Amazing Race--April 19 Episode

This episode was one of many revelations, the first of which was that Victor and Tammy are just as annoying in Chinese as they are in English. And despite their reminding us about a million times that they spoke Chinese and flaunting it right and left with as many unnecessary phrases as possible, they still ended up in second place. I guess, as Victor told one of the calligraphy guys in a suck-up attempt to get ahead, that means their parents are out there somewhere crying. Speaking of crying, I was disappointed and saddened to see Luke act like, well, pretty much a big baby. I get that one of the Boring Sisters (Keisha?) bumped him from behind, but he handled himself just fine with his elbow-up arm block. I was firmly in his corner of righteous indignation when Keisha called him a “bitch” and agree that that was uncalled for and definitely lacked sportsmanship. However, when Luke turned around and did the exact same thing to her at the next stop (i.e. rush bump her from behind) and then tried to play the victim a second time, my sympathy wilted. And when he threw his temper tantrum at the end and he and Margie started yelling about all the discrimination he had suffered as a deaf person, my sympathy shriveled up and died. I don’t doubt his disability has made life hard at times, and there have been a number of moments when my heart has ached for him when he was struggling with something in the show (see: Chekhov). But his conflict with Keisha had nothing to do with his disability and, if anything, her getting a little rough with him demonstrated that she saw him as a competitive equal. So, Luke, my boy, it’s time to pull up your skirt and be a man. Stop whining about a shove and an insult and getting your hand pecked by a mean bird. All that drama just makes everyone uncomfortable—especially the ultra-pleaser siblings Tammy and Victor who looked like they’d rather have been last than stuck between the warring parties at the end. Actually, maybe the drama was good since their discomfort kept them silent. Despite my disappointment at that glimpse into the wimpier, self-pitying side of Luke and his slightly over-reactive mother, I still like them far more than the Boring Sisters. I’m trying, but I just can’t find anything to like about them. Can anyone else? If so, please do share. Even the angry cheerleaders, who still find it so outrageous that there are so many people in other countries that don’t speak English (like those Chinese dance instructors that only speak Chinese! That’s, like, me living in the United States and only speaking English! Oh, wait…), have more appeal. They are at least entertaining. And pretty to look at.