They're using casting agents now?

[Leo]

I was reading the D&J and R&C interviews when I came across these lines:

D&J's interview:

Whose idea was it to apply for the race?

Jeff: Casting agents.

David: We were in a bar in Santa Monica, and these two girls came up to us and asked us if we'd like to be on a reality television show. We were like "maybe, but we're kind of busy." But we decided to go through the casting process, which involved meeting almost everyone at CBS in one day, and long story short, they chose us to do the race.

R&C's interview:

Whose idea was it to apply for the Race?

Reichen: We didn't apply. Chip and I were in Colorado Springs for the Air Force football game against Notre Dame. We had flown out there just for that game, because we're both pretty big fans of college ball. I had bought us hats and myself an AFA jersey. Chip had left to Connecticut for business, and I went back to LA. My best friend called, and wanted to take me out for a drink and to get some food, but I didn't want to go. He finally talked me into it, and it was just the right place at the right time. Two minutes after I walked into the restaurant, I'm in my AFA jersey and cap, and this guy walks up to me and says "you're exactly what I'm looking for. I'm a casting agent for The Amazing Race, and would you PLEASE come in to CBS and interview for it?" I said yeah, and he said "do you have a father, brother, friend that can do it with you?" I told him I had a husband, and he said "oh my god, this is great!" I called Chip, he flew back into town, and we went in the next day to start interviewing, and before I knew it, we were getting our vaccinations for a race around the world.

That caught me off-guard. I can't recall any of the TAR 3 teams saying that casting agents had been used. Did TAR start using casting agents to look actively for contestants with this season, or had they done it before?

If it is new, I'm not entirely sure it's a good thing.

[Luna]

I know, when I read that too, I wondered why they were using casting agents...

[audiomaster]

I was wondering about that too... Maybe to have more INTERESTING couples on the show instead of those "I lived my life simple and clean... Have a stable job and a great family" people...

[John]

I am 100% against casting agents grabbing contestants for a show in which applications are requested.

I look at it as the equivalent of putting an ad in the paper for a job opening, then hiring your cousin instead.

My disgust at finding that two of the top three teams is pretty high at the moment, and I'm sure when the truth about this season's crop of Survivor contestants is known, I'll be even more disgusted.

I'm not saying C&R and D&J aren't great guys and good competitors, but if you're taking applications, you should fill positions from those applications.

[LAGuy]

I'm pretty upset and discouraged about this, too -- especially since I have applied for the past two races myself. (And me & my teammate would be great choices, if I do say so myself. Our "pre-existing relationship" hasn't been featured on TAR yet, and I think it would be unique and interesting for the viewers to see.)

Maybe to have more INTERESTING couples on the show instead of those "I lived my life simple and clean... Have a stable job and a great family" people...

Though they might be nice guys, David & Jeff hardly constitute an INTERESTING team. And I'm sure there were dozens of other Alpha Male-type teams who legitimately applied and could have taken their slot.

I've been leary of the whole application process since I applied for TAR3, however. I called the production company about a week after the apps were due -- just to get an idea of what the timeline for hearing anything might be -- and was told then that they had pretty much already completed making their initial selections. I wondered how it was possible for them to have gone through thousands of applications and videos in such a short amount of time, and figured that they probably just randomly selected a couple hundred apps to look at and discarded the rest. That was bad enough, but finding out now that TAR is "casting" people from outside the application process is very, very discouraging.

So, despite filling out the applications, getting photos taken, making the video, etc., it looks like our chances would be better if we just hung out in bars all the time.

[Bill747]

I am 100% against casting agents grabbing contestants for a show in which applications are requested. I look at it as the equivalent of putting an ad in the paper for a job opening, then hiring your cousin instead. My disgust at finding that two of the top three teams is pretty high at the moment...

I am also disgusted to find out some teams did not even apply but were approached by casting agents. I no longer consider this my favorite reality show, although I still enjoy the travel aspect of the show.

No wonder Reichen and Chip repeated the drive-instead-of-walk error, they probably never watched TAR 3 or any episodes of TAR.

[Leo]

I've given the subject some more thought, and I like it even less. TAR has, in the past, been blessed diverse and interesting teams. Still, as some FORTers have commented, this season's cast did not seem to be as good (the ATCs, the clowns, and T&J notwithstanding). Can the use of casting agents be blamed? I think so.

I do not want this show to go the way of Survivor, the casting of which has, IMHO, largely become a joke. The moment I hear TAR is now casting at Belly's, it will no longer be my favorite show.

[fluff]

I think it's really unfair to use casting agents for these shows.
Look at BB4 too, we know the five ex's at least were approached to be on the show so out of all the applications they received they only selected 8 people. Five of those were ultimately selected because they had an ex who could also go on the show.

There seems to be very little point sending in applications for some reality shows.

[karalott]

I agree with all of you. I've never applied to a show before, but by the looks of the application, it probably takes a lot of time and money send in you tape and get everything arranged. I remember reading an interview with Danny (or Oswald, one of those 2), and he said they were approached by someone while they were out shopping, and says they had never even seen the first show. This may have already been posted, so forgive me if it has, but other contestants on other shows have said that they applied for one show, but were told they'd be better on another (there's a bunch I can think of off the top of my head.) It makes me wonder how many of the teams that have been on the race actually applied because they wanted to be. I agree that David and Jeff weren't exactly the most entertaining team, so I wonder what that casting agent is thinking now. They should stick to the application process; I'd like to see some different types of teams besides the relationship or friendship types.

[tokimeki]

I feel disappointed about the whole casting thing.
I really wish Kelly and Jon won the thing.