EPISODE 5 - My Thoughts

There was really ugly stuff but there was also really great stuff in this episode. I'm just going to get the ugly stuff out of the way, and then go on with the rest.

Ugly: The First
This goes to Rebecca, for her "I can see why so many people escaped" line. Which, personally, I didn't see as all that ugly because it just didn't make sense. I'm going to give her the benefit of the doubt and maybe she was referring to refugees after the civil wars or something. So, there's that.

Ugly: The Second
This goes to Kendra. She was so absolutley ugly that even though I said I'd give points when people complain, I took 15 from her for her various comments, culminating in the "they just keep breeding and breeding". There are so many things wrong with that I'm not going to get into it. If you want to read the discussion on this, the Freddy and Kendra thread on Television Without Pity is where you want to go.

Ugly: The Third
Jonathan. Just in and of himself. I rewatched the episode last night, and I do want to point out that he did not hit Victoria--he shoved her backpack, which is heavy, which is what caused her to stumble as the weight shifted. This is not in any way to excuse his behavior towards her. I have been going back and forth in my mind since watching it thinking about why the editors even put that shot on the show--each team has a camera crew which is with them all the time, so they literally had hundreds of hours of footage from this leg of the race that was whittled down to about 43. I'm not it would have been better to not show it, you know? This guy is just ugly and it's better we have a full picture of him. I dunno. I've been trying to think up an appropriate punishment for him in terms of the blog and the pool, but there's not much I can do without punishing Victoria. And then I thought, "hmm. He's nothing but an attention-wanter". So, no longer will I type his name. He will now be referred to as Voldemort. And even if Voldemort does do something funny? I won't talk about it. So there.

Okay. Ugly done. Now let's have some fun.

First off, Lori, what was with that outfit you were wearing when you left Senegal? It was hideous, and about two sizes too small. I know when I travel, I prefer something a bit more comfortable.

While I'm sure some people are yelling, "Cheese!" at the music and such and the time spent with the roses at the Gate of No Return, I appreciated the fact that they did it. Back in Season Two the teams had to actually go into the cell where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned to get their clue, and there was a lot of flack because only one of the teams actually took a moment and was like "Wow, look at where we are right now". In an effort to make up for that, I like that they took the time to make the racers, really appreciated where they were. And Gus's breakdown? The first of six reasons why I think this leg was a pivotal one in a) this team doing better in the race on a whole and b) me actually starting to root for them.

I had no problem with Don and Mary Jean simply asking the other teams for money. Yep, here's a couple, an affluent one that owns a vineyard, in Senegal with absolutley no money. I think it is a testament to the impact that the surroundings had on the other team that they all gave them money, too. And, I'll say it again, this season's racers didn't see last season (or most of it), so they had no basis for what to do with the "we're giving you no money, figure it out" rule.

Here's a question for all of you (although I'm probably the only one who lays awake at night thinking about these things): The teams caught the 9.30 AM ferry back to Dakar (and from the looks at the map, I don't think that would have taken any more than fifteen - thirty minutes). The flight that they all were on didn't leave until 7.15 PM. Why didn't anyone look for a better flight? Were there none to be had? I find it hard to believe that there's only one flight to Europe from Dakar a day. In fact, I know there's not. I miss my airport drama, although the little exchange with Hayden and Bolo re: Steroids was pretty funny, especially when they totally cracked up over it right afterwards. This is a strenuous race. People say stupid things, they get stressed out, so I didn't think that was all too bad.

Und jetzt, fliegen wir nach Berlin!

My favorite Boloism of the episode: Bolo trying to pantomime the Berlin wall to someone from Berlin who speaks perfect English in the train station. I'm giggling just thinking about it again.

Off to the Berling wall. Being a German speaker, and the daughter of my mother who lived in Germany for a while, and a huge WWII era history buff, I really loved the fact that Gus made the connection between the Wall and Dakar / Slavery as illustrations of the horrible things that people do to each other. I think sometimes that we, as first world westerners, tend to forget / ignore / overlook the atrocities (IRA, Holocaust, fascist Italy, etc.) that happen to countries that are similar to us (and by that I mean overall affluent, European descent, western) in an effort to distance ourselves from the horribleness of the world sometimes (African civil wars, Palestine/Israel, Tibet/China conflicts, etc.), and it takes a really humble person to be able to look around, make the connections, and say, "Wow. We all suck." Because, really, the only way to make sure that those things of the past don't happen again is to never forget. And that's the end of the lecture from this holocaust studier - comparative folklorist - postcolonial scholar. I promise that I will not be this serious again.

Oh, Hera, watching Adam and Rebecca and Freddy and Rebecca overshooting and then having to go back to the clue: "That is a perfect example of why running too fast can be bad". Love it. Just, totally, love it.

Which brings us to the detour. Gus, it sounded a lot like you said "Beer or Breasts"?! Maybe you didn't, but if you had gone to St. Pauli Girl, you probably would have gotten both!

Freddy, you don't know what a stein is? Seriously. You're a model that's traveled all over the world. Here are some for you to look at!

I loved the beer detour. Should be no surprise to anyone. Tomorrow I will try to upload some pictures of this great beer festival I stumbled upon when I was in Innsbruck. We were in the main square in Innsbruck and I saw these people in total traditional Austrian dress walking towards the bridge and I was like, "I think I want to be where they're going". So I followed them, and there was a half-mile stretch that was blocked off with long tables and beer taps all over the place, and a floor where people were polkaing! I asked what was going on, and they said "It's the St. [insert random Austrian sounding name] festival!" I answered that I was Catholic, and I didn't know what that day meant. "Well," they answered, "today is the day that in 1645 St. [insert random Austrian sounding name] stood on that hill over there and shot a gun. So, we drink and have fun."

I love German speaking countries. But seeing the accordian lady at the Brauhaus? Totally brought me back to that.

Aaron, we already know you used to live in Chicago. Stop saying "beers" like you're an SNL wannabe.

Hera, awesome for asking if people had seen the "black people" on the coasters. I laughed.

And Gus, one more time, you wanting to stop and have one or five? You rule. Plain and simple. That was great.

Rebecca, it would have been a little hard to squeeze Wienerschnitzel out of a tube.

I could make a lot of tasteless jokes about that detour option, but I won't. Besides, Bolo would have been able to tell us just how tasteless it was! I still can't believe he ate it!

A couple more random comments:

1. Seeing the human statue on a smoke break? Priceless. This is how I'm used to seeing them.
2. Phil, what was up with that shirt you were wearing? Did you borrow it from Jeff Probst?
3. What does Victoria's hat means? 1.618? Well, I googled it and found an answer. Too bad she's with Voldemort, because, besides from that whole "I'm a Playboy Bunny" thing, she could be kinda cool.

That's it for today!