Topic: Mactors/Recruited Teams

[redskevin88]

Decided to start a thread for what you called "Mactors" [and also recruited teams]

My personal opinion... as long as they know what they are going into (Ida & Tania, ARA3 one good example), likeable personality (Marc & Rovilson, Paula & Natasha ARA2, Mel & Mike AR14, Flight Time & Big Easy, AR15, apart from the Mika-Canaan thing) and are genuine fans I have no problems, and of cause competent racers. Maria & Tiffany, Mika & Canaan and Aubrey & Jac comes to mine about who I DON'T WANT to see again.

[Coutzy]

I don't mind Mactors, as long as they have applied properly. The thing I really can't stand is RECRUITED TEAMS


But you talk about competent teams, what about the likes of Debra and Steve? They certainly were not recruited, but it was obvious that they were doomed from the word go.

[redskevin88]

I don't mind Mactors, as long as they have applied properly. The thing I really can't stand is RECRUITED TEAMS


But you talk about competent teams, what about the likes of Debra and Steve? They certainly were not recruited, but it was obvious that they were doomed from the word go.

I've only seen, the most S10-S16, and ARA2-3, parts of ARA1, you'll have to enlighten me on the early seasons...

[Coutzy]

I don't mind Mactors, as long as they have applied properly. The thing I really can't stand is RECRUITED TEAMS


But you talk about competent teams, what about the likes of Debra and Steve? They certainly were not recruited, but it was obvious that they were doomed from the word go.

I've only seen, the most S10-S16, and ARA2-3, parts of ARA1, you'll have to enlighten me on the early seasons...

Debra and Steve admitted they would not be good racers, and spent all of the first leg at the back of the pack before getting eliminated.

Nicer, sweeter folk you will not meet though (At least on camera)

[Mug Costanza]

I don't mind Mactors, as long as they have applied properly. The thing I really can't stand is RECRUITED TEAMS

I agree. Brian & Ericka were a "mactor" team I didn't mind seeing. From what I can remember reading in one of their post-race interviews, they had been long-tome fans of the show who finally took the next step and actually applied for the show. It's the teams like Brent & Caite I can't stand. She's famous for saying something stupid; why does that mean she deserves a trip around the world and I just get to watch from my couch?

[Competitor]

I don't mind Mactors, as long as they have applied properly. The thing I really can't stand is RECRUITED TEAMS


But you talk about competent teams, what about the likes of Debra and Steve? They certainly were not recruited, but it was obvious that they were doomed from the word go.

I've only seen, the most S10-S16, and ARA2-3, parts of ARA1, you'll have to enlighten me on the early seasons...

Debra and Steve admitted they would not be good racers, and spent all of the first leg at the back of the pack before getting eliminated.

Nicer, sweeter folk you will not meet though (At least on camera)

Every season sees a team or two that we look at and assume they won't make it very long. Kate and Pat in S12, Anita and Arthur in S13, Steve and Linda in S14, Shannon and Jody in S16, etc. Casting won't put 12 teams out there who are all what we would call "competent" or "competitive".

However, for every one of these teams we get a team like Margie and Luke who so many of us wrote off early. I believe that many of us thought they wouldn't make it through the first few legs, but sure enough they proved everyone wrong. Also, in S14 you had a team eliminated first off the bat who many would have thought had Top 3 potential in Preston and Amanda. A young, athletic couple.

Casting has to put teams out there who are different and who show different talents, personalities, etc. I don't like recruited teams at all. But they're paid to put what they think are the best teams for the show out there. Sadly, it appears that more and more they believe they need to recruit these teams.

[Paron]

likeable personality (Marc & Rovilson, Paula & Natasha ARA2, Mel & Mike AR14, Flight Time & Big Easy, AR15, apart from the Mika-Canaan thing)

If they were likable, I'm Lana Turner.  Which I'm not.

[Caelestor]

likeable personality

BAM! Nobody will be able to agree on that definition, so you can forget about it.
The producers have chosen ratings over classiness, and I guarantee you we'll be seeing a lot of stuntcasting.

[TheZanies]

likeable personality (Marc & Rovilson, Paula & Natasha ARA2, Mel & Mike AR14, Flight Time & Big Easy, AR15, apart from the Mika-Canaan thing)

If they were likable, I'm Lana Turner.  Which I'm not.

Haha Agree completely. Those 2 fools remind me a lot of another team I CAN'T STAND - the Hippies from S9. Everything they said was rehearsed, from the little jokes (which weren't funny by any means) to the reactions on the mat etc. I want genuine reactions, not contrived stuff racers made up before even going on the Race. 96% the things Marc & Rovilson/Hippies said on camera were prepared BS. Competent racers all 4 of them, just couldn't stand their playing to the camera 24/7, the fakeness of it all.

[DrRox]

Mactors does not stand for recruited teams. It stands for Model/Actor teams. In the end, ALL teams are recruited.

[Cocoa]

Mactors does not stand for recruited teams. It stands for Model/Actor teams. In the end, ALL teams are recruited.

1. EDIT: Fine. Mel and Mike are "mactors". For me, they aren't.

2. YES to that. But seriously, I have no complaints whatsoever with "invited" people. You cannot eradicate "inviting" in any of the Reality Shows. It's just part of it. That's IMO.

[redskevin88]

Mactors does not stand for recruited teams. It stands for Model/Actor teams. In the end, ALL teams are recruited.

1. LOL. How come Mel and Mike are mactors? These people here use language without even researching about it. Hello? Google is god!

Mike White had originally been chosen to participate on The Amazing Race 13 with director Jon Kasdan, but the latter dropped out before filming. The show's casting director wanted White for Season 14 and he was ultimately paired with his father for the Race.

Then the casting director said to Mike, “We’d like you for season 14 without Kasdan. Who would you like to go with you?” [Then she met me at a party], and she went to Michael and said, “I want your Dad.” So they had me do the psychological exams and physical exams and all that kind of stuff and somehow I squeaked through.

Mel and Mike were recruited.... Mike White is a actor/film director... they fit the category

[Cocoa]

Just to clear everyone.

Mactors = Model/Actors. Some are Eric and Jeremy. Tyler and James. Derek and Drew.

A mactor is a person who models and/or acts. It was first coined by Hera in describing the alliance between Freddy/Racist (models) and Floden/Aaron (actors), however it has since been used to describe most teams who are young, pretty and have or want ties to the entertainment industry, usually with a loose relationship with one another (you won't see many married mactors on TAR).

[apskip]

Decided to start a thread for what you called "Mactors"

My personal opinion... as long as they know what they are going into (Ida & Tania, ARA3 one good example), likeable personality (Marc & Rovilson, Paula & Natasha ARA2, Mel & Mike AR14, Flight Time & Big Easy, AR15, apart from the Mika-Canaan thing) and are genuine fans I have no problems, and of cause competent racers. Maria & Tiffany, Mika & Canaan and Aubrey & Jac comes to mine about who I DON'T WANT to see again.

I am reminded of the phrase "cannon fodder", for which "the Charge of the Light Brigade" at Balaclava in the Crimean War is the quintessential example. I can think of several teams that meet that definition, with little hope of going past 1 or 2 legs:

AR4 - Debra and Steve
AR9 - Joni and Lisa
AR9 - Scott and John
AR13 - Arthur and Anita
AR14 - Steve (he could have gone a long way with anyone better for an amazing race than his wife) and Linda

[retard boi]

I think what bothers me most in mactor casting is lazy casting and production.

 I can see why casting actors is better for reality television for a production stand point. They know how to behave in front of a camera, they are better in reading scripts and they then to threat the the entire thing more as a gig then a competition. Casting wise, actors has an upper hand. Beside shobiz connections (that are very important), going through the very grueling casting is something that actors a accustomed to, for them it is considered actual work and the TV exposure will promote their career. On the other hand this experience could be a hassle for people that just want to do this thing for the fun and come back to their everyday lives. I don't think most employers will look kindly on frequent disappearances for casting interviews, the show and promosions, especially when it comes to reality TV. There's a reason why most of the "ordinary" people that are cast for this show are either students, retired or self employed.

Taking this in consideration I am still highly against actor casting since I think most of  the times they less genuine and more camera aware and are not that intresting to watch (Especially when it comes to semi celebrities like Jet & Cord, Dustin & Kandice and the globetrotters).

P.S. I am actually support recruits, it can potentially produce divercity. You just need to recruit the right people  

[redskevin88]

I am reminded of the phrase "cannon fodder", for which "the Charge of the Light Brigade" at Balaclava in the Crimean War is the quintessential example. I can think of several teams that meet that definition, with little hope of going past 1 or 2 legs:

AR13 - Arthur and Anita

I have to disagree with Anita & Arthur Anita & Arthur were undone by their detour choice, granted, if it came down to a footrace with Marissa & Brooke (it nearly was I think) they would have lost, but given the Southern Bellies got to as far as New Zealand (which they got lost more than anything else), it would be hard to know how far they would have gone.

[banredbeans]

I used to have a problem with mactors and recruits filling spots that ordinary people should have had. Then I realized how many new fans the recruits brought to the show and without them the show may have died off. 

[DeafRacer]

I don't mind Mactors, as long as they have applied properly. The thing I really can't stand is RECRUITED TEAMS


But you talk about competent teams, what about the likes of Debra and Steve? They certainly were not recruited, but it was obvious that they were doomed from the word go.

I've only seen, the most S10-S16, and ARA2-3, parts of ARA1, you'll have to enlighten me on the early seasons...

Debra and Steve admitted they would not be good racers, and spent all of the first leg at the back of the pack before getting eliminated.

Nicer, sweeter folk you will not meet though (At least on camera)

Every season sees a team or two that we look at and assume they won't make it very long. Kate and Pat in S12, Anita and Arthur in S13, Steve and Linda in S14, Shannon and Jody in S16, etc. Casting won't put 12 teams out there who are all what we would call "competent" or "competitive".

However, for every one of these teams we get a team like Margie and Luke who so many of us wrote off early. I believe that many of us thought they wouldn't make it through the first few legs, but sure enough they proved everyone wrong. Also, in S14 you had a team eliminated first off the bat who many would have thought had Top 3 potential in Preston and Amanda. A young, athletic couple.

Casting has to put teams out there who are different and who show different talents, personalities, etc. I don't like recruited teams at all. But they're paid to put what they think are the best teams for the show out there. Sadly, it appears that more and more they believe they need to recruit these teams.

 

My family and friends wrote us off early as well! It was priceless to see people's reactions when we kept getting further and further deep into the race. It was priceless to see people's reactions when we made it to the F3.

I guess I should have mentioned that I was a big fan of Amazing Race since the very first day of Season One. 

But, I get a lot that people thought we were recruited. We weren't recruited. I can clear it up for Mike and Mel - They weren't recruited. Mike applied with one of his friends for Season 13. His friend dropped out so they asked Mike to find a new teammate for Season 14. Mel came along.

[north09]

Maria & Tiffany, Mika & Canaan and Aubrey & Jac comes to mine about who I DON'T WANT to see again.

I actually have to disagree about Mika and Canaan being Mactors over normal people. Yes, both were involved in the entertainment industry, but they also were each coming from a small town lifestyle. I remember in their team video that Canaan mention watching Mika's brother graduate from a holler. Neither were exactly living the high life in Nashville yet. What I enjoyed about them was that they stuck together and never fought until Mika's waterslide incident. They truly seemed to appreciate the experience the race had given them.

In terms of Mactors in general, I think the term has been used way to loosely these past few seasons. People are already referring to the teams that feature beauty queens as mactors even when the other partner has no connection to the entertainment industry. As long as the team wants to be there, I don't care how they came to be on my TV screen.

[MamaT]

I agree with banredbeans in that some of these recruited teams bring new viewers to the show, and ultimately that benefits all of us.  I may not like it, and I wish it wasnt so, but that's the reality.  Jeff & Jordan brough alot of fans to TAR that had never watched it before. Same with Rob & Amber, Caite, the Globetrotters, Maria & Tiffany etc.   
That being said, I could go a really long time without ever hearing "It looked like fun and thought it would be good exposure so I had my agent contact the producers"  again.

However, it seems lately that even the "regular" teams are recruited.   Being approached on a first date, being asked to apply based on a picture on FaceBook etc.  I HATE that there are teams being offered this amazing opportunity that have never seen the show before.  I  HATE that "relationships" are being created to fill a spot.  (do you remember the good old days when BVM claimed that this was a relationship show as much as a travel one?!)  And I HATE that this seems to be happening more and more recently.  (last season had 7 or 8 teams -out of 11- that were "recruited" in one way or another!)
I just find it hard to believe that the producers cant find interesting, diverse people with real relationships in the thousands of applications they recieve.
   

[georgiapeach]

What I like is seeing ordinary people doing extraordinary things.

I hate the recruited in a bar thing.... hate the never seen the show before. I can live with the Jeff and Jordan's...they bring ratings, and ratings give us more shows. But please CBS, try to keep this to one or two teams a season, and keep hope alive for the thousands who dream of being on the race and work hard to make it a reality?

Otherwise why then bother having casting at all? Part of the TAR mystique is the thought that "I could be doing that", and the seeing yourself running the race through identifying with one of the teams. If that hope and faith in the casting is lost, then some of the TAR magic WILL disappear.

And I like the reactions of "ordinary" not camera trained racers. It is far more appealing to watch. Except for Mike and Mel, I adored them!

[Mandoli]

If these people are diehard fans, applying season after season without pressure from an agent or two, and are willing to do anything it took to get around the world... Then by all means, I accept them with open arms.

But if these people are found in a bar, or have some sort of entertainment connection (or even if they've been in a pageant of all things - which I guess I should do if I want to be on TAR, apparently) with no idea of what the hell they're doing the minute they're told they're going to be "recruited" for this race... Then get the hell away from my TV. Please. You add no excitement for me. Those kinds of people are vanilla. No substance. We've seen people like you before.

GP is right. Why bother having casting when production could just go out and get all the teams from the entertainment industry? Unfortunately, there will probably be one season when you'll see all mactors/beauty queens. And then when you find out that all of the teams were basically picked without applications, you'll feel like all hope is lost.

[redskevin88]

However, it seems lately that even the "regular" teams are recruited.   Being approached on a first date, being asked to apply based on a picture on FaceBook etc.  I HATE that there are teams being offered this amazing opportunity that have never seen the show before.  I  HATE that "relationships" are being created to fill a spot.  (do you remember the good old days when BVM claimed that this was a relationship show as much as a travel one?!) 

I agree, re watching last season, Brent & Catie's relationship look so fake on television

[Hooky]

I used to have a problem with mactors and recruits filling spots that ordinary people should have had. Then I realized how many new fans the recruits brought to the show and without them the show may have died off.

I absolutely disagree. The show would have continued to thrive. I have little doubt in my mind that if TAR 14-16 had had more teams of "ordinary folks" that wanted to be there and wanted to win, those seasons would have been much better. I don't care if it starts to sound "stale": The original idea for this show of "Ordinary people doing extraordinary things" would still recruit many more viewers than "come watch as Brent & Caite try to overcome Caite's tainted media image by running The Amazing Race". Yeah, right. I for one have 0% interest in that. Maybe it's just because I didn't even know who Caite was before season 16, but I liked her more at the beginning of the race than I did by the end of it. Overall I would say that the overwhelming presence of mactors and "recruits" has been a major waste of time and energy for ratings that never really materialized.

[Caelestor]

To be fair, each season always has mactors. TAR 5 and TAR 12 apparently has quite a few of them, and I consider those seasons as some of the best the show has produced.

The moral of the story: hire mactors if you really wish to, but don't make them so obvious, fake, and annoying.