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'AGT' Season 17: Fans slam RCC Aruba for their 'shirtless' performance on national televison

'If women are expected to keep their shirts on during performances then so should the men,' said a viewer

RCC (Rhythms Circus Company) Aruba, a prominent Aruba acrobat group, competed on the eighth night of tryouts for 'America's Got Talent.' They performed one of the most daring acts of the night, under difficult conditions, but were reprimanded online for losing their shirts on national television.

RCC Aruba is part of a group that performs in hotels such as Riu Antilles, Riu, Barcelo, and Tamarjin. In January 2022, they received the bronze medal at the International Budapest Circus Festival, the world's third-largest international circus festival. It was a historic achievement since it was the first time they competed against elite circus performers from Ukraine, Ethiopia, Hungary, and other countries. They are finally realizing their ambition of going global by appearing on the 'AGT' stage.

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As they stated, being on 'AGT' was a huge chance for them because their ultimate goal was to establish their own show in Vegas. And what better platform to offer that? They brought everything to their performance, except, THEIR OWN PROPS.

That's correct. A minor hiccup before their "showstopper" performance entailed them not having their props owing to a misplacement. RCC Aruba, arrived with a crew of seven guys and one girl and borrowed items from the production. The judges became concerned when they explained how they misplaced their belongings in Atlanta.

Originally from Colombia and Cuba, and having lived in Aruba for 20 years, the crew felt confident in their ability to put on the finest performance in the world. For their performance, they used a plank, several bouncy castles, and a few hoops linked to long rods. Despite the fact that nothing appeared safe, they managed to put on a never-before-seen performance. After the guys removed their shirts and took their places on stage, Diego Fernando Jaramillo, who appeared to be in control, kicked start the act. Men were soon flying through the hoops launched from the planks. The highlight of the act was after Diego set fire to the hoops and catapulted himself through them. That too, BLINDFOLDED.

Everyone in the audience stood up, including the judges, Howie, Heidi, and Sofia. Terry, who had just warned viewers at home not to try these things, alludes to it as a "Vegas Act." Sofia describes the act as "unbelievable," "perfection," "exciting," and "sexy." She was astounded that they didn't have their equipment an hour before the performance and still managed to pull it off. Even if they had their own equipment, Howie felt the act would have been equally "thrilling," "exciting," and "edgy." After the "unbelievable performance," he considers his mind blown. Heidi, on the other hand, had just one word to describe the performance: "FANTASTIC."

Simon expressed his reservations about the performance, stating that based on the setting, he wasn't expecting much. However, he eventually admits that he enjoyed it more since the performance was less polished than what they are used to seeing and felt it was "really cool." The judges gave them four yes votes, allowing them to advance in the competition. After they departed the stage, Howie reminded the other judges that the extra pressure of not having your own equipment when performing something risky is insane.

Even though, they impressed the judges and the live audience, they were criticized online for losing their shirts besides losing their props. A fan sighed: "Of course this is an act where they take their shirts off. #AGT." Another fan call out the hypocrisy involving the action: "Listen, if women are expected to keep their shirts on during performances then so should the men. #AGT."

However, viewers did notice our favorite twins sitting in the crowd enjoying the show: "Our favorite twins getting a little thirsty with the Columbian acrobats take their shirts off #AGT." Even after they got four yeses they didn't impress everyone, as a fan tweeted: "I must be tired from the 11hr work shift but I wasn't even moved by RCC Aruba." Also, pointing out how dangerous the act got with blindfold and fire involved, a fan wrote: "Blindfold and fire...that's not a good combo #AGT."

'America's Got Talent' airs on Tuesdays at 8 pm on NBC. For viewers who wish to tune in to the show without cable, they can do so using any of the following streaming services: Sling TV, fuboTV, Hulu With Live TV, AT&T TV or YouTube TV.

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.