Last weekend a new season of Amazing Race on CBS began. For those not familiar, Amazing Race is a reality TV show where teams of two travel around the world and compete in challenges. The teams race against each other, trying to complete each task head of the other teams. The team that finishes in last place for each challenge is at risk for being eliminated from the Race. During each challenge the teams receive multiple sets of instructions telling them where they will be traveling to and what they will need to accomplish. Because they are competing against each other, the teams usually do not discuss their strategy. This year’s show began with contestants flying from Los Angeles to Chile. I was shocked when contestants didn’t know where Chile is. One team thought that Chile was actually China. Another team exchanged their US dollars for Brazilian money at the airport. They said it was the closest thing to Chilean money. I wonder if they meant geographically closer or culturally closer. The same language isn’t even spoken in the two countries. Spanish is spoken in Chile, and Portuguese is spoken in Brazil. This team actually tried to use the Brazilian money to pay for bus fare in Chile. They probably would’ve been better off sticking with US dollars.
Chile is known as Latin America’s star performer. Its economy and worldwide presence have grown substantially in the years since dictator Augusto Pinochet’s rule ended. They are particularly strong in the wine, salmon, copper, and fruit industries. So how could contestants vying in a competition that takes them across the globe not know about Chile?
One of the contestants is Caite Upton, the Miss Teen USA pageant participant who famously said that people can’t find countries on maps because they don’t have maps and referred to Iraq as “The Iraq”. Perhaps she is right. Maybe if Chilean wine and peaches came with maps then people would be more familiar with the country. Or maybe some of the contestants CBS selected for the show are just not that intelligent. Not all teams were clueless about the country. Most were excited to be visiting a country that the majority of folks don’t get to visit. At the very least, the show has served as a geography lesson for the contestants and the TV audience watching at home. I’m curious to see if the teams will be familiar with the other countries they will be travelling to on the Race.
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I love that show too!. I love to travel and learning about other countries. I agree, it is pretty shocking some people in the show didn't have a clue about Chile. However, I have experienced some of that shock first hand. I am originally from Venezuela and more than once I have had to explain people where Venezuela is. My favorite missconception is that almost everytime I go to a mexican restaurant with a group of co-workers, someone will ask me "is this authentic Mexican food?" My reply remains the same "how in the world would I know? I am not mexican."
ReplyDeleteHopefully more people tune into the Amazing race and become more aware of other countries and cultures outside the US.
Yes, this is definitely not limited to Chile. I completely agree!
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