A Random Thought! I really do NOT like Rob and Amber!

[MINE!!]

Hmmm.... I think I just wasted a few seconds of my life there.. Think I need to go back to bed.....

 

[Morticia]

Ha! That is random but I feel the same way. He just seems like a loud mouth knucklehead and she is beyond boring....

 

[Mara]

Haha I LOVE them!!

But Rob has to grow on you. Hated him in the first Survivor, kind of like him during the second and then when he fell in love with her I was kind of like..well is this real or not etc but I was rooting for them both anyway since it was a nice twist and the show was boring.

Then they were on the Amazing Race which we had just started watching and man was that hilarious! All the other teams hated them (oh they won already, they don't need to win again!) but they are very competitive and did great. I LOVED watching Rob try to figure out some devious way to get ahead....of course no one liked them at all, but the show was made for me by watching them. Interestingly enough you also get to watch relationship dynamics between them, Amber is very quiet and easy-going and she picks her battles. He is very caring with her and would never leave her behind while running or he would carry her etc, VERY supportive during the race when other couples were like 'COME ON YOU'RE MISSING IT!!' he'd like..'come on baby you can do it!'

Anyway, they came in second but I loved how they played the race, which was hard, and how they seemed solid as a couple when other couples were just having melt-downs by the minute due to all the stress. I know there is no way G and I could go on a show like that, we'd be filing for divorce by the end.

So then the Rob and Amber Get Married show was on this week...I figured well hey it's cheesy but whatever, I like wedding stuff. I was surprised at how much fun it was to watch. And again it gave more insight into their characters, seeing them at their houses with their families. Did anyone else see it? I was totally blown away by how SWEET he is to her! How thoughtful! She said a few times in sidebars that his tough guy persona is just an act, when she gave him his RedSox wedding gift, he actually started to cry, I thought it was so cute. And the surprise he did for her, totally decorating and furnishing the secret house his dad had built for them? VERY CUTE...he flew to ZGallerie to shop at her favorite store, chose all these things, chose paint colors 'she doesn't like white walls', had all his friends help with the surrpise and setting it up. The thing that touched me was a big tough guy like Rob going 'Ambah likes canopy beds, so obviously not my style but I'm getting one for her'....I mean what guy would WANT to sleep in a canopy bed for his new wife? Too cute. No way could I see G doing that!

Anyway the whole thing was very sweet and now I really like them more than ever. They seemed very real and down to earth on the show regardless of 'fame' or money. So again, REALLY disliked Rob the first time around but now I am like a big mushpot when it comes to them, I am so happy they got married and hope they last forevah!!!

 

[Momoftwo]

I think they''re pretty cool. They both seem to have their heads on straight and are very close to their families. They adore each other and watching their wedding show gave insight into how good they are at compromising. They both did really nice things for each other. His tough act is just that, an act. Like Amber said, he''s really very sensitive and loving. For a couple that''s worth at least a million dollars, the house they''ll be living in is pretty average in size and while nicely decorated ( I don''t think Rob''s buddies did that at all, but it made for good tv) it wasn''t what you''d expect. Like she said, they''re both young (25 and 2 and, Rob said, it''s only a million. What he obviously meant was they couldn''t live the rest of their lives off of that. I love how people hated him on Survivor because all he did was play the game very, very well. It cracks me up when those on the show get upset and are shocked because someone else playing the game, lied to them. Hey, they''re all playing to win, otherwise, why bother? Anyway, the point is, Rob and Amber seem to make a great couple and have wonderful relationships with their friends and families. They both come from intact families and have close relationships with their parents and siblings. It made me respect them more.

 

[MissAva]

Okay not to sound stupid...but who are Rob and Amber?

 

[Momoftwo]

Matatora, see these links and they''ll give you info on them:

http://www.cbs.com/primetime/amazing_race7/teams/rob/

http://www.realitytvworld.com/index/articles/story.php?s=3425

There''s more, just do a search for Rob and Amber

 

[websailor]

I missed the wedding show, but on Survivor and the Amazing Race, I found them to be disgusting in their behavior towards the other people on the shows... I admired some of the other people/couples much more.

That being said, they did do well in these shows which are not character building but character destroying IMHO....

 

[KBerly]

i agree with websailor...Amber is definitely the better half, but how they acted on the Amazing Race totally turned me off, yes it was a "game" or whatever, but blah, i could do without them. let them be married, and not be on anymore shows

 

[Momoftwo]

It's tv folks and it's edited. That said, such reactions to people you don't know based on days of film edited down to hours is interesting to me. I'm sure everyone of us would come off as different than we really are were we to compete on a tv show to win money by outsmarting others. Just like anyone who thinks they know someone by what they post online would probably be very surprised were they to spend lots of time with someone. It's a snapshot. I've already seen it on here just by how people's perceptions are formed by an opinion on one topic. Everyone's opinions are valid. No one ever said these were to be character building games/competitions, but I'd also say, they are not like they played the game in everyday life. They're competitive people. Could any of you compete on either of the shows? I couldn't, so I won't second guess their motives or what or how it was edited. On the wedding show for those who watched it which I did, they came across as extremely sweet and caring, and because that was their real life, not a competition, I tend to believe that's more them than the other shows.

 

[Mara]

The whole point of a Survivor or Amazing Race type game is to WIN! Not to build rapport or great relationships with the other teams. I can do that in the comfort of my own home...don't need to go suffer out in the wilderness to make friends.

Personally I know I couldn't hack it on any sort of survival or race show...I'm too impatient and not a great poker player...hee hee...not to mention all the physical stuff....I'd be a huge whiner about being hungry or tired, and Greg would be forced to kill me and that would all just be VERY BAD.

I really liked a few of the teams personalities on the AR, aka the winners were just such a good couple to each other and very sweet and I liked the older couple because they were SO strong for their age...but no one had the drive that Rob and Amber had. Or more specifically ROB! It was actually very interesting to watch and made the show all that more intriguing for us, especially when they were paired against really nice people like the older couple and Uchenna and Joyce.

But a few times I was screaming at the TV going ITS A RACE.....aka when the two brothers' Jeep broke down and the gay couple stopped to HELP. To HELP? There are what, 20 video cameramen around filming it, don't you think if something was really wrong, they'd be assisting and not video taping? Instead the two guys freak out, stops their car and lose what...30 minutes standing there freaking out about their COMPETITOR'S Jeep turning over. Even the brothers' were like...please get back in your car and GO!!!

Rob and Amber drive by and I totally cracked up when Rob made the comment about it being too bad the Jeep turned over but it WAS a race, because I couldn't agree more. But then the gay couple remarked it was 'so typical' of R/A to drive by. Hello, again a RACE?! Why come on the show and do all that to just be nice to your competitors especially when they aren't even hurt?! Sure if someone is hurt, stop and help them, but just to pull over to freak out?? Useless.

Rob has a strong personality, Amber is much more mellow and along for the ride and I think she balances him out...but again this just goes to show IMO how having a strong personality and speaking what is in your mind can be such a negative thing to certain types of people. Also as Momo pointed out...it's TV and it's edited and I think they choose what makes for the best ratings.

 

[bluedawg]

Love ''em. They made the AR totally watchable. And they were one of three pairs on the whole show that didn''t argue or bicker or berate each other.
Liked Amber, loved Rob on Survivor. He''s a schemer, but that''s the point.

But don''t love ''em enough to watch their wedding special.

 

[jenwill]

Initially, like many others, I was not a fan of either. But I have come around to really liking them, and I enjoyed seeing some of their ''real'' personas emerge during their wedding special.

Mara had a good point- during the Amazing Race (which i watch every season) Rob and Amber had a way of communicating with each other that was noticeably different from the other teams. Even the ''nice'' teams had moments of screaming at each other (remember the double decker buses?), but Rob and Amber never had a cross word for each other- even when they did things incorrectly (like getting lost). It was always a team effort, and whichever one had to sit out a task always complimented some portion of the task that the partner had just completed.

During Survivor- you may not have liked Rob''s scheming, but he never did anything truly bad- he was just a schemer in a game that depends on scheming to stay around. Initially his smugness was a turn-off to me, but then I think you would have to have some chutzpah to go on that show to begin with...so more power to him.

 

[fire&ice]

I have mixed feellings about them. My heart thinks they are in love & have complimentary personality traits - i.e. they seem to make a good team. My cynical head wonders if it just ALL ABOUT THEM and/or if they are just good actors.

That being said, time will tell - but I''m routing for them in their game THAT IS matrimony! I think they are cute. And I know this kind of pairing can have a very successful marriage.

Funny, I have been trying to get hubby to try out for Survivor. He''s a straight forward guy that holds his cards close to his chest & DEFINTELY falls under the radar. No one thinks he''s a threat.

 

[Mara]

F&I I totally wondered about their relationship and all after Survivor....seen WAY too many seasons of the Bachelor and people not staying together...BUT having seen them on the Amazing Race...you really need to be a strong couple and seriously mentally aligned to get through that race as well-behaved towards each other as they were.

There were times when I looked at Greg and told him...oh man we could NEVER go on this show together. Double decker busses? That would be me and him. hehehe. However, Rob and Amber as Jen pointed out were just really good to each other. It was always teamwork...and even if Rob was on the sidebars going 'where is Amber...' he was always very positive when calling out to her and giving her good feedback...as opposed to other teams screaming at each other and/or putting each other down. For me even in those high pressure situations, they either worked together or the other team member diffused the situation, aka she can calm him down when he is freaking out etc. I loved when he carried her at the last leg after she had done the dive and swim...most other team members just trail behind the guy or whatever. Also the other thing is that they both seemed to have a good handle on knowing each other, aka she knew when he was good at something and let him lead and vice versa. It wasn't like the other teams who were fighting about how to do something (remember the book carrying one?)...they really seemed to respect each other's strengths and let them go forward if necessary.

So after seeing them on AR I knew it was love, and honestly I think their marriage has a really good chance after being under that kind of pressure and 24/7 living situation with someone to come out of it as together as they both did. I hope so anyway!!

F&I...oh my god I would love it if your hubby went on Survivor! Just make sure to tell us. I actually think Greg would be great as well, EVERYONE likes him, he is very unassuming and laid back but he's a very smart boy!

 

[websailor]

On Survivor I could watch Rupert or Rudy every single show and be totally entertained. And don''t even try to tell me that they were not strong competitors.... You can be competitive and yet still hold to the higher ground...but that is not what the shows are about.

I do realized that the TV shows have been heavily edited. Having been in the news spotlight a few times I know how much different reality can be from what ends up on the tube.

Perhaps the wedding show did give them the vehicle to exhibit different behavior...but then again it would be heavily edited and it was about two people in love and getting married....so what scenes do you think would be emphasized?

In the times I''ve watched them I have come away with the thought that the two of them deserve each other, for what that''s worth. I do hope they have a successful and long marriage. Their communication skills with each other do seem to work well, as was well shown on AR.

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A strange thought is forming in my head... a Pricescope game show in virtual reality. We could start a topic, everyone who wanted could volunteer to be on a team (ha, ha, how about the RBs vs the Fancies), and we could set up tests (jewelry related of course) where the failing team whould have to vote off a member.....

PMs could be used to set up alliances....

We''d have to get someone to play Jeff Probst....

Calling Leonid.......

 

[MINE!!]

I''ll be Jeff... I know I would get voted off pretty early if I played!

So I will be jeff.. ah jeffina

 

[Mara]

Date: 5/27/2005 8:25:28 PM
Author: websailor
On Survivor I could watch Rupert or Rudy every single show and be totally entertained. And don''t even try to tell me that they were not strong competitors.... You can be competitive and yet still hold to the higher ground...

Now I am curious! What exactly does ''holding to the higher ground'' mean? I don''t recall Rob doing anything that any other sneaky competitor in the past didn''t do. Did I miss something?

 

[websailor]

Date: 5/27/2005 8:45:18 PM
Author: Mara

Date: 5/27/2005 8:25:28 PM
Author: websailor
On Survivor I could watch Rupert or Rudy every single show and be totally entertained. And don't even try to tell me that they were not strong competitors.... You can be competitive and yet still hold to the higher ground...

Now I am curious! What exactly does 'holding to the higher ground' mean? I don't recall Rob doing anything that any other sneaky competitor in the past didn't do. Did I miss something?

Mara,

Well I didn't say that Rob did not do things that were as sneaky as some of the other competitors. Certainly he did. Hopefully the standard you are espousing is not "anything goes as long as someone has done it". If so, then we are talking about apples and oranges...errr, make that - we are talking about entirely different subjects.

I admit to not finding an exact definition of "hold to the higher ground" - probably because there is not one. However a Google search leads to a lot of references to the phrase "higher ground" from which you can easily understand what it means. Here are a couple of citations I found interesting:

NORMATIVE ETHICS - The Structure of Moral Theory

and something from a site for Law Judges (I bolded the words)

Ethics, Bias and Judging: Reaching Higher Ground: A Web-Based Course
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Course Description:
Using hypothetical scenarios, online discussions, role-playing and interaction with faculty members, participants will
explore a variety of ethical issues facing the judiciary. After attending this course, participants will be able to
distinguish between proper and improper personal conduct in courtroom and community activities as well as proper
and improper communication between litigants, lawyers, judges and others; rule with confidence, knowing their decisions
are ethically appropriate; recognize and discuss the importance of learning about different cultures and their impact
on courtrooms; describe the impact of bias and stereotyping on court proceedings; and reduce the effect of bias and
prejudice to maintain the integrity of the court process.


Regarding what behavior Rob exhibits - these are only two examples....you could find more if you like. These are from the CBS Survivor website which describe briefly what goes on in each episode. I put some key items in italics.

http://www.cbs.com/primetime/survivor8/show/episode14/s8story5.shtml
In the end, Tom kept his promise to Amber and Rob by writing down the name he was told. However, Amber and Rob didn't keep their promise to Tom by writing down his name. Livid, Big Tom was shocked as he witnessed the four-to-one vote that
expelled him from the Chaboga Mogo tribe.
In the previous episode:
After Tom Buchanan, the 48-year-old tribe member of SURVIVOR: AFRICA from Rich Valley, Virginia, was offered the chance
to invite another castaway and their loved one to join them, he looked over his tribe for a moment before he chose Rob
Mariano, the 28-year-old All-Star of SURVIVOR: MARQUESAS from Canton, Massachusetts.

http://www.cbs.com/primetime/survivor8/show/episode10/s8story.shtml

After a tribal merge, the newly formed Chaboga Mogo tribe didn't waste any time practicing the art of politicking and
deception, to the horror of certain tribe members. Although Rob had assured him he'd be taken care of, Lex van den Berghe, the 40-year-old All-Star of SURVIVOR: AFRICA from Santa Cruz, California, was shocked to hear he was on the chopping
block after losing an extremely close Immunity Challenge. At a rain-soaked Tribal Council, Lex realized that his earlier
choice of saving Rob's girl, Amber, had been a disastrous mistake as the Chaboga Mogo tribe evicted Lex in a seven-to-two
decision.


So I ask myself is this behavior that which I would want to see in someone that, quoting you, "Haha I LOVE them!!". For me personally, no. And when there are other successful competitors (Rupert) who do not act this way, then my choice is really clear.

I understand the whole idea of these being games, and with the rules they have, you will never find me even considering going on one of them. I know ahead of time that there will be people like Rob (and worse, he's actually not so terribly bad as compared to some others on Survivor), but he, like every other competitor in the game, is choosing his own actions. As I've watched the shows there are some actions I like to see and other actions I do not.

Granted these are just my opinions and you are free to like or dislike whom you may.

For some Rob is

, for others, Rob is

 

[Mara]

mmmm....no 'espousing' here...i'm just a simple little pscoper who likes reality tv and thinks there is more to someone than what meets the eye on television.

rob is neither

nor

to me...funny, he's somewhere in between, like most human beings. those pedestals are such pesky things!

 

[websailor]

I always laugh when I hear "reality TV" - because it is so completely unreal to me!

This was an interesting article about how Rob and Amber have changed AR - Rob and Amber''s success hurts ‘Amazing Race’

 

[Mara]

I personally like this one http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7644765/ about how some love and some hate the couple.

Re: deserving to be on the Race...if CBS puts them on it, then they have the ''right'' to be there...CBS is footing the bill after all!

 

[websailor]

Maybe I should go post some of these comments over there..... It looks like most of them feel the same way that I do.

 

[Mara]

Date: 5/28/2005 2:24:00 AM
Author: websailor
Maybe I should go post some of these comments over there..... It looks like some of them feel the same way that I do.

I think that is a fabulous idea...Enjoy!

 

[Momoftwo]

Liking Rob and Amber in no way changes or really affects my life in any way. I just thought they were very entertaining and the scheming you saw in front of the camera I have seen in real people in the real world, only behind others backs. Dont' think that Rob is any different than a lot of people are. There is no "higher" ground on these reality shows. Why go on them if you're not going to pull out all the legal stops to win? That's why they're there, not to be moral compasses for anyone else. No one watches these shows to learn how to behave, just for the pure entertainment of it all. What I mostly get out of Survivor is a good laugh at the idea that the other competitors are surprised to find out they're being lied to while they're also lying to everyone else. Don't buy that there is a single competitor who has even been on the show that hasn't lied to save his butt. They all have. What I have seen is all personality types and while some are very open and willing to risk their position, which usually gets them voted off, most are sneaking around making deals. Kind of like gossip you hear everyday at any job. Only that doesn't get shown to millions of people on tv.

BTW, I've watched every season of Survivor, because I enjoy it, so I've seen all the scheming that they've shown. What I'd love to see is all the footage that got edited out. I'm sure people would be shocked by some of the behavior of the "nice" contestants. No one is perfect, by a long shot.

 

[websailor]

Date: 5/28/2005 2:33:00 AM
Author: Mara

Date: 5/28/2005 2:24:00 AM
Author: websailor
Maybe I should go post some of these comments over there..... It looks like some of them feel the same way that I do.

I think that is a fabulous idea...Enjoy!

I will!



====================

Sorry, I couldn''t resist that foks! I think I''m ready to collect that bet re "the last word" now......

====================

Momoftwo,

I''d love to see some of the extra footage too. Also some about what the booted off folks are saying back in their resort hotels.

As this discussion on this topic went on it did remind me of things at work, and in my personal life, and on Pricescope. Sadly the reality TV shows are partly a reflection of the society we live in....


Have to head off on vacation, so while it''s been fun, by the time we get back this will all be LOST history.....


See I got to plug another show

 

[MINE!!]

LOL>.... Seems that my random thought spread..LOL

 

[MissAva]

Thanks for posting links....now I remember why I dont watch reality TV...it is just to weird for me. I feel like a peeping Tom. I would hate someone taping me for 7 days and then cutting it in to about 35min of my most dramatic moments. No good.

Even really nice people can have a bad day due to headaches stress or a bad nights sleep and be snappy for a bit. It makes me wonder how they get these people on these shows, I did a quick serach on google and there are a ton of these shows on, they even have chick version of the bachleor..... I dont get it.

 

[fire&ice]

Date: 5/28/2005 10:28:07 AM
Author: MINE!!
LOL>.... Seems that my random thought spread..LOL

Yes, and now we are debating the morals or lack thereof of game show contestants?

 

[MINE!!]

Date: 5/28/2005 10:51:52 AM
Author: fire&ice

Date: 5/28/2005 10:28:07 AM

Author: MINE!!

LOL>.... Seems that my random thought spread..LOL

Yes, and now we are debating the morals or lack thereof of game show contestants?

LOL.. Prime example on how a scratch can turn into a wound..

 

[Momoftwo]

Well, since the whole reason some people dont'' like Rob is because of his behavior on the shows, it only makes sense that it would be discussed.