this is the thread where we talk breathlessly about the best TV show on North American television: THE AMAZING RACE!

JONATHON: How did you get those tickets??? Those were our tickets!
GUS: Little bastard.

http://www.televisionwithoutpity.com/story.cgi?show=76&story=7258&limit=&sort=

I would never have thought that I could find anything amusing connected to that whole meltdown but this really hit all of my evil buttons.

He's quite a fascinating character -- watching the recap show, I was reminded of that scene in Senegal where he was all chilled out, playing with the kids and handing out candy. How can this have been the same guy who acted so horribly at the Brandenburg Gate and countless other times? Strange.

I think it was all an act for the camera, to show that deep down he really is a good guy despite slamming car trunk doors on his wife's hands and shoving her around when things aren't going his way.

This season seems to have a lot of hatred.

*OK, not really.

Gus and Hera were dumbasses for choosing the rowing challenge.

and jonathan is still evil incarnate. what else is new. i was kinda hoping TERRORIZED AND ABUSED wife would have thrown up all over him, grinded a broken water glass into his face and then just walked away from the game. but, alas, they are still in it.

January 4, 2005 -- IT was all an act, claims the abusive, wife-shoving "Amazing Race" contestant who has angered millions with his appalling behavior on the popular reality show.
"We went in being the villains. We went in playing it over the top, and CBS kind of helped it along with their storyline," racer Jonathan Baker, 42, told "Access Hollywood."

"I've had to do a lot of apologizing to a lot of people because they actually think it's real," he said.

During a recent episode, Baker became so angry with his wife, Victoria Fuller, for hampering him during a challenge that he shoved her — hard — as she cried.

"And yeah, some of it's real," he told the TV show. "But you know at the end of the day we really wanted to play it campy, over the top, you know. But we do love each other and we are together. We're still together."

The "I was acting," excuse is just the latest of several Baker has used to explain away his abusive behavior during the show, in which he verbally assualts Fuller, a former Playboy model, and other contestants.

In an interview Baker gave before the latest season of "Amazing Race" began, Baker — knowing how likely it was that he would appear to be a jerk on the show — first blamed the editing of the series. Later, he claimed his behavior was due to stress, a rare medical condition and the prescription drugs used to treat it.

"Amazing Race" producers were so horrified by his antics that the show's chief, Bertram van Munster, even took Baker aside several times during the taping last summer and told him to "chill out."

Worse, the Web site and Baker's other attempts to explain his behavior could land the foul-tempered reality fiend in even more trouble with CBS, since he is prohibited from speaking publicly until he either wins the game or is kicked off. "

I was sad to see Gus and Hera go, but they always picked the wrong challenge. Though I'm not sure if Gus would have fared much better at water polo.

I know it's cruel, but it was hilarious how Freddy was doing really well at the soup challenge until Kendra pointed out all the vomit on the floor.

On another forum someone got all huffy that Jonathan called her a monster, saying "Oh, like he has a right to talk!" The people on that forum are FUCKING DUMBASSES.

Also, I don't know why he's so hung up on Rebecca - since he's so obviously gay.

and who oh why haven't people figured out by now that when given the choice of two tasks you should always do the first/faster one?

Still, the way Jon and Victoria went out was fitting. Their weekly shouting match caused them to lose their concentration and misread the directions. Something like that was bound to happen.

It was also nice to see that the Ethiopians (unlike the Senegalese) have passed Kendra's litmus test and are worthy of continuing to breed.