The Amazing Race > The Amazing Race Discussion
Mactors/Recruited Teams
redskevin88:
--- Quote from: apskip on July 11, 2010, 10:47:02 PM ---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
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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:
--- Quote from: Competitor on July 11, 2010, 06:56:35 AM ---
--- Quote from: Coutzy on July 11, 2010, 02:06:07 AM ---
--- Quote from: redskooky on July 11, 2010, 01:52:03 AM ---
--- Quote from: Coutzy on July 11, 2010, 01:47:29 AM ---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.
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I've only seen, the most S10-S16, and ARA2-3, parts of ARA1, you'll have to enlighten me on the early seasons...
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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)
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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.
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:lol3:
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:
--- Quote from: redskooky on July 11, 2010, 01:02:57 AM ---Maria & Tiffany, Mika & Canaan and Aubrey & Jac comes to mine about who I DON'T WANT to see again.
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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.
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