S05.E17: Showdown in Pittsburgh, Part 1

[OnceSane]

With the ALDC back in Pittsburgh to wrap up loose ends before they make the full-time move to LA, Abby has scheduled the team to attend both a competition and a convention. Adding to the pressure, two of Abby's biggest enemies, Cathy and Jeanette, will be at the competition and are confident they can win. Meanwhile, Holly has organized a premiere party for Nia's music video, but not everyone in the ALDC is excited about her big debut.

[hqtextbook]

Oh good. I can't wait to see even more about these music videos. They haven't been dragged out long enough at all. 

[tessa]

Sorry but I'm excited to finally see Nia's video. The production company has just put out a teaser and I hope this kid goes somewhere because she deserves it.

[leighroda]

I KNEW the commercial edit of Abby saying "your video doesn't need to come out" to Nia's video was probably not really what was said.

It's disheartening to see all the jealousy among the adults. I don't really understand why the premiere "had" to be during jump, clearly it was a production point.... But still.

I said it last week, Jill herself has said she would do whatever needed to to make Kendall successful, so I don't know why she gets so mad that anyone else would do the same for their own child.

Maybe Holly is being braggy, I don't trust the way things are edited to definitively say whether I think she was or not... But for goodness sake the video came out great, let her have her moment and be happy. She is usually the first to say how proud she is or encourage another child for their accomplishments (other than this season when she has been quick to point out that someone gets something Nia is not...but again I have a feeling that could also be more editing, I'm not sure)

[RazzleberryPie]

This was a stupid episode. I wish Abby would just age girls out and not find some reason to not like them as soon as they turn 13. I don't understand why the other moms were so irritated by Nia's video. The video, by the way, looked professional, but the filming and editing combined with a ton of autotune or sound effects just kept me from focusing on anything. Maybe that was intentional. Nia comes of so much more mature than any of the moms, that I wish her well. Holly is drunk on the fame kool-aid and acting like a giddy fool. I get standing up for your child, but she's way too into the drama. Befriending Cathy and that other woman is just irritating.

[zenithwit]

Really enjoyed Nia's video. Though I kinda agreed with Abby's criticism (hiding in the corner now) - the vibe of the video didn't quite match the song.

BUT Nia looked amazing!!! And her dancing was spot on (in my opinion, the dancing in her video was better than the dancing in Kendall's video).

Nia has serious potential and presence. If she is mentored by the right people, I can see her making it a few years down the road.

[TomGirl]

I was surprised to see the return of Vivi. That scene where Cathy kept up a running monologue while Vivi stuffed ice cream in her mouth was pathetic. That child should be mercifully kept off this show.

I was glad to see Jojo and her mom at Nia's premiere. I've always liked Jojo, ever since she was on AUDC, and she continues to grow on me every week.

[RedFire2000]

I was surprised to see the return of Vivi. That scene where Cathy kept up a running monologue while Vivi stuffed ice cream in her mouth was pathetic. That child should be mercifully kept off this show.

I was glad to see Jojo and her mom at Nia's premiere. I've always liked Jojo, ever since she was on AUDC, and she continues to grow on me every week.

 

I cringed at the Vivi and Cathy ice cream scene. It was painful to watch, and her wiping Vivi's mouth like she was a 3 years old.

 

Agreed about Jojo. Love that kid. She is adorable and liked her supporting Nia at her video premiere.

[Tasya]

The editing on this show is so crazy. It makes it seem as if the other girls didn't want to support Nia when the truth is that they were at JUMP. Jojo and Nia were in some routines at JUMP but not nearly as much as all of the other girls. 

 

I think i'd appreciate Nia's video more if it wasn't such a production move. If they were going to put all that they did in to her video then they should've done the same for all of the other girls. Not for the mom's benefit but for the kids themselves. It's not like it's a Maddie situation with Sia in which Aubrey really independently sought out Nia and produced this video for her. It's from Collins so it's ridiculous of Holly to act as if this great opportunity came about for Nia through anything other than manipulation. Holly is just being insufferable about this entire thing. 

 

The good thing is that for Nia this is clearly the path for her to take. She's never going to be a dancer on the level of the other girls, so focusing on this more hip-hop/pop style is a really good idea for her. It will be interesting to see if she gets picked up for projects that are not Collins driven after this. 

[Laurie4H]

Maybe I'm in the minority but I thought Nia's song was terrible. No hook and you can barely understand the lyrics.

[TomGirl]

I thought the song was awful, too. It sounded so unmusical I wondered if something was wrong with my TV.

[BusyOctober]

The jealousy dripping off Jill is tangible!  When she was saying how Kendall's video was "age appropriate" and someone threw in the word "wholesome" I just about choked on my ice tea.  Since when is a tween dancing around in short short booty shorts on an Air Force base while riding on an adult male soldier's back "age appropriate" or "wholesome"?  I know I'm a prude and all the tweens/young teens are dressing/dancing/acting older than their years.  All music videos with 10-15 yr old "stars" show them acting older than they are...it's been that way forever!  My kid is 8 and plays with My Little Pony figures and Barbie dolls.  If she were a wanna be singer, I don't think any producer would think she'd be a big pop star or You Tube sensation if she were shown acting her 8 yr old self (of course, I wouldn't let my kid do any of that video crap at her young age anyway). However, I don't think Jill can say her kid's vid is akin to "Little House on the Prairie" while Nia's is trashy or questionable.  All that said, Nia looked great in it, but the song and her overly produced, auto-tuned singing did nothing for me. I wish her luck in what ever she chooses to do.  I think Nia has a good head on her shoulders and her family seems very supportive.

 

Abby dissing Nia's look in the video is also laughable.  Abby has had those girls writhing around in make up and skimpy cosh-tumes for years!  She is just too stupid to recognize her own hypocrisy.  Abby has tried to pigeon hole Nia in all Abby's ideas of "ethnic" roles. That's really what's distasteful in my opinion.

[Clemgo3165]

I didn't think it was awful, it was just that you couldn't really get the melody and the words because the drum beat was too prominent. I'd like to hear them toned down a bit - can't sing along if you don't have the tune or the words. Nia LOOKED awesome though.

[Shell76]

Nia's video was very disappointing, any kind of musicality was drenched in sound effects.  It's a real shame, because there was an early leak of the song itself on Youtube, and it was so much better than the final edit used in the video.  Nia did look great in the video, but I thought there was too much focus on her background dancers at times.  

 

I also laughed out loud at Jill saying Kendall's video was wholesome and age-appropriate. No, that would be Mack's videos.  I have nothing good to say about Kendall's video, so I'll leave that alone.

 

Poor Vivi, why can't they just let her be?  

[leighroda]

How come Vivi is eating ice cream every single time she is shown on the show? That's not a commentary on whether she eats too much junk food or her weight, but literally going the fact that anytime she is shown its over s bowl of ice cream with her mom.

I didn't understand the discussion questioning the appropriateness of Nia's video when Maddie has a video of her in a cage with a grown man, and Kendall's video features her lounging on a guys back, like someone mentioned.

I actually like both videos for what they are. Production setups, I wouldn't like either song or videos outside of the dance moms setup. The only thing that kinda bothered me about Kendall's is the lyrical solo part towards the end that doesn't really match the song.

[tessa]

OK - I've been waiting for this for weeks now. I really love the song but was disappointed with all the flashing around from scene to scene and the focus on the backup dancers - that said - that video is up all over on youtube. The main one had 44,000 hits this morning and 3 hrs later had gained another 8,000 views. Posters do seem to prefer Nia's video over Kendall's. Many are comparing her to Janet Jackson and I do see the similarities in the soft spoken singing voice and the video itself.

 

It was nice to see Kathy and Janette come to the video promo and I was shocked Abby made it and more shocked that she was nice. The other moms should be ashamed of themselves. We've listened to Melissa brag and brag for years - so for her not to be supportive is nuts. Jill is just a loon - it's all about her and Kendall or else and I think some of the reason Nia is liked more than Kendall has to do with the mom's likeability with viewers.

 

No one should call into question the male dancers in Nia's video - not when Abby has given them god awful skimpy costumes for years ( remember the big fight back in season 1 or 2 ) and Maddie's apparel and situations in the Sia videos.

 

I do think Nia's video was geared to breaking out into the mainstream. Kids these dance like fast, deep beat, dance, closeups like selfies - and they pretty much covered it with this one. I could see this being played in a dance club. Young people just want a song with a beat to it - they don't care about the words and this song provides that - Kendall's doesn't. Kendall's will probably be liked by 8-10 yr olds where I think Nia's is going to appeal to a bit older crowd if they see it.

[iluvobx]

It looks like Abby has started a war with the producers of the show.  TMZ is reporting that Abby thinks the producers are trying to ruin her show by creating phony conflicts.  She said she is capable of making children cry because she knows exactly what buttons to push.  So now Abby herself is claiming a lot of the show is phony.  Wonder if the lawsuits have been settled or if this is to deflect some of it?

 

I don't know about you but I sure as shit wouldn't brag that I could make a child cry.

[cali1981]

 

The good thing is that for Nia this is clearly the path for her to take. She's never going to be a dancer on the level of the other girls, so focusing on this more hip-hop/pop style is a really good idea for her. It will be interesting to see if she gets picked up for projects that are not Collins driven after this. 

Nah.  The path for Nia to take is probably Law school or Med school.  Nia appears to have the intellectual firepower and temperament for either. This fame story arc is completely contrived by Collins and will fade once the show ends. It's a classic "15 minutes" thing.

[KaveDweller]

Maybe I'm in the minority but I thought Nia's song was terrible. No hook and you can barely understand the lyrics.

I'm glad I'm not the only one who couldn't understand the lyrics.

 

Nia looked great though.  In terms of general look and her dancing.

 

I was glad Abby was being supportive, and I don't disagree with her comment that the video didn't show Nia's real life (although I don't think it needs too).  But the criticisms about Nia's wardrobe is ridiculous when Abby has told 9-year-olds to try and look sexy when dancing.

[Mischievious]

Did anyone notice the bitchy face Melissa was making at Nia's video premiere? Yikes! Haven't been the biggest fan of JoJo or her Mom but love that not only did they show up but stayed through the entire thing.

[Absolom]

Holly got her quote wrong.  It's you can't have a testimony without a test not you can't have a test without a testimony.  It's a sort of fundie saying.  Those were some really sour faced mothers.  I hope they remember that when they think someone should be proud of their children.

 

Ratings:  1.621 M viewers and a .6 rating.  

[Lemons]

I do think Nia's video was geared to breaking out into the mainstream. Kids these dance like fast, deep beat, dance, closeups like selfies - and they pretty much covered it with this one. I could see this being played in a dance club. Young people just want a song with a beat to it - they don't care about the words and this song provides that - Kendall's doesn't. Kendall's will probably be liked by 8-10 yr olds where I think Nia's is going to appeal to a bit older crowd if they see it.

 

I'm pretty sure the "older crowd" is not interested in listening to a 14 year old from Dance Moms sing with auto tune.  That video was so generic.  Some adult back up dancers, some strobe lights, 90's costumes.  There was no thought put into it at all.  And her voice was purposely drowned out.  I'm sure the little kids will like anything that these Dance Moms kids do. 

 

I haven't seen Kendall's video because I only watch the show, nothing on social media.  The little of Kendall's video they showed made it seem like it was geared towards the younger set.  That's the smart way to go.  Little kids won't notice the lack of talent.   

[hqtextbook]

 She said she is capable of making children cry because she knows exactly what buttons to push.  

 

What a horrifying thing for a teacher to say. eek. 

 

I also crack up every time abby says kendall's video is going to blow up and win VMA's and Grammys. Um....that is delusional.

 

And this might be a stupid question but why is she calling her "kendall K?" Isnt her last name vertes or something? What is the K???

[tessa]

I'm pretty sure the "older crowd" is not interested in listening to a 14 year old from Dance Moms sing with auto tune.  That video was so generic.  Some adult back up dancers, some strobe lights, 90's costumes.  There was no thought put into it at all.  And her voice was purposely drowned out.  I'm sure the little kids will like anything that these Dance Moms kids do. 

 

I haven't seen Kendall's video because I only watch the show, nothing on social media.  The little of Kendall's video they showed made it seem like it was geared towards the younger set.  That's the smart way to go.  Little kids won't notice the lack of talent.   

 

Well I'll disagree about the older crowd - because young singers like Rihanna are well liked by that crowd. How many people thought Psy would become a youtube sensation - and now known all over the world - he was a short, heavyset asian man - but the kids liked the music. You never know what the public is going to like and pick up on

[DoctorWhovian]

Any negative statements Abby says about Nia's video (whether you like the video or song or both or not) is out of pure jealousy and anger that she had nothing to do with it. She's being so positive about Kendall's because she made it. And Nia's looks more professional (whether you like it or not). 

 

Also what did she say to Kendall during rehearsal? I can't remember exactly what it was but it was basically, you just screwed up in rehearsal now you're music video won't ever premiere? Ugh Abby. You are an abuser.

[iluvobx]

Did anyone notice the bitchy face Melissa was making at Nia's video premiere? Yikes! Haven't been the biggest fan of JoJo or her Mom but love that not only did they show up but stayed through the entire thing.

Melissa always has that bitchy face on.  Even with her children.  I hate the faces she makes.  

[NextIteration]

Melissa always has that bitchy face on.  Even with her children.  I hate the faces she makes.  

 

Melissa has a resting bitch face, but it's been really bad about the situation with Nia's video and attention.  She cannot bear it when her girls are not the center of attention.

[leighroda]

And this might be a stupid question but why is she calling her "kendall K?" Isnt her last name vertes or something? What is the K???

I think her middle name either starts with a k or is k(or Kay), that's what her mom seems to have always called her.

[tessa]

I agree on Melissa's facial expressions - but she may have been PO'd because production told her she had to go - she did say in the studio that she couldn't come because she was having dinner with her husband. When she said that - I thought what's the big deal - but with her sashaying all over the country with Maddie - hubby probably is not a happy camper and wants attention. I'm certain - when he got married - he never thought it would end up like this.

[NextIteration]

Oooh, I haven't watched the episode yet, but @tessa, it's very important to keep moneybags Greg happy in Melissa's world.

[Loves2Dance]

I agree on Melissa's facial expressions - but she may have been PO'd because production told her she had to go - she did say in the studio that she couldn't come because she was having dinner with her husband. When she said that - I thought what's the big deal - but with her sashaying all over the country with Maddie - hubby probably is not a happy camper and wants attention. I'm certain - when he got married - he never thought it would end up like this.

No, she said she was having dinner THAT night. BUT, Holly corrected it that it was in the middle of the afternoon. 

 

I do agree about her needing to keep her source of funding happy; I'm not sure how moving to LA is going to help that though since she has an apartment out there. 

[Lorimar263]

I'm wondering if Maddie is the primary earner in that household now.

I'm sure Melissa gets paid fairly well for her participation in the show.

[NextIteration]

Greg is the moneybags that pulled Abby out of bankruptcy, pretty sure outside of the Collins payments, we have him to thank for this hot mess. lol.

I do agree about her needing to keep her source of funding happy; I'm not sure how moving to LA is going to help that though since she has an apartment out there. 

 

Don't you think that Collins is footing the bill for their apartments?

[DoctorWhovian]

Melissa has a resting bitch face, but it's been really bad about the situation with Nia's video and attention.  She cannot bear it when her girls are not the center of attention.

 

Or when her kids receive any slightly negative comments.

[Loves2Dance]

I'm wondering if Maddie is the primary earner in that household now.

I doubt it.

 

 

 

Don't you think that Collins is footing the bill for their apartments?

 

Doubtful. 

[Loves2Dance]

why wouldn't Collins pay for the apartments if they're filming in

LA? That makes no sense to me.

Because they are out their in LA on their own alongside the show. Also, the mom's get paid to be on the show. In tax terms, the rent could be classified as a tax deduction because of the job they hold; that doesn't mean the job has to pay for it. 

[torus351]

Nia's video is so cliched and so yesterday, i couldn't watch this again.

 

Maddie in "Chandelier" and "Elastic Heart", i watched these videos more than a dozen times each. They're brilliant!

 

Vivi is gonna be in a routine?, that's gonna be laughable! Cathy is an idiot.

 

Jill and Holly are sickening.

[limecoke]

Video wars is hilarious.  Seriously, if I didn't know the whole thing was a Dance Moms Storyline for 2015, I'd think they were all insane.  The whole move to LA thing will be great because of all these wackjob women trying to outdo each other making their kid a "staaaaaaarrrr" with Abby Lee as ringleader.  

 

Loved this episode for the return of ViviAnne.  I love that child and want to go out for ice cream with her.  

 

Nia's video.  Well, the song is crap but I guess that's what the kids listen to these days.  It's a shame because I think Nia might have a decent voice and I'd enjoy hearing her rather than all the audio shenanigans.  Appropriate for a 13 year old?  I really don't know but it's certainly no worse than some of the get-ups Abby dressed those girls in back in season one.  The "prosti-tots" come to mind as well as the nudie suits (which were so bad the episode can't be reshown).  And certainly no worse than Kendall K laying on some dude's back while he did push-ups.  What I could have done without was the two guys with their bits on full display.   BTW, Kendall's song is crap too so that's a draw.

 

Dear Abby,

All music videos are contrived.

Love, 

Limecoke

 

Final thought:  So far, the best video I've seen come from the Dance Mom kids is the one Chloe did a few seasons ago.  And that includes the two Maddie did with Sia.  YMMV.

Edited May 5, 2015 by limecoke

[leighroda]

I'm re-watching this episode and this just occurred to me, when Jeanette was goin on and on about Ava's solo being about worlds that are hurtful...wasn't that how she got her face on dance moms? When she was talking crap about Paige (I think) at one of those auditions?

[leighroda]

Yeah your right I remember now... Either way it's still all very "pot meet kettle"

[Loves2Dance]

Yeah, I think she made some nasty remark about Paige's dancing. I think that Ava was referring to all of the comments about Ava's body shape on social media.

There was a mom who made a comment about Paige at an open call, but that wasn't Jeannette. Here is that mom

 

[leighroda]

Oh, was it a competition? I'm pretty sure I remember at some point she did, maybe not specifically Paige, but didn't she follow them to their dressing room or something? Now this is going to drive me crazy until I remember what happened.

[leighroda]

Ohhh, it was Kendall, I think I remember now! (But I thought I remembered before too).

[RedheadZombie]

What is this crap with Lifetime re-running the old episode each week, and slapping on a "dance and chat" subtitle and new airing date?  My DVR picks these up and it's irritating to discover they're old episodes.  It's hard enough sometimes to watch the show, without feeling tricked into re-watching an already crappy episode.

[KaveDweller]

What is this crap with Lifetime re-running the old episode each week, and slapping on a "dance and chat" subtitle and new airing date?  My DVR picks these up and it's irritating to discover they're old episodes.  It's hard enough sometimes to watch the show, without feeling tricked into re-watching an already crappy episode.

 

This happens to me too and it drives me crazy. It must let them charge more for commercials in the reairring of it.

[Absolom]

I believe it has to actually play on the DVR to be counted.

[DoctorWhovian]

I believe it has to actually play on the DVR to be counted.

 

Within the first week of the original airing!