Adventures in South East Asia: Video Travels with Celeste and Jeremy

This video opens with Celeste and Jeremy sitting in front of their home video camera encouraging the viewer to take a journey like theirs, which gets “off the beaten track” to “exotic South East Asia” (oh my!). “It's very interesting. Like going to see anthropology,” adds Celeste. Cut to: Thai Air taking off from LAX, as Jeremy tells us about the “AMAZING Thai Airways Package Tour,” and then we're off to the Mandarin Hotel in Bangkok at 662 Rama Rd, part of the “AMAZING Thai Airways Package Tour” and…pretty soon we realize that Celeste and Jeremy won't be venturing one toenail off the “AMAZING Thai Airways Package Tour” let alone off the beaten track. They also manage to visit (in a handheld, home movie kinda way) some of the most ersatz tourist traps in Asia (like Bangkok's touristy “floating market” and Kuta Beach, Bali), passing them off as exotic and wonderful (not!). Each time they promote the heck out of those hotels, and almost nothing more is said of the culture, people…or anything, beyond the occasionally insensitive remark or complaint. No doubt, had these whiney neophytes ever actually ventured off the beaten track with their little home movie, they would certainly have been killed and eaten by genuine travelers. Not recommended. Aud: P. (R. Ray)