# Amazing Race 5/10 - "This is how you lose a million viewers." **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 10, 2009, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-race-5-10-this-is-how-you-lose-a-million-viewers/495952 "2009-05-10T16:18:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Atrael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Atrael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atrael)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2009, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-race-5-10-this-is-how-you-lose-a-million-viewers/495952/81 "2009-05-14T14:50:34Z")
I was also impressed by Rob’s actions during that task. He saw the loophole, and figure out not just how to exploit it, but how to do it in such a fashion that he was guarunteed not to be eliminated. And did it right in the middle of the event. He though quickly under pressure…and I agree that the airplane actions at the end were very fishy. I actually didn’t watch this season. It’s the first time I haven’t since the show has been on. I’m not sure if it’s the general dumbing down of the tasks/contestants, or if it’s just on too much to compete with other things. In the first seasons, TAR was something shown after the regular season was over…so it was a summer filler with not much else to compete with it. Now it seems to be on one season right after another…so it doesn’t have time for me to miss it before it’s back again. ---
**Author:** ![notfrommensa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f14d63/32.png) [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2009, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-race-5-10-this-is-how-you-lose-a-million-viewers/495952/82 "2009-05-14T20:34:49Z")
My biggest peeve about TAR is that many clues tell you exactly where to go. Every (well most of them) clue should take a little of detective work to figure out what and where it is. This last episode, the teams were told to fly to Maui. I am not familiar with Hawaii, but there must be something unique about Maui that the teams should know or find out via the internet. A cursory wiki look says that Maui is the 2nd biggest island. Well the clue could say. “Fly to the 50th states 2nd biggest island and look for the clue at the airport’s holiday inn”. It is fairly common knowledge that Hawaii is the 50th state but most people would have not know what is the 2nd biggest island is. ---
**Author:** ![tumbleddown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e9bcb4/32.png) [@tumbleddown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tumbleddown)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2009, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-race-5-10-this-is-how-you-lose-a-million-viewers/495952/83 "2009-05-15T03:26:42Z")
> [@Gangster\_Octopus](#): > > Was I the only one who thought Marge might have been violating a rule when she told Luke (whether he got the message I don’t know) to “check the other ones” to keep him from continually chanigng the11th surfboard? I thought she was telling him to check the other surfboards in the big pile, to see if there was a symbol he hadn’t seen yet. It didn’t _seem_ from the editing that Luke had found the China leg boards and passed over them, he just grabbed other (wrong) boards first. > [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > I’ve heard that some of the recently Philiminated teams continue to participate in the last legs as decoys. I’m not quite sure how they would do that, though. I didn’t see any extra pigs or surfboards for them to use. Probably the decoys are given some alternative tasks to throw off any locals or taxi drivers who know that TAR filming is happening that day and that it’s the finale. > [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > The cabbie could know that he had Amazing Contestants as passengers. He could see two other teams at the surfboard fence. If the memory task for the surfboards was only set up for three teams, he’d know Tammy & Victor were in the lead when they left. But until the episode aired, he couldn’t know they’d won. I agree, I don’t think there’s any way for the cabbie to know any specifics on the ground, and even if there is, there must be a standard non-disclosure agreement involved in addition to the release that has to be signed for them to appear on camera to begin with. If they’re not willing to sign everything, then the contestants have to get another cab. (We see the scramble for taxis, we don’t ever see the production staff getting to the cabbies first and making sure that they’re willing to transport the team plus their camera person [and sometimes a sound tech as well] plus appear on an international television program, and sign the documents CBS legal requires.) > [@notfrommensa](#): > > My biggest peeve about TAR is that many clues tell you exactly where to go. Every (well most of them) clue should take a little of detective work to figure out what and where it is. There have been clues like that, as I recall what ultimately led to Rob & Amber not winning in their season was that they were told to find “The King” of cigars in Miami and it never occurred to them or anyone around them to translate that into Spanish. :smack: But there is only so much guessing the production can really afford to make teams do, because, say, for instance, they go and get on the wrong plane. The production is now going to do what, pay for tickets for the team and their production people (the camera and sound/production tech) to the wrong city? And follow a team around in the wrong place until they grow a brain? Pay for more tickets to the next city? And is the time wasted ever going to allow a team that makes a costly error like that to remain in the race? Doubtful. It would be too strong an eliminating factor. One mistake would be insurmountable on the tight turnarounds that are built into the game. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2009, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-race-5-10-this-is-how-you-lose-a-million-viewers/495952/84 "2009-05-15T03:30:46Z")
I remember a few seasons ago they had a clue that said something like, “Fly to the capital city of the country you’re currently in and go to…” IIRC, they were in Ukraine, and were supposed to go to Kiev. But I was SO hoping at least one team would assume they were in Russia and head for Moscow instead, just for the comedy value. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-race-5-10-this-is-how-you-lose-a-million-viewers/495952.md?page=4)