America’s Toughest Jobs Episode 7 – Things I Would Never, Ever Do, Even For Money
I must admit that it is highly unlikely I would ever choose to be a rodeo clown, or drive a truck across Alaska, or do any of these jobs that we have seen this year. However, I would do all of them naked before I did the one this week.
You see, I have acrophobia. For those without a high English SAT score, that is fear of heights. This week, our final seven contestants had to do bridge maintenance and scale the Vincent Thomas Bridge in San Pedro, California.
Not. In. A. Million. Years.
I remember as a kid, my mom thought it was a good idea to take me for a walk across the Bear Mountain Bridge in Dutchess County, New York. She pulled the car to the side of the road and we took a walk. The path was a grate and had a large (or it felt large) gap between the floor and the rail. That walk still haunts me today. I freaked out and we got back in the car.
I also recall after 9-11 and the horrific scenes that we saw as people were forced to choose between being burned alive and plummeting to their death. A friend asked the question that many people asked – what would you do? My answer is the same now as it was then: I would rather have worked the most menial job in the world than take the highest paying job that would have put me in that building. I would never have been comfortable. I don’t even like visiting skyscrapers.
That out of the way, I can say for the first time that I totally, totally related to what Chris was going through this week. I still think he was unlikeable this season, but for someone that has my fears – and apparently he is one of them – this was an impossible task to overcome. And that became part of the problem with this episode. It was clear from the start that Chris was doomed and it took the drama right out of it.
Some thoughts:
- Of course Michaela is unfazed by heights. Woman would be unfazed by 15 gunshots in the chest. Just a flesh wound.
- Ben has another good week in a row – working construction helps – even though he made a god awful decision as the foreman. Why would you turn painting a bridge, standing on a ladder, into a race between the two teams? It’s almost as if he was asking for someone to screw up and get hurt.
- Steven in response to Sandy’s observation that he looked scared: “I always look like I’m scared.” Ha! I have no idea how he made the Final Six.
- So can anyone out there have done any of the following on this bridge: sweep up and clean the beams, climb up the suspension frame and change a light bulb and then climb a ladder and paint the cords? Heck, I don’t think I could have pulled the supplies up with the rope. When Chris struggled to do that, the writing was on the wall.
- Did it seem to anyone else that as they walked across that catwalk that none were tethered? NBC must have a gazillion dollars in insurance on this show and must have had these folks sign away their lives.
- That Jane lady that helped them bring the supplies up is, as my dad would have colorfully put it, one tough broad. I love how Chris gave her some love when he finished the first task.
- This may be the only show in history where we watched people sweep up dirt.
- Instead of having lunch on “top of the world” I would have lost my lunch on top of the world.
- There are some AMAZING camera shots in this episode of the contestants scaling the bridge. Very impressive.
- By the way, how did they convince the California government to allow this show to shoot on this bridge? What about traffic? It must have been off peak hours, but I’ll tell you, if I had an appointment to get to and was delayed because of a reality show, I’d be really, really pissed.
- Chris’s confession: “If I die who would take care of my kids?” Um, how about your wife?
- I jumped out of my skin when that bridge employee climbed OVER Chris when he couldn’t budge the light bulb. Wow.
- Nice to see détente in the America’s Toughest Jobs battle between Sandy and Chris. She helped him overcome his fear to actually compete and he gave her full credit. She said that when they are a team that they have to stick together. Tell that to the people on Survivor. Sometimes they forget that.
- Bryce was “working in slow motion” according to Michaela. That seems to be a theme each episode.
- Sandy almost impaled a car with a ladder – the first time she has showed any weakness. Oh, except for when the bull mauled her. Rommel rightly got excited as it was a chance to eliminate her.
- $48,592 for a first year bridge worker. Not bad. Still wouldn’t do it. The total is now up to $248K and change. Not a bad prize package for this show.
- Ben won his second challenge in a row. He must be butter because he’s on a roll.
- Chris and Sandy made the Bottom Two; Chris because he can’t do the whole thing and Sandy for almost making a Mazda Ka Bob. The task: go back up and turn on four lights on the expanse at night.
- Clunk!
- Sorry, that was me passing out.
- Sandy is fearful that the others (Phil, Rick and Rie) who were in the bottom for the first time lost and that Chris is a veteran of the bottom. She has nothing to worry about. She dusts Chris who gives up on the challenge.
- I am done with the commentary because I missed the close of the show – damn Comcast – but I don’t think I could have handled any more of it anyway.
Next week, logging. Boom, boom, boom
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