Amazing Race 16

Michael,

I noticed from the listings that Amazing Race 16 would be starting this Sunday, and I'm really looking forward to it!

From what I could see on a recent promo clip, one location they'll be stopping is Locarno, Switzerland. I was there for a return visit last June, and I noticed the Sanctuario Madonna del Sasso Monastery in the clip.

I'm excited that is starts tomorrow. I saw this mentioned on tv about she is a contestant on the show, it will be interesting to see how she acts on the show. I think that my nephew and I might try out the next time for the show. He wanted to try out this time (they are now in the process of getting a cast together for the next show) but they only gave you two weeks to get your application and tape in and you have to show proof you have a passport...which he doesn't. So he is in the process of getting his passport so we can try the next time. Hey, they never had an aunt/nephew team...doesn't hurt to try.

GO ROBIN!!!!!!!

They actually start filming in March, so the next season is already set. If you watch the CBS website while this current season is on, you'll see the announcement soliciting applicants for the next season. Casting for the one starting in March actually began some time back.

"geographically challenged"

No,, its not just that,, she is an utter moron. She could not form a single complete sentence,, but babbled almost insanely.

Can't wait to see her on Amazing Race.

Hi Nancy, they had the casting call in late January and your app and tape had to be in by February 2nd, only had two weeks to get everything together. Will do the next casting call. They will be filming this summer.

I've wondered about a few aspects of the show since I saw the first episode. For example:

How long does it actually take to complete all episodes?

Don't the contestants have jobs?

Who pays all the travel expenses (airlines, hotels, transportation, etc.)?

I don't think I'd be a good candidate, as I'm not that competitive (although for $1M, I might think about it).

This show always makes me embarrassed to be an American. The people on it seem universally cringeworthy. Looks like they're carrying on their tradition.

For US Americans.

How long does it actually take to complete all episodes?

About 30 days.

Don't the contestants have jobs?

A lot of the contestants are struggling actors/models and college students so they have a lot of time on their hands.

Who pays all the travel expenses (airlines, hotels, transportation, etc.)?

The contestants don't have to pay for any airfare; they are given a special credit card to cover it. At the start of each leg, contests are given a different amount of cash to cover all other expenses. Supposedly that includes lodging, but for the past few season I suspect the producers have been paying for that as well. Unfortunately with every season the show seems to be more staged, and less spontaneous.....at least for a "reality" show;)

Ken,

Contestants have to be available for a month. If you notice, many of them are self-employed, retired, students, or in occupations like modeling, where they have flexible schedules. The show pays all costs, but the flights out for interviews, etc., are the responsibility of the potential contestant until they reach the final cut. (At one point you have to be available for up to two weeks for interviews in California before you are selected.)

Thank you all for the answers!

I'm surprised it only takes 30-days. It seems much longer. With such a short time frame and so many stops, I imagine there's more than a bit of "pressure".

I enjoy watching it, but I'm not sure I'd be too successful as a contestant. I prefer more structured and well planned travels, rather than something that spontaneous. I'd probably be the one eliminated at the end of the first episode.

Obviously it's not an ideal way to travel. But who wouldn't want one of those credit cards and fly anywhere in the world, anytime you felt like it.
Perhaps one day they will have a celebrity edition, and Rick and his son Andy can be teamed up!

Ken,
I figure even if you are eliminated in the first episode you've at least gotten to go somewhere and do something you haven't done before. (Well, except for that team that got eliminated last time before they even left LA). My son and I are seriously considering it for a future season.

Nancy,

While it's true that I'd be going somewhere and doing something new, it would be kind of humiliating to be eliminated before even getting out of the starting gate.

Good luck trying out for the next series!

Miss Teen South Carolina seems to be attracting some attention, as she was mentioned in our local morning paper. Here's the text...

BEAUTY QUEEN BUNGLES AMAZING RACE DEBUT

Caite Upton is already not following directions on The Amazing Race.

The former Miss Teen South Carolina, who famously flubbed a 2007 pageant question involving maps, and her boyfriend, Brent Horne, were in the front of the pack on the CBS reality series' 16th season premiere on Sunday, but they didn't heed instructions to ride a funicular train and receive a 30-minute penalty, dropping them from second to seventh place.

"We wrote on our hands at the beginning of the race 'details,'" Horne said, holding up his ink-stained paw.
"Unfortunately, mine kind of rubbed off, so I guess that's whey we forgot," Upton joked.

I also thought I heard "Danke" but thought I must have been mistaken.

The next episodes should be interesting! Hopefully the experiences she has on The Amazing Race will broaden her horizons and provide some degree of "education", something her time in school apparently failed to achieve.

Cheers!

Other highlights for me were:

1) Watching the blonde (who somehow ended up in 1st place) authoritatively march up to the American Airlines counter to state they needed tickets to China

and

2) Seeing the rodeo guys exchange their US dollars into Brazilian currency based on the logic that since Brazil is closer to Chile than the US, they'd be able to use it there. I shudder to think how much they lost on the vig going both ways.

Watched it last night. Oh, where to begin...

Was my TV broken or did Miss Teen South Carolina actually say "danke" when one of locals (in Chile) handed her the next clue:)

Yes that was a danke...

She isn't ignorant, noooooooo. Hopefully they don't get eliminated too early otherwise the show will not be as nearly entertaining.

she said danke, i rewinded it to make sure, i could not believe it! After watching last night episode i am still amaze that people go on this race and don't seem to expect the physical challenges at all.

For a hilarious recap of the episode head here:

http://nymag.com/daily/entertainment/2010/02/amazing_race_recap_meet_teams.html

and here:

http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20344183,00.html

Those are great reviews Michael, thanks for sharing!

I'm not defending the model here, but... I feel like she is getting a bad rap. Honestly, being onstage can be frightening, and she does not seem to be less intelligent than most youth. (that is not meant to be a back handed comment!)

Saying "danke" may have been a mistake, but I have heard countless times people using the wrong language in different countries, be it French in Germany, Spanish in Greece, etc. It is not necessarily a sign of stupidity. And also, we don't know that she was not speaking to a German, one of the other teams were clearly speaking to an American. Many Germans visit and live in Chile.

Now as for the cowboys using Reals and the other woman asking for a ticket to China.....

In Miss Teen SC's defense (much as I hate to offer it), I think a lot of people, at least a lot of people I know, use "danke" as a colloquial term. It doesn't imply that you are trying to converse in German, it's just a slangy habit.

But like I said, I'm not trying to assert any belief in her intelligence here. Also, did anyone else see the clip of the Big Brother couple from that show, where the girl confessed to being unable to tell time? Siiiiigh.

She's not the brightest bulb, but I actually found her to be one of the least offensive/horrifying/embarassing contestants in the first episode. I found a number of them really irritating.

I have to agree with Anna about the use of the term 'danke'. I use danke often, along with thank-you, gracias, and merci...depending on my mood. I lived in Germany for a year and a half in the 80's (hubby was in the Air Force), took French in high school, and live in Southern California...guess I'm multi-lingual. ;)

So Danke is the new Ciao? I'll have to slip it into everyday conversation and see how others react to it:)

While "Danke" could have been an honest mistake or just a phrase she uses often, based on my brief observations of Miss Teen SC there seems to be a pattern forming here. However, I'll try and reserve judgment and watch her performance on the next few episodes.

It bugs me that the producers feel they need to have "celebrities" on the show. (Globetrotters from last season, Miss Teen SC, Big Brother Couple). I can't imagine that there aren't enough "regular" folks who want to compete. I guess they think they have to spice things up... Survivor seems to be able to come up with enough interesting people who aren't already well known (although I haven't watched more than a couple of seasons of it, so maybe there were famous people on it before...)

They should have a special season just for Rick Steves fans. It would be fun to come up with the criteria for that. Test #1 - Pack your suitcase in ___ minutes, and it must weigh less than ___ pounds... etc... :)

Tina- I AGREE! I've said that someone should do a "real" reality travle contest. Give the contestants a budget, and criteria like - must use public transport__ times, must hit city A,B,C. Must use rail transport, must use budget air,_ times, etc. Then put a camera crew with them and have them share the whole process- planning, packing ( I agree- must not weigh more than X lb. must be a requirement)finding accomodations, meeting locals- that has to be a requirment, and doing the travel. The winners are the ones who meet all the requirements and come in under budget and don't break the Schengen agreement, don't offend the locals and who still want to travel together !

Toni, that is essentially what the first season of the Race was. They would be given a clue, and then have to find their way there. Over time though, it has become more refined.

I totally agree with celebs being on the show, especially winners of other contests, like the Big Brother woman this season. It offends me completely!

I felt like bumping this thread, because on the last episode, the cast traveled to Frankfurt & Hamburg, where one of their chief challenges (at least in portrayed in the episode) was to navigate the German train system. Watching a team miss an ICE made me think of this board :)

On a sidenote, I was very sad for most of the cast, some of whom were completely unappreciative of the German food and beer. How can you turn your nose up at drinking a boot of German bier for a chance to win a $1 million???

I regards to the "beer in the boot" challenge. I gotta say, I was kind of relieved a lot of the racers had trouble drinking it. A few were even brave enough to admit on network TV that they "hated beer"; I thought I was the only person on the planet that hates the stuff! But as a sauerkraut lover, I would have had no problems getting through that challenge. I just feel sorry for the camera and sound guys who had to share a cab afterward ;)

Oddly most got through the kraut quickly and enjoyed it, while the beer was the struggle. I would have though it would be the other way around.

Michael,

"I just feel sorry for the camera and sound guys who had to share a cab afterward ;)"

LOL!!

I felt sorry for the guy that had to go outside and "lose" some of his Beer while the cameras were still rolling. I believe the teams are going to be visiting Munich also, so he'll probably become quite familiar with the unique "appliance" in the men's washroom at the Hofbrauhaus.

I don't mind a Beer on occasion (especially a pint of Guinness!), but I'd also probably have trouble drinking that much in such a short period of time.

I'm really looking to the next episode, and especially the visit to Locarno (I was there again last year).

Cheers!

I would have no trouble with the sauerkraut at all. The beer would have been another story. While I did drink my share when I lived in Austria, it was mostly because I was a college student and it was cheaper than Coke. Today I don't drink beer at all.
And that was a LOT of beer to drink in a short time! When they have challenges like this, I always wonder what would happen if someone had a medical or religious reason for not drinking alcohol. I guess they could skip it and take a penalty.

I guess they could skip it and take a penalty.

In one season there was a team who decided to take the penalty instead - and then convinced another team (or even several teams, can't remember) to also skip it thus making sure that even with the penalty they were still coming out ahead. Quite competetive!