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S19.E08: Week 6: Pitbull


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Another bad show, for me. 

 

Pitbull - not a fan of his persona or his music. As a judge, he was pointless and kinda gross at times.

Leah as co-host - bugged the crap outta me.  She tried to grab too much attention for herself - and she acted a little drunk.  Speaking of which...

Carrie Ann - My goodness!  That spanking situation with Alfonso was insane!  Maybe Paula Abdul was in the audience tonight to give tips to CAI about how to behave like a completely drugged out loon.

 

Alfonso's was the only dance I truly enjoyed tonight, even though it wasn't his very best and the groin injury is a big concern.

 

The Val and Janel pre-performance package was awful.  I'm a big fan of Val's, but this particular showmance is an embarrassment.  Chemistry is very important in a dancing partnership.  Chemistry is rarely about sexual attraction or romantic interest.  It really isn't even about playing off the opposite sex, as numerous buddy films and television ensemble casts can attest.  For goodness sake, Val had great chemistry with Zendaya.  Mark has great chemistry with Sadie.   Witney and Alfsonso?  Great chemistry.   The thing wih Val and Janel is that they have NO chemistry together.  They even make me question whether they might actually dislike each other.  It would make me laugh if, when Len returns next week, he suggests that they work on their chemistry because it's entirely lacking. 

 

I love Tommy, but the man didn't look physically well this week.  He looks tired. 

 

Michael's scores almost made me turn off my TV last night.  Ridiculous!

Edited by SnarkyTart
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I felt like when Sadie started crying it was really telling: she actually, really didn't like doing this dance. I think if she truly disliked the rumba that much, I feel it wasn't necessary for TPTB to push the footage of her helicopter family trying to dictate the dance; it's not only sad to watch but implies that her views on modesty are not originating from herself. I thought it was sweet that Julianne complimented Mark for featuring his partners more in his choreography.

 

Count in me in with disliking Val and Janel's manufactured showmance. You can tell when they dance together that they really feel no attraction for each other. I disliked Pitbull as a judge, but I found it interesting that he called them out on it. Janel is an actress; it's obvious that she's just playing another role.

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Chemistry is very important in a dancing partnership.  Chemistry is rarely about sexual attraction or romanctic interest.

 

 

That's what I've been saying for a long time and why I keep stating that showmances don't work. There have been plenty of pairings that had great partnerships, who viewers loved and there was nothing sexual or romantic between them. Look at Tony and Melissa, Cheryl and Jack two seasons ago, Mark and Sadie this season, Mark and Shawn some seasons ago, Derek and Kellie were really adorable together, Karina and JR had a great partnership, etc. 

  • Love 4
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I felt like when Sadie started crying it was really telling: she actually, really didn't like doing this dance.

 

I didn't see it that way. I saw it more as the dance had been built up as such a big thing (where they would have to find just the right balance between the nature of the dance and Sadie's modesty) that I saw it as great relief that the judges liked what they did. I didn't see it as her disliking what they did. I thought Mark did a terrific job choreographing amidst challenging structure.

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I've had it with Sadie and her family. Truthfully, I've had it with every fundamentalist that wants to appear on DWTS for the publicity, and then spends their camera time yapping about how their "morality" won't allow them to wear the assigned costumes or dance assigned dances. If it's such an issue for Miss Robertson, she should not have been chosen for the show in the first place, and she should have the ethics (because of her "morality") to BOW OUT and allow someone else the opportunity. It's duplicitous at the least: "I'll appear because I get publicity, despite the fact I have to rub elbows with these sinners. My family gets the maximum publicity, too." If it's necessary to consult with three different family members re: costumes and dances performed each week, she is TOO YOUNG to be there.

 

Miss Robertson's views aren't due to "morality" or "values". It's smugness and snobbery, pure and simple. I'm tired of hearing about her religion, because she's shown she doesn't live by the most basic tenets of it. It's yet one more chance to cram the Robertsons' preferred message down the throats of viewers who are tuning into a cheesy dance show.

 

I never thought I'd say this, either, but I really miss Len.

Edited by Missy Vixen
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I like Janel a lot as a dancer, and I'm kind of annoyed at the edits they give her. It's like they are trying to make her seem annyoing whenever they can, but she seems so sweet when she's live. She's the best technical dancer of the contestants in my opinion. 

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I didn't see it that way. I saw it more as the dance had been built up as such a big thing (where they would have to find just the right balance between the nature of the dance and Sadie's modesty) that I saw it as great relief that the judges liked what they did. I didn't see it as her disliking what they did. I thought Mark did a terrific job choreographing amidst challenging structure.

 

I think that's exactly it. She's got reporters all week asking about her sexy rumba and headlines about her sexy costume and sexy this and sexy that and twitter/instagram messages to "be appropriate" and "be modest" and on and on. I think she was just relieved it was over and the judges approved and now she can move on to whatever's next.

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Actually here's the line up for Derek Hough: 

season five - 4th place

season six - 6th place

season seven - won

season eight - 5th place

season nine - 4th place

season ten - won

season eleven - won

season thirteen - 3rd place

season fourteen - 5th place

season fifteen - 2nd place

season sixteen - won

season seventeen - won

season eighteen - 2nd place

So Derek has been eliminated before.  Good to know.  Just seems he hasn't been since season fourteen.

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I've had it with Sadie and her family. Truthfully, I've had it with every "Christian" that wants to appear on DWTS for the publicity, and then spends their camera time yapping about how their "morality" won't allow them to wear the assigned costumes or dance assigned dances. If it's such an issue for Miss Robertson, she should not have been chosen for the show in the first place, and she should have the ethics (because of her "morality") to BOW OUT and allow someone else the opportunity. It's duplicitous at the least: "I'll appear because I get publicity, despite the fact I have to rub elbows with these sinners. My family gets the maximum publicity, too." If it's necessary to consult with three different family members re: costumes and dances performed each week, she is TOO YOUNG to be there.

 

I feel this way too, although I would put the blame more on her family then on Sadie herself (and I'm not at all a fan of hers). Whether or not she wanted to be on the show, she's 17 and the final decision was made by her parents. Being the adults, they're responsible for knowing what the show is about, what the typical costumes look like, and how sexy or suggestive the dances can be. And I'm sure they did know all that, but for them it was another opportunity for self-promotion. They're exploiting Sadie far more than the show ever could, and all the nonsense about, "I'm worried about that part where she raises her leg and puts it behind Mark" (and I notice that despite the stink they made about that, it evidently didn't worry them enough to actually veto it, since it was in the final dance) or what her costumes look like is just a bunch of phony posturing as evidenced by how she actually dances and what she actually wears, which, while not as overtly sexual as Janel and Artem's Burlesque for example, is also not any more modest than the average female celebrity's dance. I'm certain that there have been other celebs (just to name a few: any of the many Disney kids, Shawn Johnson, Kristi Yamaguchi, the Osmonds) who for various reasons had similar concerns about costumes or felt shy about doing the sexier dances, but the audience wasn't beaten over the head with it.

 

What I do put on Sadie and hope she grows out of, is her now twice repeated declaration that because she and her family are Christians, they live in a moral way. If someone said that to me in person, I'd probably say, "congratulations! But I'm an agnostic so I'm an evil sack of shit." Seriously, could you imagine the outrage if someone on the show said, "well, I'm a Muslim, so I always do what's right." The TV screen would probably immediately go to a test pattern. I hope as she matures, she learns that "Christian" doesn't automatically equal "morally correct," and that people of other religions or no religion at all are also capable of discerning right from wrong, even without the Bible to tell them what's what.

 

I like Janel a lot as a dancer, and I'm kind of annoyed at the edits they give her. It's like they are trying to make her seem annyoing whenever they can, but she seems so sweet when she's live. She's the best technical dancer of the contestants in my opinion. 

 

She does seem like a sweetheart. She's always so happy for the other dancers when they do well and will cheer her head off for them after they dance. I also noticed that she stuck close to Jonathan last night after he was declared in jeopardy; at one point they were spooning while watching the dances, which I thought was very cute. She's a good dancer and a nice person, I think. I doubt she'll get to the end, since she'll probably get lost in the Sadie/Bethany/Janel shuffle, but I've enjoyed seeing her this season.

 

I would like to have heard more about what happened to Witney. In a bumper, they showed the rehearsal footage of her on the floor and crying, and it looked like she'd seriously hurt her back but then they didn't mention it again. I hope both she and Alfonso are okay, although I do admit to laughing out loud when he ruefully said he pulled his groin doing The Carlton.

 

ETA: I'm sorry, radishcake, I didn't see your note until after I posted. I don't think I crossed the line, but I'm never sure.

Edited by fishcakes
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Then again, Artem is new to this show and may have an idealized perception that whoever dances best is going to win.

 

I suspect that Artem was doing what the producers wanted.  They are always trying to get us to swallow this idea that these people are actually in competition with each other in a way that privileges the judge's scoring (we're second -- the only way we can get to first is to kneecap Alfonso blah blah blah).  They wanted strife between Artem and Leah and between Val and Janel over the antics of the week before and asked for it.  Leah's "don't talk to me like that" was totally manufactured.  

 

Props to fishcakes and your description of the Sadie issue.  ITA - And I would really like to watch the ensuing chaos if a Muslim said that on the show.  Have there been any Muslims on the show? If there have, they've been all quiet about it.  If only the Christians could follow suit.

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I hope both she and Alfonso are okay, although I do admit to laughing out loud when he ruefully said he pulled his groin doing The Carlton.

 

I hope Alfonso didn't pull his groin muscle too badly, because when I did it, that injury took forever to heal. Months of physical therapy exercises and taking it easy from the intense workouts I had been doing. It was so frustrating! So I hope he didn't do it too badly and that he gives himself enough time to heal (and that Witney doesn't push him too hard) so he doesn't make it worse.

 

I'm rooting for you, Alfonso!!

Edited by sinkwriter
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I watched Alfonso's dance again and I am even more convinced that it was overscored. I really did not see the salsa in that dance, some of the choreography felt like a mish mash of his samba and that last flip/trick thing with Witney was actually really messy. I do think Alfonso needs another ballroom dance - a waltz, foxtrot, etc . because it is starting to feel a little "much of the same thing" with him. 

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I do think Alfonso needs another ballroom dance - a waltz, foxtrot, etc . because it is starting to feel a little "much of the same thing" with him.

 

That's what I felt about poor Jonathan. Every week, it felt like he was doing another up-tempo number, be it jazz or jive or contemporary or whatever. Why did they never give him something else to do? I would have been / would be very interested to see some of these dancers (whether Jonathan or Alfonso or one of the women) do a fox trot or a waltz. It feels like every week everyone's kind of doing the same thing as they've already done. Except for the older dancers (Tommy, Michael) who get a variety but it often seems to be the slow-down version of it. Boring!

Edited by sinkwriter
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Finally finished watching this episode and it's taken me this long to figure out why some people dancing look so odd ... it's the posing/stopping in the motion of each dance that throws things off for me.  I know the contestants aren't professional dancers, but some people have a natural gift of "motion".  No other way to describe it - some people seem like they're always moving even when they are standing still but not in this case.   I think it hit me when Bruno talked about the rhumba needing "continuous motion".  It may require it, but so do some of the other dances.

 

I liked Emma's bodysuit but thought a skirt/wrap of some kind would have added to the theme.  As previously mentioned, some of the other costumes were a little on the odd side - they almost looked incomplete - as if someone didn't have time to finish them.

 

I thought Pitbull had some of the guys dancing in the opening number.  It's possible I misinterpreted what was going to happen, but I'm pretty sure there were guys on the dance floor in the opener.

 

Yes to

Corazi - Last night I noticed that they were putting the name of the dance on the bottom of the screen for most of the dancers which was pretty cool since I've been confused about who's dancing what on certain weeks. Have they been doing that all season and I just missed it?

 

Snarky Tart said Chemistry is rarely about sexual attraction or romantic interest.  It really isn't even about playing off the opposite sex, as numerous buddy films and television ensemble casts can attest.

 

Well said and I totally agree!

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I've had it with Sadie and her family. Truthfully, I've had it with every "Christian" that wants to appear on DWTS for the publicity, and then spends their camera time yapping about how their "morality" won't allow them to wear the assigned costumes or dance assigned dances. If it's such an issue for Miss Robertson, she should not have been chosen for the show in the first place, and she should have the ethics (because of her "morality") to BOW OUT and allow someone else the opportunity. It's duplicitous at the least: "I'll appear because I get publicity, despite the fact I have to rub elbows with these sinners. My family gets the maximum publicity, too." If it's necessary to consult with three different family members re: costumes and dances performed each week, she is TOO YOUNG to be there.

 

Miss Robertson's views aren't due to "morality" or "values". It's smugness and snobbery, pure and simple. I'm tired of hearing about her religion, because she's shown she doesn't live by the most basic tenets of it. It's yet one more chance to cram the Robertsons' preferred message down the throats of viewers who are tuning into a cheesy dance show.

 

All of the decisions Sadie and her family have made on the show have been for SADIE, not anyone else. (And I do believe that the family's faith is Sadie's as well.) They express their

Christians beliefs, but they haven't forced anyone to follow or accept them. Have they ever told the other couples what/what not to do in their dances or condemned anyone else for their choices on the show? If so, I haven't heard it. (BTW, promoting sexuality is a "message" as well and it's one that's actually "crammed" down people's throats in society way more than Christianity is.)

 

Instead, all Sadie can do is try to show by example. She's not refusing to do any of the dances

or wear certain costumes; she and her family just have certain standards that they wish to

uphold. And I think Sadie (and Mark) have done a darn fine job proving that it is completely

possible to produce entertaining, well-done dances with those standards. Sadie and Mark's rumba was beautiful and would be appropriate for a dancer of any age and even for a non-Christian.

 

People may choose to ignore or scoff at her example, but Sadie should never have to compromise who she is and what she believes in.

 

Having said all that, I do think Sadie's face looked uncomfortable at times (although I thought

her body moved beautifully) during the rumba. But honestly, I think it may have been more to do

with the fact that she is only 17, doesn't see herself as "sexy," and doesn't have the life

experience (nor the acting experience) to portray the facial expressions convincingly. Shawn

Johnson had the same issue when she danced the rumba with Mark (although Mark did a great job

pulling the performance all together back then as well).

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Oy vey. Last night was weird.

 

As a judge Pitbull was useless. All his music sounds the same and I got tired of his complimenting anyone who danced to his songs. He didn't offer much by way of judging. He kind of creeps me out so there is that.

 

The interchangeable top 5 all had issues with their dances this week which bummed me out.

 

-Alfonso - I did notice that there were some hip hop moves in his salsa as one of the judges pointed out.  He did great..best of the night..but it did seem like we've seen this from him before so I'm eager to see some other dance styles from him.  That last move was sloppy and I was worried that Witney might fall.

 

-Lea started strong in her dance then it just kind of fizzled for me.  I'm annoyed with Artem for that choreography.  There was alot of cheesy "sexy face" going on in that dance too. Lea is not a sex kitten so please stop.  The Latin dances are not her strength.  Her best dance has been her Foxtrot week 1...then her contemporary.  She's kind of stiff too plus the hunched over shoulders were back.  She did good but not great.

 

-I'm a big fan of Val's choreo but that package...I just want to shake Val, Janel & the producers and scream, "Cut the crap...they don't need all this nonsense!!!" Sigh. I've seen them both in some interviews and they actually come across as funny and joking around with a good friendship.  They need to let that "romance" storyline die a quick death PLEASE! I thought Janel did well with the actual samba though. She had some difficult transitions and spins in there and managed to perform and dance it well. There was a missed hand hold or something in there but she quickly recovered so it wasn't perfect...but technically I thought she should be up there 2nd to Alfonso.

 

-Sadie's dance was sweet. It wasn't her best dance though. She looked a little uncomfortable/awkward in a few spots but I saw no mistakes. I wasn't mad at the 10 she got though.  I think she's been underscored in the past (especially for that samba) so if they want to give her a 10...I'm cool with that.  Plus her reaction was precious.

 

-Bethany danced...so it happened.  Like so many of her dances it was good but not great. The lights were coolest part of the routine for me.  Her actual tango was good but there were so many aspects of the dance I didn't like.  Her hair and dress were not flattering, the music was just plain odd, and the choreo was a bit safe/boring/repetitive.  What she was given she did well though. I did choke on my soda when CAI said her dancing reminded her of Nicole Scherzinger though!

 

Tommy, Antonio & Michael each did a dance.

Edited by RemoteControl88
  • Love 1
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Coming out of lurking here:  I'm just going to throw this out there and you're welcome to believe me or not, but I know someone who was asked to work on the show for a few weeks to replace someone who is out.  He is gay and has had nothing but good things to say about everyone on the show-crew members, dancers and celebrities alike--and his opinion of Sadie is that she is very sweet, but very controlled by her family, and is really waking up to how wonderful the rest of the world can be in spite of the differences of religion, sexual orientation, politics, etc. She's having a great time and is amazed at how much fun it is and how nice everyone is.  He also senses that once she's moved out of the family home and becomes more worldly, she'll change quite a bit. 

 

I know people who grew up with parents and grandparents like that--with the harsh morals of their religion and it takes time for the kids to come around.  The walls of that bubble can be very strong.  Hopefully, as fishcakes wrote, she'll grow out of it. 

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I thought Pitbull had some of the guys dancing in the opening number.  It's possible I misinterpreted what was going to happen, but I'm pretty sure there were guys on the dance floor in the opener.

 

There were, but never in the same place as Pitbull. There was a bit where the dancers were in male/female partnerships, with Pitbull off to the side, and then Pitbull walked onto the main dance floor and the male dancers SCATTERED like cockroaches when a light gets turned on, and the women had to go over to him and gyrate around him. (GAG) 

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There were, but never in the same place as Pitbull. There was a bit where the dancers were in male/female partnerships, with Pitbull off to the side, and then Pitbull walked onto the main dance floor and the male dancers SCATTERED like cockroaches when a light gets turned on, and the women had to go over to him and gyrate around him. (GAG) 

Sharna never misses a chance to gyrate around someone.  

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As a NASCAR fan (who is NOT voting for Mikey), I almost feel like I should say "sorry" to everyone for exposing yall to the class clown of NASCAR.  To be honest, his weird humor never appeared creepy until watching him on DWTS.  I guess because we only see him dealing with men in Nascar.  but damn, he's got the creepy uncle vibe going on.  all I can say is, it could be worse, they could have gotten Kenny Wallace to dance.  and yes, that would be WAY worse. 

 

While I really do expect him to get the boot weekly because he dances so damn bad, I hate to tell yall, but he has a fairly large fan base and he's getting the support of other drivers with really large fan bases.  Last night on twitter, I probably saw 10-15 big/mid named drivers urging their fans to vote for Mikey.  And even worse....in his pre-dance package, he brought out his big gun, Dale Earnhardt Jr.   For non-Nascar watchers, Dale Jr is like the holy grail of fan bases.  His fan base is known as Junior Nation and it's scary huge.  like millions and bazillions huge.  Like he's the 10 time Most Popular Driver huge.  When I saw Junior in Mikey's pre-dance package, I was saying "oh shit, now he's gone and done it.  He just called up Junior Nation."   I will say, as a card carrying member of Junior Nation, I still didn't throw any votes Mikey's way, but there are MANY who will.   I'm probably not much better either, because I keep throwing all my votes to Tommy Chong because I just love him.  lol

 

I totally agree that Mikey sucks as a dancer (and his driving career isn't all that spectacular either if you know Nascar), I am afraid that he might be around WAY longer than anyone wants.  If even a small percentage of his fans, other driver fans, and Junior Nation vote for him, they will need to low ball him in scores hard core to counteract the fan support.  

 

 

I'm sorry.  

  • Love 3
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Coming out of lurking here:  I'm just going to throw this out there and you're welcome to believe me or not, but I know someone who was asked to work on the show for a few weeks to replace someone who is out.  He is gay and has had nothing but good things to say about everyone on the show-crew members, dancers and celebrities alike--and his opinion of Sadie is that she is very sweet, but very controlled by her family, and is really waking up to how wonderful the rest of the world can be in spite of the differences of religion, sexual orientation, politics, etc. She's having a great time and is amazed at how much fun it is and how nice everyone is.  He also senses that once she's moved out of the family home and becomes more worldly, she'll change quite a bit. 

 

I know people who grew up with parents and grandparents like that--with the harsh morals of their religion and it takes time for the kids to come around.  The walls of that bubble can be very strong.  Hopefully, as fishcakes wrote, she'll grow out of it. 

 

Any inside scoop about the rest of the celebs? :)

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Any inside scoop about the rest of the celebs? :)

Nothing bad--like I said, he has nothing but great things to say about it.  He said that he's never worked on such a well organized show before--it's like a well oiled machine.  He said that so far, everyone he's interacted with has been really nice and that the dancers are very competitive (but not mean about it).  Also, a lot of them keep to themselves at this point because they are so exhausted--that as hard as they make it look during the show, it's even worse than that.  He mentioned Sadie a bit more specifically because he had to help her the first couple of weeks. 

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I totally agree that Mikey sucks as a dancer (and his driving career isn't all that spectacular either if you know Nascar), I am afraid that he might be around WAY longer than anyone wants.  If even a small percentage of his fans, other driver fans, and Junior Nation vote for him, they will need to low ball him in scores hard core to counteract the fan support.

 

Someone please tell me that even with that many possible fan votes Michael can't WIN this thing. If that happens, I'm done with this show. They'd have to bring in Johnny Depp, Hugh Jackman, Darren Criss, Harry Connick Jr., the casts of Castle, White Collar (yay, Matt Bomer), The West Wing and The X-Files and more, to get me to watch again.

Edited by sinkwriter
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If I had to guess I think Antonio is going next.  He's not the worst, but people forget he's there.  I think Michael has at least a few more weeks in him before we get rid of him.  We might even get a so-called "shock" elimination before then.  I'm a little concerned for Lea next week since she was fairly forgettable this week, but I still think it will be Antonio.

Edited by spanana
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Please don't tar all "Christians" with the same brush. It's a good idea to avoid generalizing about groups in that fashion. 

If it's okay with you, I'll change my post to "fundamentalists". Will that be more appropriate?

I apologize to anyone here I have offended.

  • Love 2
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I think Antonos rehearsal package bought him another week. There is no way Cheryls fans will let her down after such an emotional week. 

Personally I think that was the only reason they spared making Antonio sweat it out this week anyway.  I think it was more that they didn't want to do it to Cheryl if she wasn't going home since she already seemed to be on edge.

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As a NASCAR fan (who is NOT voting for Mikey), I almost feel like I should say "sorry" to everyone for exposing yall to the class clown of NASCAR.  To be honest, his weird humor never appeared creepy until watching him on DWTS.  I guess because we only see him dealing with men in Nascar.  but damn, he's got the creepy uncle vibe going on.  all I can say is, it could be worse, they could have gotten Kenny Wallace to dance.  and yes, that would be WAY worse. 

 

 

 

 

 

Oh gosh... You're absolutely right. Kenny would be a zillion times worse! LOL And when I saw Dale Jr in the package I knew Mikey isn't going anywhere for a long time. There is not a better mobilized fan base in any sport I'd venture. (I do like Jr immensely so this isn't a bash on them at all. I think their powers are remarkable actually)

 

A Wallace brother would be... wow... Just no. Something about Michael has always bothered me but until he came on this show I didn't realize it was 'Creepy Uncle' vibe. And neither he nor Antonio have any sort of sense of rhythm at all. 

  • Love 2
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Oh gosh... You're absolutely right. Kenny would be a zillion times worse! LOL And when I saw Dale Jr in the package I knew Mikey isn't going anywhere for a long time. There is not a better mobilized fan base in any sport I'd venture. (I do like Jr immensely so this isn't a bash on them at all. I think their powers are remarkable actually)

 

A Wallace brother would be... wow... Just no. Something about Michael has always bothered me but until he came on this show I didn't realize it was 'Creepy Uncle' vibe. And neither he nor Antonio have any sort of sense of rhythm at all. 

 

I've never been much of a Mikey fan, not even when he was Jr's teammate, but I knew when I saw Jr that Mikey had just played his ace card.  He played his Dale Sr card for sympathy & now it was time to bring out his ace.  To be brutally honest, until he came on DWTS, I thought Mikey was in the closet.  Now I realize he's the creepy uncle.  

 

And good grief, can you imagine Rusty Wallace doing the show?  Kenny would be a relief compared to Rusty.  Mike Wallace could be tolerable, but that's only because we never have to see or hear him like Rusty & Kenny. 

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I mostly enjoyed this episode, but I am so disappointed that Michael is still here and Jonathan is gone.  Boo hiss!

 

Jonathan was terrific tonight, and there is now no doubt that the problem was Allison.  Allison has a jazz and contemporary background, so she was able to really teach Jonathan this week, and he responded beautifully.  I am so sorry to see him leave.  I really enjoyed him.

 

Janel - I liked the routine and thought she danced it pretty well.  Not her best effort, but still good.  Hated the costume.  Looked like it was just thrown together.  The intro package was just weird.  I wish the show would give up on the idea of a showmance between those two.  It's just not working.  And what was with her whining about the way he was talking to her?  Unless they left out something important, there was nothing wrong that I could see with the way he was handling things.  He was frustrated with her, but he wasn't nasty.  Anyway, I thought the scores were fair to a little low.

 

Tommy - he's losing his charm for me.  I just didn't like that dance at all.  The intro package was fun, but the dance was not.  He was clearly forgetting his steps and seemed to struggle. 

 

Antonio - felt bad for Cheryl.  That must have been hard.  Antonio finally seems to be improving.  He's still not that good, but he seemed a little looser this week, and I enjoyed the choreography.

 

Sadie - I am beyond sick of that family.  Do they think it's 'cute' or something that this poor kid gets absolutely no say whatsoever in her life?  Do they think it's somehow 'admirable' that they display to the world week after week that they do not trust Sadie to make good decisions?  At least they spared us the dad doing the micro-managing but instead we get the mother and the grandmother.  Give it a rest.  I also find it extremely insulting to Mark that after 6 weeks they don't trust *him* to make good decisions.  Ugh.  As for the rumba, it was okay but no great shakes.  I liked her dress; hated the shoes.  No real hip action to speak of, and the rumba flow wasn't there.  She wasn't making those faces this week but instead she was mostly blank, which wasn't any better.  Not a good dance for her, I thought, and I was absolutely flabbergasted with her scores. 

 

Lea - Not Lea's best dance and I blame Artem for that.  I think he psyched her out a bit.  The beginning was very nice, and then it kind of fell apart a bit.  I agree with Julianne that she's the woman to beat, although that is probably just wishful thinking on our parts.  I'm not sure she has the fan base for that.  But I hope she's around a lot longer.

 

Michael - why is he still here?  And what were the judges smoking last night?  That AT was dreadful.  So s--l--o--w.  No sharpness or crispness to his movements.  No passion.  Just blah.  Even the lifts were weird - I swear Emma was doing most of the work and kind of jumping up while Michael pretended to lift.  Scores were ridiculous.  I'm hoping the judges are trying to psych out his fans and make them complacent so they stop voting for him so he can leave already. 

 

Bethany - given the lack of practice time, it was pretty good, but she was back to not really emoting the dance at all.  I wasn't 'feeling' the tango at all.  Didn't like her outfit or hair either.  And I had to wonder if the scores were as they were so that Derek got to be a team captain again for the team dances.  I think last season was the first time in forever that he hasn't been a captain.  I know . . . conspiracy theories.  <lol>  Still I thought she was a bit overscored.  I didn't think she was any better than Janel or Lea.

 

Alfonso - I just love him.  Loved the dance, loved the choreography, love this partnership.  I'm hoping his groin injury heals up some before next week.  I'd hate to see him have to leave because of it.  Have no idea what was up with CA.  I think she's just totally losing it. 

 

My favorites of the night were Jonathan, Janel, Lea and Alfonso.

 

On the "shirt" issue - as far as I'm concerned, Val and Artem can take off their shirts whenever they want.  Heck, they don't ever have to put them on.  They have beautiful bodies, and I love watching the play of muscles when they dance.  Derek and Mark, however, should never take their shirts off.  Ever.

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YMMV but I think all of the dancers have beautiful bodies. Like it's a good thing I'm comfortable in my skin because if not, watching the female Pros would make me hate myself. They're all that sickeningly in shape. And it's the same for the guys. So I don't think anyone is going "ew, gross" with Val taking off his shirt or at least I'm not but it's like dude, we've seen this schtick before. Give it a rest. Of course I guess it could be worse - he can dance in his boxer briefs again like he did with Kelly.

Edited by truthaboutluv
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Julianne's mea culpa to Mark was still a slight. There was no need to qualify it with the pointed and inaccurate "this season." I loved how Sadie lost the awkwardness and blossomed into a swan for Mark's rumba. 

 

I have 0 interest in Bethenny now that she's reunited with Derek. I realize it's cuz I have 0 interest in Derek for the reasons Leah hit him for: between him and his sister, they could call this DwtHoughs!

 

I liked Pitbull and agreed with him on Janel & Val's lack of genuine passion: "it's not being mean, it's being real." Except for one dance, Janel leaves me cold while Val's contrived lines make me roll my eyes. It's Kelly Monaco redux without the genuine chemistry and Kelly's relatability and vulnerability.

 

I had to rewatch Witney & Alfonso multiple times before I successfully tore my eyes away from Witney to see how well Alfonso was keeping up.

Edited by anonymiss
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I've never been much of a Mikey fan, not even when he was Jr's teammate, but I knew when I saw Jr that Mikey had just played his ace card.  He played his Dale Sr card for sympathy & now it was time to bring out his ace.  To be brutally honest, until he came on DWTS, I thought Mikey was in the closet.  Now I realize he's the creepy uncle.  

 

And good grief, can you imagine Rusty Wallace doing the show?  Kenny would be a relief compared to Rusty.  Mike Wallace could be tolerable, but that's only because we never have to see or hear him like Rusty & Kenny. 

 

Me too. On all accounts. I'd take Kenny 7 days a week and twice on Sunday over Rusty. Or the other Waltrip brother. 

 

 

I liked Pitbull and agreed with him on Janel & Val's lack of genuine passion: "it's not being mean, it's being real." Except for one dance, Janel leaves me cold while Val's contrived lines make me roll my eyes. It's Kelly Monaco redux without the genuine chemistry and Kelly's relatability and vulnerability.

 

 

 

I thought he was pretty tolerable as far as guest judges go. The slow paddle thing sorta drove me nuts but I thought he was spot on with the no chemistry thing. And I don't mind occasional shirtless but enough is enough. 

 

I want to like Janel but this faux showmance is yuck.

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Julianne's mea culpa to Mark was still a slight. There was no need to qualify it with the pointed and inaccurate "this season."

 

Yes and Mark's face seemed to register that he knew that.

 

I thought the top on Janel's outfit was gross - it made her look like she had huge pendulous bags o'breastage swooshing around - I was stunned that anybody had been able to look away from that disaster long enough to criticize the skirt.

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Truth - I understand what you're saying.  It's just that for me, I don't mind.  If he did it every single week, that would be one thing.  But I don't find it excessive at this point.  If he pulls it off in the middle of a waltz, I'll re-visit it.  <lol>  But for now, I don't mind seeing it every other week or so.  Just call me a dirty old lady - I enjoy the view.  ;0

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A couple of tidbits from Afterbuzz as they had Sharna as the guest.  They flew her out to Kentucky for two days last week to learn Antonio's routine in case she had to dance in Cheryl's place.  It sounds like whatever is going on with Cheryl's dad is still ongoing, which for what it's worth Cheryl backed out of some Ballroom With a Twist shows in Hawaii right before this season began for family reasons and then went off the grid with her family for a week.  So while I hope everything is okay, it sounds like something has been going on for awhile.   I can't imagine Cheryl will be too heartbroken if they get sent packing in the next few weeks.

 

Sharna also said Alfonso also has a back injury.

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About Sadie. I wonder if she was uncomfortable about the dance moves and asked her mom and grandmother to intervene for her. If so I wish she could have spoken up about it instead, choosing modesty can be just as empowering as choosing to show off your body and sexuality. Or I could be completely wrong, who knows? I thought she looked really uncomfortable while dancing, her face was blank for the most part except for when she'd smile where her and Mark's faces got really close together.

 

Yes!  I tried to make a similar point upthread.  Sadie's mother and grandmother could have explored this issue with Sadie.  Start with - does it make you uncomfortable?  If no, they should have backed off.  If she is uncomfortable, teach her to pick up on these cues. Is it where he places his hand/your hand/his face?  What about it makes you uncomfortable, and what can we do to make you more comfortable?  It's Sadie's body - no one else's.  She is quite possibly getting the message that as long as others feel something is acceptable, she should obey - even if it makes her uncomfortable

 

This has to be an overwhelming experience, especially for a sheltered seventeen year-old.  Imagine how much the experience could prepare her for adulthood.  She's being put in pseudo-intimate situations with an older male.  Instead of acting like she's in danger of being raped at any minute, how about helping her gain autonomy over herself.  Give her confidence to speak out if she's put in an uncomfortable experience.  I think they're sending her mixed signals.  What if she has an innocent crush on Mark, and is made to feel ashamed of those feelings because it's not modest?

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I always want to call Jenna Johnson Jenna Jameson, which is ironic because every time she was on screen tonight she was giving off a porn vibe. She has the muggiest mug since Mark season 1.

Who was the young man(?) sitting on Paula Abdul's right?

I believe that was Michael Dameski, winner of SYTYCD AU (amazing solo below).

To answer someone else's question, Jenna is one of the core troupe members. Brunette with big light eyes, who seemed to be wearing a smaller dancer's costumes last night.

Speaking of SYTYCD, it was nice to see Brittany Cherry (another brunette), was front and center for some dance in the middle. Wasn't as pleased to see Brooklyn from this past season in Pitbull's number and again later on. Seems like a nice girl, but not one of my faves.

Michael's solo (youtube):

(Golly, fat fingers tonight! Glad there's no edit limit.)

Edited by Electruck
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Janel's costume was even worse than I thought. This picture below shows that it was practically falling apart towards the end of the dance.

 

https://33.media.tumblr.com/e02e4ecbd909ca727583b4b128def1cf/tumblr_ndtbsnwKox1t4s7feo2_1280.jpg

 

Seriously, what the hell happened with the costume department this week and how did Val not ask for that to be fixed and/or adjusted. The thing was a mess and it honestly distracted me from her dancing. 

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Janel's costume was even worse than I thought. This picture below shows that it was practically falling apart towards the end of the dance.

 

https://33.media.tumblr.com/e02e4ecbd909ca727583b4b128def1cf/tumblr_ndtbsnwKox1t4s7feo2_1280.jpg

 

Seriously, what the hell happened with the costume department this week and how did Val not ask for that to be fixed and/or adjusted. The thing was a mess and it honestly distracted me from her dancing. 

 

OMG! Yikes! How did that happen? And that's at the beginning of the dance too bc Val still has his shirt on.

Edited by missysays
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Alfonso - I just love him.  Loved the dance, loved the choreography, love this partnership.  I'm hoping his groin injury heals up some before next week.  I'd hate to see him have to leave because of it.  Have no idea what was up with CA.  I think she's just totally losing it. 

Last night during the post show interviews he said he was still in a lot of pain and he was walking around with an ice pack in his hand, earlier today though he posted on his Facebook page that he was feeling a little better and was going to work hard on getting his body ready for Monday. IMO Witney needs to keep his age and this injury in mind for any future choreography and she needs to try and work around it.

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This picture below shows that it was practically falling apart towards the end of the dance.

 

I believe that it was actually designed that way. It looked like that from the start. I think it was to give it extra motion. I get the concept behind Janel's outfit of looking like a Latin Carnival outfit, but I think the execution was horrible. She looked bad and her outfit looked bad. If they were going to go that route, they should have given her the ruffle top all the way around and incorporated some of the same colors in the top and the bottom.

 

I thought Alfonso, Jonathan, and Bethany were the best dancers this week. They seemed completely comfortable and fluid with what they were given. International Tango is a good one for someone whose weakness is emoting because the stony face is the expected face for it. Alfonso was fast, graceful, and charming. Jonathan needed jazz or contemporary early so Allison could be in her wheelhouse because they were like a different pair. I don't know what the show was thinking courting her... I know it was the Derek connection but what did they think she would bring? Why not at least test her in the troupe?

 

Artem needs to fix Leah's shoulders and Val needs to do something about Janel's core or legs. I can't figure out what exactly it is with Janel but she often seems a little off balance or mushy (which is why I'm wondering about her core).

 

Sadie needs more training, but she has a natural grace and performance quality. And I say this as someone who doesn't like her (at least not the 17-year-old version; she, of course, has plenty of time to grow). She lacked hip flexibility in the rumba, but she struck many beautiful poses.

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Julianne's mea culpa to Mark was still a slight. There was no need to qualify it with the pointed and inaccurate "this season."

 

ITA. I know I should just appreciate that Julianne was complimenting Mark (and has done so for a few weeks now), but her comment to him 2 seasons ago still rubs me the wrong way (because Mark's had a lot of great partnerships and great choreography over the years). There was no need to allude to it again, which she could have avoided by simply leaving out those unnecessary last 2 words.

Actually here's the line up for Derek Hough:

season five - 4th place

season six - 6th place

season seven - won

season eight - 5th place

season nine - 4th place

season ten - won

season eleven - won

season thirteen - 3rd place

season fourteen - 4th place

season fifteen - 2nd place

season sixteen - won

season seventeen - won

season eighteen - 2nd place

 

I'm being nitpicky, but in Season 14, Derek finished 4TH place with Maria Menounos (behind Donald Driver, Katherine Jenkins, and William Levy). But yeah, the guy's got amazing stats.

ETA: I fixed it! :) - radishcake

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This has been eating at me for the entire season and last season as well.  I am a Christian, a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  A Mormon.  Regarding modesty, other Christian faiths have nothing compared to the LDS faith.  If you are a faithful member, you don't wear anything sleeveless, no bare middles and nothing shorter than just above the knee.  I bring this up because as far as I know there have been three practicing LDS members on the show.  Marie Osmond, Donny Osmond and Gladys Knight.  We never heard them complaining about costumes or the nature of the dance.  Why?  Two reasons, well maybe three.  1. They were older and more mature.  2. They were all performers and as such knew that costumes are like uniforms in athletics or swimsuits in swimming and diving,  and you wear what's appropriate for the circumstances, within reason.  3. They did not feel the need to be media whores where their faith was concerned.

 

I feel that this show has gone way overboard with the skimpy costumes and the sexiness of the dances.  The outfits that last season's Candice and this seasons Sadie wear are a refreshing breath of air and very much appreciated by this viewer.  However, the path taken by the family, the producers, TPTB, to get to these costumes and dances is embarrassing and annoying to watch.  One mention at the beginning of the season would have been sufficient to explain the modesty for the entire season.  Frankly in this case, I'd be more concerned about the age of the contestant rather than the religion of the contestant.

 

Okay, I think I got that off my chest.

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Speaking of SYTYCD, it was nice to see Brittany Cherry (another brunette), was front and center for some dance in the middle. Wasn't as pleased to see Brooklyn from this past season in Pitbull's number and again later on. Seems like a nice girl, but not one of my faves.

 

 

I've been wondering if Brittany would show up on DWTS ever since she performed with her partner on the Ballroom Kids competition several years ago. I'm STILL impressed how smoothly she removed her dress from her heel after it got caught during their Cha-Cha. She also dances with Ed Sheeran in his new video for Thinking Out Loud so now she has experience partnering with a non-dancing celebrity. ;)  I know she also toured with Derek and Julianne this summer and figured we'd see her after that. I wouldn't be surprised to see her in the cast next season, at least in the troupe (if they end up promoting Jenna to pro like they allegedly were going to this season if Cheryl didn't return).

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