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Topic: My TAR Essay (Read 950 times)

Genius
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My TAR Essay
« on: Dec 22^nd, 2004, 11:08pm »

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i wrote this as a hoilday assignment. enjoy.

Question: Is there something about which you know a great deal? Write an essay which both informs and engages the reader.

I am sorry to tell you that you both have been eliminated from the race, host Phil Keoghan informs the unlucky couple standing right before him. The pair said their final words before leaving the competition show entirely, disappointed yet optimistic of the life-changing experience they went through.

The show is none other than the hit reality television program, The Amazing Race, which has won the Emmy for Best Reality TV Show for two consecutive years. Since its premiere in fall 2001, just days before September 11th, it has grown to be a favorite across the planet. Its heart-pumping action and unexpected twists and turns keep viewers worldwide glued to their television sets and begging for more.

The Amazing Race is currently into its sixth season, producing its seventh season at the time of writing. In a nutshell, it is a show whereby eleven to twelve teams made up of two people with a pre-existing relationship dash through airports and roads in international cities, solving clues in yellow packets (the key for survival in the competition) which direct them to their next destination. The contestants range from models to twins to pro-wrestlers and even a woman just four feet tall.

There are thirteen legs in an entire season. On each leg, teams will be faced with new cultures, new destinations and new people. The challenges in store for each leg vary from bungee-jumping, skydiving, punting, putting IKEA furniture together and even eating caviar. The contestants may visit big cities like Cairo and Paris or far-flung destinations like the deserts in Dubai and Tunisia. In the end, teams have to clock in at a pit stop, signaling the successful completion of the entire leg and the host will inform the team of its position. At the end of all thirteen legs, the first team to cross the finish line, located in an American city, will win US$1 million.

Of course, if the show merely directs its contestants to perform certain tasks and proceed to certain destinations, the show would have folded after its first season. This is where the producers introduce elements of strategy; decisiveness and luck into game play, with certain special clues termed as route markers.

The first route marker, called the Detour, is featured in all but two of the legs ever shown. Basically, teams are given two choices, where they have the freedom to perform any task they want. The catch is that there are pros and cons to each task they select. One task may be harrowing but can be completed quickly (for example, skydiving), while the other task which seems less scary may take a while to complete (for example, hiking). In the end, it is all down to the decisiveness of each team to determine their progress in the game.

The second route marker, the Roadblock, forces teams to select only one team member to perform a certain task after reading the hint on their clues. The roadblocks may be as simple as rolling down a hill while in an inflated ball or as difficult as swimming in a lake near freezing point. Once again, it assesses the teams knowledge of each members strengths and weaknesses. In the first five seasons, a certain team member, usually a male, can do as many roadblocks as one pleases, resulting in the unequal distribution of roadblocks performed by each member in a given team. In the sixth installment, no team member may perform more than six roadblocks in the time they are in the competition, thus eliminating the scenario described above.

The Fast Forward is a route marker where performing the task is voluntary. If a team claims a Fast Forward, that team may skip all remaining tasks in the leg and proceed directly to the pit stop. The Fast Forward is ideal to utilize if a team discovers itself to be trailing behind or increase their lead over their competitors. The drawback is that only one team may collect the coveted prize in each leg where the Fast Forward is available. If teams discover that the Fast Forward has been taken, they would have wasted their time and continue performing the standard tasks required. Furthermore, one team may use the Fast Forward only once in the entire race, so they need to decide when it will prove most advantageous to them.

The newest route marker, the Yield, was introduced in the fifth season. Along the course of certain legs, a Yield point may appear, requiring all teams to report to it. One team may yield another team, in other words, forcing a team to stop racing for a pre-determined length of time. A team may yield another team to distance themselves from their competitors, especially if both teams are at the back of the pack, or to fragment the focus of a team perceived as a threat, or simply to get rid of a team everyone despises. The power to yield is entirely voluntary, and carries the same conditions as the Fast Forward. However, as using the yield on a fellow team may be perceived as betrayal instead of a strategic move in a game where alliances may be critical, teams only consider using the Yield only in the last third of the race to increase their chances of winning the million dollars.

Their primary goal of each leg is to get to the pit stop as quickly as they can, as arriving last may spell elimination, thus ending their quest for the million dollars. On several occasions, the legs may be non-elimination ones, giving the team to check in last another chance to progress. In the fifth season, a new rule was introduced, where the last-placed team will be stripped off all the money they have for the upcoming leg. The unlucky teams will have to either beg or earn the money they need to carry on.

The Amazing Race is a truly educational show. The tasks are closely tied to the culture and the lifestyle of the locals in the country being featured and the destinations selected are those that are world-famous or of significance to the locals. For example, when Singapore was featured, people across the world caught a glimpse of how Singaporeans livedin matchbox-like apartments. Through watching the series, I learnt about different cultures and interesting and unusual landmarks. One instance was Lac Rose (pink lake) in Senegal, from where the locals harvest salt. I was amazed to learn that the lake was pink due to its high sodium content. The show certainly did broaden my general knowledge.

However, the one thing that strikes me the most is the colorful cast of contestants, with a spectrum of characteristics and personalities. Some of them are supportive, loving and patient, while others are cunning, whiny, intense and just plain abusive. There was even one occasion where one team member shoved
his teammate just because they came in second. Whatever the personality each possess and the approach to the game, every contestants desire to win the pot of gold at the end are their primary objective. As such, viewers can expect alliances to form and crumble, and rival teams attempting to outdo each other. We may even be treated to a whole pack of lies and numerous strategies used by the contestants. Like it or hate it, The Amazing Race introduced us to the world of human politics, where deceptions and strategizing are part and parcel of everyday life. The contestants will also have to face emotional, psychological and physical, which tests their ability to handle such situations prominent in working life. Even though it is essentially a competition, The Amazing Race reflects the human nature at its best or its worst.

One thing is for sure: the show really lives up to its name and will remain a great show to watch, for people of all ages and all walks of life.

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ilovemymariners
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Re: My TAR Essay
« Reply #1 on: Dec 22^nd, 2004, 11:59pm »

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Wow...That's really good! Is it a school assignment Huh

If It is I'm sure You'll get an A!

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GO LYNN AND ALEX AND UCHENNA AND JOYCE TOO! YOU GUYS ROCK ALSO!

sneezemachine
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Re: My TAR Essay
« Reply #2 on: Dec 23^rd, 2004, 1:33am »

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A+! wow, you write well!

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Genius
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Re: My TAR Essay
« Reply #3 on: Dec 23^rd, 2004, 3:36am »

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Well, so long my essay is in sync with the question, should be OK. ANyway, my teacher forced us to write and s/he will pick a few good ones to be sent for the Commonwealth Eassy Contest. The final judging will be done in the UK. Anyway, I'm not counting on doing well anyway.

The important thing is that it engages the reader and the reader will gain more. (Apparently, you guys know TAR well, so it's pointless) Wink

« Last Edit: Dec 23^rd, 2004, 3:37am by Genius »

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TAR14: Tammy and Victor
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cmb
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Re: My TAR Essay
« Reply #4 on: Dec 23^rd, 2004, 7:15am »

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If I were the teacher, I would give you full marks Cheesy

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Check out my Amazing Race site at http://amazingrace.coldportal.com

username
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Re: My TAR Essay
« Reply #5 on: Dec 23^rd, 2004, 8:06am »

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Wow! That was an excellent essay. I doubt I could write something as good as that. You should definitely be rewarded. And I hope you do well in the contest.

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JP
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Re: My TAR Essay
« Reply #6 on: Dec 23^rd, 2004, 9:21am »

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Shall I say you're a "Darn good writer!" I won't be surprised if you get picked for the competition! Cool

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Jenna
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Re: My TAR Essay
« Reply #7 on: Dec 23^rd, 2004, 1:18pm »

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I am a teacher.....it is B+ work, but if I were your teacher, I'd give it an A- because I love the show Wink

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Heather
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Re: My TAR Essay
« Reply #8 on: Dec 23^rd, 2004, 8:16pm »

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Heh heh. I love it. I'd give it an A! Especially the references to certain memorable racers.

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The contestants range from models to twins to pro-wrestlers and even a woman just four feet tall.

Brandon and Nicole! Derek and Drew! Kami and Karli! Lori and Bolo! CHARLA!!! Grin

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rcs_mum
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Re: My TAR Essay
« Reply #9 on: Dec 24^th, 2004, 12:17am »

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A truly Amazing essay! Well done!

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Genius
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Re: My TAR Essay
« Reply #10 on: Dec 24^th, 2004, 1:15am »

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on Dec 22^nd, 2004, 11:08pm, genius1111 wrote:

However, the one thing that strikes me the most is the colorful cast of contestants, with a spectrum of characteristics and personalities. Some of them are supportive, loving and patient, while others are cunning, whiny, intense and just plain abusive. There was even one occasion where one team member shoved
his teammate just because they came in second. Whatever the personality each possess and the approach to the game, every contestants desire to win the pot of gold at the end are their primary objective. As such, viewers can expect alliances to form and crumble, and rival teams attempting to outdo each other. We may even be treated to a whole pack of lies and numerous strategies used by the contestants. Like it or hate it, The Amazing Race introduced us to the world of human politics, where deceptions and strategizing are part and parcel of everyday life. The contestants will also have to face emotional, psychological and physical, which tests their ability to handle such situations prominent in working life. Even though it is essentially a competition, The Amazing Race reflects the human nature at its best or its worst.

I like this paragraph. Reminds me of Colin and Christie, Kris and Jon and Jonathan and Victoria. And a little of Chip and Kim.

Grin

PS: I suspected the setters wanted people to talk bout science and history and shakespeare, and here they got this guy who writes something out of this world: TAR!! So, did i write out of context??

Here are a few more questions that were set, and of relation to TAR. Perhaps you guys could post suggestions.

1. A moment of realisation and growing up. (victoria?)

2. "Slow down, we are going too fast!" --sounds like Gus.

3. Is competition good for us? Is there an alternative?

4. There is a person you admire but lots of people disapprove him/her? How would you convince them that u are right? (no jonathan, but perhaps colin)

5. Change the ending of your favorite story. (yar, all 2nd placers won the race, and i like them all!!)

6. Write a story about the day I got on the wrong ferry/bus/train.

7. Write a story entitled " A Terrible Mistake" (jonathan shoving victoria!)

Thanks for all the comments and I would like to see some brainstorming. Grin

« Last Edit: Dec 24^th, 2004, 1:39am by Genius »

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TAR14: Tammy and Victor
S18: Brendan, Taj, Spencer