Risk, danger and The Amazing Race
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TV ClubHouse: ARCHIVES: The Amazing Race IV (ARCHIVE): General Discussions: Risk, danger and The Amazing Race

Ocean_Islands

Thursday, July 31, 2003 - 06:27 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
The show this week seems to have taken risk to a new level. The activities clearly were a risk to life, above and beyond the ordinary challenge. As a matter of fact, doctors and attendants were omnipresent ... but would that be enough?

Is the show flirting with disaster?

Bookgirl137

Thursday, July 31, 2003 - 06:32 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
I don't think they would let someone really at risk do that Roadblock. For instance, I can't see them letting Millie with her asthma doing it. In the application process, they ask a LOT of health questions.

I don't see the swimming as more dangerous as bungee jumping. Although, I think the real fear with this one is if someone got lost and stuck under the ice. So, now I've talked myself around and may agree with you after all.

But I still don't think the cold part was excessively dangerous.

Seamonkey

Thursday, July 31, 2003 - 06:37 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Did they have cameras under the ice?

I think the breaking boards for the untrained could be harmful not to life but to limb..

And one could easily choke on an octopus.

Not1worry

Thursday, July 31, 2003 - 06:48 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
They had rescue swimmers under the ice, plus there were ropes to pull yourself along. It didn't look like the distance was too far. Hard to tell, but it looked like they only did 3 or 4 kicks and they were there. I'm sure in that cold, it felt like miles.

There are enough ropes and harness on most of the height events that you would have to try really, really hard to fall. You might slip and bang into something.

I thought being dragged behind the bulls in that nasty mud was more dangerous than anything.

Ocean_Islands

Thursday, July 31, 2003 - 07:33 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
1) heart attack
2) swept downriver by the current ... under the ice, mind

it seems too risky to me.

Curiouscat

Thursday, July 31, 2003 - 07:39 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
As Not1worry said, there was a rescue diver in the water with them and coloured rope to use if they wanted too. Plus a doctor for safe measure. For the small amount of time they spent in the ice cold water, it would be the same as a "polar bear swim/dip."

Bob2112

Thursday, July 31, 2003 - 09:10 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Bob As an underwater being, I would have to agree with Seamonkey that one could easily choke on an octopus.

I think the underwater challenges are best left to aquadic cartoon characters.

Seamonkey

Thursday, July 31, 2003 - 09:55 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Snortle, Sponge!! I meant the octopi in the food challenge..

Now in the shark part of the challenge next week, I'd like to see one choke on a goat, or a clown or Kelly..

Crossfire

Thursday, July 31, 2003 - 09:56 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
I tend to agree with the premise of this thread, I thought they were pushing things maybe a bit too far. I would have felt better if they were at least wearing a harness or something.

Even with that though, the shock of hitting the cold water can steal your breath away.

It was comforting though when I saw that there were divers in the water to help.

Ric_Munoz

Friday, August 01, 2003 - 12:21 am EditMoveDeleteIP
I think the shock of seeing that hideous outfit the host was wearing during the "Welcome to Seoul" pit stop ceremony was MUCH more hazardous to their health.

Calamity

Friday, August 01, 2003 - 09:19 am EditMoveDeleteIP
There also was a Polar Bear dive in AR1 but I can't remember if the water was iced over or not. It was in Alaska during the final leg. (Am pretty sure medical personnnel were around for that one too.)

Sure, some of these tasks are dangerous. The stunt that bothers me the most is bungee jumping because I fear that it's potentially damaging to a person's brain and spine even though many experts insist that it isn't. I can't help thinking that someone may suffer trauma that isn't detectable until much later.

For me, the "Strong stomach" detour was more upsetting - that was simply barbaric. Tell me all you want about cultural differences or the relationship between predator & prey in the natural world but...oh, this is only going to become a rant so I better stop. Just have to say that I was very disappointed that TAR would feature such an inhumane practice.

(I really try to keep my tree-hugger feelings out of discussions at TVCH but sometimes it's impossible, lol.)

Crazydog

Friday, August 01, 2003 - 09:54 am EditMoveDeleteIP
The shark thing next week looks even more dangerous. Although I'm sure the racers don't get in the tanks until after the sharks have been fed very well.

I also don't think eating live octopi was barbaric. It is a different culture, and this kind of thing obviously goes on quite frequently if one can make a living running an octopus shop. It's no more barbaric than scooping live fish out of the water and putting them in buckets to die and be eaten.

Sasman

Friday, August 01, 2003 - 10:21 am EditMoveDeleteIP
I've seldom seen anything as gross as eating those octopi - I literally had to look away to keep from losing my dinner!

Fanny

Friday, August 01, 2003 - 11:12 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Me too, Sasman. I have a pretty strong stomach but seeing a meal crawl around on a dinner plate and listening to the guys talk about how the poor little octopi were trying their hardest not to get swallowed by hanging on for dear life to teeth & tongues, about did me in.

Calamity

Friday, August 01, 2003 - 11:23 am EditMoveDeleteIP
The fish bothered me too, Crazydog! During each AR there have been a number of instances where things have disturbed me but, as I wrote, I tend not to mention them in my posts because most people aren’t interested in such issues. (That's not meant to be judgmental, just a statement of fact.)

I recognize that there are cultural differences. But (and please note that this is coming from someone who has posted more than a few critical opinions about the typical American diet) that doesn't mean I have to be accepting of it. Many people here are probably familiar with the concerns about factory farming and other modern food production/processing practices here in the West. But there are also grave threats from practices in other parts of the world, particularly Asia. Many scientists and conservation groups consider ocean species in and around the Pacific Rim to be in crisis because of over fishing. And that includes octopuses and squid. (Yes, I was actually thinking about this while watching the show, lol.)

Sorry to those of you who thought you must have mistakenly wandered into the News & Views section :) .

Seamonkey

Friday, August 01, 2003 - 11:49 am EditMoveDeleteIP
I hear your concerns..

Overharvesting is certainly a problem.

Eating something while it remains alive is another issue. Not something I'd want to do, but I have to acknowledge that some of what I eat was deprived of life in order for that to be possible.
Barbaric? Probably more in the minds of the eater than the eaten, but for me it would be repugnant and traumatizing. I do try to be open to customs of others.. have tried Kim Chee, for one example, but have my limits.

Now, as for the thread topic.

Life holds danger. TAR is about competing but is also about being challenged. I think the under the ice challege looked to have plenty of safeguards.. the ropes, the people underwater, no visible current, the warmup.. probably the biggest threat I've seen this year was when the team went down the skijump without the raft, since that wasn't part of the plan.

All about choices.

Grooch

Friday, August 01, 2003 - 12:06 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
I am so glad I missed it. It would have traumatized watching it. Poor, cute little octopi. :(

I know for a fact I would have had to quit the race right there if I was the one who had to do it.

Seamonkey

Friday, August 01, 2003 - 02:14 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Not that it matters, but they weren't tiny whole octopi (I've seen those at Thai restaurants) but not so tiny chopped up octopi.. but still.. not an option for me.

Hippyt

Friday, August 01, 2003 - 02:19 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Grooch,they could choose to eat the octopi or karate chop some wood. They weren't forced to eat them. Really,I didn't find the ice swimming any riskier than other challenges from the past. I mean,sure one could have a heart attack,but just as easily while bungee jumping,or parachuting,or a lot of other challenges they've done.
OI,are you bored today?

Squaredsc

Friday, August 01, 2003 - 07:33 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
eating octopi, eww. wasn't there an under the ice swim thing in tar 1?

oh and no i don't think the show is flirting with disaster.

Azriel

Friday, August 01, 2003 - 11:29 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Well damn, with all this talk about their lives being in danger, ya'll are starting to make me feel really guilty as my focus was totally on their skivies and their before and after package.

Vsmart

Saturday, August 02, 2003 - 10:45 am EditMoveDeleteIP
This is tv. It is not about if activities are really dangerous as much as how well they photograph. Tho, how many variations of bungee jumping can we see before it gets boring? The sky diving in Mexico City looked like fun. Also the hanggliding in Rio. Having been in a biathalon that including swimming in San Francisco Bay, I can say that the adrenolin during a race makes you forget the cold. I've also swum in the Finnish Arctic. I am a skinny woman. The men had alot of "insulation".

Squaredsc

Saturday, August 02, 2003 - 10:46 am EditMoveDeleteIP
az i was right there with you.

Bastable

Saturday, August 02, 2003 - 02:52 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
I don't think the ice stunt was as dangerous as we might think. The distance was quite short. There were ropes underwater and divers, too, to keep swimmers safe and on course. And the river was not fast-flowing, otherwise ice that thick could not have formed under those temperatures.

Accidents are much more likely to happen as they speed from roadblock to roadblock in those cars. That's what I have worried about.

Sadiesmom

Sunday, August 03, 2003 - 05:50 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
These people have to pass a strong physical before they can take part in the race. The less fit are usually eliminated by this time as well.

1. Eating live (or reacting) octopus, I think eating live shrip in Japan is more repugnant, because they are whole and really trying to get away, just shelled. Were there rules that they could not ask for a knife and fork and cut them into smaller pieces? Could they have put salt over them until they stopped moving, like snails, and wash them off an eat them, it would take time, but probably could be eaten easier if they were not fighting so.

2. Underwater, not something I could do, but then I am not on the show. There were so many divers under the water with them as well as a camera, I am sure they would have been forced out if the least problem occurred. Although I have noticed each series getting tougher and tougher. The first season, you just had to go under the water and take the clue from the bottom of a weight. I could have done that. I wanted to go on this show because I knew that you could not die on it, because as the show went along, they would have to throw the whole series away if someone died. Anyway, I think swimming under water is scary, unpleasant, but not dangerous.

On previous shows people have has scrathes, got stitches, broke small bones, the worst was when they got dysentary, like Peach, and it was never mentioned on the show, everyone thought she was a wimp.

Squaredsc

Monday, August 04, 2003 - 09:51 am EditMoveDeleteIP
oh remember when one of the twins had his foot run over by the cab. can't remember which season it was, maybe tar2 or 3?

Crazydog

Monday, August 04, 2003 - 10:55 am EditMoveDeleteIP
In TAR1 the final three teams had to jump into an ice hole in Alaska to get a clue attached to a stick - nothing underwater. They were in it for about five seconds (except for Brennan, who forgot the clue the first time).

TAR1 also had teams donning snorkels in Thailand to get a clue on the ocean floor - about 10 feet or so.

TAR2 had the teams going underwater to retrieve a clue from a box.

TAR3 also had teams in Mexico retrieving clues from the ocean floor.

TAR2 was the one where Shola or Doyin got his foot run over, but I think that was his own fault. He got out of the cab before the driver stopped moving. And I'm still not sure it happened the way he says it did, I think something would have broken if it happened as he says it did ("I got my foot caught in the wheel well").

I think danger is inherent in TAR but I do think the bungee jumping and especially the skydiving was more dangerous than the ice swim.

Pannie

Monday, August 04, 2003 - 10:25 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
They definately do wild things - which, for me, is what makes the show exciting. It seems they select challenges based on what the locals already do.

Thus, not as dangerous as it appears from the comforts of our home.

Squaredsc, you are right about those dangerous taxi drivers! White-knuckle express!