AAAA Is for Awesome
MONDAY, AUGUST 16, 2004 11:29 PM
So right now, I am loving The Amazing Race 5, The Assistant, and Amish in the City. All different kinds of love, of course.

I think The Amazing Race is still the best reality contest show out there. I don't miss the Fast Forwards as much as I thought I would, and I'm glad no one seems to want to use that weird thing that allows you to punish people by sending someone to the back of the pack. The teams are crazy, and I almost feel that TWOP brought back the "God is in the Tub" NoN tee last month specifically for this show given that Brandon and Mirna call on him far too much. Colin and Christie are, well, really just Colin is, too intense and I don't feel bad they got screwed by the equalizer last week (though they stayed in first so it's clearly not too bad for them) but they wasted the fast forward because they had to know they could never sit on a 12 hour lead. Also, this game always has an equalizer, always. First season, and they get a 12 hour lead, maybe I feel bad, but that's predictable by now.

The Assistant is delightful arbitrariness. Schadenfreude at its best. Even if Andy Dick’s now supposedly dating a contestant. The shameless cribbing of other reality shows, the useless underlings who never help make the decision, and the fact that the contestants all think he’s insane and an asshole, but they all still want it. Except they clearly don’t know what “it” is beyond exposure on TV. Landing a PA job isn’t easy, but it’s not exactly glamorous. It can open the door to a lot of opportunities and isn’t something to be turned down lightly, but it’s not instant (or possibly ever) fame and fortune either.

And Amish in the City, which isn’t nearly as bad as it could be and is much better than I feared it would be. I think it’s great that the biggest conflict is cleanliness. The “city” kids don’t really knock the Amish religion, the Amish kids don’t proselytize. I like Mose in his utter geekiness, the way the Amish kids have mastered slang, the sweetness of first experiences. It’s not reality, though it seems that the traditional rumspringa’s a bit loaded with choice being not just the world versus your religion, but the world versus being accepted by your family. I’m pretty put off by raging vegan Ariel with her refusing to buy meat for people at the grocery store, the story about cows coming from outer space, and eggs being labeled aborted chicken fetuses. Nice. I’m not digging the creep of competition "tasks" that seem to have been just as sprung on the kids as the audience. But it’s still entertaining and allows for some surprisingly heartwarming moments. I don’t know that I can bet all of them will go back to being Amish, because most have found at least one thing about the non-Amish world that piqued their interest. Though Randy’s still a big enigma and Mose seems best able to see it as an experience to log alongside his firm faith.

Finally, is it weird that I’m a little bummed that Ad Report Card is going on vacation for a few weeks? He’s so great, especially today with his Skippy’s new ad is for stoners or his last deconstruction of the Citibank ad that basically thanks you for letting them walk all over you.

Not so awesome: doesn’t The Apprentice’s Ereka’s upcoming stint as the sidekick of The Tony Danza Show (scroll to bottom) seem like a train wreck waiting to happen?

comments? e-mail me.