S19.E11: Week 9: America's Choice

[OakGoblinFly]

I wouldn't say they are adding fuel to the fire, rather they are giving the fans what they wanted. They were asking how does it start, in the audience or on stage .. everyone said audience.  How does it end? a majority wanted them to kiss. Afterall the song is about getting married. So they kissed,((shrug))) it doesn't seem to be a big deal, it didn't come out of left field, we were prepared for it. This is much different that when Helio and Julianne planted a very similar kiss in their QS back in 2007 when he won. In that instance nobody saw it coming but it really got tongues wagging when it did.  In that instance it was very much a case of adding fuel to something smoldering in the video packages.   

 

 

Which fans?  The three that Janel mentioned during the pre-dance package?  I remember watching that whole bit and rolling my eyes.

 

I did like Alfonso's face when Witney mentioned that adding her and Lindsey ages didn't even make one Alfonso ... he's been a great sport poking fun at the age difference (so refreshing compared to the creepiness that was Michael with Emma).

Edited November 12, 2014 by OakGoblinFly

[kebarrera]

Which fans?  The three that Janel mentioned during the pre-dance package?  I remember watching that whole bit and rolling my eyes.

 

They actually had a poll going on ETonline about who Janel should kiss at the end of the dance. Because the fans "didn't specify" who they wanted her to kiss, they had the choice between Val, Len and Bruno. Val won by quite a big margin. 

[missysays]

They actually had a poll going on ETonline about who Janel should kiss at the end of the dance. Because the fans "didn't specify" who they wanted her to kiss, they had the choice between Val, Len and Bruno. Val won by quite a big margin. 

 

I think what was weird about the whole "America's Choice" concept was that every couple handled it differently and none of it (except for the original dance and song choice) was handled through the main ABC DWTS website or if it was I didn't see it.

 

Some couples just tweeted or IG'ed a request for fans to send suggestions but nothing specific. I had no idea that there was even a vote going for the Janel/Val kiss and why on the ETonline site of all places. Witney and Alfonso (at least in their package) seemed to go out on the streets and asked random people to weigh in on things on the fly. So the whole setup felt oddly thrown together and half-assed. I've felt this all season that the producer gimmicks this season aren't organized or very consistent. Of course DWTS is just a reality show competition so consistent rules don't apply but it feels in this season more so than any other that there doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason to any of it. Yes, I still enjoy a few of the dances here and there but I feel like the competitors are in this three ring circus struggling in vain against who knows what.

Edited November 12, 2014 by missysays

[OakGoblinFly]

They actually had a poll going on ETonline about who Janel should kiss at the end of the dance. Because the fans "didn't specify" who they wanted her to kiss, they had the choice between Val, Len and Bruno. Val won by quite a big margin. 

 

 

Really?  Was that part of the show or something that E! did on it's own?

 

Based on the pre-dance package, the "everyone wants us to kiss" was really just the "three people on twitter" want us to kiss that Janel mentioned.

[kitcloudkicker]

I think what was weird about the whole "America's Choice" concept was that every couple handled it differently and none of it (except for the original dance and song choice) was handled through the main ABC DWTS website or if it was I didn't see it.

 

It's maybe a little disjointed feeling - but I'd bet almost anything it's not half-assed, but part a of transmedia storytelling/social media strategy. It's very much all the rage right now - the stars/dancer's social media postings are definitely being guided/nudged by producers. (ie. the Mark/Bethany, Sadie/Derek switchup week social media "jealousy" storyline in their packages). By the way, I'm not necessarily anti-transmedia, I think it's an interesting way to keep fans engaged throughout the week, but it can be a little hard to get it into the sweet spot so viewers don't feel manipulated or that the entire experience doesn't feel disjointed. 

 

I'm glad they didn't take all of their suggestions literally though, because by far the most popular theme Bethany's young fans wanted seemed to be a "The Fault in Our Stars" themed Viennese Waltz which I can't see as anything other than horrifyingly schmaltzy. (And I say that as both a fan of The Fault in Our Stars and Derek and Bethany.) 

[missysays]

It's maybe a little disjointed feeling - but I'd bet almost anything it's not half-assed, but part a of transmedia storytelling/social media strategy. It's very much all the rage right now - the stars/dancer's social media postings are definitely being guided/nudged by producers. (ie. the Mark/Bethany, Sadie/Derek switchup week social media "jealousy" storyline in their packages). By the way, I'm not necessarily anti-transmedia, I think it's an interesting way to keep fans engaged throughout the week, but it can be a little hard to get it into the sweet spot so viewers don't feel manipulated or that the entire experience doesn't feel disjointed. 

 

I'm glad they didn't take all of their suggestions literally though, because by far the most popular theme Bethany's young fans wanted seemed to be a "The Fault in Our Stars" themed Viennese Waltz which I can't see as anything other than horrifyingly schmaltzy. (And I say that as both a fan of The Fault in Our Stars and Derek and Bethany.) 

 

I think what was the confusing part for me was that I heard mentions that America was going to help choose the beginnings and endings for dances but I never saw how I could contribute. For example, I think I saw early in the week a video from Bethany and Derek about how fans should help them but I never saw real instructions for how to do it. I also saw after the fact that Sadie had had her costume designed by "America." How, when? I think that was the part that felt manipulative to me. I don't follow all of the cast on social media but I think I generally scroll through an IG feed or twitter feed once a day and even that wasn't enough to figure out how to "vote" for some of the couples.

[realdancemom]

I'm glad they didn't take all of their suggestions literally though, because by far the most popular theme Bethany's young fans wanted seemed to be a "The Fault in Our Stars" themed Viennese Waltz which I can't see as anything other than horrifyingly schmaltzy. (And I say that as both a fan of The Fault in Our Stars and Derek and Bethany.) 

There must have been a fan that wanted all the couples to have unicorns involved.  At least, that's what I saw in the packages.  Yeah, you can't take all the fan suggestions seriously.

[kitcloudkicker]

I think what was the confusing part for me was that I heard mentions that America was going to help choose the beginnings and endings for dances but I never saw how I could contribute. For example, I think I saw early in the week a video from Bethany and Derek about how fans should help them but I never saw real instructions for how to do it. I also saw after the fact that Sadie had had her costume designed by "America." How, when? I think that was the part that felt manipulative to me. I don't follow all of the cast on social media but I think I generally scroll through an IG feed or twitter feed once a day and even that wasn't enough to figure out how to "vote" for some of the couples.

 

Yeah, they want you to start engaging through lots of platforms, but the idea behind transmedia is that you don't need to to enjoy the main show, but it adds layers to the experience. They've implemented it kind of clunkily, like calling out things in the show but not making it clear where you go to get the extra content, but I would be they have a plan they're experimenting with. I would guess that it's hard to keep all the balls in the air. If you're interested, this is a good summary of the strategy. (I get kind of nerdy about this stuff - it's also why I find a YouTube star like Bethany's existence on the show interesting, the future of media/broadcasting is kind of up in the air right now and everyone's kind of stumbling through figuring it out.) 

[missysays]

Yeah, they want you to start engaging through lots of platforms, but the idea behind transmedia is that you don't need to to enjoy the main show, but it adds layers to the experience. They've implemented it kind of clunkily, like calling out things in the show but not making it clear where you go to get the extra content, but I would be they have a plan they're experimenting with. I would guess that it's hard to keep all the balls in the air. If you're interested, this is a good summary of the strategy. (I get kind of nerdy about this stuff - it's also why I find a YouTube star like Bethany's existence on the show interesting, the future of media/broadcasting is kind of up in the air right now and everyone's kind of stumbling through figuring it out.) 

 

Interesting! I could see that type of process working well with a reality competition like DWTS. It engages audience members in many different ways - I have really enjoyed the All Access feeds. Just thought the America's Choice was poorly done!

 

Funny that you bring up Bethany because in many ways she seems not to be using her social media channels all that much this season (esp given who she came in as). She barely tweets, IGs and I think she's done only 1 or 2 videos on her YT channel since the season started (and none of them dancing related). I feel like the other celebs all use their social media outlets much more than she does.

Edited November 13, 2014 by missysays

[Woodrose]

If I was on Twitter, I'd start a DWTS campaign: The Dances Are Too Damn Short!  Less talking, more dancing.  There were some magnificent dances this evening, well staged and well danced, but they would have been better if they were longer (except Tommy's dances, hee)

 

 

I think that always happens once they get down to the full two dances in the season and it's usually the first round dances that suffer. Last week just had the dance-off along with the individual dance, which didn't take as much time but this week had each celebrity doing two full out dances. And I think the trio numbers were longer than the regular length dances, probably because they had to factor three people moving together, which ate into the time for the first dances.

 

 

It depends on your definition of always (chuckle).  The dances have indeed been super short all the way through the end of the season since at least Season 15, when I noticed and started commenting about it.

 

Last night's dances were a minute 5 seconds in round one and a minute 10 seconds for the trios.  Total dance time for each couple: 2 minutes 15 seconds.

 

But I pull out my homemade DVDs of season 5, back in the good old days of DWTS.  In week 9, each couple performed a ballroom dance and a latin dance, each a minute 35 to 40 seconds long.  Mel B and Maks were on the floor, just the two of them, for a lovely minute 40 second Viennese Waltz and then a minute 35 second paso doble.  Total dance time per couple:  3 minutes 15 seconds.

 

That's a decline of one full minute of dance time per couple, a loss of 30 percent of the dance time from the early days of DWTS. I miss those minutes of dancing each week.

 

In fact, the week one dances in season 5 were a minute 15 seconds each -- longer than the dances we're getting in week 9 of this season.

 

Of course, the dances were 'boring' lift-free classical ballroom and latin dance styles.  The couples didn't have to spend their time learning dangerous lifts until the very end. But I wasn't bored at all.

 

The Dances Are Too Damn Short!   More dancing, less talking!

[Uke]

The Dances Are Too Damn Short!   More dancing, less talking!

 

Got room for me on this platform? TOTALLY agree!

[calipiano81]

Regarding the dances being too short...while I agree, I think we should take into consideration that results and eliminations, which in earlier seasons would have been done on Tuesday night results shows, are now being crammed in on Monday, which unfortunately cuts into the dancing.

[Woodrose]

Regarding the dances being too short...while I agree, I think we should take into consideration that results and eliminations, which in earlier seasons would have been done on Tuesday night results shows, are now being crammed in on Monday, which unfortunately cuts into the dancing.

 

OK, I've taken the loss of the results show into consideration, and rejected that as an excuse.  The dances were shortened to the point of absurdity starting in the All Stars season, when they still had the results show.  I point squarely at the fourth judge as a worthless time waster that should be eliminated and the time allocated to more dancing.

 

The Dances Are Too Damn Short!

[Electruck]

It's kind of hard to believe that the hunky Henry who did Lea's Paso is the same Henry who so convincingly channeled Len in Leah's jive.

[RetailTherapy]

Lots of thoughts.

 

Loved Alfonso's Paso.  He's just in a dance class by himself this season.

 

Sadie did ok on the trio dance, but that jive was beyond awful.  Nothing looks worse than giant flappy fish feet attempting to do flicks and kicks.  It was just the hottest of hot messes. 

 

Tommy and Peta did a lovely VW.  Probably his best dance, aside from the inclusion of Cheech in week 1.  Wasn't a fan of his trio, but he's just not that fast.  Peta can slow it down when it's just the two of them, but it would be mighty difficult with the third.

 

Bethany's first dance was completely forgettable. Nothing whatsoever stood out as good or bad.  It was just there.  She clearly kissed and made up with wardrobe, as she looked a lot better this week.  The so-called "AT" was a definite WTF?  Nothing in that dance, aside from a couple of random lifts compliments of Tony, was an AT.   

 

Same with Janel.  Completely forgettable.  Nothing good or bad, just...there.  For me, she's probably the next best dancer after Alfonso, but there's just no spark. 

 

I had much hope through the entire episode that Bethany would be the surprise elimination.  It would have been awesome. 

[Rrrhumba]

I was doing random youtube wanderings yesterday after Woodrose's comments above about the length of dances in older seasons. I came across a compilation of Witney and Lindsay's troupe dances. Wow - it really can't be overstated how much that troupe experience must have helped Witney choreograph the trio this week. SO many of the bumpers seemed to be Wit, Linds + male trouper. We often talk about troupe being good for helping learn the nuances of the show generally but I think this is probably the first example of it providing a leg up choreo-wise on the longer term pros...