(no subject)

[apocalypsos]

So I was bored on the bus and I started thinking about last night's episode.

Okay, here's why I have such a huge problem with Ron making so many references to every city looking like "bombing downtown Baghdad." It's not like I don't understand that Ron is probably the kind of guy who's only been two places in his entire life, his hometown and Iraq, and it is the biggest thing in his entire life. But when he says it about cities like Lima and Johannesburg and Lucknow, it's almost like he's insulting them, at the same time that he's lessening the impact of what bombing downtown Baghdad entails. His attitude of "Wow, all of these cities looked like bombed-out war zones!" just grates me the wrong way, because my GOD, man, it's harsh to compare any place to one of the worst war zones on the planet right now. And the fact that he's done it all three times with a smile on his face is actually a little creepy.

And onto Meredith and Gretchen, but mostly Gretchen. I'm starting to think that while her attitude hasn't been all that peppy of late, it's her voice that's making her sound like more of a whiner than she actually is. There are some things that she said last night that in content sounded like just so tired and put-upon in a really sad way, but come out as whiny because of her voice. I think that's why I seem to have come out of last night with a better opinion of her than most of the other fans I've seen. I've just gotten used to tuning out her voice. Also, I wish people would stop critiquing the fact that they're not running all over the place. I mean, yes, "RACE," but at the same time, this team hasn't gotten as far as it has by running all over the place. It's gotten there by going slow and steady and trying not to screw up. They're not speedy, they're tough.

Oh, and I realized this morning why I stay away from the TWoP forums most of the time. I checked it out this morning, and there were more than a few people saying Rob's crack about building Amber a bigger, better temple than the one they went to was arrogant. I'm sorry, what? It was a sweet, flirting thing. I was glad to see a bunch of guy posters defend him by saying they've said stuff like that to their girlfriends, because seriously, I've had guys say things like that to me.

I also figured out that the only real reason that I'm annoyed by Rob and Amber's presence isn't that they've already won a million dollars (bully for them) or because they've already been on a reality show (hell, I want to do both, too, just because both shows look like they'd be great fun, so I can't fault them any), but because to recruit them for the show, the producers had to have cut out another team who tried out to be there. That bit about them rubs me the wrong way. But the rest I can handle, and they are entertaining the hell out of me. :)

Comments

[valerie]

I also figured out that the only real reason that I'm annoyed by Rob and Amber's presence isn't that they've already won a million dollars (bully for them) or because they've already been on a reality show (hell, I want to do both, too, just because both shows look like they'd be great fun, so I can't fault them any), but because to recruit them for the show, the producers had to have cut out another team who tried out to be there.

I've also heard that a lot of the teams recently have had casting agents that have ties to the TAR powers that be. Which, if it's true, is unsettling.

[apocalypsos.livejournal.com]

See, this is why I'm so annoyed about that rumor of Rupert and his wife coming on for Season Nine. Damn it, I want to try out for that season just as soon as I can find a bloody partner and the chances of people like me get cut if they do that. *seethes*

[valerie]

See, now I've heard that Rupert was rumored to be going on season 8. But either way, if he's on a season, I won't be watching it.

I'd love to try out for a season too, but I think the whole thing of never having been on a plane ever and not having passports yet would be a bit of a hindrance :)

[apocalypsos.livejournal.com]

Planes aren't so bad ... well, in my case, they're not so bad with a heavy dose of Dramamine and a nap. The Dramamine is for the motion sickness, the nap is for the abject plane fear. As for the lack of a passport, I'm working on that one. I'm not sure how long it'll take, but I'm sure I'll have one by the time the Season Nine tryouts come. :)

[freedomfry.livejournal.com]

I completely agree with your assessment of Ron. It's a rather common reaction, at least in the diplomatic corps, to compare the new country to the old, normally making the old one sound better than it actually was ("but we didn't have to drive our own car in Cairo," (Dude, you live in Paris now) etc., etc., etc.). It's a reflex to make yourself feel comfortable in a foreign environment.

But yeah, no way that Lima looks like a bombed-out warzone.

I was talking with the husband, thinking about how I would be absolutely fine with most of the challenges they've had this season, but I would've freaked about getting onto an itty bitty Cesna in Africa.

And I thought Rob's comment was sweet.

[beccak1961.livejournal.com]

I also figured out that the only real reason that I'm annoyed by Rob and Amber's presence isn't that they've already won a million dollars

The only thing Rob has really said that bugged me is, "The other teams are jealous because we've already won a million." (paraphrase) but They didn't, Amber did. I think he'd still have proposed, but he didn't win anything.
I think you're right about Gretchen's voice. What sounds just tired and frustrated when others say it sounds like whiiiiinnne when she says it.
As I told a friend of mine when he said he hated Rob...it's trendy to hate Rob. I like him and Amber. They work well together, run a smart race, recover quickly, and deserve to be where they are.

[denial-girl.livejournal.com]

What gets me about Ron's constant references to Baghdad is that they are about some of the most mundane things. Has he never seen a run-down part of town, crowded streets, or even lightning anywhere else in world before except Iraq? I can understand that the war would have a huge impact on him but it's like that's the only experience he's ever had.

I think Gretchen's always had a nails-on-the-chalkboard voice, though she's made up for it of late with her good attitude. However, I think she's come down with a bad case of killer fatigue. I mean, she was just wandering in that Steel Depot like she had no idea what to do.

The posters on TWoP either love Rob or hate Rob, very little in between. I tend to skip over all the posts about Rob and Amber in the forums because I'm so over them.

Ugh, Rupert. But I really don't think he'd do that well.