I was actually surprised at the “rope climb” at the end. I don’t recall ever, in the past, something as strenuous as this being part of a challenge. It’s usually been part of a Detour, where there was less challenging option. In fact, most of the “activities” they have to do are either part of Detours, Roadblocks or Fast Forwards…not barriers to the Pit Stop itself. The most challenging you usually get is a lengthy hike…
Correct me if I’m wrong…?
Eating challenges have always been something of an issue with us SDMB TAR fans.
I maintain that when the challenge consists of having to try something far outside someone’s normal American experience, but common to the locals, that is TAR territory. Such as the prior season in which they had to choke down the Japanese treat of live chopped octopus still writhing, or this fish-eye challenge, where they only ate about 6.
When they get into pounding down more of a local dish than any native would think of eating, like the giant bowl of bugs the hippies got last season, or the 5 pounds of red meat in Boston Rob’s season, or the entire ostrich egg eaten by one person, then we are veering away from appropriate TAR and into Survivor or Fear Factor territory.
BTW, did anyone else hear about the study conducted by Dr. Drew of Lovelines showing that reality-TV contestants are the most narcissistic of all celebrities?
Well, Thursday on Survivor we learned that “Karma is a bizzle”, so you never know.
They had a rope climb in the Bowling Moms season, but I can’t remember if they both ahd to do it (and if so what came after it), or if it was a Roadblock.
I believe it was a Roadblock, because Chip did it but Kim did not. They had to go up to the top, grab the next clue and get back down.
Y’know, there’s something wrong when I can remember the details of a single challenge on a two-year-old TAR, but I can’t remember to log my frickin’ applications at work every day…
It just means you have your priorities straight, man!
My sister and I have talked about sending an audition tape for the last several years. Seriously, my sister will eat anything! She’s travelled extensively (including China and living in Turkey) and speaks a few languages. She’s just been diagnosed with breast cancer, so when I was talking to her tonight, I told her we should audition and she can be the “Inspirational-middle-aged-cancer-survivor-mom”. I’d go along for the money and the more physical/animal related tasks.
StG
Well there was that time when before checking in teams had to swim an entire length of a pool…
They have had a number of times where getting to the Pit Stop was contingent on completing some strenuous activity, for example the rope climb Roadblock for the Bowling Moms was followed by a seemingly lengthy kayak along an island coast to the PS. And they’ve made teams run a fair distance to various Pit Stops and Finish Lines too. Season 2 for example when Wil and Tara got kind of lapped on the way to the FL by the Boston boys whose names I forget.
To pick a nit, it didn’t matter whether she knew what Thrifty Rental was. They were supposed to go to Thrifty PARKING. Some teams got bollixed up by going to Thrifty Rental.
But, you’re right. They will implode!
I’m way late, because we forgot about it on Sunday. Luckily, the Tivo hasn’t smoked as much pot as I have, and is capable of remembering things.
Vague first impressions:
Tyler & James–I like to look at them. They don’t annoy me. That might make them my favorite.
Lauren & Duke–I like the team, even though I have a strong desire to hate Duke for being disappointed that his daughter’s a lesbian.
The Wins–Like 'em, even with the stupid watergun bit. Glad they weren’t eliminated.
Kentucky–She’s bitching, but she’s not taking his crap. Should be interesting. And probably annoying.
Queens (Beauty)–Team Miss USA impressed me on Treasure Hunters, so I’m not going to automatically assume these girls are idiots. They might be a contender for the top five.
Queens (Other)–We’ve seen this team before, right?
Cheerleaders–Muslims and Buddha? We’ll talk to doorknobs? Oy.
Team Ironleg–I’m just not into them. Good on Sarah for taking part with a fake leg, but Peter’s incessant “support” is going to piss me off something fierce in a very short time.
Eye-Rolley Girl and Boyfriend–No. I’m not going there.
Single Moms–Bitchy, but might be fun later.
Team Karma–I liked Vipal of the People. If only because he called himself that.
Bilal & Sa-eed–They might have been interesting, especially, as previously said, they stopped mid-Detour to pray. I don’t know why praising Allah for help is better than asking Jesus for it, but they annoyed me much less than most of the religious teams.
If I forgot somebody, they didn’t make any impression. 
You know, I thought of this as well. I’ve worked with people with significant disabilities for years and years, so I thought maybe I was just hyper-sensitive to it, but he seemed to constantly be saying, “Come on, Sarah! You can do it! You may be so, so, incredibly, significantly, just…shit, are you ever disabled…but you are so strong! You’re tough! You’re tougher than people who have the 2 legs you should have had!”
I also would just love for once for a contestant to be faking the “emergency” thing with regard to their disability and to have whoever they’re trying to guilt into doing something say, “Well, hell, doesn’t look like anything’s going to help now!” Again, absolutely nothing against the disability itself, but people trying to use them when it’s convenient.
Hey, I just saw Sarah featured on a News Hour report that discussed how handicapped atheletes are using advanced prosthetic devices. Pretty cool.
Hey, (Thrifty) did anyone notice (Thrifty) which car rental (Thrifty) company they (Thrifty) used (Thrifty)? I think they (Thrifty) mentioned it once (Thrifty) or twice (Thrifty), but I seem to have (Thrifty) forgotten (Thrifty) it.
Maybe I’m over(Thrifty)sensitive, but I hate product (Thrifty) placement.
That product placement must not have been very effective. The cars were not rented.
And while product placement may not be your favorite thing, watch as it happens more and more. Advertisers are looking for new, creative ways to get their messages out to the public. Blame the Tivo and the VCR for making it too easy to skip over traditional commercial breaks. Hard to skip over a product placed smack in the middle of program content.
I’m no fan of product placement, but this one was relevant to the show. The teams had to drive to a particular parking lot near the airport. Some got it right and some didn’t, and it affected the order they arrived and the flights they took. Who knows if the producers even intended it the way it turned out.
Better than lugging some random gnome through a strange and foreign land.
I understand this was the original title of “Travels With My Aunt.”
FWIW, TAR consistently turns up on the lists of the most heavily product-placed shows on television. Personally I don’t care as long as the placement doesn’t completely jar the game, i.e. the aforementioned gnome-lugging. But it doesn’t bother me at all to have Phil mention, for instance, that teams have to locate a flashlight and load it with “Duracell batteries” if it means more TARry goodness.
But they must have been related somehow, because they showed the teams getting off the Thrifty shuttle bus, which was all painted up in blue and said “Blue Chip” something or other on the side, which is the name Thrifty Car Rental’s frequent renter program.