The Amazing Race > The Amazing Race Discussion

Why the Amazing Race has lost its magic

<< < (57/62) > >>

redskevin88:
deleted by author

apskip:
I think KiwiJay is right. He didn't say it precisely this way, but the changes from the first 9 seasons to the past 7 amount to dumbing the Amazing Race down. However, I do not attribute any of this to the inclusion of beauty queens in every season since then, as AR5 had two of them.

mswood:

--- Quote from: Valkyrian on September 25, 2010, 11:58:40 PM ---Kiwijay. I agree with absolutely everything you've said, and I've been watching from the start, but to add my opinions.

Why I believe The Amazing Race has lost it's magic.


1. Models and Beauty Queens

Firstly they're not exciting to watch, they may add the *Beauty* factor but a lot come accross as being fake and playing to the camera at times.
This bugs the heck outta me, CBS, heck even World Race Production needs to cast regular members of society, they need to get this beautiful people mindset out of their minds. Normal everyday people even the unattractive can be just as exciting and add more to the race. More people like say Linda & Karen for example, these people may not win awards for beauty but they come accross as good people, good racers and show a lot of heart.


2. Stop casting Celebs/Semi famous people

They need to like stop overloading the race with Celebs/Semi Famous people. You lose the magic of a race with *Ordinary* people in a race around the world. 11 teams of average members of society who aren't famous are more likely to be tactical and passionate about winning. Less Maria And Tiffanys, more Dan and Jordans, Louie and Michaels, Margie and Lukes etc
(Nothing against M&T, just listed them as an example)

3. Removal of teams setting their own flights
Producers need to bring back the ability for teams to gain a massive lead on the others, if a team gets to the airport first, let them board a plane and leave the country, less bunching more ACTUAL RACING. It's not a proper race if production is holding your hands.

4 Loss of Friendships and developments in that area

Seems the producers forgot that people love seeing the banter and communication between teams during and after tasks, like in Airports. Removing this you lose a lot of the *Reality* feel, and it becomes a *Teams go to task* *Teams complete task* *Teams occasionally talk* *Pitstop* They need to seriously consider the way they edit this show, seems from TAR 13 onwards the banter and excitement is gone at times. Teams cant be THAT Boring can they?

Give me a TAR season with at least 10 non beauty queens and celebs and to me that'l be a race to watch. Bring the Ordinary people into TAR, the non famous, the everyday average Joe who works from 9 till 5, has an average life and you'l have a damn good race.


--- End quote ---
You understand that the criteria you listed above pretty much removes all seasons (save perhaps season 1).

1.  We have had Beauty Queens and models going back to the third season, and nearly every season has had someone who has either modeled or who has performed in pageants. DO I think they work as racers, yes and no.  I liked the following racers and they were either models or pageant persons.  Derek & Drew, Tian & Jaree, Christie, Brandon, Lena & Kristy, ect, ect all these are all from seasons 6 and earlier.  And there are several others.

2.  They have also had actors, people have done tv work, film work, and worked in jobs that receive larger then normal media exposure going back to season two (perhaps season one, but I don't know if Paul started acting after TAR or if he did it before).  From people like Allison, Rob & Amber, Brian (or was it Greg) who had all done some reality show work before TAR, to actors like Chip and Joyce (from Uchenna & Joyce), to actor/writers like Gary.  There are more of course, but TAR has alway had some of that as well.  I do agree that if you are going to do that please limit it.  Season 15 for example had Mika & Canaan, The Trotters and Maria & Tiffany.  Thats 3 out of 11 teams.  Thats really unbalanced casting to a degree I haven't seen since season 6 (a season with a huge number of actors/ people waiting into media and pageant persons).  I am not against stunt casting, because some I have really liked, but keep it to a dull roar.

3.  This is something that even happened in season 1, but no a much, much lesser degree.  They would let you set up many of your own flights, but they would design other aspects of the race to allow others to catch up.  But even still a few situations have arisen to really stretch out teams (the producers hate that has it destroys any real drama of an episode.  I don't mind bunching in general but I hate really arbitrary bunching.  The show has also excluded many flight options going back extremely early into the shows life (letting them only use certain carriers for example).  And we do know that teams can still take their own flights has this still happened last season, but there are fewer and fewer legs they are either able to (due to availability, or just to keep teams from getting really spread out).  A good part of the reason the producers due this is to one keep the drama of the show up (which is part of their job) and the other is to better manage the amount of time it takes to film.  Less time to film cheaper the show.  I will be curious to see how much still happens in this coming season.

4.  Yes and no.  We still get a lot of team interaction.  But we see a bit more of the negative side of that (and their has been several seasons were we have seen the real negative side of racers, seasons 5, 6 and 7 could be really bad).  But as others have noted the producers have removed a lot of the pit stop time that racers can get to know each other.  We still see teams that interact and form bonds.  Jaime & Cara, Margie & Luke and Victor and Tammy.  We have had Sam & Dan and Maria & Tiffany.  We have had Dallas & Starr, ect, ect.  But a part of this again is that we get fewer episodes thus less time to mix the teams in the first place.  I do wish they still had the teams interact during the Pit Stop even if we don't see it just so teams get a better chance of getting to know each other.

Thames Pirate:
Long time lurker/new poster chiming in here!

I think the things that have caused TAR to lose a bit of its magic are:

Handholding/shepherding teams:  Any time teams drive themselves there's at least one team that ends up bickering--sometimes the unexpected team, too (Kynt/Vyxsin TAR 12).  They have to make decisions about when to stop for directions (Erwin/Godwin TAR 10 were victims of this), when to follow other teams (Meredith/Maria TAR 6), and countless other things (Adam/Rebecca TAR 6 fighting about sunglasses, for example, or the many teams who can't handle a stick).  Then there's the added fun of driving hazards such as getting stuck (Mary/Dave TAR 10, numerous teams in various sandy conditions, notably in TAR 2), accidents (Dustin/Kandice TAR 10, Brian/Greg TAR 7), breaking down (too many to list), taking a wrong turn (many, notably Debbie/Bianca TAR 7), diesel issues (most notably TAR 3, but others as well) and the general drama of driving in an unfamiliar place.  In fact, self-driving (and to some extent navigating public transportation other than taxis) can help limit spoilers in European countries sometimes!

Additionally, as some have pointed out, finding better flights should be part of the game.  While I can understand wanting to avoid another TAR 11 scenario with the Tanzanian leg, it's equally fun to watch teams struggle to make flights (notably Rob/Amber TAR 7 after the meat task), make critical decisions regarding flights, be clever finding alternatives (how great was it when Lynn/Karlyn found a flight to Orly instead of CDG?), etc.  Some production control is great, but give the racers a chance to show their creativity and abilities!  In fact, I'd advocate rewording clues in some cases from "fly to" to "get to" because it might be interesting to see who compares train schedules to flight schedules!

Isolation of teams from locals:  I love watching teams try to find their way around confusing local markets (Rachel TAR 12, for example).  I loved watching teams drive across a river under the guidance of a local in the Middle East (season/country escaping me ATM).  I loved the interactions with cabbies in Senegal and the drunk locals in Iceland in TAR 6, and any time the language is an issue (typically in Asian countries) can get fun.  Forcing teams to get help from those around them is a wonderful way to showcase the world, and isn't that the essence of the show?  As Phil says, "the world is waiting for you."  It isn't if you don't interact with it!

Isolation from each other:  Teams no longer interact at pit stops, meaning they often don't even know who was eliminated until the next leg.  This is part of the reason their relationships don't develop (Tara/Alex TAR 2) or deepen.  Frequently in earlier seasons teams would be seen talking about how they get along with certain other teams.  That's not as common now.  There is no first night campout (hasn't been since TAR 14, and they didn't have one in 12) where teams get to know each other.   There isn't a ton of time spent on charter busses (where the Sixpack/Backpack alliance was formed in TAR 10 and where Eric/Danielle got to know one another on TAR 9, for example).  They're too busy doing a task, hopping in a taxi, and doing another task.

Shorter legs/seasons:  While I understand the need to shorten the whole process and cut the budget, having legs that are just a few hours of taxi, task, taxi, task, taxi, pit stop is not exciting when that's all there is.  Short legs are fine, but it seems lately there's an endless supply of them.  I also don't mind the occasional two legs in one place, but season 15 did it THREE times, each time with minimal drama or changing of position.  Legs with lengthy travel are great fun (overnight trains/ferries/whatever).  An easy way to save money is to have tasks that require fewer people/materials and to do more in lesser traveled places (also reduces spoiler risk if that's a goal).  Being more creative with locations/tasks is a better way to save time/money than a middle of the night leg in Prague.

Casting: I don't mind the beauty queen thing if they're actually competitive (D/K TAR 10), but I do mind stunt casting of gimmicks or based solely on looks.  Give me people who want to be there badly--very, very badly.  Linda/Karen or Teri/Ian were wonderful because they were competitive, while Jordan/Jeff or Maria/Tiffany, while somewhat competitive, didn't have the intensity that the more "ordinary" teams had.  In general there seems to be less intensity--maybe because of the intense handholding?  The less gimmicky and more ordinary, the better!  A gimmick is only fine if that's just an aspect of one's personality.

Tasks:  These aren't too bad other than being a bit too easy at times and not making a difference in standing.  Real challenges that truly frustrate competitors or scare them are awesome.  I loved watching BJ/Tyler, who had cruised through TAR 9, struggle on a roadblock and be humbled into last place. 

georgiapeach:
:welcome: to RFF Thames Pirate!!

I agree whole heartedly.

And with the earlier posters who bemoaned the lack of ESM (Eating, sleeping, mingling)...that is what I miss most. This artificial keeping the teams apart to ramp up the drama is having the reverse effect for me...less team interaction means less drama for me, not more.

Navigation

[0] Message Index

[#] Next page

[*] Previous page