Last night I finally got around to watching Tuesday's premiere of "The Amazing Race 9." As is usually the case in the early stages, the producers have opted to portray each team in the broadest possible strokes, playing up each and every exaggerated behavior displayed by contestants.

That particular strategy is brilliant because it helps the audience quickly overcome the challenge of distinguishing between 11 different teams in just 2 hours time. Viewers can just slap a quick label on each team (e.g., "The Nerds," "The Hippies," "The Frat Guys," etc.) and everyone becomes instantly memorable.

The problem with that approach, however, is that when each team's most over-the-top behavior is used to define them, everyone comes off as pretty unlikable from the start. In fact, the only team that didn't get on my nerves during Tuesday's episode was David & Lori ("The Nerds"). They never bickered. They never belittled each other or other teams. They never made fun of the locals. They never boasted about how much better they were than everyone else. And that's why I'm rooting for them. But can they win?

Here's how I'm handicapping this season's teams.

THE FRONTRUNNERS...

Joseph & Monica
Received practically no air time in the premiere, usually a positive omen because it suggests the producers are going to let us get to know them slowly over the course of the entire race. They finished in the middle of the pack Tuesday, but didn't really hit any big speed bumps along the way. That kind of consistency pays off in the long run.
Pro: Under-the-radar success has produced a lot of past winners.
Con: Youth may hurt them when dealing with adversity.
Odds: Even

Ray & Yolanda
As with Joseph & Monica, we learned very little about them in Tuesday's episode, meaning they should stick around awhile. These two exude a quiet confidence under pressure. They also seem to work very well together, though sparks could fly later.
Pro: Combination of intelligence and athleticism usually a huge advantage.
Con: Appear a bit standoffish, which could hurt them when interacting with locals.
Odds: 5 to 2

BJ & Tyler
These two hippies get along really well together, and their appearance could cause other teams to dismiss them initially. With more strong finishes like Tuesday's, that will change quickly.
Pro: Teamwork, teamwork, teamwork.
Con: Obsession with their wacky image could conflict with race goals.
Odds: 4 to 1

THE CONTENDERS...

Eric & Jeremy
Self-avowed slackers, these two are easily the strongest team in the race, physically speaking. Their frat boy posturing wears a bit thin, but a friendly interaction with a helicopter pilot on Tuesday suggests they may be more down to earth than initially portrayed.
Pro: Physical tasks should be a breeze.
Con: Too easily distracted by attractive female competitors.
Odds: 7 to 1

David & Lori
Far and away the most likable couple in the race, nothing seems to frustrate them. This kind of amiable team is a rarity these days on "Race," so let's hope they stick around for awhile.
Pro: Grace under pressure could catapult them into the lead quickly.
Con: Lack of competitive drive.
Odds: 10 to 1

Lake & Michelle
This season's terrible twosome. Embracing just about every stereotype about gender roles in the deep south, Lake is as big a jerk you can get to be without being a career criminal. Fittingly, another team has already nicknamed him "Scott Peterson."
Pro: Extremely self-reliant.
Con: Bickering teams may progress far, but they rarely win.
Odds: 15 to 1

THE LONG SHOTS...

Wanda & Desiree
One of the more likable twosomes this year, it's nice to see a parent/child team that actually gets along well. Let's hope they don't start wearing on each others' nerves.
Pro: Excellent team interaction.
Con: No one to handle physically demanding tasks.
Odds: 20 to 1

Danielle & Dani
By opting for the motorcycle task on Tuesday, these ladies quickly illustrated a tendency to make bad decisions. Worse yet, they seem to be treating the race as their own personal dating service, a strategy that has instantly killed the hopes of every team that has tried it.
Pro: Sex appeal.
Con: Everything else.
Odds: 30 to 1

Lisa & Joni
While their exuberance is endearing, at times it smacks of Ugly American-ism. These two struggled often in Tuesday's premiere, and are already frontrunners for elimination in the race's second leg.
Pro: Good attitudes often carry weak teams farther than expected...
Con: ...but winning takes a lot more than a good attitude.
Odds: 50 to 1

Fran & Barry
When both members of a team repeatedly walk within two feet of a clue box and don't see it, the situation is pretty dire. "Race" producers should be commended for always finding room for sexagenarians on the show, but it's about time they cast an older team that can actually contend.
Pro: After 40 years of marriage, they know their strengths and weaknesses well.
Con: Knowing is only half the battle.
Odds: 100 to 1

ALREADY GONE...

John & Scott
Possibly the least competitive team ever cast on "The Amazing Race." At the very least, let's hope John has finally overcome his fear of flying.

"That show, 'The Amazing Race?' Is that show about white people?"
- Zach Galifianakis

Ever since "Rock Star: INXS" wrapped up its competition last September, my life has been reality show free. That drought will finally end Tuesday night with the return of CBS's "The Amazing Race."

I skipped the last edition of the show, the dreaded "Family" version, because I had little desire to watch parents and children play a watered down version of the game. Thankfully Tuesday will mark a return to normalcy for "Race," with teams once again consisting of just two members.

More importantly, all of the contestants will be adults. Part of me really hopes there are no assholes or religious zealots this time around, but deep down I know that those crazy contestants probably enhance my emotional involvement with the show. After all, if everyone was nice, I wouldn't care as much who won and who lost. But if there have to be jerks, I'd rather they be medium-sized jerks like Colin and Christy rather than over-sized jerks like Jonathan and Victoria.

CBS already has the website up for the new season, including team bios. Rest assured, I'll be posting regularly throughout the show's run.

An article on Slate.com provides the latest media coverage of Jonathan Baker and Victoria Fuller's dysfunctional behavior on CBS's "The Amazing Race." Columnist Dana Stevens (aka surfergirl) covers much of the same territory as last month's USA Today article, including Jonathan's apology (of sorts) on the couple's website. Stevens does describe some of Jonathan's more recent antics (including another raised backhand on this week's episode) and provides the latest dirt from the show's various message boards (where fans have given Victoria several codependency-themed nicknames, including "Victimoria" and "Vicnabler").

Jonathan's continuing tantrums certainly call into question executive producer Bertram Van Munster's claim in USA Today that the early episode outbursts were "the beginning, the middle and the end of" the bad behavior.

As the season has progressed, however, Victoria does appear to be standing up for herself more and more. Whether this is actual empowerment or simply creative editing is an open question. Reality shows are notorious, after all, for shaping contestant story arcs in the cutting room. On last season's "Race," eventual winners Chip and Kim butted heads with another team early on, only to earn (literal) forgiveness down the stretch by helping them find a race marker. Meanwhile, as the race wore on, runners-up Colin and Christie became increasingly ruthless and argumentative. This juxtaposition set up a final battle between good and evil (in which good prevailed, of course). Perhaps Victoria's discovery of a backbone will be the heartfelt resolution to this season's odyssey.

Or maybe the great and powerful Oz (or at least host Phil Keoghan) will give her some courage when she crosses the finish line.

[Slate] When Push Comes to Shove: The Amazing Race wife-abuse scandal

There are some indications out there that "Amazing Race" contestant Jonathan Baker isn't quite as monstrous as the show's editing suggests. USA Today ran a story on Tuesday about his behavior and the intense hatred for him expressed by "Race" fans on the web. (The story features some quotations from Jonathan that were included on this site in an earlier post.) At the story's conclusion, "Race" executive producer Bertram Van Munster says that Jonathan "is actually a nice guy." This corroborates an earlier statement made by a former contestant, Don St. Claire, who also maintains that Jonathan isn't so bad.

As for Jonathan's claim that medication he takes for Sarcoidosis is responsible for some of his outbursts, a quick check of one source confirms that Prednisone, a common medication for the disease, can cause "depression, euphoria, insomnia, mood swings, personality changes, and even psychotic behavior." Wow! Perhaps the man knows what he's talking about.

So does this mean [gasp!] that television may not always tell the whole story?

[USATODAY.com] Treatment of wife puts Jonathan in last place with viewers
[No True Bill] The Abusive Race
[Miami Herald.com] Another Lesson Learned on 'Amazing Race'
[MedicineNet.com] Prednisone

Of the dwindling number of reality shows I still find worth watching, "The Amazing Race" stands out as the best. Despite finally resorting to the outrageous casting that plague so many other shows, "Race" succeeds through its always interesting race challenges. While there are usually some over-the-top personalities among the contestants, these personalities are always filtered through the game (unlike, say, "Survivor," which devotes nearly half of every episode to the contestants' down time).

This season, however, the personalities are getting a little too big. The biggest belongs to "entrepreneur" Jonathan. No matter how many times this man screams at his weepy wife, Victoria, each new tantrum makes my draw drop just a little bit further. At one point, while arguing in the back of a taxi, Jonathan even raised his hand as if to smack Victoria into submission. Her immediate flinch suggests that this wasn't the first time the threat of physical violence had been made. Things have gotten so bad that host Phil Keoghan even gave Jonathan a mild scolding at the end of last week's episode (which for the usually emotionless Keoghan was extremely irregular).

Well, it turns out that Victoria was already quasi-famous before competing on "Race." You see, she's a former Playboy Playmate. Her full name is Victoria Fuller, and she was the Playmate of the Month for January 1996. The last 9 years seem to have been a mixed bag for her. On one hand, she's incredibly rich. On the other, she's married to Jonathan. Plus, at the age of 34, she's already earned the nickname "Botox" from her "Race" opponents.

If you've been watching "Race" this season, you owe it to yourself to visit Jonathan and Victoria's official website. In a recent post, Jonathan blames his villainous behavior on, get this, medication. He says he's sorry for his actions, but then shifts the blame back to the producers by writing, "I am deeply saddened by the storyline that CBS went with."

If you're dying for even more Jonathan and Victoria hilarity, head on over to VictoriaFuller.com. In a Flash-based video that appears in the bottom right corner of the site's home page, a mini-Victoria encourages visitors to join her fan club. What are the benefits of membership? Well, for one thing you can enter a contest to meet and hang out with her. She doesn't tell us whether or not Jonathan (and his medication) will be there.