Shark Siting

Why is it every time I find a TV show I actually like, the Market Forces of Darkness immediately attempt to drag it into mass mediocrity?

I love The Amazing Race. Of all the reality shows, this one is the most "real."

You put together foreign travel (stressful - try it), a very competitive race, lack of sleep, relationships dynamics, and having to be "on" 7x24. The combination of factors produce a stress level that no Miss America smile, no public facade, no carefully crafted public image to garner that 15-minutes of fame can survive.

People's true natures reveal themselves. The good, the bad, and the less than photogenic emerge. The Truth Shall Prevail.

Sure it has contrived situations. Certainly it is edited for maximum effect. This is TV. It is about ratings after all.

And the ratings for this show have never been better. But in this very same article, I spot a shark in the water, and I'm scared.

Whether accurate or not, CBS appears to clearly attribute the new season's ratings success to Romber [Rob and Amber, winners of last season's Survivor for those of you who don't track the show - Ed.], releasing a ratings press release headlined with "The Rob-Father Delivers!!!" As a result, CBS may well be exploring the possibility of stunt casting more "ex-survivors" in future editions of the show...

Looks like Bertram is about to buy Phil a leather jacket and water skis and send him for a jump. Don't do it, Phil! Don't let the Dark Side seduce you!