Review: The Amazing Race 9-Brazil

I'm not sure if I actually want to review every Amazing Race episode, since those are done in the hundreds all over the internet, so we'll see. At least this new season seems a lot better than last season's incredibly boring family edition. I mean really, I could put together a better itinerary for the continental U.S. than that! World's biggest office chair? A gas station?? Trailer park??? Come on now.

Today, I want to comment on the racer pairs. There are eleven teams as usual, and I was pleasantly surprised to see that they have some more ordinary people racing this time. I'm sure all of them have some kind of hook, and most of them fit in the stereotypes of past seasons, as well as some new ones thrown in. They have a Nerd Team this time! Whee!

I'll go in the order they are in on the TAR site.

LAKE & MICHELLE- Alpha Male and Bitchy Doormat

Well, this team got my hackles up as these teams always do in every season. I know TAR does it on purpose to leave the door open for us to root against the 'evil teams', but it still bugs the heck out of me because these couples really believe in their lifestyles or if not, are happy to portray themselves that way. Do the producers really believe that we can be fooled every single season?? Lake is so silly in saying that he has a "high level of confidence". Well if he did, he would go and look for a woman who was his equal, and be happy to tell people that she is, instead of presenting her as his "support" and a typical "southern woman". Michelle, I'll like to introduce you to Miz Scarlett O'Hara and Melanie Wilkes. They have a thing or two to teach you about being a proper southern lady.


DANIELLE & DANI- The Supposedly Pretty, but Actually Overdone Girly-Girlies

I won't be using the word Bimboes to define them, even though they wear hootchie exercise outfits, and I certainly will not use 'Hoes' to describe them as the revolting Eric and Jeremy did. Their worst crime so far was to look almost exactly alike. Their best trait? To go EWWWWW!! when Eric and Jeremy tried hitting on them off camera.


BJ & TYLER- The Hippies

They seem like a fun pair, they've traveled, and they know many languages, which is a plus. I don't see them fighting tooth and nail on this race, so I don't mind putting them in the 'To Root For' pile.


RAY & YOLANDA- The Minority Couple

They don't seem bad at all, but...they have been in a long-distance relationship for five years, and they picked TAR, of all things, to be in eachother's company for the first long period of time! Ouch! TAR is already a grueling race for married people. This may not be good for them at all, but maybe they'll overcome it. I feel bad for Yolanda though...she got slimed by all these men commenting about her body and looks at the 'Motor Head' detour. Ew. Both of them must have been boiling over that, but couldn't afford to drop the task to do some yelling.


JOHN & SCOTT- The Gay Couple

They're also Ordinary Joes, why is it that the producers don't mind bringing Ordinary Joes onto the show, but never Ordinary Janes? What, will ugly or normal looking women shatter the TV screen of millions of viewers just by being on? Anyway I resonate a bit with them, because John is tired of his boring life passing him by and wanted to do something fun. He's also a scaredy-cat. A lot of people, including myself, are like that. I'll like to see him overcome his fears. Too bad they were eliminated in the first episode.
EDIT: I found out that this couple weren't actually gay...one was, the other wasn't, which was a neat twist on the "gay couple" sterotype. It's not every day you find a straight man brave enough to be BFF with a gay man even today, and these men look about thirty years old, so kudos to them for shattering sterotypes about straight and gay men.


DAVID & LORI- The Nerd Couple

Aww, this couple is so cute! Both of them are ordinary, and Lori is pretty in a normal sort of the way. The two of them are proud of being nerds, and why do I get the feeling they'll flash spock signs eventually? Heh. They also are utterly in love with each other, and I hope it lasts throughout the race. They're a sweet couple.


ERIC & JEREMY- The Lazy Airheads

This is a new category...that of Man-Airheads, a category that is typically a female domain as according to TV and popular culture. I dislike this team the most because they have three brain cells each; one for getting girls, one for getting money without working, and the last to run everything else. yet they still win the damn leg, as well as 10,000 dollars. I hope karma bites them hard in the asses. I already know they don't deserve to win a million dollars at all, and I hope it is snatched right out of their hands in an supremely ironic way.


FRAN & BARRY- The Old Couple

I almost always like the old couples. They've been around long enough to cut the BS most of the time, and are often very intelligent to compensate for physical weaknesses. We'll see how far this couple gets though.


LISA & JONI- The Glamazons

A category that is not utilized often. They're ordinary older women who want to redefine themselves. Call it the female mid-life crisis, they're tired of being defined as mothers and wives, so they go out and rediscover themselves. I don't mind this couple yet. They may get screechy as the Race goes on, though.  But the name they have coined for themselves? I keep thinking of these superheroes that launches a sneak attack on a thousand henchmen setting up the death ray by flinging  themselves off a cliff on hang gliders, rappelling up the side of the Impregnable Fortress, and only pausing in mid-air to exclaim, "Daaaamn, I broke a nail! Those bastards are gonna PAY!"


JOSEPH & MONICA-The Barbie and Ken Couple

I don't know very much about them yet to really comment on them. They'll be likely to be one of the last four couples, sigh.


WANDA & DESIREE- SIngle Mom and Daughter

I also don't know very much about this couple, but they seem nice enough, and I do hope they can get through the Race without losing it and screaming at each other.


Honorable Mention: The Greeter at the Pit Stop. He really likes playing tricks with that soccer ball, and it was fun to watch him in the snippets that had him in there.