'The Amazing Race 11: All Stars' - The Teams, Part 2

As we've been anticipating, the next season of The Amazing Race is indeed an All Star version. CBS revealed the teams yesterday, so you know I have to get in my two cents on them today. And, but of course, I welcome your two cents, too. For the skinny on the first six teams I wrote about, head to this article.

Here are the rest of the teams, again in no particular order:

Often a team I loved to hate during Season 1, I'm happy to see that Team Guido, Joe and Bill, are included this season. These guys are cut-throat, albeit very entertaining to watch. Even though they only made a third place finish in their season, the other teams shouldn't take these two lightly. They're the ones who started the matching team outfits. Mary (TAR10) may have had a very different first impression of gay men had she met Team Guido instead of Tom and Terry in her season. Ruthless competitors, but true TAR history, welcome back Joe and Bill! View Joe & Bill on innertube now

Eric and Danielle come to us from Season 9 in which they were competitors, not a team at all. Eric was teamed up with his buddy Jeremy and they made it to second place. Meanwhile, Danielle was with her best friend Dani and only made it to a seventh place finish. Oh, but they're dating now and coming together as a team for All Stars. I'm a bit ambivalent about the idea of them as a team, but I think they might be fairly competitive. As long as they don't bicker and fuss at each other, I can take 'em on the show... I guess. View Eric & Danielle on innertube now

Oh, no! It's the return of the "Evil Beauty Queens" from Season 10... which we just finished watching a month ago. To their credit, I admit that they're a very strong all-female team and I was surprised they only finished in fourth place in their own season. It still bugs me that they saddled the ChoBros with their wrecked car instead of taking their chances with the damage they created. That was a very low move, I say. That aside, it will be interesting to see how these two fare when the show most likely won't get into alliances. View Dustin & Kandice on innertube now

Yet another Season 10 team, David and Mary touched the hearts of many viewers. With a little bit of help from their friends (and a lot of help from the ChoBros), they made it to a sixth place finish. While I find their worldly innocence and their willingness to thrive on new experiences very refreshing, they're not a strong team. Hopefully they have their determination set to succeed because it would be a blast (and shock) if they were to win at All Stars. I don't think we'll see that happen, but it's nice to think that it possibly could. Wait... they're up against Romber and the Guidos. Make the win a fleeting thought. View David & Mary on innertube now

Last, but only least if we're talking height (Charla), it's Charla and Mirna from Season 5 where they had a sixth place finish. This team caused a lot of controversy similar to the Peter/Sarah relationship in Season 10. Mirna fared poorly with many viewers as she seemed to use Charla's height for her own benefit. If memory serves, she also gushed at show host Phil Keoghan to the point of creeping me out. (I don't know if Phil felt the same way, but maybe...!) I actually enjoyed Charla and think she really did very well when she faced obstacles due to her stature. Mirna, I'm not so thrilled about seeing again. View Charla & Mirna on innertube now

So, there are the teams we'll be cheering on or booing a month from now. Did your team make the cut? Any teams you'd rather see? Any guesses who might win it all? My own thoughts are a bit tainted as I saw a spoilers site where they were tracking the teams. I'll post that link in a Newsy Bits once I find what I did with it. Of course, sites had Christy and Colin in the race and they're not there. So, take any spoilers you see with a grain of salt.

'The Amazing Race 11: All Stars' - The Teams, Part 1

Ah, it just goes to show you that not all Internet spoilers are indeed reality when it comes to reality TV. The early spoilers out there had Colin ("my ox is broken") and Christy running the race, but no Frat Boys (Kevin and Drew). Other spoilers were indeed correct. There were teams who either weren't available or didn't make the cut -- I, for one, would have loved to see Jon and Al (the Clowns from TAR4) take another go at the million.

Overall, I'm pleased with the teams we'll be seeing. Well, for the most part anyway. There will always be a few teams we'd rather see than a few who made it. But it looks like it's going to be a great season. And, that's coming from someone (me) who is usually a bit turned off by the "all stars" versions of reality television shows. I'm marking my calendar -- Sunday, February 18 at 8 PM ET/PT, don't call me. I'll be watching The Amazing Race 11: All Stars.

The Teams In No Particular Order

Winners of The Amazing Race 7, Uchenna and Joyce were very popular with many show fans. They came across as nice folks, not necessarily ruthless at all. There was a brouhaha about flights and Romber which caused some controversy on the Internet. So, it's going to be interesting to watch how the teams interact this season. They have the right stuff for the win - I think back to Joyce shaving her beautiful hair in order to get a jump on the others.
View Uchenna & Joyce on innertube now


From TAR3, it's second place finishers, Teri and Ian. While their success in the season is definitely "a job well done," they're not a team I would have chosen had they asked me. Now, I'm all for older folks (read that as my generation) doing well, but I didn't really enjoy watching this team. I can still hear Teri yelling, "Ian! Iiiiiiiaaaaannnnn!" To me, he came across as gruff and demanding -- not to the point of a Jonathan Baker, but not a nice guy, either.
View Teri & Ian on innertube now

Not surprising me at all, Romber (Rob and Amber), second place on TAR7, made the cut. I'm of two minds about this team. They've certainly milked reality TV for all it's worth and their fifteen minutes of fame has gone into years now. I don't want to see either of them on Survivor again. That said, I think they're a worthy team and one to watch this season on TAR. Rob, more so than Amber, is shrewd and competitive. He's not afraid to push the envelope and it's going to be very interesting to see what he does next. After all, he staged a coup at a challenge in his own season which benefitted his own goals. He's good at the game. View Rob & Amber on innertube now

Yes! It's the return of Team ChaCha! Oswald and Danny may have only made it to fourth place in Season 2, but they were one of the most entertaining teams ever to appear on the show. These gay friends (not a couple, but best friends) put a priority on shopping instead of the race to be run, but they were a delightful reprieve from overly-competitive teams. I personally don't think they'll have a chance to win this season in view of some of the hardcore teams aboard, but I'm going to enjoy watching them again.
View Oswald & Danny on innertube now


It's the return of yet another fan-favorite team - the Frat Boys, Kevin and Drew, fourth place finishers from Season 1. Even though they didn't make it that close to the big win, they won the hearts of many viewers with their sense of humor, attitude, and the spirit of friendship. More recently, they played the role of hot dog vendors in a clue stop on TAR8. Despite the foilers (as opposed to true spoilers) on the Internet, they'll grace our Race once again. I'd like to see them take it all. But, even if they don't, I'm loving that they're back for more.
View Kevin & Drew on innertube now

Although they're now listed as a "formerly dating" couple, John and Jill came to us with a bittersweet story in Season 3 -- John was the best friend of Jill's brother who was killed on 9/11 at the World Trade Center. She had originally applied to be on the show with her brother, but John stepped in take his place in the race. They only made a fifth place finish, but with both the backstory and their demeanor as a team, they won the hearts of viewers. They didn't bicker and were a strong team. I'm glad they're on again even if they no longer date.
View John & Jill on innertube now


The last five teams will be in Part 2 due to the length of this entry. The links you see posted will lead you directly to the CBS video interviews with the teams.

'American Idol 6' - The Minneapolis Auditions

It's back! Yes, one of my favorite junk food for the mind shows... American Idol. From the cheesiness to the real talents to the stunned expression on Randy's face to Simon's um... Simonisms.

Right now my current plans are to write about the auditions. Then, once the finalists are in place, East Coast Updates will be posted on boot nights in addition to entries about the show. So, if you're an American Idol fan, you're right where you should be. All opinions are welcome in the comments even if you disagree with me, but I ask that all remains civil. Onto the show...

Tonight was the first time the show has held auditions in Minneapolis and they picked up 17 who will go onto Hollywood. But, hey... it's the auditions. At this point the show is more about the losers than the winners, right? Alas, although there were some odd ducks and some who lacked any kind of voice or stage presence at all, I didn't see any who would go the road of the Classic Idol Rejects. You know, folks like William Hung or even Crazy Dave.

Sitting in on the judges panel with no explanation why (or maybe I missed it) was Jewel. She fit right in, though. The most notable line of hers for me was when an Army Reserves woman was auditioning and told Simon she loved his personality. "You have to go through boot camp before you can enjoy Simon's personality." Not bad, not bad.

Tonight's Most Notable of the Odd

Charles Moody, age 26, from Brooklyn, New York. He dressed as Apollo Creed and sang opera. Actually, the opera wasn't done extremely horribly, but the overall package was so not American Idol that it was hysterical. According to Simon, "You're singing opera dressed as Apollo Creed wearing a funny hat."

A young man named Jesse Holloway talked forever in a monotone before singing. But once he started singing, I wished he had just kept talking. He left in the middle of his audition for water, came back singing even worse. Then he blew up in the hallway - "They [the judges] ought to be fired!" The noive, I say!

Oh... and speaking of "the noive" -- now, I didn't catch her name, but one young woman's whole singing style revolved around evoking the ghost of the Cowardly Lion from The Wizard of Oz. Yes, I wouldn't lie. Her song was "If I Were King of the Forest" and in later clips she used the style in normal songs. Yikes.

There was a cowboy-outfit dude named Matthew Volna who looked like Henry Winkler (recent, not as Fonzie) and sang like Ben Stein in a lower octave. He performed - and I use the word loosely unless it was a comedy act... wait, even then... - "Folsom Prison Blues." Poor Johnny Cash. It's a good thing he's not around to hear that version. In reference to his music selection, he told the judges, "I can't sing that other stuff." "You can't sing that!"

Troy Benham describes himself as Urban Amish. He's never seen the show, doesn't watch television, doesn't listen to modern music... or so he says.

I personally think it was all an act. He "sang" some weird not memorable song which he said he had written. I don't fall for the Amish act at all. The hair is wrong, the sunglasses are wrong, Troy Benham is wrong.

Next!

There were temper tantrums and too many young kids whose parents let them go to the auditions when they should have told them not to make fools of themselves. There was a Number One Fan whose voice could herd cats. "Is there anything I can do to improve, Simon?" "Yes, leave."

Stephen Horst, a voice coach, thought he had it made. Nope. Simon instigated problems between Randy and Stephen. There was one young woman whose boss flew her to the audition after she didn't make the cut in Pasadena. She didn't make it in Minneapolis, either. (I guess if you can't make it in Pasadena, you can't make it anywhere.)

Jason Anderson is a 16-year old boy who believes he's a talented juggler, dancer, and singer. Um... none of the above.

Simon to Jason: "You sum up Minneapolis, useless at everything. Your future involves not singing." [Yeah, I thought that first line was a bit harsh on a kid. But, true.]

Jason in the hallway: "He said I sum up Minneapolis! It's my fault Minneapolis has no talent!"

Enough of the Odd Ones even though I know I left many out... there were a few good singers tonight. My favorite was Sarah Krueger who sang "Somewhere Over the Rainbow." The kid whose parents didn't come with him, 16-year old Matt Sato, was touching. As in past seasons, every backstory ended up a Hollywood choice. One I wasn't impressed with was Perla Meneses. I don't think flirting will keep her in the contest.

I liked how the sailors on the USS Ronald Reagan held their own "Reagan Idol" and sent the winner to the auditions... and he (Jarrod Fowler) made it onto Hollywood! He was pretty good, as was Michelle Steingas, Rachel Jenkins, and Denise Jackson. As always, they didn't show all going on to Hollywood.

Tomorrow night's auditions will come to us from Seattle and it looks like we'll have many new additions to the Notable of the Odd. As for the decent ones, I personally hope Simon comes up with something better than "I think people will like you." Was does that mean? Does he not like them?

So, what did you think of the show?

Tonight!

I'm just dropping by with a quick note here. I have an article about the Amazing Race 11: All Stars teams in progress, but right now American Idol is starting. So, TAR is on hold so I can watch, note, and get some images for my AI entry.

Darn that staying late at work tonight. It threw my schedule off!

Both the TAR and AI entries will be posted later tonight. It's a good thing tomorrow is my day off from work, eh? Please stop back!

'Survivor 14: Fiji' - The Castaways, Part 3

There are 19 castaways starting out on Survivor 14: Fiji set to premiere on Thursday, February 8 at 8 PM ET/PT. I posted the first ten here and here. I plan to have the last four castaways up sometime Wednesday. I'm checking out their bios on the official CBS website, exploring their favorites, then attempting to assess how well they might do on the show. Of course, I could be totally wrong in my guesses, but I like to guess anyway! Without further ado...

The Next Five Castaways

What? No Los Angeles? I might just faint. Edgardo was born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico. He moved to the States to attend Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana, and played on their tennis team. He then moved to Miami to advance his career.

From his bio page: "Rivera enjoys playing beach volleyball, tennis, basketball, traveling, spending time with his family and friends when he visits Puerto Rico and occasionally hitting the hot spots in South Beach, Miami. He describes himself as spontaneous, ambitious and very adventurous." He's single, born on October 5, 1978.

Ah, but the real skinny is in the Favorites, right?

• Another chess player. As I mentioned with Dre, chess is the sort of strategical game which makes folks think moves ahead. It's a game which should fare well for someone on the show. Oh... Battleship is his other one listed. Eep, watch out other castaways!
• He likes camping, another plus.
• Argh, he doesn't list Survivor in his TV shows at all! It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Family Guy, 24. Why are so many not fans of the show this season? It's screaming "recruit."
• He likes alcohol, it seems. He listed wine, vodka, rum, whiskey, and tequila.

With the exception of not listing Survivor in his shows, he looks like a strong player. He's an ad man, so he should be able to "sell himself" to his fellow castaways, but I wonder if he would realize things like not too much leading, etc. I think he'll do well. Winner of it all? Maybe.

Michelle hails from Cincinnati, Ohio. She's completing her last year at the University of Cincinnati, studying fashion design. She likes pirates and things that are green. Hey, it's in her bio -- I'm not making it up.

From her bio page: "Yi describes herself as very independent and is a true believer in following one's passions and staying inspired. She thinks a positive attitude will keep you smiling through anything. She believes her bubbly and laid back personality allows her to enjoy most people, but she claims if you rub her the wrong way, she'll be sure you know it!" She's single, born on December 2, 1983.

What do her Favorites tell us?

• Scrabble and Mario Bros. games make her list. Not bad. I like them both, too.
• She's a rock climber - good for the show, I would think.
• She doesn't list Survivor as her favorite show. She only mentions The Amazing Race. Hmmm.
• Oh, she likes When Harry Met Sally as her movie. I think I'm liking her.
• No favorite alcoholic beverage but enjoys water and fruit juice.

Well, I like her. She sounds like a neat person. Has she got what it takes to win the show? I'm not sure. I think she could do very well if she works her fellow castaways right. Often it's that skill which is the crucial one to make it to the Final Two and then tip the scales for the win.

At least this latest batch isn't all from California. Gary was born and raised in Silver Lake, Minnesota. He was a barber for 14 years and currently works as a carpenter and school bus driver. He's a Vietnam vet and has also worked as a taxi cab driver and landscaper.

From his bio page: "Stritesky has competed in multiple inline skate marathons. He also enjoys biking, canoeing and coaching. He spent many years coaching his children's soccer, baseball, basketball and football teams. At least once a year, Stritesky travels to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, taking part in portaging, canoeing, fishing and enjoying the solitude of the northern Minnesota lakes." He's married with four children and two grandchildren. His birth date is September 16, 1951.

His favorites will tell us even more:

• Monopoly and checkers, but no Pac-Man for him - it's XBox!
• Biking, rollerblading and walking made his list.
• Ah, finally... favorite shows are Survivor and The Amazing Race.
• A beer drinker, but he also enjoys quaffing root beer.

It looks like he has his Survivor act all together. He watches the show, is physically active and into camping and such. I don't know if his age is going to be a factor on not. If he doesn't try to run things, he might do well. We'll see.

Just when I thought I could stop typing California for this entry... Rita was born in Venezuela, but moved to San Francisco when she was eight years old. She went to the University of California at Berkeley, then transferred to the University of California, Los Angeles. Her degree is in Italian and French literature.

After college, she moved to Mexico City where she lived for eleven years with her (then) husband and two children. She was a Miss Venezuela contestant and did modeling.

From her bio page: "Verreos enjoys playing with her children, cooking, listening to "world" music, reading and writing in foreign languages. She also enjoys playing basketball, football and walking. She describes herself as persistent, tough on the outsideÂ…tender on the inside, considerate and respectful." She lives with her parents and two children. Her birth date is July 19, 1968.

Her Favorites will spill the real beans...

• Um, she lists the "scent of children's skin" under favorite scent. I do hope that's not to be confused with dirty diapers or a child who's been playing with the dog all day!
• Barbie Fashion Designer is her favorite video game. Eep. That exists?
• He TV shows include Survivor (good), Project Runway and "anything on the Food Network."
• Tristan & Iseult are listed for authors/books. I haven't a clue.

Well, I just don't know about her. In some aspects, such as actually knowing the show, she may do well. But I get the feeling she's not going to be around for a real long time unless she rides coat-tails. I could be wrong.

Why, oh, why am I getting Johnny Fairplay vibes from this photo of James Reid? Either that or soft porn Brian. I feel my judgment of James is probably going to be clouded due to the fact that this photo turns me off. It looks like he's trying to be smug, sexy, and "all that."

Originally from Boston, he received his high school diploma in an adult program. He's a Navy veteran and currently works as a bartender, but with a catering set-up job going, too.

From his bio page: "Reid enjoys working out at the gym, most sports (especially football) and hanging out with good friends. He describes himself as outgoing, tough (but an overall "good kid"), a people person and a "man's man." He's single and currently living in Los Angeles. His birth date is September 11, 1978.

Onto his Favorites:

• Chutes and Ladders? Yipes. At least he lists Monopoly and Sorry, too.
• He lists six favorite colors. What does that say about him? Fickle? Amongst others, he lists both silver and gray. Okay...
• He likes to play catch.
• No Survivor in his TV list, but he likes Entourage, Weeds, and Brotherhood.
• The Departed, Raging Bull, and Goodfellas make his movie favorites. I'm sensing some sort of pattern here.
• Okay, he's a Cap'n Crunch eater. Maybe my pattern was premature.

Remember, my opinion may be tainted by what I think of the photo from CBS. I wish they had just used a normal shot like with the other castaways. I want to say slacker or, perhaps belligerent leader. I don't want to say "winner." Prove me wrong, James.