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Meet the New Amazing Race Cast

BuzzSugar — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 05:30:00 PDT

Can you believe The Amazing Race has been on for 15 seasons?! And yet, I'm still hooked. The latest edition premieres at the end of this month on Sept. 27 on CBS. (Download my printable calendar as a reminder.) The network just released the photos for this installment's 12 teams, so size 'em up and then tell me which pair is your early favorite.

Photos courtesy of CBS

Talking With Amazing Race Winner Tammy Jih

FitSugar — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 12:00:00 PDT

When you're at the gym strength training, it's unlikely that you imagine yourself hauling a 50-pound block of cheese uphill or dead-lifting a pig on spit. However, if these fantasies entertain you, you should consider auditioning for The Amazing Race. I spoke with half the winning team from this season, Tammy Jih. She's a corporate lawyer in San Francisco and totally charming to boot. Not only do we live in the same town, but we both work out with the same trainer, Hannah, at Equinox - it's a small world. The Amazing Race is an intensely physical competition. Having never been athletic, Tammy started training in the pool once she knew she would be on the show. She didn't know really know how to swim and was certain there would be a water challenge. What she didn't know was that she would be swimming in Beijing, in the warm-up pool used by the Olympians, wearing a LZR suit. Learn what Tammy found to be the hardest challenge when you

read more. Aside from wearing a state-of-the-art swimsuit, the other fitness clothing Tammy swears by is lululemon. She told me

"I brought one pair of pants and one pair of capris that were both lululemon, but that material just works so well in the warm and the hot that I wore the capris under the long pants when I needed like a double layer . . . oh, it was cold! We went to Siberia . . . so it was cold!"

Unfortunately the challenge in Siberia involved running in underwear, and of course the challenge was filmed from behind. After going through so many challenges that pushed her emotionally as well as physically, this challenge was the hardest for her. She explains:

"I kept saying 'stop filming me from behind!' and I kept getting yelled at by the producers saying 'stop talking to the camera!' and I said, 'I don’t think you understand. No woman wants to see what they look like from behind in movement and in underwear!'"

In retrospect Tammy says she wished she had done more strength training before the show, but she still works out twice a week with Hannah and now she strength trains. She said, "Sometimes I imagine that we're still racing! When I'm running outside sometimes I'm imagining 'Oh! [Host of the show] Phil's going to be waiting for me, I better hurry up!'" The Amazing Race continues to inspire Tammy, even after she she won. Pretty cool, no? I probably won't be auditioning for the show anytime soon, but I am definitely going to watch next season. How about you? Photo courtesy of CBS

Link Time! 5/12

BuzzSugar — Tue, 12 May 2009 13:30:33 PDT

Neil Patrick Harris tops AfterElton's Hot 100 this year, while Portia de Rossi tops the AfterEllen list. - AfterElton and AfterEllen
Seven franchises J.J. Abrams should reboot. - Cinematical
Damon Lindelof compares the challenges of adapting Stephen King's Dark Tower series to the challenges Zack Snyder faced in adapting Watchmen. - MTV Movies Blog
An outpouring of love for Everybody Hates Chris. - TV Filter
Lily Allen's song "Why" is rather pretty and tender. - Stereogum
Yikes, how bad must Legally Mad have been for NBC to pass on it? - TV Squad
Check out how the Amazing Race winners are spending their $1 million. - SavvySugar
Wait a minute, Susanna Hoffs is writing new songs for The Bangles? - Spinner

Source

Meet the New Amazing Race Teams!

BuzzSugar — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 16:28:21 PDT

Well, Amazing Race fans, it's that time of year again when Americans looking for adventure - and their 15 minutes - team up and bound across the globe looking to win the title of. . .um, race winner? The 13th season premieres on Sunday, September 28 and while it's fun to watch each week to find out who is victorious, the game is also captivating because of the team relationship dynamics. So, who are the new folks willing to put their friendships/marriages/engagements/etc. on the line? Click "Start" and find out!

Photo courtesy of CBS

What's the Deal with Rogaining?

FitSugar — Fri, 16 Mar 2007 02:00:00 PDT

Recently I have been hearing a lot about people who are really into rogaining. I am relatively unfamiliar with this sport so I thought I'd look into it and you know what? It sounds like fun, especially since I dream about being on The Amazing Race!

Rogaining, once a sport practiced only in Austrailia, is gaining popularity worldwide. Basically rogaining is for teams (2-5 members) to go running or hiking cross-country, who have to navigate to controlled locations using only a map, compass and a watch. Most rogaines are 24-hour events (though some can be less) where the object is to score points by finding checkpoints located in the rogaine area within the race time. If you're wondering why people would want to do such a game? Well teamwork, endurance, competition and an appreciation of the natural environment are to be gained from rogaining. Plus it's generally open to all levels, so families can do it together. Since rogaining does not require specialized equipment, and the navigation is not particularly tricky, even novices can do well enough to feel proud of themselves at the end of the day.

To find a rogaining event near you, and for more information on the sport, visit the American Bushwhacking Club online.

The Buzz Reel: The Week's Best and Worst TV

BuzzSugar — Fri, 23 Feb 2007 12:20:20 PST

Every week on BuzzSugar's weekly clip show, The Buzz Reel, I round up the week's best, funniest, strangest, and most embarrassing moments in television for your amusement.

On this week's Buzz Reel, we've got a big handful of hilarious clips from shows we love - and some we don't - including "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip," "The OC," "Amazing Race," and much more. To watch this week's episode,

Link Time! 2/20

BuzzSugar — Tue, 20 Feb 2007 14:55:44 PST

Popwatch and this photo are begging you to get your caption on.
Best Week Ever brings us the 7 Wonders of the Celebrity World, including Keira Knightley's chin and Suri Cruise.
Pop Candy points out that Fox is posting the first four episodes of the new Rob Corddry sitcom, "The Winner," online for free.
Reeling ponders this weekend's unusually high box office sales.
Did anyone catch the "West Wing" shout out on "Studio 60" last night? Give Me My Remote did.
I Guess I'm Floating posts what might be the awesomest music-fest lineup yet, for the Sasquatch festival.
TV with MeeVee loves some of the Oscar presenters - and is baffled by a few others.
Film Rotation wants as many sequels to Bad Santa as possible. Seriously.
One Slant blogger thinks Jennifer Hudson has the Best Supporting Actress Oscar in the bag.
TV Squad gets the details of Delta's deal to show HBO programming on some flights.
BuddyTV talks with the first team eliminated from "The Amazing Race: All-Stars"
An Aquarium Drunkard posts a Neko Case cover of Bob Dylan's "Buckets of Rain."

Casting Call: The CBS Reality Shows

BuzzSugar — Fri, 15 Dec 2006 06:38:14 PST

So you think you could hold your own on a desert island? Keep your cool in a house full of strangers? Solve puzzles all over the world without alienating your boyfriend? Now's your chance to prove it.

CBS has put applications online for the next seasons of its three major reality shows, "Survivor", "Big Brother" and "The Amazing Race". All of the applications have to be submitted with a brief video that shows off why you could be a star. "Survivor" also has scheduled a number of open casting calls, some of them in rather odd locations. I mean, I know "Survivor" films in remote places, but Little Chute, Wisconsin?

The application instructions for "Survivor" notes that chosen contestants will be "adventurous" (gee, really?), "adaptable to new environments" and have "interesting lifestyles, backgrounds and personalities." "The Amazing Race" is looking only for people who enjoy living in close proximity to others.

Some of the disclaimers are fairly amusing: Hopefuls can't become candidates for office until after all the episodes have aired - so I guess that means Dennis Kucinich won't be applying. The "Big Brother" instructions tell applicants to include a full-length photo of themselves - and specify that they must be clothed.

A deadline for "Big Brother" hasn't been announced, but "Amazing Race" applications must be in by Jan. 16, and "Survivor" packets are due Jan. 30. So if you want to be the next prime-time reality star, you'd better get that video camera rolling.

Source

Meet the Cast of the Amazing Race Season 20

Lizzie Fuhr — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 11:25:42 PST

It's time to mark your calendar, because The Amazing Race season 20 kicks off February 19. In the meantime, it's time to get to know the 11 dynamic duos that will be competing for the big bucks. Click through to get our first impressions and learn all about how the teams are related!

Photos courtesy of CBS

What to Expect When You're Expecting Set Visit: Elizabeth Banks on Her Fake Bump and Personal Baby Joy

Becky Kirsch — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 16:05:11 PST

Some of the biggest names in Hollywood will share the big screen in the upcoming comedy What to Expect When You're Expecting, which follows different mothers-to-be as they prepare for the arrivals of their bundles of joy. Cameron Diaz, Brooklyn Decker, Anna Kendrick, and Elizabeth Banks are among the famous ladies who strapped on fake baby bumps to portray different kinds of pregnant women, and Banks's character, Wendy, doesn't exactly have an easy time of it.

I visited the Atlanta set of the film last year, where Banks was shooting a climactic scene in which her character addresses all the woes of pregnancy - in an auditorium with a rather large audience. The hilarious meltdown, which you can see in the opening of the trailer for What to Expect When You're Expecting, includes harsh truths like "I'm calling it: pregnancy sucks." It was great fun to see Banks film the passionate speech again and again, especially since the funny lady mixed up her one-liners from one take to another. What was even more interesting was seeing all of the extras who played the audience members, since the group of women was a mix of actual pregnant women and women rocking fake baby bumps.

I chatted with Banks about her own experience filming the movie, and she revealed that she actually felt like she was in her own little movie, since she doesn't have much screen time with her costars. Banks was refreshingly honest about not having any parenting tips and also admitted that though welcoming her son, Felix, has brought her a great deal of joy, it hasn't changed her stance on how she feels about kids in general. Here's more of what Banks had to say about pregnancy and motherhood:

What inspired you to take this role?
Elizabeth Banks: I cried when I read the script. It has a really great ending: at the end of the movie, everybody has a baby! It really is just a very relatable story for everyone: anybody who is a parent, has considered being a parent, has a baby, whatever. It's just very universal, what happens in the film. We really explore so many great storylines and different paths to getting a child. I had a unique path to getting my son, so I understand how everybody's path to their child is different.

How does it feel to wear the bump?
EB: It's sweaty! [Laughs] I think it's probably a decent approximation; it weighs a good 10 lbs. The boobs weigh about 6 lbs. They are really unbelievable. It's fun. It definitely makes you sit and walk in a totally different way. As an actor, it's a great prop.

How did you change when you became a mom?
EB: I get drunk much faster and easier, and it's a big problem, so I can't go out very much. I find that I underestimated the amount of joy. I'm really learning about my capacity for joy through my son.

To see what Banks had to say about baby fever and her parenting tips, just keep reading.