S20.E07: Week 7: Eras

[MakeMeLaugh]

I mean, I sort of understand why certain people are still there-even if they shouldn't be- people who watch DWTS probably do watch The Bachelor and Shark Tank, so that's why they're voting for them. ....

.

I know, it's really amazing that the guy from The Bachelor and the guy from Shark Tank are still there. Oh wait, those shows are on ABC along with DWTS. Connect the marketing dots.

 

I like Noah and want him to stay, just to see everyone's heads explode. When Derek was injured, I just compared his injuries from rehearsing for a TV show to Noah's from the battlefield, and thought he ought to get his ass out there and dance anyway as best he could--bet the judges would have given him all 10s for the effort. Mr MML thought there was much more of the connection/warmth between Nastia and fauxDerek that the judges had been complaining about.

 

I've only seen the first Hunger Games--is Willow a bigger part of the later films to generate a fan base? I asked Mr MML if he thought Jennifer Lawrence would ever be in the audience. I guess we missed that opportunity. 

Edited April 29, 2015 by MakeMeLaugh

[Uke]

Forgot to say that I saw Chloe and her mom Christi (formerly from Dance Moms) in the audience.  Chloe is a sweet girl, and was always my favorite.

 

Correct me if I'm wrong but it seems Chloe and mom Christi have been in the audience a few times now (aside from when Abby Lee judged and a bunch of her students showed up).  I would bet Christi is campaigning to have her daughter as a contestant. How old is Chloe now, 13? 14?

[OakGoblinFly]

However, I get the 10 for Noah. CAI has never made a secret of the fact that she tries to mark the stars against their own potential.  I thought Sharna's choreo was really interesting in the way it favoured his full arm and leg side without showing the other side's limitations.  I thought he did a very good job and I enjoyed the dance.  

 

 

Except for the fact that the score totals are not weighted against "personal potential" - meaning that Noah's personal "10" has more value than Rumer's "8" and that's wrong even though Rumer's dance full of content and technically superior - and the fact that weighted scores means we could lose Rumer, Riker, or Nastia before Noah is a very real possibility.

 

I always thought the judges should just throw the paddles away, give critiques to the contestants and then rank the dances from one through whatever .... first place gets 10 points, second 9, and so on down the line ..... do the same for votes (e.g., highest fan vote gets 10 points, second 9, and so on).

[saber5055]

I was surprised this week that I actually liked the Chris/Witney dance. I thought Chris did a great job, and the choreography concentrated on them with the background dancers a nice touch in the background, where they did not distract from the two leads. I also liked it definitely showed an era.

 

I also liked Nastia/Sasha. I hope they continue to partner. She looked happier this week (maybe because she wasn't getting jacked around, dancing with different people every day) and Sasha did not "showcase" himself, I actually got to see Nastia. I didn't mind Derek  being in the background crowd. I'm guessing since he appeared on tv, he got a bigger paycheck than if he'd sat out. I have no problem with that!

 

When Rumer and Val danced, I couldn't take my eyes off of Val. He outshines everyone he dances with. And I noticed he borrowed Mark's "spats." Had a laugh about that.

 

Willow and Mark ... you guys already did that dance earlier this season.

 

For the elimination I was shouting for Rumer and Val to go home. I love me some Val, but I can't stand Rumer's "I have no competition here" attitude and wish she would leave. 

 

I have no problem with dancers considered "lesser" than others staying longer than some think they should. If everyone left in order of talent/no talent, this show would be pretty boring. At least this way we have something to grumble about, until the entire season is erased from memory.

[RedheadZombie]

Correct me if I'm wrong but it seems Chloe and mom Christi have been in the audience a few times now (aside from when Abby Lee judged and a bunch of her students showed up). I would bet Christi is campaigning to have her daughter as a contestant. How old is Chloe now, 13? 14?

This is the first time I've seen her, but I tend to be a distracted viewer. I hope Chloe isn't on the show, I think she's only thirteen. Her mom does keep

her busy to stay in the public eye. I know for a long time she did meet and greets every weekend. She's a sweet girl and my hope is she can live a normal (off TV) life. Plus, Chloe would be the biggest ringer that ever rang, having danced since the age of three

[ari333]

Did I hear Rumer say that she doesn't work out, or something to that effect? Wha? Hmmm.

[fishcakes]

Did I hear Rumer say that she doesn't work out, or something to that effect? Wha? Hmmm.

 

She said it, but I don't believe it. Demi says the same thing about herself. I've seen her do more than one interview where she says that she eats junk food constantly and never works out, but if you look at Demi's body now compared to in her brat pack days, she's clearly much thinner and more muscular. She's doing a wide-eyed, "what me, exercise? Noooo, I'm just naturally blessed, I guess," and it's unfortunate that Rumer has picked that up.

[anonymiss]

I raised my eyebrows at that, too, considering how Rumer recounted in a previous package how much she worked out as one thing to try to stop being made fun of when she felt like an ugly duckling. 

[jhlipton]

I've only seen the first Hunger Games--is Willow a bigger part of the later films to generate a fan base?

 

Willow doesn't appear very much in Catching Fire (the second book / movie).  I think she makes a cameo or two in the first half of MockingJay (the third book is split into 2 movies), but she plays a major part in the second half.

 

If she had been on after the last movie, she might have received a ton of sympathy votes based on what happened to Prim.

[skittl3862]

Plus, Chloe would be the biggest ringer that ever rang, having danced since the age of three

 

So in that case, we should expect Chloe & Derek Season 22.

[Uke]

This is the first time I've seen her, but I tend to be a distracted viewer. I hope Chloe isn't on the show, I think she's only thirteen. Her mom does keep

her busy to stay in the public eye. I know for a long time she did meet and greets every weekend. She's a sweet girl and my hope is she can live a normal (off TV) life. Plus, Chloe would be the biggest ringer that ever rang, having danced since the age of three

 

I've only watched Dance Moms sporadically but Chloe seemed to love dance but not all the production and drama revolving around that show. Her mother is a different story - she seemed to love the fame and attention. I'd hate to think she'd serve up her daughter just to extend her 15 minutes.

Edited April 30, 2015 by Uke

[OnceSane]

The discussion about Chloe from Dance Moms becoming a contestant in a future season is off-topic. As is the political talk. Please stop. Thank you.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Loved the opening number. Finally a sophisticated elegant group number!

 

I enjoyed Alison and Ryker's quickstep a lot more than I thought I would. Both the choreography and Alison's performance seemed less frantic than usual and Ryker was very light on his feet. Often the male celebrities look like they're running through mud and barely managing not to trip over their own feet during quickstep so this was as nice change.

 

One of the really things that really gets me about eliminations like this week's is that if I imagine the remaining contestants doing the same choreography, I know that there is no way in hell that Noah, Chris, or Robert could have done Ryker's routine but Willow definitely could have. It just kills me when someone like Willow is eliminated but we have three obvious deadweight contestants left.

 

Chris can STFU. It was about time that he got an 8 last week? Please, that 8 was a gift because there is no way in hell that he has done an 8 worthy dance yet this season. This week was definitely the best he's done so far, but that's not saying much.

 

I know the judges always point to Master P as the absolute lowest bar of dancing, but at least back in S2 they were still willing to give out low scores. Fast forward to S20 and Noah gets a 10 for walking around in a pimp suit. The judges will never give out 2s again.

 

Rumer's jive was good but not great. She knew the steps but she didn't have the bounce and energy that I expect from a jive. At this point in the show, I started fast fowarding through all the judges' comments and Erin's inane comments because I couldn't take either anymore.

 

Noah's delusional if he thinks that last week's package made SHARNA look bad. She looked fine. He was the one who looked like an ass. I haev no idea what to say about this jazz routine because on this show, "jazz" seems to be the dance style they use for "do whatever the hell you want." That was the most dancing I have seen from Noah in a routine before, so I think it would be to Sharna's benefit to let him actually dance more instead of standing in place for thirty seconds at a time before forklifting her. The first six weeks he probably danced a total of thirty seconds which was my major issue with him not being eliminated because it's a dance competition, not a stand in one place and then pick your partner up competition. While this week was an improvement, it was not 10 worthy. Not even close. And Carrie Ann can STFU with her "Whatwhatwhatwhatwhatwhatwhatwhatwhat?" which I had to hear before I could hit the fast forward button.

 

Robert's Argentine tango was adequate but I didn't get enough intensity from him. He also didn't have enough finesses to his movements. Kym gets demerits for saying "to Robert and I."

 

I am not a fan of The Derek Show, but I feel for him being injured. It's hard enough to have one foot injury, let alone two, but it's even worse for a professional dancer. It's not just the money or the livelihood either, but being physically unable to do what used to be so simple and easy for you and no longer being able to fully express yourself in a physical way. That does not excuse the fact that he insisted on inserting himself into the dance and then gesticulated by putting his hand in front of Sasha's face upstairs.

 

Do the costume and hair people hate Nastia? She is clearly still in great shape but that costume was not flattering on her and her hair looked like a soft serve ice cream cone. I can't believe Len didn't mention all the arsing around. Nastia finally looked like she was relaxed and having fun so maybe all we needed was to take Derek out of the equation? And poor Nastia having to deal with crazy Carrie Ann hugging her and talking to her like she was a five year old who finally put her toys away. I'm so proud of you for finally doing what I told you to do!

 

How are ninjas futuristic? I can't even with that terrible package with the kung fu movie dubbing. And how did Mark think that song sounded Japanese?

 

I have a love/hate relationship with this dance off stuff. The reason I like it is that it's one of the rare instances where we get to see two couples dance the same style to the same song, so it's a more level playing field without a bunch of crazy costumes, complicated backstories, backup dancers, big sets, or 30 seconds of arsing around at the beginning/end of the dance. I get that you are still at a disadvantage of the style chosen isn't your particular forte but at least as a viewer, I get to compare two couples just dancing in one style to the same song instead of being distracted by Snoop driving onto the stage in a lowrider or whatever Mark's performance art concept of the week is.

 

Heh, but I give Tom a lot of credit for making such an effort to keep everyone on track, even though it was like herding kittens. "DANCERS! GET OFF THE STAGE!"

 

I loved Carrie Ann's critique of Noah vs. Robert. That's the first time that any of the judges have dared to say that Noah's routine didn't have much content. Yet somehow he STILL won the dance off. What will it take to get him off the show, damn it? I feel like a mean person for saying that, but I am tired of watching him NOT dance week after week.

 

The Rumer/Chris dance off was the only one that seemed at all lopsided in terms of skill level/competition. Once I saw they were going against each other, I thought pffft, unless Rumer sits down and refuses to dance, she is winning those two points. I thought her foxtrot was a bit lackluster (I noticed that when she was in hold, she didn't fully stretch her neck and shoulders) but obviously WAY better than Chris.

 

Poor Willow. She was already in tears before Tom announced she was eliminated. Mark has annoyed me for many years (the spats, man, THE SPATS) but he has been a really good partner for her. When he told her to keep her chin up and later when he comforted her as the credits were rolling, I briefly considered taking back some of the things I said about how much I hated his spats in

[legaleagle53]

I know the judges always point to Master P as the absolute lowest bar of dancing, but at least back in S2 they were still willing to give out low scores. Fast forward to S20 and Noah gets a 10 for walking around in a pimp suit. The judges will never give out 2s again.

 

The difference is that Noah works his ass off in practice every day.  Master P had the work ethic of a garden slug.

[jhlipton]

The difference is that Noah works his ass off in practice every day.  Master P had the work ethic of a garden slug.

 

I'll have you know that gastropods are the workhorses among the invertebrates.  Just figuring out who to mate with and as which gender is equivalent to a Triathlon!

[Glaadrial]

I wasn't talking about her boobs at all. Those aren't what make a body feminine to me and I don't think any one should be getting boob jobs ever. She's just straight up and down with ripped abs and no hips or waist. (snip)

Then if not boobs (which would give her a more "feminine" shape up top), then perhaps she should get hip implants so that she's no longer straight up and down with ripped abs and no hips or waist? I don't see how that could be feasible but maybe there is some other way that she could find to alter her appearance so that it would be appealing to someone who thinks differently. I like Allison's body exactly as it is, and I love her dancing, even if in this setting her strengths do not complement the rigidity of what is expected for Ballroom Dance.

[MsPH]

Then if not boobs (which would give her a more "feminine" shape up top), then perhaps you mean she should get hip implants so that she's no longer straight up and down with ripped abs and no hips or waist. I, personally, don't see how that could be feasible but maybe there is some other way that she could find to alter her appearance so that it would be appealing to someone who thinks like what you expressed above. I like Allison's body exactly as it is, and I love her dancing, even if in this setting her strengths do not complement the rigidity of what is expected for Ballroom Dance.

 

I wasn't suggesting she do anything, just stating my preference. Her body is fine for whatever she wants to use it for, but I enjoy it more in hip hop outfits than skimpy latin costumes. For a dancer, their body is their instrument, and certain instruments fit certain styles better than others. Any instrument will do if you're skilled enough, but she is not a skilled ballroom dancer so she doesn't have that going for her either. JMO.

[Thadeeeyus]

Then if not boobs (which would give her a more "feminine" shape up top), then perhaps she should get hip implants so that she's no longer straight up and down with ripped abs and no hips or waist. I don't see how that could be feasible.....//snipped//

 

I believe Derek came up with something for Shannon Elizabeth...  ;)

[Bella]

This forum is getting some snippy posts, which we've begun editing.

 

Please stop.

 

Thanks!

[calipiano81]

Nastia – I really liked this dance, but I wanted to love it, and I would have loved it except for Derek. I don’t mind that he wanted to be in the dance; I do mind terribly how he did it. The package was ridiculous with all his mugging “I want to dance” over and over. We get it, Derek. You want to dance. And it sounded like he was just planning to be on the train in the background, which would have been fine. But then he ended up front and center. He was between Nastia and Sasha. Why? Nastia should have been in the center. And if he’d sat still while they were dancing, it still might have been okay, but he (and everyone else) kept moving in the background. I found it very distracting and tended to pull my eyes away from Nastia and Sasha. Pulled the camera away from them several times as well. His ending up with a mic and singing was kind of the last straw for me. Go away, Derek. I don’t blame him for the package; he doesn’t control that, although he certainly had complete control over his mugging. But I do blame him for the dance. We know he’s very involved in staging and blocking, so he knew he was going to be featured heavily in that dance. That’s on him. And was Nastia even talked to after the dance? All I remember is Derek talking about himself.

I remember last season for the switch-up week, Mark and Bethany included Sadie and Derek in their hip hop routine by having them sit at tables and having brief interaction with them at the very beginning and the very end.

I didn't overly mind Derek, but I would have preferred that degree of inclusion for Nastia's Charleston.

Edited May 2, 2015 by calipiano81

[Uke]

I remember last season for the switch-up week, Mark and Bethany included Sadie and Derek in their hip hop routine by having them sit at tables and having brief interaction with them at the very beginning and the very end.

I didn't overly mind Derek, but I would have preferred that degree of inclusion for Nastia's Charleston.

 

Yes, that was a nice way to give a nod to their real partners without confusing the focus of the dance.

[saber5055]

Master P had the work ethic of a garden slug.

 

 

I remember his season ... poor Ashley. But the judges' biggest complaint with Master P was that he refused, absolutely REFUSED, to wear dance shoes and instead wore his wingtips or whatever street shoes he liked. That irked the judges no end and they continually ranked on him for it. I'm not sure, however, if he worked more or less than a gastropod.

 

I wish judges would bring out the lower scores for earlier in the year so contestants could "improve" each week instead of starting out with 8s and 9s with nowhere much to go but depressingly down from there, for many of them. By this time in the season, most if not all of the contestants are tired and bruised so some ego boosting would be nice.