CBS' "The Amazing Race": ugly Americans vs. abusive Americans

Last night's episode of "The Amazing Race" was both moving and embarrassing, as well as satisfying. 

First, the moving: the teams had to make their way through a slave trading tunnel in Senegal, Africa, and pay their respects to Africans who were enslaved.  When Gus, an African-American CIA employee, felt overwhelmed by what he saw (later describing it as seeing himself there), it was a serious, solemn moment.

Second, the embarrassing: it seems as if "TAR" can't get away from casting some "ugly Americans" in a race that you know will take you across the world, including to Third World nations.  Yes, they are poor, the conditions are not as sanitary as what Americans are used to, but one need not harp on these things.  A few seasons ago, we had Chip's "why don't you speak English" comment to a cab driver . . . in South Korea.  This time, we have model Kendra opining about the people of Senegal: "they're in poverty and they keep breeding."  There were other choice comments but that one, with the contempt in her voice that I can't quite duplicate here, says it all.

Third, the satisfying: as ugly as Kendra's attitude is, there's someone in the race far worse than she is.  That would be abusive Jonathan.  The weird thing is, Jonathan was actually quite a decent American in Senegal, handing out candy to the kids and laughing and smiling with them.  Too bad he doesn't treat his wife Victoria with anywhere near the same decency.  He's constantly screaming at her, berating her, pushing her; he even raised his hand as if to smack her in an earlier episode.  This time, they were in first place heading to the pit stop that ends the leg.  However, Freddy and Kendra were right with them.  Jonathan decided to drop his pack of gear on the street to be able to run faster.  Victoria thought that was a bad idea, that the pack would be stolen, and she begged him to come back and pick up his stuff.  He wouldn't, so she picked up both packs.  That let Freddy and Kendra catch up to her, and Freddy, in a pretty shrewd move, took Kendra's stuff and told her to beat Victoria.  (Both team members have to make it to the pit stop, so even if Jonathan got there first, as long as Freddy and Kendra beat Victoria, they would finish first.)  Finally, Jonathan came back, screamed at Victoria, and gave a hard shove that almost knocked her over.

Freddy and Kendra finished first, winning a cruise.  Jonathan and Victoria finished second, which apart from not getting the cruise, is not a big deal.  But when they checked in, Jonathan kept berating Victoria, to the point where she walked away.  Host Phil Keoghan looked visibly distressed, quite a feat considering he usually maintains a poker face.  Finally, he told Jonathan, "I think you should talk to Victoria."  Which Jonathan did, only his idea of "talking" to her was probably not what Phil had in mind. . . .

I can't really root for Kendra, because she just seems like a self-absorbed spoiled princess.  But I can take great satisfaction in the fact that her team beat Jonathan!

Comments

[g]

Yeah I was also rooting for Kendra and Fred to beat Jonathan and Victoria, even with her comments. I think Jonathan must be the most loathsome racer ever. Colin was pretty bad last year, but he wasn't nearly as bad as Jonathan, and at least he was an awesome racer.