Oh Happy Day! The Amazing Race is Back!

I'm so happy The Amazing Race is back.  That show is a rocking good time, even when the premiere episode is only an hour instead of 90 minutes or two hours.  A single hour really isn't enough time for me to figure out who I like this season, but it certainly is enough for me to figure out who I hate (and, let's be honest, that's far more important in the reality genre). 

And, who did I hate the most last night?  Oh, that's easy, Ari and Staella.  Staella was acceptable as a contestant and human being, but if Ari is as remotely shrill and obnoxious in real life as he appeared last night on the show, I can't imagine how he and Staella are friends (or, really, how he's friends with anyone).  I had absolutely no problem with them stealing the taxi, all's fair in love and money, it really was the man's voice that killed me.  Thank goodness they got booted, because one more screech from him and my eardrums would have started to bleed. 

I was a little disappointed that two of the all-women teams last night (Shana & Jennifer and Marianna & Julia) stated right off the bat that they fully intend to use their bodies to get ahead.  Shana & Jennifer even discussed how their winning would lead to a million-dollar shopping spree.  It made me wonder, what is the going rate for a brain these days?  Every season it seems like there is one team that states that they will be using their bodies to get ahead (or maybe just does it instead of talking about it).  Using your body to get money, isn't there a term for that?

Gaby certainly knew that term last night on Desperate Housewives.  She was offered all that money by B.J. Hunnicut (you can call him "Mike Farrell" or "Victor's Dad," but he'll always be with the 4077th to me) for staying with Victor.  I don't know how I feel about that plot line, but I do love Gaby calling Carlos on acting in a similar manner when it came to money.

My biggest question about that show is why is Felicity Huffman is the only person on the show that gets to do straight drama?  I think she's great at it, but it troubles me that her storylines are always so serious and distressing.  Rarely does she get to do anything lighthearted.  I assume that this is because the producers believe her to be the only one that can pull the straight drama, but it means that the tone of her plots are always very different from the other women.  It feels like the producers use her as a dramatic crutch.  Have a serious storyline, something with no humor, perhaps something heart-wrenching?  Give it to Lynette!

Just one more heart-wrenching thing:  Larry David pretended to turn over a new leaf for the first five minutes of last night's Curb Your Enthusiasm.  I knew he was only hiding his true self, but it still caused me upset.  What if Larry wasn't an unmitigated ass?  If he hadn't come out with one of the most dastardly schemes he has ever attempted after pretending to be nice I would have been crushed.  It was only by getting his therapist arrested for helping him stage a pretend mugging that I was able to settle myself back down and mend my heart. 

A world with a kind Larry David is not one I want to live in.