# TAR 12/4: "We Are Charlie Chaplin" **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 4, 2011, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tar-12-4-we-are-charlie-chaplin/605065 "2011-12-04T22:37:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![obfusciatrist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/4af34b/32.png) [@obfusciatrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/obfusciatrist)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2011, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tar-12-4-we-are-charlie-chaplin/605065/61 "2011-12-05T19:37:33Z")
I’m horrible at remembering people’s names (seriously, I once worked for a boss for four years then a year after he left I had to ask my wife what his name was). So I consider it good that I can remember names for three of the last six. Cindy, Marcus, Amani. The others are Cindy’s boyfriend; weak chin with stubble, and fake boobs with cold nipples even in Panama. Also, it amused me (because I’m four) to notice that Phil says Panama such that it rhymes with enema. ---
**Author:** ![lorene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/65b543/32.png) [@lorene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lorene)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2011, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tar-12-4-we-are-charlie-chaplin/605065/62 "2011-12-05T19:49:38Z")
> [@Skammer](#): > > Oh well - they still go home to a pair of new Mustangs and a half-dozen vacation trips, so I can’t feel _too_ sorry for them. Although I wonder what car insurance costs for a single 29-year old male driving a brand new souped up Ford Mustang. I know at least one of them is married, and I think they both are. > [@EllisDee](#): > > I guess god wasn’t a fan of the snowboarders. Or maybe this was their penance for that one guy’s envy over the car task. heh. No, it was because one of them made fun of another contestant during the tightrope walk. My husband said, “Hey! Jesus doesn’t like that!” and the next thing we knew, they were getting eliminated. > [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > I think the cab drivers had our best interests at heart. Maybe they’ve seen _The Amazing Race_ in Panama. I figure they were hanging around together during the Detour or something, and one of them said “hey, my passengers are bible-thumping tools. Once you figure out where the Pit Stop is, call each other. I’ll just show these two guys the Canal or something.” 😃 > [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > I disagree that you cannot penalize the two luckmeisters for Taxi-Gate. IIRC, the clue said that they needed to find the location on the dancers, not simply stop and look around then go to the pitstop. They never found the location on the dancers so they did not complete the task and a penalty would be in order. At the very least like they do in other legs they should have to go back and identify the clue then go back to the pitstop. > > Fairest answer? Let the Snowboarders compete in the final leg. OK, but first we have to go back in time to all the legs on all of the races where one team was given the answer by another team rather than doing the work themselves and reorder the finishes to reflect these ‘cheats’. Then all teams affected can compete in this final leg. Or? We could stick with the current rules, which allow for some shitty luck sometimes. ---
**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:** [December 5, 2011, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tar-12-4-we-are-charlie-chaplin/605065/63 "2011-12-05T20:06:27Z")
> [@lorene](#): > > OK, but first we have to go back in time to all the legs on all of the races where one team was given the answer by another team rather than doing the work themselves and reorder the finishes to reflect these ‘cheats’. Then all teams affected can compete in this final leg. > > Or? We could stick with the current rules, which allow for some shitty luck sometimes. I still think this was different (since the teams weren’t even involved and didn’t give the drivers permission to tell the other drivers (and probably didn’t even know exactly what was going on since the drivers were probably speaking Spanish)), but it’s not a hill I’m choosing to die on. ---
**Author:** ![lorene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/65b543/32.png) [@lorene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lorene)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2011, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tar-12-4-we-are-charlie-chaplin/605065/64 "2011-12-05T20:16:26Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > I still think this was different (since the teams weren’t even involved and didn’t give the drivers permission to tell the other drivers (and probably didn’t even know exactly what was going on since the drivers were probably speaking Spanish)), but it’s not a hill I’m choosing to die on. I see your point, and I agree that it’s not a hill worth dying on. I was mostly responding to the comment that **Saint Cad** made that this should be considered non-completion of a task. There have been more blatant examples of cadging the answer from someone rather than figuring it out yourselves, and those did not get penalized. ---
**Author:** ![phreesh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9fc29f/32.png) [@phreesh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phreesh)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2011, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tar-12-4-we-are-charlie-chaplin/605065/65 "2011-12-05T22:29:22Z")
What irritates me is that one of the teams (Marcus and Amani?) was going to the wrong location and the cabbie effectively said, “No. I’m taking you to this other place because that’s where the other cabs are going.” The cabbie actively chose the couple’s destination. That’s a bummer for team Jesus. I’m also in favour of fewer cabbie missions. It seems like a natural product tie-in to have Ford (or whoever) supply the vehicles rather than to rely on cabs. Does anyone know why cabs are used so often in the race? Is it to avoid people getting lost all the time? Is if for safety to ensure the people drive slowly and follow the local laws? Something else? As far as the challenges, it seemed like a huge waste of time to visit the village. Drive for (seemingly) hours to a river, take a pitch black boat ride, sleep, get a tattoo and head back to town. No real “challenge” there at all other than reading your tattoo - for hours of effort. ---
**Author:** ![obfusciatrist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/4af34b/32.png) [@obfusciatrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/obfusciatrist)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2011, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tar-12-4-we-are-charlie-chaplin/605065/66 "2011-12-05T22:52:04Z")
If I had to guess, it was a secondary bunching point. If something went wrong at the airport and a team got separated, they’d have time to catch up in Panama. And it is always possible when we see them going somewhere for absolutely no reason that they did have to do something but that it ended up having no impact on the race and didn’t produce anything interesting to show and so got edited out and never mentioned. And I’ve always accepted the risk reason for limited self driving (either at the end of the race because they’ll be too amped up or in some locations where driving is difficult or riskier). But after Expedition: Impossible I can no longer accept that. To any references to insurance and lawyers I say: They put a blind man on a camel. They put a blind man in a solo kayak. They put a blind man through a CLIFF DIVE! If they can do that, TAR can let teams drive in India. ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2011, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tar-12-4-we-are-charlie-chaplin/605065/67 "2011-12-05T23:23:23Z")
> [@lorene](#): > > OK, but first we have to go back in time to all the legs on all of the races where one team was given the answer by another team rather than doing the work themselves and reorder the finishes to reflect these ‘cheats’. Then all teams affected can compete in this final leg. The most blatant example I can think of was a couple/few seasons ago, there was a moped leg where you had to scooter to the clue guy and tell him how many kilometers you just drove. One rider stopped and just flat-out gave the number to another, and it was a big swing in that leg. I was going to cite the leg this season where you had to count the Buddha statues, where most all of the teams worked together, but I could see the logic in saying that at least everyone actively participated in that collusion. The funniest one was that same counting challenge, when the snowboarders deliberately just gave the exact answer to Marcus & Amani but Marcus didn’t bother listening. hehheh. This is a notable example because the snowboarders committed the exact crime that got them eliminated, so it could be viewed as a simple case of karma. Maybe their god isn’t as much bigger than that Buddhist temple as they thought? ---
**Author:** ![Palo\_Verde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/65b543/32.png) [@Palo\_Verde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Palo_Verde)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2011, 5:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tar-12-4-we-are-charlie-chaplin/605065/68 "2011-12-06T05:52:11Z")
Did anyone else notice that Ernie had the exact same hairstyle as Tintin? [http://www.google.com/search?q=Tintin+hair&hl=en&rlz=1B3GGLS\_en\_\_\_US410&prmd=imvns&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=aa3dTtWaGMjO2gXjscSPBQ&ved=0CDQQsAQ&biw=1540&bih=816](http://www.google.com/search?q=Tintin+hair&hl=en&rlz=1B3GGLS_en___US410&prmd=imvns&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=aa3dTtWaGMjO2gXjscSPBQ&ved=0CDQQsAQ&biw=1540&bih=816) ---
**Author:** ![lorene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/65b543/32.png) [@lorene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lorene)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2011, 12:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tar-12-4-we-are-charlie-chaplin/605065/69 "2011-12-06T12:24:33Z")
> [@Palo\_Verde](#): > > Did anyone else notice that Ernie had the exact same hairstyle as Tintin? > > [Tintin hair - Google Search](http://www.google.com/search?q=Tintin+hair&hl=en&rlz=1B3GGLS_en___US410&prmd=imvns&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=aa3dTtWaGMjO2gXjscSPBQ&ved=0CDQQsAQ&biw=1540&bih=816) That’s what I meant in this post: > [@lorene](#): > > I really wanted them to do a split-screen comparison of Ernie and TinTin. I thought it was hilarious. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2011, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tar-12-4-we-are-charlie-chaplin/605065/70 "2011-12-06T14:44:35Z")
> [@lorene](#): > > OK, but first we have to go back in time to all the legs on all of the races where one team was given the answer by another team rather than doing the work themselves and reorder the finishes to reflect these ‘cheats’. Then all teams affected can compete in this final leg. You clearly don’t read my TAR posts. I say that ALL of the time 😛 My point however was not to nullify the luck factor. My point was that by a strict reading of the clue **which required the teams to identify the pit stop location** , those two teams did not complete the task. I say their going to the pit stop without finding the clues is the same as the task that required teams to give all of their money to the orphanage. Congrats on making it to the pitstop but now go back and do the task and come back. ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2011, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tar-12-4-we-are-charlie-chaplin/605065/71 "2011-12-07T01:48:59Z")
Well, that was a disappointing end to an already disappointing season. I’m not sure what it was, but I just could not get interested in this one. Now there a three final teams that I just don’t care about. I don’t hate any of them or like any of them. Just meh. > [@Lamar\_Mundane](#): > > I don’t get this impression at all. What, specifically, has he done to give you that impression? He has a degree from Bradley University. That doesn’t mean much. I have a lot of respect for my school, but I knew a lot of dumb people who graduated. That’s not even counting those on a sports scholarship. - Bradley Alum 2009 ---
**Author:** ![panamajack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/47e85d/32.png) [@panamajack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panamajack)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2011, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tar-12-4-we-are-charlie-chaplin/605065/72 "2011-12-07T02:12:15Z")
> [@AlsoNamedBort](#): > > Well, that was a disappointing end to an already disappointing season. I’m not sure what it was, but I just could not get interested in this one. Now there a three final teams that I just don’t care about. I don’t hate any of them or like any of them. > > Just meh. I agree, but I only count two final teams. There’s Ernie & Cindy, Amani & Marcus, and … who else? I don’t think I’m forgetting anyone. That’s strange. Aren’t there usually three teams in the finals? ---
**Author:** ![Tabby\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Tabby\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tabby_Cat)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2011, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tar-12-4-we-are-charlie-chaplin/605065/73 "2011-12-07T02:42:24Z")
I pretty much lost interest after Ma and Pa got eliminated. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2011, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tar-12-4-we-are-charlie-chaplin/605065/74 "2011-12-07T03:16:16Z")
I agree this season’s casting seems off somehow which is a shame because the challenges have been well done. ---
**Author:** ![lorene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/65b543/32.png) [@lorene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lorene)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2011, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tar-12-4-we-are-charlie-chaplin/605065/75 "2011-12-07T03:40:30Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > My point was that by a strict reading of the clue **which required the teams to identify the pit stop location** , those two teams did not complete the task. I say their going to the pit stop without finding the clues is the same as the task that required teams to give all of their money to the orphanage. Congrats on making it to the pitstop but now go back and do the task and come back. Ah, that is a good point. ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2011, 8:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tar-12-4-we-are-charlie-chaplin/605065/76 "2011-12-07T08:35:18Z")
> [@lorene](#): > > Ah, that is a good point. Meh. The snowboarders carefully explained the Buddha statue answers to Amani, circumventing her need to count the statues as instructed by the clue. It didn’t end up helping her since Marcus did the task and he wasn’t listening, but the point remains. If it’s unfair then that’s poetic justice since the snowboarders intentionally tried to introduce the same unfairness earlier in the race. ---
**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:** [December 7, 2011, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tar-12-4-we-are-charlie-chaplin/605065/77 "2011-12-07T13:26:48Z")
> [@EllisDee](#): > > Meh. The snowboarders carefully explained the Buddha statue answers to Amani, circumventing her need to count the statues as instructed by the clue. It didn’t end up helping her since Marcus did the task and he wasn’t listening, but the point remains. If it’s unfair then that’s poetic justice since the snowboarders intentionally tried to introduce the same unfairness earlier in the race. I still think it’s different when an actual team makes that decision to share information and when someone who isn’t even actually one of the people racing does. Like I said, it rankles a little, but it’s not so important that I’m so totally upset and won’t watch anymore or anything. And, again, I say this as someone who’s not really a snowboarder fan (although the “low five” thing was cute). ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2011, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tar-12-4-we-are-charlie-chaplin/605065/78 "2011-12-07T13:39:15Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > You clearly don’t read my TAR posts. I say that ALL of the time 😛 > My point however was not to nullify the luck factor. My point was that by a strict reading of the clue **which required the teams to identify the pit stop location** , those two teams did not complete the task. I say their going to the pit stop without finding the clues is the same as the task that required teams to give all of their money to the orphanage. Congrats on making it to the pitstop but now go back and do the task and come back. If you really want to rules lawyer, the clue actually said you have to “ **find the name** of the next destination” - that’s the exact phrasing Phil and multiple Racers used. But the producers put in a clue that didn’t include the name of the destination - just a drawing of it, and that’s how Jeremy & Sandy found it. So either they put in a clue that was illegal to use, or any method of finding the destination is acceptable, such as showing the picture to your cabbie, or having your cabbie ask another cabbie who knows the destination. ---
**Author:** ![obfusciatrist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/4af34b/32.png) [@obfusciatrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/obfusciatrist)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2011, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tar-12-4-we-are-charlie-chaplin/605065/79 "2011-12-07T14:32:51Z")
Did the clue say that or did the voiceover say that? ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2011, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tar-12-4-we-are-charlie-chaplin/605065/80 "2011-12-07T15:10:14Z")
> [@obfusciatrist](#): > > Did the clue say that or did the voiceover say that? Phil said that exact phrase “find the name” when he described the task in the voiceover, and at least 2 racers said that exact phrase while doing the task, so I’m assuming they were quoting the clue. Note that pretty much everyone focused on the word “Balboa” on the coins, implying they were specifically looking for words as their clue. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tar-12-4-we-are-charlie-chaplin/605065.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tar-12-4-we-are-charlie-chaplin/605065.md?page=5)