Toonces464

I was referring to SYTYCD and the DWTS tour, but I forgot she pulled Val into SYTYCD. It's all so weird to me because if you remember, a year or so ago TPTB at DWTS seemed ready to dump her. Now she's getting all this special treatment, yet she so far as been one and done as far as being a pro. And I don't know if it's all from being with Val because they haven't even been back together for a year and this has been going on for awhile. Peta can do what she wants but what I find disturbing is that what she "wants" is always what Maks wants or plans or needs. Other than an occasional mention or QVC appearance, her spray tan has pretty much been forgotten. She was also launching some kind of exercise thing when she got back together with Maks and totally dropped that. She goes to his trainer, uses his vitamins, guest stars on his tour. And don't even get me started that she went along with a wedding that was pretty much exactly what he'd been planning with Karina. I did see the Maks and Val tour and while it was entertaining, it wasn't great and I felt at the time it needed work. The first half was good but the second half really dragged. But I think Maks and Val just play off their sexy and all the obsessed female fans they have, so they don't feel they need to do much more than shake their asses and take their shirts off.

I guess this is getting to be one of my biggest problems with Maks and to a lesser extent Val --- the total codependence. You people are adults. You're allowed to take jobs, or make career moves, or make charity appearances, or even socialize, on your own without being attached to someone in your fam 24/7. Peta's even worse than Maks because she doesn't seem to have or do anything that doesn't revolve around him. Which is why, even though I don't care for her, I give Jenna credit for continuing to do her thing. That being said, I'm not so sure this tour will do as well as last time. Maks and Val are a draw but when they start pulling the rest of their fam into things it doesn't go as well, as evidenced by the poor turnout they had for those Sway shows (even the Maks/Peta engagement stunt couldn't save that Miami show). I also think being so close on the heels of the DWTS tour will hurt them as people have already shelled out money for that tour, which includes a lot more of the dancers and is much more appealing to the non-fam fans.

Bravo. I feel the same. I think it's great that we're living in a day and age where women are starting to speak out against men who did such horrible things. But I also think it's opening the door for a lot of other things too, including fame, publicity and making a buck. By no means am I saying that women who are speaking out now are doing that, but all it takes is one seeing a cash cow or a way to get their name in the papers, or someone who was spurned and is still bitter, to ruin someone's reputation, career and life forever.

So Val's book is available for pre-order. Good for him for writing it and getting it published but I can't help but think there are other pros who I would've expected a memoir/autobiography from due to their fame, popularity and/or accomplishments. It just seems to me that Val and Maks love to milk this poor immigrant thing for all it's worth.

I've always felt Val got along just fine with both Derek and Mark (he seems especially close to Mark) but because Maks has issues with both of them, it's translated over to Val among the fans. We have the same thought on the two young troupe ladies LOL. The troupe aren't really known to anyone except the young fans on Twitter who tweet them constantly because they get tweets back from them, but hooking up with Val and Derek has definitely helped both Jenna and Hayley with name recognition and prominence on the show. I feel the same about Maks and Peta --- she may not be in the troupe, but she wasn't a name anyone knew until she hooked up with Maks. During their breakup, you never saw her name mentioned anywhere until she went back to Maks. I feel a bit bad for all of them because once the show is over and the guys aren't as noteworthy, how long will any of them stick around? Emma and Sasha doesn't seem to fall into that category, mainly because neither of them is that well known, but they are known now as the couple that got engaged live on DWTS.

I saw those! I don't think the warring factions are as at war as some would like to think. I remember several times that Derek showed up with the fam out in NYC.

The show is loving all these personal relationships among the pros.......they get a lot more mileage out of them than the partner showmances they used to push. But yeah, I agree, no one has benefited more than Jenna, though Peta is a close second.

And the whole Must See Thursday that NBC is pushing.

Isn't it still one of ABC's top rated show, despite the sinking ratings?

The freestyle is not about "pairs" ballroom dancing and never has been. It's their chance to do something different. You could say Alfonso's tap dance solo in his freestyle to be self-indulgent as well. Or really anyone who's done a solo in their freestyle.

I meant PBS.

That also wasn't a top rated show on one of the major networks.

I also think it's a lack of compelling pros. Back in the early days of the show the pros were so much fun to watch because they were all champions and all so well trained in ballroom dancing. Now you've got a herd of blonde lookalikes who don't seem to do anything but get up there and gyrate and a bunch of guys trying desperately to be the old Maks (put your shirts on, Alan and Gleb). And the damn troupe, who seem to build fan bases based on responding to people on Twitter who carry on about them becoming pros.

I saw the tour back in 2009 and in those days they had several celebs in it.

The same could be said about James and Calvin in Season 23...or Amy and Candace in Season 18...or Evan and Erin in Season 10. In fact, I think you could say it about quite a few seasons where the winner was obvious before the season even started.

Probably trying to squelch that bad blood rumors one last time since I doubt the two will ever see or speak to each other again.

I thought I saw Cheryl in one of the female numbers?

You're right, Donald was there. I forgot about him. Personally I'm shocked she's doing the tour without Val, especially since it seems Maks and Val are gearing up to take their show on the road again. I still laugh at that trip to Hawaii which was so random. Yes, I remember that! I was like WTF is she even talking about? But Peta was saying it too. Honestly, of all the female pros, these are probably two of the biggest nobodies without the brothers. I thought it was so weird that after Sway, he and Henry went home with the Seeds family and started popping up in their house and on their family vacations. Then when they both left to do the DWTS cruise, she went with them. Right now Artem seems pretty tight with Gleb. I did watch for that and it was so uncomfortable to watch. I can't even begin to imagine how many of these pros have slept with each other, probably at the same time!

Sharna spent a brief time hanging out with Maks, Val and Peta last year after the fall season ended and then I never saw her hang out with them again. I know she stopped by the house in NJ on Christmas Eve but she spent Christmas in NYC with Mark and Shirley. I think there was a falling out with Artem because he stopped following Maks, Val and Peta on social media right after the last Sway in NYC. I remember he and Henry spent one off-season pretty much living and traveling with the wife of Maks's doctor but I don't see any of them bother too much with her anymore. Remember after Season 18 Jenna went on that trip to Hawaii with Meryl? I always thought she was using her because she bought into the showmance and thought clinging to Meryl would be her in with Val. That reminded me of that ridiculous birthday party the fam threw for him a few years back. He said it was to bring his east and west coast families together in one place and the only ones who showed up were Erin, Kirstie and Chelsie Hightower. I think Nyle was the only one of Peta's former partners to attend but no, Maks had no one (although apparently Amber Rose was invited and planned on going, then bailed). What was weird, if you follow her on social media, Erin was glued to Instagram that night liking all the wedding pictures immediately as they were posted. I found that so odd because I thought if any of his past partners would be there it would be her. But since he wasn't at her wedding a few weeks earlier, I assume their past fling made them both decide to stay away since they do still seem close. I love Tony! I met him and Maks at a dance studio a few years back and he's such a nice guy and so much better looking in person!

I was also stunned to see Maks and Val post about Lindsey last night. I don't think either of them have ever posted outside the fam wins. But my first thought was that it really wasn't about her winning as much as Mark not winning. I know Val and Mark are close but I also remember many times that Maks and Val both took passive aggressive digs at him. I think the Val/Sasha thing stems from the period of time Emma and Sasha were broken up but still living together. As soon as that happened and Emma joined Sway I got the feeling she and Val had a thing going on. When it didn't seem to pan out, she got back with Sasha. I also thought that was why Sharna broke things off with Paul, because she and Val had hooked up and she and her BFF Peta were going to become sisters with the two brothers. That didn't pan out either and I've also noticed she seems to spend more time with other pros than with the fam. She seems particularly close to Mark. Keo has been spending a lot of time with Maks and Peta lately so I guess he's the latest to defect to the fam. With Sharna and Tony not around them much anymore, it feels like there's a revolving door among the pros lately as to who's part of the codependency circle, doesn't it? A few months ago, it was Alan.

And remember, her season came at a time that Maks actually DID walk away from the show. In fact, just a few weeks before his return to Season 18 was announced, he was on AH talking about how badly he had wanted the mirrorball with Erin that he bawled his eyes out when they were eliminated, but that he was over it and it no longer mattered to him. Then there he was, back a few weeks later with the biggest ringer the show has ever seen. Season 18 will always be one of my least favorites ever because of all the pushing a trophy on Maks nonsense and the ridiculous showmance that went along with it.

We already saw that. Her name was Meryl Davis.

I seriously doubt very many people decided who to vote or not vote for based on the words of an idiot like Wendy Williams.

Between spring training, full season and post season baseball runs from February through November. I don't see any way an active player can do the show.

Being married to him can't be easy. He may also be forcing those damn vitamins he's shilling on her, as well as his new "healthy eating habits" which he says are going to make him live forever.