Amazing Race

I hate reality TV. I just needed to get that out of the way. To me there really isn't that much 'real' about the devised situations that TV execs have put together and labeled as "reality TV". To me its actually mislabeled and should really be called 'People doing crazy stuff and making fools of themselves to get on TV' television. I'm not a fan of Survivor, the Real World, Trading Spouses, Fear Factor none of those shows.

However I do make an exception for the Amazing Race. Yep, so much for dissing all reality TV. Here I was taking a strong stance against this genre and now I admit that I watch one of the shows. That's like saying I'm anti-drug, despise the heroine, ganja, cocaine but I' really cant get enough of this crack thing.

Anyway despite the obvious fact that I'm crazy I still dislike all reality TV ...except the Amazing Race. What can I say it is the enigma that is me. I got hooked on it last summer when there was nothing else on TV and I came back this summer for another season.

I think what appeals to me so much is the fact that they travel from country to country and see all of these amazing places. It would probably be better if we could do without the American attitude of entitlement but then again it probably adds to the entertainment value of the show.

Anyway last year it was really funny watching contestants complain that the South Koreans didn't understand English or watching them travel on the crowded buses in one of the cities in India. Priceless. This year they have gone to South America, Russia, Africa and the Middle East (more on the Middle East later) .

It was actually rather annoying watching them in Africa. These guys had no respect for the locals , well except for the black team of course. Last week in Kenya two teams got basically robbed because their bus ride cost $100 dollars while the other teams paid about 5 bucks. This was hilarious but what was annoying was watching them throw money at the bus driver like he was a beggar and not someone providing them with a valuable service. They agreed to pay the 100 dollars when they got on the bus and told him to take them wherever they were going, if they disagreed with this cost they should have gotten off. I tell ya even in his own country a brother cant get no love.

This week in Tanzania another team entered a taxi and agreed to pay 100 US to the airport. Actually all the teams agreed to do the same thing but this one team got upset because the taxi broke down and on arrival at their destination they refused to pay instead telling the taxi driver he had to take $50 or nothing. The arrogance of these guys eh! (thought I'd throw in some Canadian flavor). So the taxi driver brought the cops to whom the team was equally disrespectful until they became afraid that they were going to miss their plane out of town or be taken to jail. The ugly American mentality rears its head I guess. (I live in Canada I'm allowed to American bash occasionally) Personally I was hoping the cameras would cut out and the locals would give them a good cut ass. That would have just made my day.

Anyway they flew from Tanzania to Dubai. yeahhh! What's the big deal about Dubai? Well I spent 6 months working there a few years back and it was kind of cool watching these guys run around streets that I knew although they ended up in the middle of the desert doing desert entertainment stuff which I never did when I as there. But it was cool when they were actually in the city. They got ripped off on the water taxi (abra). They each paid about 10 US to use the water taxi to cross the river from the Dubai side to Deria when in truth I've been across for about 2 dirhams (about 40 cents Canadian). Of course they missed the authentic, packed to the gills , I swear this thing is going to sink experience that is truly a ride on the Abra but it still brought back some nice memories for me.