The Amazing Race Apologizes For Supposedly Anti-American Episode

After the March 17 Hanoi episode aired of The Amazing Race there have been noises made that CBS and The Amazing Race needed to apologize for using a B-52 Memorial as a prop for the location of a Double U-Turn. The Roadblock before the B-52, where racers watched a musical production singing the praises of communist Vietnam, was also criticized.

At the start of the Sunday, March 24 episode of The Amazing Race, Phil Keoghan said the words we were reading on the screen.....

“We want to apologize to veterans – particularly those who served in Vietnam – as well as to their families and any viewers who were offended by the broadcast. All of us here have the most profound respect for the men and women who fight for our country.”

For me,  I took no offense. I also took no offense when, on a previous season of The Amazing Race the racers were sent to the Hanoi Hilton where they saw the flight suit on display that John McCain was wearing when his plane was shot down.

I also took no offense when in a previous season of The Amazing Race the race went to Hiroshima.

Like I said when I previously blogged about The Amazing Race Visit to Hanoi's B-52 Memorial Has Some Viewers Irrationally Upset I watch The Amazing Race because I like seeing places I've never been, sights I've never seen, parts of the world I knew nothing about or did not know existed.

I had never seen a communist musical production number before. I thought it was interesting and amusing. And rather demented propaganda.

Fox online this morning is characterizing the controversial episode as Anti-American in the below headline to the article about The Amazing Race apology.

The Fox article says, in part....

CBS apologized Sunday night one week after the television show “Amazing Race” broadcast what critics called an “anti-American” segment that offended Vietnam War veterans.

The episode caused widespread outrage among war veterans.

James Koutz, the national commander of the American Legion, sent a scathing letter to CBS, calling the episode a “disgraceful slap-in-the-face administered to American war heroes.”

“The show is called ‘The Amazing Race,’ but I call it ‘The Amazing Gall,’” Koutz said — noting that the show was reminiscent of a Tokyo Rose broadcast.

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I always wonder how it is determined that there is widespread outrage over something. Was a poll conducted?  Anti-American? Disgraceful? Reminiscent of a Tokyo Rose broadcast?

Does the B-52 Memorial exist? Yes. Does the Vietnam Department of Propaganda put on silly propaganda musical productions? Yes. Was it Anti-American for The Amazing Race to show either of these things to its viewers? No, not in my opinion.

The Amazing Race Season 17 Episode 10: Nick & Vicki Eliminated

It was not much of a shock that Nick & Vicki got eliminated from The Amazing Race on Sunday. They had a 6 hour penalty and a Speed Bump to overcome.

I'm good with any of the remaining 3 teams winning the million dollars. No real villains in the bunch. 5 girls and 1 boy remaining. Nat & Kat, Brook & Claire and Jill & Thomas.

Jill & Thomas came in first to the Seoul Pit Stop. After Brook & Claire actually got to the Pit Stop first, but earned themselves a 30 minute penalty due to not following the instructions to take a subway or walk to the next destination. They took a taxi.

Jill & Thomas did not know Brook & Claire took a taxi, which greatly perplexed them as to how the Shopping Channel Hostesses got to the ice rink so fast.

I was not too thrilled with the Detours, finding the Clues and the Roadblock this episode. Teams had to get to the DMZ to find a clue on a bridge telling them to take a raft down a river to an army jeep which would deliver them to their next clue.

Which was a Roadblock. Hunt among a big group of army guys and gals doing some Taekwondo type martial arts exercise, finding a headband to match the one in your hand. After finding the right headband it was back to Seoul to a soccer stadium, to find a Detour.

All teams took the ice skating Detour. Actually I do not remember seeing Nick & Vicki ice skating.

After going a couple dozens times around the rink the next clue was to be found by an airplane statue, directing teams to the Pit Stop.

Jill & Thomas made it to Phil before Brook & Claire's penalty was up. Nat & Kat did not make it to Phil before the penalty was up, so the doctors came in 3rd.

The previews did not give a clue, at least to my eyes, where the final destination city is.

Phil did say to keep watching, after the winner wins, to hear a major announcement  concerning the next Amazing Race. Please don't let the major announcement be another Family Edition or All-Stars.