Ring My Bell
Monday, November 02, 2009 at 10:28am by freakgirl
A…sand buggy? Oooooohkay.
Oof, this episode of The Amazing Race was quite frustrating for two particular teams.
Ericka couldn’t count bells in a bell tower correctly, and she and Brian fell so far behind, I was sure they would lose. Then the poker girls completely flubbed the Detour, going back and forth between the two options so many times, I lost count. I wonder why they didn’t just skip the bell and go right to the Pit Stop and take a penalty. Would they have beaten Ericka and Brian? We’ll never know. Also, many people are thinking this was to be a non-elimination leg. Did they screw themselves by quitting? We’ll never know that, either, I suppose.
I see a lot of people complaining on other boards that the bell task was unfair to women because you needed so much strength to do it. I don’t buy that. First up, I’m sure that task was tested by the production team — including women. Secondly, perhaps I’m wrong, but isn’t that sort of thing all about leverage and not strength? If they had changed their technique and maybe held the hammer way closer to the end of the handle, they would have gotten a lot more power.
Ah, well. Those girls weren’t my favorite, but I’ve never seen two friends more supportive of each other.
It was a fun episode, what with making them dress up in wooden shoes and women’s clothes and farmer underpants and dancing and salted herring. Good times, Amazing Race! Never change.
Order of Finish
- Sam & Dan
- Meghan & Cheyne
- Flight Time & Big Easy
- Gary & Matt
- Brian & Ericka
- Maria & Tiffany (QUIT)
At this point, I’d love to see either Flight Time & Big Easy or Gary & Matt win. I’m truly enjoying watching them enjoy themselves.
1. nora said ( Monday, November 02, 2009 at 12:00 pm )
I think that Maria and Tiffany hugging sadly and the cameraman circling around them was beyond hilarious. I think it was because of the outfits, partially. I love when TAR creates these situations that are so artificial that it’s hard to take any of it seriously. Oh, look! Two women who have a periodically seemingly-lesbionic relationship, dressed like dutch girls, hugging silently because they can’t hit a strongman bell! King hilarious!
2. Soosan said ( Monday, November 02, 2009 at 3:20 pm )
This episode made me feel very anxious! I wonder why the dancing detour had so many steps…it seemed very random. I’m looking forward to the hay bale road block again.
3. Jack said ( Monday, November 02, 2009 at 9:38 pm )
I’m looking forward to the hay bales too. Even though last time it trashed a team I liked.
It was tougher for the women to ring the bell, but not impossible. Hold the mallet at the end of the handle and take a big swing – let the mallet do the work for you. When you choke up on the mallet, you don’t get nearly as much power, although you get more control. Same thing with a golf club, a tennis racket, etc. Sorry… went into physics-geek mode. But it was killing me to see one of the pokers grab the handle midway and take a half swing – AUGH! That’s not going to work!!
Anyway, I probably wouldn’t have cared so much but I was ready for Ericka to go home. I’ve noticed, at least the last couple of weeks, she seems to harp on her husband. A LOT.
4. freakgirl said ( Monday, November 02, 2009 at 11:40 pm )
I am NOT looking forward to the hay bales! I hate those tasks — they are just a crapshoot and require no skill, just luck. That poor girl unrolled bales for EIGHT HOURS last time; it was one of the worst things I’ve ever seen.
They might as well just have everyone draw straws for who ends up going home.
Maybe they will make the leg non-elim and the task will just serve to further demoralize those that seem to be falling apart at the seams, ERICKA.
5. kyle said ( Tuesday, November 03, 2009 at 1:00 pm )
Agreeing with Freakgirl – not a fan of the hay bale tasks (and the rest of their ilk).
Tiffany (I think) seemed to have the right idea with themallet, but if she had choked back just a bit more she may have actually rung the bell. The other girl was not getting close at all. It might have been beneficial to have someone nearby who showed them how it was done – they obviously thought it was simple enough, but maybe if they’d seen one of the dancers do it, they’d be able to have picked up on the technique. I know they do that for some of the more challenging tasks, and I think it would have come in handy here.
I definitely didn’t think they’d be the team going home.
6. Susie said ( Tuesday, November 03, 2009 at 1:23 pm )
This is my first season of TAR. What exactly is the hay bale thing?
7. freakgirl said ( Tuesday, November 03, 2009 at 1:30 pm )
There was a challenge a few seasons ago, a Roadblock, where they had to unroll bales of hay until they found a clue. Like “needle in a haystack.” Some people got it right away. Some didn’t. One girl ended up unrolling hay bales for literally eight hours, crying and crying, her hands cut open from the hay, until Phil showed up and mercifully eliminated her and her teammate. It was AWFUL.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i8ZS6ZPM0Nk
8. Susie said ( Tuesday, November 03, 2009 at 5:55 pm )
That was brutal. I can only imagine Ericka during this challenge.
9. Michael said ( Tuesday, November 03, 2009 at 7:15 pm )
I kept yelling, “Swing it! Swing it!” like you’ve all said.
I’m surprised they’re not a couple.
Also, shirtless gay brothers in wet long underpants ftw! As you said, FG, good times, Amazing Race. Never change. That was some hot mild chunk.
10. Nicole said ( Friday, November 06, 2009 at 1:20 pm )
Thanks for posting the You Tube video. I just started watching last season. That looks horrible! I hate the by luck challenges. I’m cheering for Matt and Gary right now, they look like they are having a blast out there.
11. Marjon said ( Friday, November 27, 2009 at 12:16 pm )
I just read somewhere that apparently my hometown was in this episode…