Not alone, Jess. It's somewhat mitigated for me, in that they didn't see the previous portion of freak out and how bad it got, but only slightly.

The trash talking (a common basketball custom) could easily have backfired on them, because a lot of people (me included) might have gone down the slide just to spite them.

It's somewhat mitigated for me, in that they didn't see the previous portion of freak out and how bad it got, but only slightly.

That's true - they didn't see the worst of it.

They also weren't *mean* as in calling her a chicken or whatever. They were just saying not to do it, which ... still struck me as a little unfair, but if anyone's behavior was really reprehensible, it was Caanan's.

Also, they were fighting to stay in the race. Had they trash talked just to stay in the middle of the pack, it would have come off different. But they knew they were in last and needed something to get ahead of the next team.

If the task was shooting baskets and they were trying to psyche out the competition, would that be okay? All they saw was a person in their way that was hesitating.

Yeah I don't get people who are terrified of heights who go on Amazing Race and people who don't like the outdoors who go on Survivor.

I applied.

I'm terrifed of heights in certain situations, mostly when there is no barrier or tether. This has been a problem hiking, but I'm fine in a building. Something like the slide would be pretty scary (6 stories and almost vertical?), but since you are meant to go down it, I think I would be okay. But I really don't know.

Part of doing the race is challenging yourself. The one thing I told J I wasn't sure I could do is bungi jump.

I certainly put both fears on the application because I'm pretty sure it helps your chances of getting picked.

there are some SYTYCD spoilers out there. i won't discuss here, but just know they are out there.

I think it's mean to taunt people about their phobias, regardless of the situation. It makes my skin crawl the same way taunting someone about a disability would.

On a basketball court, there's a reasonable expectation that none of your fellow competitors have a crippling phobia of hoops. The situations are not comparable.

It's just that I can't remember anyone mentioning it during eating or crawly things challenges and there has certainly been taunting there.

And, as I said, they really didn't see the extent of it.

I also didn't think it was so much *taunting*, per se. They weren't calling her names or belittling her. They were doing that fake concerned thing of, "Oh, don't do it if you're scared, honey."

Which is creepy patronizing anyway, but still.