seems to be the concensus that as long it's not against the rules it's okay. In other words, the ends justify the means if it fits within the parameters of the show. I still maintain that Rob's tactics are lousy, even if they don't break the rules.

Additionally, of course, steroid use is illegal and not a comparison to TAR and Olympic rules don't apply. That wasn't my point either. What I tried to say is that if you think what Rob is doing is okay and savvy, how do you feel about baseball players using steroids and crooked judges in the Olympics. If they don't get caught and play better or win, it's okay?

Sorry, don't mean to ramble on. You have your opinions and I have mine. As I said before, it must a generational thing. Cheating on exams, corporations cooking books, insider trading all seem to be part of our culture these days, and sadly acceptable in some circles. I just think it's very sad that we have reached this low point.

P.S.: I would love to know how many hundred eyerolls my posts have elicited!

Giovanna: I totally agree with you!

Shadow

OK. So you are playing a board game. Your friend has the choice to knock you off the board and send you back to start, although (s)he doesn't have to. If your friend decides to screw you in that game do you think "oh (s)he is so unethical and unfair and not my friend..."
I think the distinction here is whether you view AR as "Reality" or "Show". And because it's called "Reality Show" it can get confusing I think its a game.
And I don't see the logic of not bribing people "especially since they are poor". I'd rather give money to the poor than the rich.
But this could go on forever. I can see the merits of both views.

Folks,

Here I go, violating my instinct to avoid not-directly-travel posts -- but here goes.

I agree that the behavior of R&A is unethical and ought not be rewarded (say, with $1mil prize), but I'll go farther and say this behavior is dangerous. I believe it seeps into our national psychology as surely as any learned behavior does. How far is it, really, from the win-at-any-cost behavior of R&A to the behavior in the boardrooms of unethical corporations like Enron? The Enron executives were rewarded with multiple millions of dollars while screwing over hundreds of hard-working employees -- because they found a way to do it and they could do it. If we accept this behavior elsewhere, shouldn't we expect it also in business? If we want to teach our children that this behavior is unacceptable in business, how do we condone it from R&A?

Please don't say that because AR is a game, then ethical rules are suspended. With a $1mil prize, this game has real-life impact; with a $1mil prize, ethics ought to be more important, not less.

s

I don't care for Rob either. I have to admit, the show seems to be encouraging this, therefore it's not comparable to steriods and exam cheating (unless MLB was supplying the steroids or the teacher the answers). Any doubt that the show is "in" was gone once he winked directly into the camera and the editors thought it an endearing moment. I also have to admit, he's very good at it and I have seen him admire where he's at.

But I know what you're saying Giovanna. It's kind of one of those "decline of western civilization" or "what is the world coming to" sort of things. Well, within the confines of reality TV, so that we aren't assigning it too high a purpose. I'm not sure to which generation you're assigning the higher moral plane, but I'm in my early 40's and agree that the show shouldn't pander this sort of mentality.

The one thing that got me the most. He collects and tells his "allies" that they're all going to give $20 to the bus driver for the bus stunt. By withholding his $5, did he really screw the other contributors? Not really, they still paid $5 and the door was held closed as they paid (bribed) for.

But there's a bus driver somewhere in Peru who got shafted out of $5 by a smirking millionaire and doesn't even know it, but probably could have used it.

Giovanna: Your last is more confusing than your earlier one.

You stated that -

You stated that Rob doesn't break the rules of TAR - "I still maintain that Rob's tactics are lousy, even if they don't break the rules..."


Further on, you challenged posterw with these statements -

"Additionally, of course, steroid use is illegal and not a comparison to TAR and Olympic rules don't apply. That wasn't my point either. What I tried to say is that if you think what Rob is doing is okay and savvy, how do you feel about baseball players using steroids and crooked judges in the Olympics. If they don't get caught and play better or win, it's okay?"


The steroid-using baseball players and the crooked Olympic judges ARE breaking the rules of the Games. Rob is NOT breaking the rules. One behavior is allowed within the confines of it's respective game, while the other is prohibited.

Hence, it's OK for Rob to do what he did and it is NOT OK for baseball player to use steroids because they are breaking the rules.