S21.E07: Switch Up Night

[OakGoblinFly]

Funny how the concentration face wasn't there when she did the Charleston or the Quickstep.  It seems to me she's exceeding the competition in terms of dance ability, so the show decided to ramp up the difficulty, and then the obvious signs of strain in trying to do something so difficult naturally revealed  itself. Hell the Rumba was done in two days.  Who does that to that level of mastery on this show with no dance training?   Oh the "angry" black girl. ((insert eyeroll)))

 

I don't think Tamar is exceeding the show's expectations in terms of dance ability (in my opinion that would be Alek); she's a strong dancer and has a wonderful musicality to her movement.  She still has posture issues and needs some more instruction on her footwork as well as tightening up her spins (and I have no doubt Val is working on those issues during rehersal).

 

 

Honestly, even in those dances I thought Tamar's face was disconnected from the dance tone and movement; she is a great dancer, fantastic from the neck down --- it's the neck up that makes me not enjoy her dance.  It looks like she's not having any fun .... and I know that's not the case because you can see her joking/laughing in other behind the scenes footage and some background shots during the live show.

 

 

I don't think the 'show' purposely ramped up the difficult  as an attempt to sabotage Tamar’s changes as much as I think it is a case of Louis thinking ‘ Hell, I finally have a contestant that can move’ and being overly exuberant with the choreography.  Sharna did that the year she had Charlie White.  Just because a contestant is capable of learning more complex/advanced choreography it doesn't means they should throw everything into a routine.

 

As far as the narrative, that falls squarely on the show runners/producers as they have storylines to produce and will edit the show to advance the pre-ordained storylines for each contestant.  I think they wanted to showcase Tamar as a strong, no-nonsense woman; sadly it backfired because they are presenting Tamar as an overly serious, have no fun, and I don’t want to be here individual (and I don’t think that is true at all).

 

 

The producer manipulations have become so heavy handed that I tend to stop watching the pre-dance packages.  I do wish that the show were on two nights a week because the result episode really let the viewing audience see a lot more of the learning process as well as exploring different facets of the contestant’s personality.

Edited October 14, 2015 by OakGoblinFly

[sinkwriter]

I loved her Charleston, it's one of my favorites from that week.

 

But it's not just during this week's overly difficult dance that Tamar's shown the frozen face and I don't think it has anything to do with her being "angry black girl." That is not my assumption at all. 

 

Tamar showed that face during the Rumba, she showed it big time on the Mad Men Tango and during parts of the Cha Cha. And other people have commented that she sometimes gets that face when she's singing as well. 

 

I think she's a technically talented dancer, but she's not bringing the performance part of it, and that may have something to do with the level of difficulty of dances she's learning but I think some of it IS also Tamar's personality. Not because she's an "angry black woman," but because she seems to be someone who keeps her emotions private. And while that can be understandable, it doesn't help her when it comes to the performance part of the dancing.

Edited October 14, 2015 by sinkwriter

[Andie1]

Yeah, she's exceeding the competition in terms of dance ability.  Not sure I give a damn about the show runners expectations about anything. They've managed to make this show unwatchable. 

[sinkwriter]

 

I don't think the 'show' purposely ramped up the difficult  as an attempt to sabotage Tamar’s changes as much as I think it is a case of Louis thinking ‘ Hell, I finally have a contestant that can move’ and being overly exuberant with the choreography.

 

I thought this as well. After too many times getting the "older" contestants which means he doesn't get the chance to really show what he can do (choreography-wise or dancing-wise), I thought he was probably super excited to work with Tamar because she's young, she's got the technical moves down well, and he thought he could go crazy with choreography and show off a bit. More than a bit. I think he went way overboard and that was unfair to Tamar. It was too much, and she wasn't able to keep up. 

 

But no matter what, I think her dance deserved 8's, not 7's. I thought the 7's were a slap in the face. She may have been struggling to keep up with the choreography but she still did way more and a hell of a lot better than Paula Deen. There's no way they deserve the same marks, any week.

[Artymouse]

I found some of the performances disappointing. I enjoyed Bindi's partnership with Val, and I surprisingly liked Alexa and Derek together. But Nick, who's been one of my favorites, did not live up to his previous performances with Sharna.

And I had high hopes for Tamar and Louis. She's been another of my favorites, and I expected that Louis would amp up the difficulty level given her skills, but I thought it was her least appealing dance yet. Her rumba of the previous week was glorious, and it should have gotten at least one 10, and she's always beautiful to watch, but Louis' tough choreography didn't do her any favors.

As for TPTB's manipulations: I agree that there's plenty of behind-the-scenes machinations, but I don't think they're mind-bending psychopaths who can force audiences to stop voting for the celebs that they (TPTB) don't want to see in the finals.

While the package edits might have a bit of influence on me, 95 percent of the time I vote for the dancers I like the most; sometimes influenced by who their partner is, sometimes not. I know American TV viewers can behave like sheep sometimes, but I can't imagine that the majority of Tamar's fans (or Alexa's or Paula's or whoever) would be so influenced by an unflattering edit that they refuse to vote for their previous favorite.

YMMV, of course, but I'm always a bit skeptical about conspiracy theories

 

[luvthepros]

That blank look on her face makes it seem like she's either concentrating too hard, doesn't want to be there, doesn't care... so many things are presented by that facial expression and it ruins the dance. It makes me feel like there's no joy in there, and if that's the case, I can't enjoy watching her.

If she can't sort that out, I don't think she should win. It won't matter to me how well she can handle the technical moves. Performance is part of the package, and she's not doing it.

Funny, Nigel from SYTYCD, always calls out the dancers who "pull their faces" when they dance (mostly the ballroom dancers,  especially the Latin dancers). I'd rather see the pulling of the face than the cold blank stare Tamar does so well.

[realdancemom]

Funny, Nigel from SYTYCD, always calls out the dancers who "pull their faces" when they dance (mostly the ballroom dancers,  especially the Latin dancers). I'd rather see the pulling of the face than the cold blank stare Tamar does so well.

Nigel doesn't like exaggerated facial expressions which competition dancers, e.g. ballroom, jazz, etc., tend to do.  However, the judges will also call out a dancer that has a blank facial expression too.  Alexa from Season 9 comes to mind.  She was an early favorite among the judges especially when she did her solo.  But then they later called her out on her blank facial expression when doing other choreography.

[EyewatchTV211]

I completely agree that Tamar should not be receiving similar scores as Paula. However, the show has ALWAYS seemed to score contestants compared to their own previous performances and not really compared to other performers. I've seen many examples of poor dancers receiving similar scores to better dancers. With them starting all of the scores pretty high in the beginning (even the low ones), they didn't leave much room to show growth in scores. So if one strong contestant has an off week, their scores tend to bump with less talented dancers who show any improvement. I don't necessarily agree with this tactic since the overall scores impact the competition unfairly as opposed to calculating some sort of change score to see who improves most. However, it also evens things out since the stars come in at such different skill levels and you know certain contestants are unlikely to magically transform into top contenders. The show just has an identity crisis about whether it is about best dancers or most improvement, plus of course popularity mixed in. 

[Padma]

I felt kind of bad for Louis this week. Finally, he has a very capable dancer, obviously put thought into planning a hard routine (to show what HE could do with a good dancer, I think, more than to show off Tamar, but he's not the only one who does that.) Then he gets slapped down by the judges (reading between the lines, it sounded to me like they were blaming him more than Tamar--I thought that came through clearly--and then was followed up with low scores that were the same as Paula Deen's.)

 

THEN, as if all that wasn't enough, out of nowhere they decided to show an audition tape that made him look like a real d-bag and, obviously, from his comments to Erin, offended, embarrassed and ticked him off. Did he steal someone's puppy this week? I felt it was really kind of personal.

 

That said, re: Paula, I normally can't stand her personality, but at least she's got energy and enthusiasm (and Mark did a great job with her). Maks had a good idea that she should stop flashing her bum and just show a lot more leg. Maybe with the weight loss, it's all new to her, but she looks great and should flaunt it. I'm embarrassed to say, I'd almost rather she stayed around over Tamar, simply because of the fun energy she brings to it. I understand "reserved" but Tamar just seems like a drip.  Alek is serious and quiet, too, but is not a pro and still manages to convey something emotionally each week. From her, I just get nothing. Good skills aside--and that I love Val--she's just boring.

[crowceilidh]

To speak up for Tamar, as a non-dancer who took weekly dancing lessons for some 12 years from age 40-52, the absolutely hardest part of the choreography for me was the facial expressions.  Of course, I don't make my living performing, but still, it is remarkably harder than it looks (as is understanding and remembering choreo -- I am totally amazed by what some of the non-dancers can do in such short time).

[just prin]

Tamar, imo, seems like more than a drip. She's a loud-mouth, pain-in-the-butt, who thinks she's god's gift to all. And it's really too bad, because she's a decent dancer. Who happens to be on the show in a season where she fits right in with a whacky housewife, an exposing-all chef and a brain-damaged actor! Leaving her dancing skills as an afterthought.

Edited October 15, 2015 by just prin

[Andie1]

What a shame that the show made the edits of Tamar so unlikable to some, but this is what ABC does, and it's so easy to just give her the bad edit. Looking back over some past seasons the critiques Tamar got were very similar to others they wanted to get rid of..And yet, on the show people like Andy Dick and Kelly Osbourne were freakin' angels, outside of the show they were just as terrible as before the show started.   I pretty much hate the "reality" part of this show because it's not reality at all, it's what ABC wants you to think.  It's the learning and the dancing that I look for.  For Tamar to be a gamer and try such  difficult choreo tells me a helluva lot more about her personality than a video edit.   

Edited October 15, 2015 by Andie1

[Wings]

Why do some think that production wants to get rid of Tamar?  It makes no sense that they would go to lengths from day one to target a dancer and a good one at that.  They always take the most dramatic moments from rehearsal to show in the packet.  They train for days and most of it is probably pretty boring.  So if you cry or act out, in any way, they will show that.  They want the packets to be an interesting 2 minutes.   I just don't see a conspiracy.  Perhaps I am naive or just not sensitive to it.  

[kitcloudkicker]

I think it's much too soon to give up on Tamar. If you look at the dwts YouTube channel (which, yes, doesn't translate directly into votes, but may give some sense of interest), Bindi is crushing everyone in views but Tamar week to week has been getting somewhere between 2nd to 4th most views. It's hard to tell if they're voting, but she seems to have a decent level of support from her fans. If Paula somehow has enough Grandmas voting to get her through another week (I hope not) there's a chance Tamar's in danger, but I also think Andy might be in trouble. Or even Hayes, since he had a bit of a forgettable night, and young fans seem to be inconsitent voters. And I think both Andy and Hayes are losing "what a nice young man," votes to Alek.

If Paula goes, this might be the first time in a while neither team dance is stuck with a real albatross they have to hide in the back.

[SteveAC10]

 

As for TPTB's manipulations: I agree that there's plenty of behind-the-scenes machinations, but I don't think they're mind-bending psychopaths who can force audiences to stop voting for the celebs that they (TPTB) don't want to see in the finals.

They're not privy to advanced mind control techniques, but the way packages are edited, how the celebs (and pros) are portrayed, and the judges comments can have a huge effect on the way people vote. Also, since the FCC likely considers this a reality show rather than a game show, the show runners are free to "consult" with the judges abut scoring week to week. I have no doubt the judges are briefed after dress rehearsal every Monday about priority storylines and their roles in advancing them. This show is unlike American Idol and other talent comps in that popularity is only half the battle that must be fought to advanced, and I would bet my non-existent first born that the show runners have an awful lot to say about what the judges scores will be every week.

Edited October 16, 2015 by SteveAC10

[Wings]

I think it's much too soon to give up on Tamar. If you look at the dwts YouTube channel (which, yes, doesn't translate directly into votes, but may give some sense of interest), Bindi is crushing everyone in views but Tamar week to week has been getting somewhere between 2nd to 4th most views. It's hard to tell if they're voting, but she seems to have a decent level of support from her fans. If Paula somehow has enough Grandmas voting to get her through another week (I hope not) there's a chance Tamar's in danger, but I also think Andy might be in trouble. Or even Hayes, since he had a bit of a forgettable night, and young fans seem to be inconsistent voters. And I think both Andy and Hayes are losing "what a nice young man," votes to Alek.

If Paula goes, this might be the first time in a while neither team dance is stuck with a real albatross they have to hide in the back.

 

I would replace the word grandma with southerners who did not find her behavior racist because they embrace the same sensibilities.  As a grandma, I must defend us as a group!  LOL.  I agree that Andy is probably more in danger than Tamar.   I, of course, want to see Paula gone.  

[radishcake]

I would replace the word grandma with southerners who did not find her behavior racist because they embrace the same sensibilities.  As a grandma, I must defend us as a group!  LOL.  I agree that Andy is probably more in danger than Tamar.   I, of course, want to see Paula gone.

 

And I would say I'm a southerner and find a lot of what my part of the country does abhorrent so let's all not tar big groups with the same brush. :)

[spanana]

I think it's much too soon to give up on Tamar. If you look at the dwts YouTube channel (which, yes, doesn't translate directly into votes, but may give some sense of interest), Bindi is crushing everyone in views but Tamar week to week has been getting somewhere between 2nd to 4th most views. It's hard to tell if they're voting, but she seems to have a decent level of support from her fans. If Paula somehow has enough Grandmas voting to get her through another week (I hope not) there's a chance Tamar's in danger, but I also think Andy might be in trouble. Or even Hayes, since he had a bit of a forgettable night, and young fans seem to be inconsitent voters. And I think both Andy and Hayes are losing "what a nice young man," votes to Alek.

 

This season is a really hard one to predict in terms of fanbases.  Bindi and Nick are the only ones I feel pretty confident about making the finals.  The thing is Tamar came into this with a large and fierce fanbase, however I question how much they are voting mostly because I don't think most of them are that familar with the show and Tamar herself isn't really pushing the voting all that hard to her fans. But I certainly don't think she's done anything to alienate her fans.  It's mostly that in order to make it to the end on this show you also need to gain new fans and pull in the regular DWTS viewers, and I have no idea if she's doing that or not.

 

I could see the show putting Tamar in jeopardy after last week, but I don't think she's leaving. I think Paula and Andy will go before her and then we will see.  Alexa and Carlos are so all over the place week to week that it's hard to know how fans feel about them and even Hayes had a fairly forgetable dance last week, though his edit has been good. 

[crowceilidh]

Don't you think this is what was meant: "southerners who did not find her behavior racist because they embrace the same sensibilities" as a group distinct from all southerners?  That's what I read - it would have been helped by a "those" - i.e. those southerners who did not find her behavior racist because they embrace the same sensibilities.

[Wings]

And I would say I'm a southerner and find a lot of what my part of the country does abhorrent so let's all not tar big groups with the same brush. :)

 

 

Yes,Crow, that is what I meant.    I did not mean to imply all southerners.  I should have said "those who share her sensibilities."  And they live everywhere!  

Edited October 16, 2015 by wings707

[radishcake]

Don't you think this is what was meant: "southerners who did not find her behavior racist because they embrace the same sensibilities" as a group distinct from all southerners?  That's what I read - it would have been helped by a "those" - i.e. those southerners who did not find her behavior racist because they embrace the same sensibilities.

Actually in my travels around the world I find a lot of folks do think we're all the same. So that's why I commented! :) 

[just prin]

Hard to give a bad a edit to someone who just won't shut up! Hard to give a good edit to the same person. Easy to give a real edit, however.

Edited October 16, 2015 by just prin

[lasandi]

I just want to say, I love Max "because I can". I absolutely loved what he said before giving the 10 to Bindi and Val.

Edited October 19, 2015 by lasandi