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Just
because I worked at Hooters doesn't mean I'm not Christian.
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Tough Enough 3
original
airdate: 11-07-02
We're
still two weeks into the training, with eight weeks (and nine
episodes) to go; the first trainer-initiated cut is made,
and the first unwilling retiree is Chad.
A wiry
6'10" tall, he was known as Beaker, for his startling
resemblance to the Muppet of the same name. But size was about
all he had going for him, and though that can be an asset
in a company of monster-sized employees, it's not all about
that. He wasn't getting the moves and he didn't display enough
heart to keep him in the game.
I wasn't
concerned that any of the girls would get the axe, but there
was a question if Scott would be the one to go, after his
exploits this week. Depressed about his injured thumb, he
drinks himself into oblivion, quite literally. He's oblivious
to the fact that he wets his pants, and so oblivious that
his housemates call the paramedics to take him to the hospital.
Not that
Jonah does much better, but I wouldn't have bet on him to
be eliminated this early. Like Scott, he's also great television,
but he seemed to have the skills to make up for his bungling
personality. When he enters an eating competition with the
other guys at a Brazilian steak house and sucks so much meat
off the skewers that he throws up, it's kind of cool. At least
he knows he should have stopped trying to win, and enjoyed
himself instead.
But the
skills that made him more than a mere meatball are failing
him, as his head gets more and more in the way. He throws
up after a particularly brutal hold. He lands on Bill trying
to do a simple front bump, which as we've learned, is a bad
thing. No matter how hard he tries, he can't get it. Not even
on a bet, which would ease the outdoor training session that
afternoon.
This year's
alternative to the beach confidence course is some sort of
mountain range torture center, every Tuesday afternoon. Bill
and Ivory wield the (metaphorical) whip and (real) whistle
with great authority and enjoyment. It looks brutal.
Jonah's
not real popular after that, but Scott's personality clashes
with the other contestants, specifically Rebekah, are not
winning him any allies either. In fact, the only reason it's
probably not winning him enemies is that Rebekah isn't winning
any popularity contests, either.
In her
own words, "Just because I worked at Hooters doesn't
mean I'm not a Christian."
That would
be the best way to sum up Rebekah. Or possibly her concern
that the bank will foreclose on her mother's house and "pull
up a truck and drive it away." She's trailer trash, pure
and simple, with a naivete that is grating, rather than endearing.
To genuinely expect "Christian fellowship" from
a group of wrestling competitors is pure innocence or worldlessness
that speaks volumes about her grasp of her world and her faith.
On the
other hand, it's nice to bust a few more of the "godless
heathen rasslin' fan" stereotypes without resorting to
the Right To Censor again.
Despite
Al toying with both Scott and Chad, there wasn't really any
doubt, at least not for Chad. He knew he was history, and
takes it like a man. After Chad is dismissed, Al tells Scott
to sit down without so much as a warning. We'll see how much
longer he can ride on being entertaining before he has to
back it up in the ring.
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