I’ve been a big fan of the SBS variety/reality show Running Man ever since first catching it almost a year ago, and have faithfully anticipated and cherished each and every episode since-but I have to tell you that there is this disturbing trend that has been appearing more and more regularly, and that’s the challenge where the team has to collect certain objects (where the team that acquires the most items wins).
Now, I’m all fine with that, but the thing that grates me is that the PD has deemed it OK for the opposing team members to “steal” the objects from the collectors even as they’re carrying them to the winning table, and while it may make for “funny” television, having the members have to collect the items OVER and OVER again, only to have them get continually stolen is like trying to build a tower of blocks only to have a bully keep kicking it over!
Though they’ve occasionally used variations on this challenge in the past, the first time it really BUGGED me was during Episode #123’s “Kim Chee Run”, where everyone kept stealing each other’s toy cabbages: watching Kwangsoo and Sukjin walk up to Han Hyojoo and simply snatch the cabbages she’d worked so hard to collect out of her hands was PISSING ME OFF!
Though that challenge irritated me, I felt that since it was only an isolated incident, I could look it over. Then when I was watching the “Spy VS Spy” Race in episode #132 (where the challenge was to accumulate a certain amount of steel briefcases), I found myself watching the SAME SCENARIO all over again as the teammates began stealing each others’ cases from their hidden storage places as well as right out of their hands, and I was like “OH GAWD, it’s the Stealing Strategy again!!!!” Luckily this episode had sort of a twist on it, (so I was entertained throughout the race), but STILL…!
I thought I’d seen the last of this “Stealing Thing”, and even overlooked the similarly aggravating “Executive Chair” episode in #128 (where there was the same stealing, but was a bit more controlled), but when I watched the latest episode with Jackie Chan where they had to collect animal costume head masks and they began stealing from each other in earnest, I KNEW it was here again; indeed, the players are so used to this stealing setup, that guest runner Choi Siwon doesn’t even bother looking for the Animal Heads and instead goes directly to the opponent’s table to steal the heads they’ve collected. And once again stealing and snatching scenarios ensue, to the delight(?) of all!
After seeing this stealing concept appearing AGAIN, I realized this is a concept that the writers of this show think is popular, funny, and intend to keep around for a WHILE! D’oh!
I dunno, I suppose if I were a more casual fan of the show, it might not MATTER who won or lost, as long as the contestants were zany and silly, but the best thing I've always loved about this show is how passionately the Runners run this race, so it’s maddening to have the final challenges boil down to this! As a loyal fan of the show, I BEG the PD’s and WRITERS: CUT OUT THE STEALING CONCEPT!!!!!
