Copious Amounts of Alcohol- brought to you by the United States Army

Just saw the finale of the Real World Road Rules Challenge- The Island. It has been years since I watched a season of the Real World, and I have never watched a season of Road Rules (except the one on the boat- but I think that's it), so I am being introduced to a myriad of new opportunists through the amazingly conceived Real World Road Rules Challenges.

***SPOILERS AHEAD if you care, which I am guessing you probably don't***

So- the Island challenge was brought to you by the U.S. Army. I know it will be shocking to many, but someone in charge of the Army has made a mistake. Here is the concept of the show:
- Crap tons of RWRRers land on an Island unsure of the challenge ahead of them. And of course, T.J. Lavin, who maybe had a career before he started hosting challenges, but it would be news to me.
- Challenges are done on a vote-in/voluntary basis, and one is technically able to win the game without doing ANYTHING. And, some of the girls attempted this feat.
- There is no food on the island, except for what can be caught. Every few days or so there are "Army Drops" which are huge crates filled with boat makin' materials and food, and sometimes "luxuries" like a cell phone with 10 minutes of talk time to be split amongst 20 people. I thought the Island would be fun, like what they tell you when you sign up for the Army. Instead it was hard and painful, like in the real Army.
- The only thing the Island is stocked with is enough alcohol to ensure 20 young and in-shape men and women can drink themselves to a blackout every night. I guess then they don't notice they are sleeping on an island under harsh production lights with only mosquito netting for protection.
- The goal is to build a boat, get a key, and get off the Island to, sadly, a different island. They never mention how they are going to get off the other island, but I guess MTV worked that out beforehand.

The show ended predictably with the three strongest guys, and the toughest of the lesbians, making it off the island to a different island first.

But in the meantime, the show pretty much rocked. I love that this group of people are attempting to make their life's work be competing on a reality television show of people from reality television shows. And that these people take what is essentially a game so very seriously.

There were some great moments, and lots of great snarky and biting comments from Paula who is sure she is going to get on a boat with the boys in her alliance, so she spends the entirety of the series entrenched in her alliance with these boys and Johanna. These again are two girls I only know from this show (and other challenges), so my opinion of them is quite low. Paula tearily states that she is "being made a mockery of" because little miss has a case of the 'sposed tas and a girl with a never-changing hairstyle from the early nineties has her "$74,999.99" ($300,000 divided by 4 quite easily makes $75,000 but maybe Paula owed someone a penny from something else).

This Johnny Bananas guy pissed off a hell of alot of people along the way, but ended the show on a note that could make anyone smile: (on winning the $75,000) "Other than losing my virginity, this is one of the happiest days of my life." Dude hasn't got much going for him is that is still so high up on his list. Hopefully it will change after he gets married or has kids, but I am not holding my breath.

All in all- it was a great show, as far as terrible shows go.