S21: Bindi Irwin: Cheerful Aussie Ambassador

[Thadeeeyus]

This girl has already used up the allotment of "crikeys" that I will allow her.  In serious danger of pushing my annoying button. 

[boyznkatz]

I must say that she's the first and only partner of Golden Boy that I ever liked. Amber wasn't too annoying, but her dancing stunk. This girl isn't annoying and can dance...I'd root for her.

Edited September 15, 2015 by boyznkatz

[Danseur]

I've been away from the site for a few days and didn't see this. It made me laugh. A lot. :))))!

And obviously, I don't know how to use the "in quotes" thing. I was responding to RedheadedZombie who told me my posting of the Bindi video made her cry.

[PBGamer89]

Bindi reminds of Shawn not just in body type and facial looks, but in the sense that she could pull an upset on the predicted male winner (Nick).

[Chit Chat]

Aw, I just love Bindi!  I was watching the Crocodile Hunter back in the day when she was born.  I  remember Steve rushing to the hospital to be there for her birth.  Of course his cameraman videotaped quite a bit of it, and you could see how much love he had for her even before she was born.  Steve was genuine in his love of people and animals.  That love and enthusiasm really shines through in Bindi.  She's the main reason I tuned in for this season of DWTS.   Here's hoping she goes far in the competition!

[CrazyDog]

Aw, I just love Bindi! I was watching the Crocodile Hunter back in the day when she was born. I remember Steve rushing to the hospital to be there for her birth. Of course his cameraman videotaped quite a bit of it, and you could see how much love he had for her even before she was born. Steve was genuine in his love of people and animals. That love and enthusiasm really shines through in Bindi. She's the main reason I tuned in for this season of DWTS. Here's hoping she goes far in the competition!

Agree! I just love her. She just has such a genuine personality. I hope she goes far and has a great experience.

[kitcloudkicker]

Pretty great interview with Bindi on Nightline - she comes off very poised, confident and determined. 

 

 

I had her in my original top 3, but now I'm wondering if I placed her too low. I wouldn't be surprised to see her in the final two. 

[truthaboutluv]

I probably would not be able to stand being around Bindi for more than 5 minutes. As an antisocial introvert, people that perky and happy literally exhaust me. That said, she's perfect for this show and as I was watching her performance on Monday, all I could think was, "oh the viewers, especially that Middle America block, is going to love her." And I guess it will be a nice change from the narrative of Derek's last two seasons where his partners were constantly referred to as cold or lacking connection. Of course unsurprisingly I actually loved both Bethany and Nastia. 

Edited September 16, 2015 by truthaboutluv

[boyznkatz]

Bindi reminds of Shawn not just in body type and facial looks, but in the sense that she could pull an upset on the predicted male winner (Nick).

 

I don't know...Shawn had that really annoying high pitched voice, and had an airhead vibe about her. Bindi more talks like an adult and doesn't come off as an airhead. She's happy, but just seems more mature than the other teenage contestants they have had (who all annoyed me). I guess it's because she lost her father at a young age. JMO though.

[Snarklepuss]

It was nice seeing that video of the interview with Bindi, and nice seeing that she has a more level headed side than she tends to project in other situations.  I remember her on "The Rachael Ray Show" several years ago and found her just as insufferable there as on this season's first episode of DWTS.  I think she's a great dancer so far and one to watch this season.  I sure hope I can tolerate her, though.  I'm an introvert myself and I'm not even antisocial but I still find her extremely hard to take.  She needs to calm down.

[Danseur]

Perception and perspective is so interesting. We're all individuals with different tastes, tolerances and desires who experience the same events but have totally opposite reactions and opinions of them. I'm also more of an introvert and very reserved, but extroverts and bubbly personalities are a pleasure to me, provided they aren't phony. I'm partly fascinated with the capacity to be so outgoing and positive all the time. If it's real, it's more fascinating than ever.

There is a public conversation going on right now about whether Bindi's personality (which is a lot like her Dad's in my opinion) is fake. I don't think it is, but that's my perception from my perspective. Psychologists say that working to keep up any kind of personality that isn't real is one of the most emotionally exhausting experiences one can have and almost always leads to depression. If she's faking it, she should have already been through several episodes of clinical depression, since every video I've seen so far shows her exhibiting all the same personality characteristics she does today.

Here's a video of Bindi at 8 years old being interviewed by David Letterman:

[ItsHelloPattiagain]

 

I probably would not be able to stand being around Bindi for more than 5 minutes. As an antisocial introvert, people that perky and happy literally exhaust me.

As a formerly perpetual perky person in my youth, I see this as genuine on her part. I truly think she is her father's daughter and he's passed on that characteristic to her. I thought her dancing was actually pretty good and perhaps her personality will carry her through to the finals.  

[truthaboutluv]

For the record, I do not and never intended to suggest that Bindi is fake. I absolutely believe this is who she genuinely is and honestly I like her well enough. I was simply expressing that these kinds of personalities, like hers, as genuine as it is, can be exhausting to a person like me when I'm around it for a little too long. That said it won't matter because one, I don't vote anyway and two, I have a strong feeling that the people who do vote, will love her. 

Edited September 16, 2015 by truthaboutluv

[Uke]

I don't know...Shawn had that really annoying high pitched voice, and had an airhead vibe about her. Bindi more talks like an adult and doesn't come off as an airhead. She's happy, but just seems more mature than the other teenage contestants they have had (who all annoyed me). I guess it's because she lost her father at a young age. JMO though.

 

I think both Shawn and Bindi have been media-trained for most of their lives.  The difference is Shawn was trained to speak in Olympian-style soundbites (for news clips)  while Bindi's clearly been trained to speak in paragraphs (for explaining all about the animals).   Shawn, I'm guessing, was also trained to keep smiling whenever a microphone was stuck in front of her face so she developed the habit (talent?) of talking through her teeth, which, for me, makes her sometimes hard to understand.  I think Bindi is being genuine in her perkiness and exuberance, but I think she was raised like that from birth (meaning the mannerisms).  Has anyone heard her Mom talk in an interview? I wonder if she's similar to the Dad.

 

It's interesting to me that Bindi was the contestant chosen for the Nightline segment.

It's my understanding that ABC/DWTS sets up/manages all the interviews with the cast while each is still in competition.

[Chit Chat]

Has anyone heard her Mom talk in an interview? I wonder if she's similar to the Dad.

I've heard her many times in interviews.  Whereas Bindi describes her & her Dad as "hurricanes," I'd say that Terry is the calm among the storm!   Terry is very well spoken and has a calmness about her.  She grew up in Eugene, Oregon, and she & Steve made several trips back to the states over the years so that he could see her hometown.  She worked with wildlife (cougars, I believe) while in Oregon. I remember seeing some footage of their visits there.  I'm not surprised that Terry & Steve raised such a bright and articulate young lady.  

[Uke]

Thank you ChitChat.

[BW Manilowe]

I think both Shawn and Bindi have been media-trained for most of their lives. The difference is Shawn was trained to speak in Olympian-style soundbites (for news clips) while Bindi's clearly been trained to speak in paragraphs (for explaining all about the animals). Shawn, I'm guessing, was also trained to keep smiling whenever a microphone was stuck in front of her face so she developed the habit (talent?) of talking through her teeth, which, for me, makes her sometimes hard to understand. I think Bindi is being genuine in her perkiness and exuberance, but I think she was raised like that from birth (meaning the mannerisms). Has anyone heard her Mom talk in an interview? I wonder if she's similar to the Dad.

It's interesting to me that Bindi was the contestant chosen for the Nightline segment.

It's my understanding that ABC/DWTS sets up/manages all the interviews with the cast while each is still in competition.

Responding to the bolded. If you haven't watched the Nightline & The Late Show with David Letterman interviews embedded upthread, Terri Irwin is in both. She & Bindi were both guests on Letterman--which is a 2007 interview from when they were "Australian Ambassadors" to the "G'Day LA" & "G'Day New York" celebrations of Aussies in the US/Australian tourism campaigns--but Bindi got the seat closest to Dave's desk & did most of the talking during the interview. Terri (along with Derek, at the end) just comments about Bindi & helps with an animal demo or 2 in the Nightline interview; Bindi's the focus since it's about her DWTS participation. But you can still get a sense of what Terri's about from them. As someone upthread said, she's like the "calm" to the "storm" that was Steve & that Bindi tends to be as well. I used to watch The Crocodile Hunter on Animal Planet (& still will if it's on & there's nothing else that looks good). They were, I feel, very much an "opposites attract" couple in terms of temperament, personality, etc., even with their shared love of wildlife & efforts to protect it.

[ari333]

Please God get Bindi a supportive bra for dancing.

Edited September 17, 2015 by ari333

[Uke]

Responding to the bolded. If you haven't watched the Nightline & The Late Show with David Letterman interviews embedded upthread, Terri Irwin is in both. She & Bindi were both guests on Letterman--which is a 2007 interview from when they were "Australian Ambassadors" to the "G'Day LA" & "G'Day New York" celebrations of Aussies in the US/Australian tourism campaigns--but Bindi got the seat closest to Dave's desk & did most of the talking during the interview. Terri (along with Derek, at the end) just comments about Bindi & helps with an animal demo or 2 in the Nightline interview; Bindi's the focus since it's about her DWTS participation. But you can still get a sense of what Terri's about from them. As someone upthread said, she's like the "calm" to the "storm" that was Steve & that Bindi tends to be as well. I used to watch The Crocodile Hunter on Animal Planet (& still will if it's on & there's nothing else that looks good). They were, I feel, very much an "opposites attract" couple in terms of temperament, personality, etc., even with their shared love of wildlife & efforts to protect it.

 

Thanks. I confess I hadn't watched the posted videos as I thought they'd just be Bindi talking. I see what you & ChitChat mean about the Mom's much calmer demeanor.  The Letterman video froze on me so I copied the URL and watched it on the youtube site. There I found a few other videos of Mom and Mom & Bindi. Mom is quite well-spoken.

 

It's interesting how in the 9 years since her Dad's death, Bindi's mannerisms have enhanced rather than diminished, if the Letterman interview is any indication. On the one hand, cute interview. On the other hand, I'm kinda scratching my head.  But I will say again, I do believe Bindi is 100% sincere.

[Kromm]

I must say that she's the first and only partner of Golden Boy that I ever liked. Amber wasn't too annoying, but her dancing stunk. This girl isn't annoying and can dance...I'd root for her.

She's got to be careful hanging around Derek though. I mean his ego spreads. She already used third person in the first episode, for example.

[boyznkatz]

She's got to be careful hanging around Derek though. I mean his ego spreads. She already used third person in the first episode, for example.

 

You're right, and I can see her getting old fast. But still, she is far more tolerable than most of the other partners Derek had. 

[RedheadZombie]

Thanks. I confess I hadn't watched the posted videos as I thought they'd just be Bindi talking. I see what you & ChitChat mean about the Mom's much calmer demeanor.  The Letterman video froze on me so I copied the URL and watched it on the youtube site. There I found a few other videos of Mom and Mom & Bindi. Mom is quite well-spoken.

 

It's interesting how in the 9 years since her Dad's death, Bindi's mannerisms have enhanced rather than diminished, if the Letterman interview is any indication. On the one hand, cute interview. On the other hand, I'm kinda scratching my head.  But I will say again, I do believe Bindi is 100% sincere.

 

I do believe her enthusiasm is genuine.  Both of her parents were extremely positive and really believed in what they did.  I remember seeing Bindi when she was about five on Crocodile Hunter.  She was still an only child, and was obviously indulged by all of the adults.  But she had a sense of her own destiny.  She talked about how the zoo would be hers one day, and somehow seemed to know what a great responsibility that would be.  She's a good mix of her parents.  Steve's passion and enthusiasm, and Terri's intelligence.

You're right, and I can see her getting old fast. But still, she is far more tolerable than most of the other partners Derek had. 

 

I think Derek manages to take the fun out of the show for his partners.  Something tells me he won't be successful with Bindi.

[kitcloudkicker]

Here's a cute Bindi/Derek interview that I enjoyed for the look Derek gives Bindi when she mentions having bruises, not from dancing, but from recently falling out of a tree.

 

"Why were you in a tree?!"
"Well there were these hummingbirds..."

 

(from the first video at the link)

http://www.eonline.com/news/700071/are-bindi-irwin-and-derek-hough-dancing-with-a-rhinoceros-on-dwts

[Irlandesa]

Perception and perspective is so interesting. We're all individuals with different tastes, tolerances and desires who experience the same events but have totally opposite reactions and opinions of them. I'm also more of an introvert and very reserved, but extroverts and bubbly personalities are a pleasure to me, provided they aren't phony. I'm partly fascinated with the capacity to be so outgoing and positive all the time. If it's real, it's more fascinating than ever.

I'm the same way.  I'm a major introvert and whether someone is super peppy or chill, it doesn't matter, I can handle you...I just can't handle you for long.  If anything, super outgoing people are easier for me because they provide most of the social lubricant needed in small talk.  So Bindi's personality doesn't bother me because it seems genuine.  If I thought it were fake, then I'd be exhausting because that's an exhausting front to keep up.

 

I really like the Derek/Bindi partnership so far.  For one, Derek doesn't bother me as much as he bothers others.  And two, Bindi seems like a fun person and Derek looks like he's having fun. 

[tearbender]

I finally caught her jive. Her mugging and over the top facial expressions could rival Mark's. And her 9 last week doesn't give me a good feeling about her being overscored the whole competition. I know I should find her enthusiasm infectious but meh. Derek knows he can get away with coasting Bindi on her energy instead of cleaning up her technique so I don't even expect her to improve significantly over the course of the competition.

[Uke]

This is a copy/paste from Derek's blog:

"None of the songs were cleared until Wednesday. I got my song Wednesday night 9 p.m. I had a whole idea Thursday morning, worked out for a couple hours, and then they called and said, "I'm sorry, the song didn't clear." We had to use the backup song, ...  I went back in there, we worked on the routine and then three hours after that, they said, "Nevermind, the original song cleared." I was in a predicament because production-wise, aesthetically, the first dance would be more theatrical and more showy, but in my mind, I had kind of moved on. She was already picking up the second dance. We ended committing to the backup. It's been tough. We're wildly behind. Everybody has really cool themes and look. Ours is gonna be a little more basic now because of the time constraints."

 

So everyone got their songs Wednesday, probably all around the same time*. They spent some time Thursday morning on hoverboards and cartwheels and beginning the training for the Jetsons/foxtrot dance. 115pm they get the call (per the rehearsal video)  the song didn't clear and had to switch to the backup song Jeffersons/quickstep. Later they had the opportunity to switch back to the Jetsons/foxtrot but opted to stick with the Jeffersons/quickstep.  They lost a few hours working on the Jetsons/foxtrot. This puts them "wildly behind"? If you hadn't read the blogs, it would appear just from what was aired that only Bindi and Derek got their song late and substantially later than everyone else.  Derek has said in the past that he creates the choreography as he goes. His partner learns one part, they clean it, add on another part, etc. as opposed to other pros who map the whole thing out, teach all the steps, then clean it.  Yes, he and Bindi lost a few hours, part of the time experimenting with hoverboards.

 

Just putting it out there. It seemed like a play for sympathy that he & Bindi got a raw deal and were put in a far worse position than the other couples.

 

(*According to Alexa's blog, "most of the couples didn't get their music cleared to be used until late on Wednesday".)

Edited September 29, 2015 by Uke

[Rrrhumba]

Everything is a major challenge that Derek miraculously overcomes. i'm beginning to think both he and his sister have major victim complexes. Any who... This dance was BAD. Bindi's frame was all over the place and she has seen Mark's mugging and raised him some lip syncing to go along with it. The cutesy ending made me want to throw up in my mouth a little. It'll be interesting to see who she gets in the switch, that's for sure. I hope they'll make me like her better. And I'm not a perve but I hope they put her in a costume that supports her 'girls' a bit better, some of that looked painful!

[smiley13]

This girl started out okay, but has gone way over the top.  Derek always seems to have some crisis every season that he and his poor put upon contestant have to work through.   And shame on her and him for not even knowing about The Jefferson's, a wonderful show.  Neither of them has what it takes to do that song well.  And of course Golden Boy slid out further than she did at the end drawing attention to himself.  Bindi could have been okay with someone else, but not with him.

[boyznkatz]

This girl started out okay, but has gone way over the top.  Derek always seems to have some crisis every season that he and his poor put upon contestant have to work through.   And shame on her and him for not even knowing about The Jefferson's, a wonderful show.  Neither of them has what it takes to do that song well.  And of course Golden Boy slid out further than she did at the end drawing attention to himself.  Bindi could have been okay with someone else, but not with him.

 

I agree, that song was wasted on them. Someone like Patti Labelle would have done it justice.

[OakGoblinFly]

Question:  Do pros wait until a song is 'cleared' before rehearsing/choreographing or do they begin working on a concept/choreography as soon as they receive their dance assignment?  I do not think the pros waited until Wednesday to get the 'offical' your song is cleared to begin rehearsals/choregoraphy blocking.

 

And to bring this back to Bindi; yes she's extremely perky and upbeat and I could see how that would grate on others - however, since I believe she is being her authentic self, it doesn't bother me at all.

 

Regarding the foot injury; she was clearly limping in the rehersal packages and before/after her routine - Derek mentioned that Bindi was 'powering' through the foot pain -- I'm glad he got her to stop to take care of her self before she caused more damage.

[truthaboutluv]

Personally I'm feeling very uncomfortable with the continued comments that white Derek and Bindi should not have danced to a theme song to The Jeffersons and a black contestant would have been better. Um yeah...I'm just going to leave it at that and move on. 

 

Just putting it out there. It seemed like a play for sympathy that he & Bindi got a raw deal and were put in a far worse position than the other couples.

 

 

As noted, Derek made it clear in his blog that no one got the song until Wednesday because none of the songs had been cleared until then. So I certainly didn't get the impression he was making it seem like only he and Bindi were behind because of that. Two, Bindi like Hayes and every other underage person who has competed on the show, practices less hours because the law requires it. Also, I think the fact that not just the song but the style of the dance was changed is what put them behind. 

 

I am a little amused that everytime Derek writes anything in his blog (a blog that no one is actually obligated to read) that dares to complain about anything, he's making a play for a sympathy. Of course I'm always curious who this play for sympathy is to - the fans of his and Bindi's who are more likely to read it and are already voting for them anyway? And the people who don't like him but read it for whatever reason and who were never going to vote for them anyway? And if he really wanted sympathy so much, he could have talked about her ankle bothering her which he didn't. 

 

Keeping this about Bindi. Like I said in the episode thread, Derek really needs to stop with the breaks in hold. Aside from the fact that far as I know it shouldn't even be in the dances, Bindi is not skilled enough to keep her frame and posture when she comes out of hold and has to get back in. And in the end it hurts her. I think if they had just done a straight, no messing about Quickstep, she would have done a lot better and scored higher. But I definitely still see all the potential and her personality is still there (I notice she has toned down the over the top energy a bit) so it's just about cleaning up the technique. 

[boyznkatz]

Personally I'm feeling very uncomfortable with the continued comments that white Derek and Bindi should not have danced to a theme song to The Jeffersons and a black contestant would have been better. Um yeah...I'm just going to leave it at that and move on. 

 

I'm not sure which post you were talking about, but I didn't mean to imply that a white person can't dance to the Jeffersons. It's a sassy song and Bindi and Derek's dance to me was dull. Actually Paula Deen would have probably done it well. I don't care for her, but I do like her sass. If she were younger, I think she would be a good dancer.

[OakGoblinFly]

I'm not sure which post you were talking about, but I didn't mean to imply that a white person can't dance to the Jeffersons. It's a sassy song and Bindi and Derek's dance to me was dull. Actually Paula Deen would have probably done it well. I don't care for her, but I do like her sass. If she were younger, I think she would be a good dancer.

 

 

Honestly I think the issue with using the Jeffersons' theme song was trying to force it into a Quickstep.

[boyznkatz]

Honestly I think the issue with using the Jeffersons' theme song was trying to force it into a Quickstep.

 

You're right, the dance wasn't right for the song, but I'm still finding other people more entertaining than Bindi. Her jive was good in the first week, but she isn't really standing out as time goes on. JMO though.

[Uke]

"Just putting it out there. It seemed like a play for sympathy that he & Bindi got a raw deal and were put in a far worse position than the other couples."

 

To clarify my earlier statement, What was shown on tv in the rehearsal package seemed like a play for sympathy that he & Bindi got a raw deal and were put in a far worse position than the other couples. 

 

I understand the pros don't decide what is shown in the packages.  Maybe that was the most interesting thing that happened all week. Maybe Derek was chest pounding so much about it, tptb decided to show it. Maybe Bindi's votes have fallen off and tptb wanted to give her a little sympathetic boost.  I don't know why this was shown in the package. I only know that it was shown.  I recalled what I'd read in the blogs about the late assignments and I pointed it out.

 

Yes, Bindi and Hayes and all the other underage stars have fewer hours to practice. It hasn't been an excuse in the past, and I don't see it being used this season with either Bindi or Hayes.

 

No one is obligated to read any of the stars or pros blogs and I'd bet most of the viewers don't read them. I like to read them (both pros and stars) as I'm interested in their perspective of how things are going with rehearsals, their last dance, etc. whether I'm inclined to vote for them or not. 

 

For the record, I don't dislike Derek. I don't dislike any of the pros. 

[Uke]

Question:  Do pros wait until a song is 'cleared' before rehearsing/choreographing or do they begin working on a concept/choreography as soon as they receive their dance assignment?  I do not think the pros waited until Wednesday to get the 'offical' your song is cleared to begin rehearsals/choregoraphy blocking.

 

 I'd imagine they would be working on technique/frame/posture etc. while waiting for a song to clear.  They all seem to go to the rehearsal studio every day.  I think there's lots of things to work on regardless of a particular dance style. Plus, I think the pros know which dances are likely to be coming up even if it hasn't been officially assigned yet.

[OakGoblinFly]

 I'd imagine they would be working on technique/frame/posture etc. while waiting for a song to clear.  They all seem to go to the rehearsal studio every day.  I think there's lots of things to work on regardless of a particular dance style. Plus, I think the pros know which dances are likely to be coming up even if it hasn't been officially assigned yet.

 

 

True - I guess I imagine the issue was not that the original song didn't clear as much as the forced song change caused them to change dance styles completely from whatever they were going to dance to the Jetsons to the Quickstep.  It's one thing if the song changes and you can use it for the same dance style; you'll just have to tweak the choreography/timing to suit the new music.

 

That being said; all things considered, I thought Bindi handled everything quite well.

[CED9]

I'd imagine they would be working on technique/frame/posture etc. while waiting for a song to clear. They all seem to go to the rehearsal studio every day. I think there's lots of things to work on regardless of a particular dance style. Plus, I think the pros know which dances are likely to be coming up even if it hasn't been officially assigned yet.

I think what sucks for a lot of the celebs is that I've seen several interviews saying that many of them rely on the music to help memorize the routine like "on this lyric I'm doing this move" etc. So, not having it = just having a big jumble of steps which is more stressful.

I find it interesting that, for me, Bindi and Nick had the two strongest routines of the night and they're the ones who had the worst go of it with song clearance issues.

[anony mouse]

This girl started out okay, but has gone way over the top. Derek always seems to have some crisis every season that he and his poor put upon contestant have to work through. And shame on her and him for not even knowing about The Jefferson's, a wonderful show. Neither of them has what it takes to do that song well. And of course Golden Boy slid out further than she did at the end drawing attention to himself. Bindi could have been okay with someone else, but not with him.

Are you really expecting a seventeen year old from another country to know about an American television show that aired thirty years before she was born?

I'm thirty, and I could tell you absolutely nothing about The Jeffersons. There's plenty to critique Derek and Bindi for - unfamiliarity with the show isn't one of them, IMO.

[tarotx]

Plus the show ended the year Derek was born so yeah it's not surprising if neither knew the show.  He was like 2 months old when it aired it's final episode. Sure plenty of young people may have watched the reruns but it's far from shocking if neither knew the show. 

 

Are you really expecting a seventeen year old from another country to know about an American television show that aired thirty years before she was born?

I'm thirty, and I could tell you absolutely nothing about The Jeffersons. There's plenty to critique Derek and Bindi for - unfamiliarity with the show isn't one of them, IMO.

Edited September 30, 2015 by tarotx

[Lonesome Rhodes]

Predictions on when TPTB will push the nuclear (Bindi dances for Dad) button?  Will it be contempo to reflect his legendary energy and enthusiasm, or more like a waltz to evoke sadness?  Whatever week this happens, what are the odds it is not the pimp slot, .000000001%? 

[kitcloudkicker]

Bindi is dancing a contemporary this week, yes for her father. 

 

Honestly, I feel for her this week. It will be all eyes on her, and she wouldn't be able to not have her "Most Memorable Year" relate to that. ("My most memorable year is the year I met my boyfriend, isn't he dreamy?" She'd be crucified.) And it's yes, cliche in the context of the show (and yes, will likely get her a publicity bump, hers is the dance that will be highlighted on all the news programs the next day), it's not cliche in the context of her life. It's a weird position to be in. If I were Derek, I'd have been thinking about this dance since I found out she was my parter. 

 

I've been sort of watching reaction to her with a bit of amazement, I definitely didn't think she'd be wracking in the response that she has been. That first dance of hers has hit about 8 million views between Facebook and YouTube. In full disclosure, when Steve Irwin was at the height of popularity, he annoyed the crap out of me, though I do remember his death being a shock, and I haven't really thought much of Bindi since he died. But I do think he must have had that thing, like Robin Williams, where he managed to lodge into people's psyches as "everyone's crazy uncle," where he was just such a part of people's childhoods. Where somehow his death felt personal. There's some sort of collective something that seems to be outpouring to Bindi. It's a lot to shoulder at 17, and I've been impressed with how she's handling it. 

 

This dance is probably what had producers salivating when they cast her. Which maybe makes me feel gross about them, but I just can't direct it at Bindi. 

Edited October 1, 2015 by kitcloudkicker

[howmanywords]

I hate to say it but even as someone who finds Bindi kind of annoying, I just listened to what she's dancing to and the tears started flowing. And yeah this is obviously what the show has been waiting for.

[smiley13]

This has pimp spot written all over it in Neon Lights!  Ugh!!

[McManda]

Carrie Ann will cry. TPTB will get what they're looking for in terms of telling Bindi's story of losing her dad so young and so tragically.

 

But despite the breathy, new age duet version that she'll be dancing to, I can't get past the fact that the song is still about an obsessive lover. Even Sting cringes when he hears people talk about how romantic or how positive or how caring the song is.

[kitcloudkicker]

But despite the breathy, new age duet version that she'll be dancing to, I can't get past the fact that the song is still about an obsessive lover. Even Sting cringes when he hears people talk about how romantic or how positive or how caring the song is.

 

You know, usually I'm with you with this song, and if it was The Police version of the song, definitely would be with you. But I do think interpretation and context can change a piece of art, and with this softer interpretation, and the context of a parent ripped away from a child, it doesn't bother me. And breaks my heart a little. 

[magpye29]

What song are Bindi and Derek dancing to?

[kitcloudkicker]

What song are Bindi and Derek dancing to?

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=224&v=hTdOOU0qluU

[Serendi]

Okay, I can see if you were *really* selective about what lyrics you use it might be okay as a "He's looking down on me song." But seriously? Creepy song.

[Uke]

I wonder who picked the song, Bindi or Derek. On twitter Derek said "This has been one of the most special weeks of my entire #DWTS career. I look forward to sharing it with you all. This girl is one of the most genuine heart felt human beings I've ever met . The pride and love I feel for this young lady is very strong." along with an IG pic.