# Amazing Race 4/19: "Here Comes the Bedouin!" **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 19, 2006, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-race-4-19-here-comes-the-bedouin/353380 "2006-04-19T22:55:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Scuba\_Ben](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/278dde/32.png) [@Scuba\_Ben](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scuba_Ben)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2006, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-race-4-19-here-comes-the-bedouin/353380/41 "2006-04-20T23:21:56Z")
> [@aktep](#): > > They’ve been taking away the posessions for the last few seasons at least – that’s why you’d see teams show up in 4 layers of clothing with underwear on their heads and whatnot. > [@jayjay](#): > > Where’ve you been? They’ve been mugging them like that since at least the Rob & Amber season. I haven’t been following TAR much until last fall. I knew that the NEL ate all your money, but I wasn’t aware that your clothes got Philiminated as well. Like a bunching point, I’m catching up. Anyway… is there a definitive list of TAR points to remember? This isn’t entirely an idle question – in a week, I’ll be playing in a “spy chase” game which might be “TAR in an afternoon.” zut pointed out a good one: Avoid N-I-H Detours, and avoid animal handling Detours. The general sense suggests: This is a RACE. Whatever you do, do it fast. ---
**Author:** ![Mrs\_O\_Malley\_s\_Cow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Mrs\_O\_Malley\_s\_Cow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mrs_O_Malley_s_Cow)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2006, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-race-4-19-here-comes-the-bedouin/353380/42 "2006-04-20T23:37:21Z")
> [@zut](#): > > _Finally_ a NEL. I woulda said I totally expected a NEL; except I totally expected one _last_ week _and_ the week before. The busses were a bit of enforced bunching, as was the operation hours of the incense burner thing, but at least boh were at the beginning of the episode. And the Detour choice was interesting: rule of thumb is never do the needle-in-a-haystack Detours, and never do the animal Detours. So which to do when they’re head-to-head? After seeeing the episode, it turns out the camel doesn’t really factor into the camel Detour, so that was probably the best, but I don’t think the teams knew that a priori. The standings are kind of bunched up this week as teams do the opposite of their historical trends. > > **Taxi Assessment** > > **Stuck in the Desert and Officially Detained** - or, Philiminated with extreme prejudice. > John & Scott and Lisa & Joni and Wanda & Desiree and Danielle & Dani and David & Lori and Lake & Michelle - Outta here. > > **Flat Tire** - or, not likely to get anywhere soon. > No one this week. > > **Stopping for Gas** - or, not broken-down, exactly, but not a good sign. > No one this week. > > **"Rapido! Por Favor?"** - or, making meaningless ineffectual comments from the back seat, but in no immediate danger. > Fran & Barry (up from “Stopping”) - Alright already. The old folks get a bump up this week after their stunning first place finish. This episode played to their navigational strengths–every other team had problems, while Fran & Barry did not. Not all episodes will be like this, so I’ll still be suprised if Fran & Barry make the final three, but they’ve been steadily _improving_ through the race: now they’re performing like the savvy team they seemed to be on paper, and not the blind stumbling oldsters they were in the first two eps. > Ray & Yolanda (holding steady) - Hum interesting. Ray & Yolanda actually had a pretty shitty leg, what with getting lost and bickering and so forth, but they’re comfortably in third, so I can’t really downrate them. We’ll see what happens next leg…but I suspect it will involve more bickering and getting lost. Hint to Ray: Sometimes, you just have to abjectly apologize, even if you didn’t really do anything. Just five minutes of groveling saves hours and hours of oblique argumentation later. Not that I would do that personally, but I’m just sayin’. > > **In the Passing Lane** - or, ahead of the pack, but not quite comfortably. > Joseph & Monica (holding steady) - Aw, bummer, a first place was within their grasp and they let it slip away. Still, they had a pretty solid leg, and if they had navigation problems, well, so did everyone else. And it they’re starting to look fatigued, well… so is everyone else. > BJ & Tyler (holding steady) - Killer fatigue sets in! I’m thinkin’ BJ didn’t keep himself adequately hydrated during the Roadblock–a mental mistake here. And he was clearly not digging deep enough in the pits, so he did way more work than he needed to. This team got out to an early lead early in the season, and due to the structure of the early legs, essentially cruised for weeks. Now that they’re at the back of the pack, they’re looking much more vulnerable-- they’ve gotten plumb lucky two weeks in a row. As an added bonus, they’ll have to concentrate more an racing and less on wacky highjinks from here on out. Still, I have to believe they’re essentially a pretty strong team, so until BJ completely flops, I’ll keep them up here in the Passing Lane. > Eric & Jeremy (down from “Cruisin’”) - Oh! Major mental mistake! Since when has taking a shortcut down a little dirt road been a good idea? Rule number six of TAR: unless you’re dead last or in the final episode, never gamble on taking a route different from other teams. The point of the early episodes is _not_ to come in _last_, so remaining safely in the middle of the pack is better than a gamble that might put you either in first or last. Added to that is the mistake at the Detour, driving out into the desert. I kinda knew they were dumb, but not quite to such an extent. Anyway, Eric & Jeremy are now coming from behind. I suspect, given that this is a NEL, the _next_ episode will have an early bunch, but if not, it will be interesting to see how this team reacts to being near last instead of near first. > > **Cruisin’ with Earl** - or, drivin’ on the shoulder, takin’ shortcuts, and generally kickin’ butt. > No one this week. > > Next week: We get to see the hippies begging. Oh, that will be so interesting. So, so compelling. > > [sub]Props to **Mullinator** and his Raj Ratings.[/sub] Go Tyler and BJ!!! 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2006, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-race-4-19-here-comes-the-bedouin/353380/43 "2006-04-20T23:37:47Z")
> [@Robot Arm](#): > > I’ve been to Paris, once, for 33 hours. In 1960. ---
**Author:** ![BiblioCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed8c4c/32.png) [@BiblioCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BiblioCat)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2006, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-race-4-19-here-comes-the-bedouin/353380/44 "2006-04-20T23:43:50Z")
> [@Scuba\_Ben](#): > > zut pointed out a good one: Avoid N-I-H Detours, and avoid animal handling Detours. There was an animal handling Fast Foward a couple of season ago, in which the team got to hand-feed baby orangetans. It was really, really neat. Baby orangetans are the height of cuteness, BTW. When they got to the end, IIRC, they mentioned wanting to go back and play with the orangetans some more - obviously they had to feed them and just get going. > [@](#): > > The general sense suggests: This is a RACE. Whatever you do, do it fast. Yes, of course. Even my nine-year-old son knows this. Whenever he sees someone just strolling along or doing a Roadblock or Detour slowly, he yells at the TV, “Hurry up! It’s a race! You have to do it faster! RUN!” He’s becoming quite the snarker. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![rockle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/73ab20/32.png) [@rockle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rockle)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2006, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-race-4-19-here-comes-the-bedouin/353380/45 "2006-04-21T00:02:36Z")
> [@BiblioCat](#): > > There was an animal handling Fast Foward a couple of season ago, in which the team got to hand-feed baby orangetans. It was really, really neat. Baby orangetans are the height of cuteness, BTW. Ooooooh … Chip and Reichen did that one. That was maybe the one episode of their entire season when act like robots at the Hall of Gay Presidents. ---
**Author:** ![rockle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/73ab20/32.png) [@rockle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rockle)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2006, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-race-4-19-here-comes-the-bedouin/353380/46 "2006-04-21T00:03:44Z")
> [@rockle](#): > > Ooooooh … Chip and Reichen did that one. That was maybe the one episode of their entire season when act like robots at the Hall of Gay Presidents. What … _what the hell did I just write?_ Never mind. Suffice it to say, I mean that Chip & Reichen seemed almost human that day, and not … Chip-and-Reichen-like. ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Tiger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6de8d8/32.png) [@Mama\_Tiger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Tiger)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2006, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-race-4-19-here-comes-the-bedouin/353380/47 "2006-04-21T03:20:54Z")
> [@BiblioCat](#): > > There was an animal handling Fast Foward a couple of season ago, in which the team got to hand-feed baby orangetans. It was really, really neat. Baby orangetans are the height of cuteness, BTW. > When they got to the end, IIRC, they mentioned wanting to go back and play with the orangetans some more - obviously they had to feed them and just get going. And what was best? Apparently during that pit stop, they let all the other teams go feed the baby orangutans, too. Which, along with the Zorbing, are the two things from any race ever that I would most sell my firstborn to do. (Now see how long it takes her to yell at me for that. :D) ---
**Author:** ![StarvingButStrong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/starvingbutstrong/32/335_2.png) [@StarvingButStrong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StarvingButStrong)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2006, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-race-4-19-here-comes-the-bedouin/353380/48 "2006-04-21T04:22:04Z")
Another “rule” for detours: avoid choices where the outcome depends mostly on chance or is otherwise out of your control. As in, it is better to haul bricks than try to catch fish. Better to paddle a canoe than sail a sailboat. Better to do any physically hard task than to try to sell something to others. Speaking generally, of course. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Big\_Cheese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8baadc/32.png) [@The\_Big\_Cheese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Big_Cheese)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2006, 9:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-race-4-19-here-comes-the-bedouin/353380/49 "2006-04-21T09:30:42Z")
So hippies are going to have to wear the same clothes for another week?? Oh, that’s really going to hurt them-not. I for one am looking forward to them begging for money. It should be hilarious, and I bet they’re even looking forward to it. I liked the camera work when they showed Monica pouting, then cut to a camel with the same pose. ---
**Author:** ![MentalGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/439d5e/32.png) [@MentalGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MentalGuy)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2006, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-race-4-19-here-comes-the-bedouin/353380/50 "2006-04-21T14:29:56Z")
> [@](#): > > Anyway… is there a definitive list of TAR points to remember? This isn’t entirely an idle question – in a week, I’ll be playing in a “spy chase” game which might be “TAR in an afternoon.” Check out the Amazing Race article on Wikipedia. ---
**Author:** ![Crab\_Rangoon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7ba0ec/32.png) [@Crab\_Rangoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crab_Rangoon)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2006, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-race-4-19-here-comes-the-bedouin/353380/51 "2006-04-21T15:04:46Z")
I also am a fan of the Hippies despite the overall anti-hippie feelings displayed here. I like seeing them having fun and (until recently) doing quite well. AND, despite the horrible digging up the food roadblock experience - they were still pretty upbeat and supportive at the end. I think they have strong character - and they make me laugh. The other teams seem dull in comparison. Plus the Lake impression was hilarious. Go HIPPIES! ---
**Author:** ![annieclaus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b5a626/32.png) [@annieclaus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/annieclaus)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2006, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-race-4-19-here-comes-the-bedouin/353380/52 "2006-04-21T15:23:09Z")
> [@Crab Rangoon](#): > > I also am a fan of the Hippies despite the overall anti-hippie feelings displayed here. I like seeing them having fun and (until recently) doing quite well. AND, despite the horrible digging up the food roadblock experience - they were still pretty upbeat and supportive at the end. I think they have strong character - and they make me laugh. The other teams seem dull in comparison. > > Plus the Lake impression was hilarious. > > Go HIPPIES! Couldn’t have said it better myself. They don’t snipe at each other. And except for one slam at Team Gonad, they don’t snipe at their competitors. They seem more than willing to help other teams out. They’re pretty silly, but that’s fine! I’d rather have silly than bitchy any day! ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2006, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-race-4-19-here-comes-the-bedouin/353380/53 "2006-04-21T15:47:03Z")
I will freely admit to having some pre-existing hippie hate (more than enough bad experiences with hippies to justify it). That said, I don’t object to Team Hippie on the grounds of their being silly. I object to them on the grounds of their being _unrelentingly, always on, can’t walk across the street without busting out wacky-ass shit_ silly. The only funny things they’ve done on the whole race are the Bowling Moms shirts and the Lake impersonation. The shirts were funny in part because they were _subtle_ and the Lake impression was funny because it didn’t come off completely forced the way 99% of their other attempts at “humor” do. Yelling “Pizza Pie!” in a bad Italian accent while in Italy isn’t funny. Walking backwards to the mat isn’t funny. Humor attempts that rely on the humorist (metaphorically) jumping up and down waving his arms and yelling “look at this it’s _hilarious_” generall just aren’t funny. The shirts and the Lake thing prove that Team Hippie has a sense of humor. What they don’t have is any sense of how much of what they think is funny isn’t funny to vast numbers of other people who’ve seen the same lame-ass stuff already. ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2006, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-race-4-19-here-comes-the-bedouin/353380/54 "2006-04-21T16:03:07Z")
> [@Otto](#): > > I will freely admit to having some pre-existing hippie hate (more than enough bad experiences with hippies to justify it). That said, I don’t object to Team Hippie on the grounds of their being silly. I object to them on the grounds of their being _unrelentingly, always on, can’t walk across the street without busting out wacky-ass shit_ silly. The only funny things they’ve done on the whole race are the Bowling Moms shirts and the Lake impersonation. The shirts were funny in part because they were _subtle_ and the Lake impression was funny because it didn’t come off completely forced the way 99% of their other attempts at “humor” do. Yelling “Pizza Pie!” in a bad Italian accent while in Italy isn’t funny. Walking backwards to the mat isn’t funny. Humor attempts that rely on the humorist (metaphorically) jumping up and down waving his arms and yelling “look at this it’s _hilarious_” generall just aren’t funny. The shirts and the Lake thing prove that Team Hippie has a sense of humor. What they don’t have is any sense of how much of what they think is funny isn’t funny to vast numbers of other people who’ve seen the same lame-ass stuff already. Bingo! (Written while hopping around on one foot, making goofy noises, wearing a funny hat and saying, “Hi Opal!” and “1920’s Death Ray” over and over.) ---
**Author:** ![Gorsnak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gorsnak/32/7587_2.png) [@Gorsnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorsnak)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2006, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-race-4-19-here-comes-the-bedouin/353380/55 "2006-04-21T16:05:12Z")
Oh come on. We see about 20 minutes of their behaviour out of ~6-36 hours. They might not be “always on” at all. If they’re silly for 20 minutes out of the day, and that’s the bit that doesn’t get left on the editing room floor, there’s nothing they can do about it. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2006, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-race-4-19-here-comes-the-bedouin/353380/56 "2006-04-21T16:26:15Z")
Right, it’s all a big editing conspiracy. ---
**Author:** ![Gorsnak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gorsnak/32/7587_2.png) [@Gorsnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorsnak)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2006, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-race-4-19-here-comes-the-bedouin/353380/57 "2006-04-21T16:50:10Z")
> [@Otto](#): > > Right, it’s all a big editing conspiracy. I didn’t say that. I’m sure they really are goofy. However, the editing is bound to exaggerate this sort of thing, and your complaint seems to be that their goofiness is exaggerated. Or am I missing something? ---
**Author:** ![Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8edcca/32.png) [@Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hentor_the_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2006, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-race-4-19-here-comes-the-bedouin/353380/58 "2006-04-21T16:55:40Z")
> [@Crab Rangoon](#): > > I also am a fan of the Hippies despite the overall anti-hippie feelings displayed here. I’m a huge fan of the hippies, too. I’m not sure that there is an overall anti-hippie attitude here - pretty much just that **Otto** is very vocal about hating them. I think they are fun-loving and goofy. They make other people smile and don’t seem to harbor any real animus towards anyone. They’ve been through some real stressful (in the context of the race) times during the past two episodes, and have not sniped at one another or blamed one another - they in fact seem to regroup and approach the remainder of the leg of the race with a positive attitude. They seem to make Phil chuckle more than any other team has. I think a hippie must have stolen **Otto’s** milk money when he was young. ---
**Author:** ![Draelin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce73a5/32.png) [@Draelin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Draelin)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2006, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-race-4-19-here-comes-the-bedouin/353380/59 "2006-04-21T17:00:34Z")
I wanted to chime in and say I love the hippies almost as much as I love **Otto**. I know it’s a conflict of interest, and **Otto** may just decide to kill me now, but I couldn’t in good conscience stay quiet. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2006, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-race-4-19-here-comes-the-bedouin/353380/60 "2006-04-21T18:04:53Z")
> [@Hentor the Barbarian](#): > > I think a hippie must have stolen **Otto’s** milk money when he was young. The wrongs done me by hippies are too numerous to, er, enumerate. That’s one thing I really dislike about living in Madison, is all the damn hippies. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-race-4-19-here-comes-the-bedouin/353380.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-race-4-19-here-comes-the-bedouin/353380.md?page=4)