General Gabbery: DWTS

[boyznkatz]

I agree Val is annoying, but at least he gives a crap about his partners unlike his brother. And his dancing is good. I would take a good paso doble or tango any day over their stupid contemporary/jazz. Have they still not figured out that no one wants to see that?

BeeBop,

Interesting theory about Gleb. He's a rumored cheater, so maybe he is getting it on with someone in high places. I can't imagine why he's still around.

Edited June 11, 2019 by boyznkatz

[Toonces464]

1 hour ago, spanana said:

It's also why Cheryl struggled even though she was popular.  She wasn't a singer or an actress so it mostly left her in the guest appearance or hosting realm of work and that dries up after awhile.

I'm also not going to ignore that blonde blue eyed Utah Derek has a leg up on being accepted in Hollywood over other white Eastern European dudes.  Maks and co. still have a lot of white privilege, but guys with tricky names to pronounce and accents aren't going to be as accepted as the blonde blue eyed guy next door.  It's the same reason why someone like Karina, for all her accolades, would likely get passed over for Witney type in Hollywood.

Cheryl has not had as much success as I would've thought, but she has hosted morning/talk shows and she did get the Dance Moms gig. I'm not sure what happened or why she didn't pursue the show she did with Kristi, Meryl and Charlie because it looked really good and I would've liked to have seen it.

Karina went back to the competition and judging circuit and just recently retired. She hasn't had a breakout mainstream career, but I'm not sure she was looking for that. She's done some movies and TV appearances and seems very involved with her dance school. She also is the one who was courted for Forever Tango, something Maks owes her for big time. I am curious to see what she does now that she's retired. I noticed last night she's doing BWAT again with Tony, Anna and Damian.

Maks's biggest problem is that he can't act and he spent too many years pursuing that after Kirstie Alley told him he could be the next John Travolta.

[spanana]

1 hour ago, boyznkatz said:

I agree Val is annoying, but at least he gives a crap about his partners unlike his brother. And his dancing is good. I would take a good paso doble or tango any day over their stupid contemporary/jazz. Have they still not figured out that no one wants to see that.

I agree he cares about his partners more than Maks, but truly cares about them?  That's arguable. I think how much he cares about them greatly depends on who they are, their level of fame, and how much they kiss his and the fam's ass.  The ones that are wedged up there are forever family.  The ones that don't and also can't do anything for him career wise, less so.

So is he a better pro than his brother as a dancer, choreographer and partner?  Yes.  Is that a very low bar to jump over?  Also yes.

However part of me is itching for him to get partnered with some hot young thing, who also happens to be single.  Just because I'd like to see the newlyweds collectively have their heads explode.  That might be entertaining.

[boyznkatz]

1 hour ago, spanana said:

However part of me is itching for him to get partnered with some hot young thing, who also happens to be single.  Just because I'd like to see the newlyweds collectively have their heads explode.  That might be entertaining.

LOL that would be funny. I don't know that he cares for them as people, but at least he does his job and teaches them, unlike Maks. I still remember how Maks basically slept through that season with Vanessa Lachey who was a decent dancer.

[Toonces464]

3 hours ago, spanana said:

I agree he cares about his partners more than Maks, but truly cares about them?  That's arguable.

Am I the only one who laughs when Maks bypasses meaningful social media posts and pictures posted by Erin and Meryl and Heather (you know, the partners he's still so close with) but likes random stupid stuff posted by Zendaya and Rumer and Normani? LOL

[MsTree]

12 hours ago, Toonces464 said:

And Jenna's win with Adam was just a joke.

Why do you think her win with Adam was a joke? I thought they won fair & square.

[Toonces464]

5 hours ago, MsTree said:

Why do you think her win with Adam was a joke? I thought they won fair & square.

I don't consider the mini season a real season.

[ShaNaeNae]

5 hours ago, MsTree said:

Why do you think her win with Adam was a joke? I thought they won fair & square.

17 minutes ago, Toonces464 said:

I don't consider the mini season a real season.

That and we didn't get to see a lot of ballroom.  A Cha Cha Cha, Quickstep and Jive.  The rest were Jazz, Contemporary, Freestyle.  Not saying Tonya should have won (because she was not the better dancer) but she did Quickstep, Foxtrot, Rumba, Cha Cha Cha and Viennese Waltz. 

[vdw84]

22 hours ago, spanana said:

I know I'm in the small minority on this, but if my options were getting rid of just Val and/or getting rid of all the other male pros and only keeping Val...I'd go with the former.  He may be the closest to the original pros, but he's also a fairly crappy human being who can't seem to go more than a handful of days without saying something vaguely racist, classist, or just generally douchey.  It's not the sort of racism that gets one fired, but the more casual racism where he pretends to be down with the culture while pedaling his crappy super white privilege opinions and talking over everyone else that doesn't agree with him.  He's also a great dancer, but not nearly the genius he seems to think he is, so overall I'd ditch the two newlyweds and keep the likes of Alan, who at least seems genuine.

I've just seen too much hate out of Val's mouth over the course of the last 7 or so years disguised under his fake pile of deepness.

And Val is campaigning for Tiffany Haddish online...yeah, that will happen.

Yes, to all this. Val truly has shown his true color the past few years but it seems like he truly has exposed himself since being his white privileged wife JJ. I mean I use to love me some Val but now I cant stand his ass. He is so fake and try to act like down for the culture and dont know anything about the culture. Hell No to  Tiffany Haddish, she is walking stereotype and the last thing dwts need is another black woman shown in negative light with all the eye rolling and neck popping, just no. 

[boyznkatz]

2 hours ago, vdw84 said:

Yes, to all this. Val truly has shown his true color the past few years but it seems like he truly has exposed himself since being his white privileged wife JJ. I mean I use to love me some Val but now I cant stand his ass. He is so fake and try to act like down for the culture and dont know anything about the culture. Hell No to  Tiffany Haddish, she is walking stereotype and the last thing dwts need is another black woman shown in negative light with all the eye rolling and neck popping, just no. 

You might be right, but the fact he dated outside of his race (Amber Rose, Janel Parrish) probably means that he isn't really racist. I get the feeling that his family is probably racist and he married the queen of white privilege Jenna to please them. But yeah, he does get more embarrassing the more he opens his mouth, so as long as he shuts it and just dances, I'm okay with him being on the show.

[BeeBop88]

1 hour ago, boyznkatz said:

You might be right, but the fact he dated outside of his race (Amber Rose, Janel Parrish) probably means that he isn't really racist. I get the feeling that his family is probably racist and he married the queen of white privilege Jenna to please them. But yeah, he does get more embarrassing the more he opens his mouth, so as long as he shuts it and just dances, I'm okay with him being on the show.

I read a while back, that Eastern Europeans tend to be more racist than Western Europeans. That is why a lot of Eastern European nations are not for mass immigration.  They value their country's cultures. Since Mom and Pop Chmerkovskiy are from Eastern Europe, I bet they have the same mindset. 

I wonder if  Val says what he says is because he is racist, or says it for attention. And we all know that Maks and Val live and breath for that attention. They would both wilt away without it.

[vavera4ka]

here's the thing about Eastern Europe and racism...

it's not like your Western racism. There are no "races" to speak of. There's no history of oppressing based on race. Nationality, religious choice - yes, but not race. 

There were black people in larger cities in USSR. Mostly students from friendly socialist nations. Other students joked about their skin color, but kinda like people joke about a  large nose or red hair... It was just a trait that made them (very) different. There was no malice. Unless those students found a local wife and married, they'd go back to their country using their education to make it better I guess... So most people of C-bros' parents generation would see a black person once or twice in their lives. if they are lucky.

(interesting fact. In English, I found it's ok to say "black" when describing a person, nut not "n-word". In Russian it's the opposite. Saying someone is "black" is a no-no. That word is used for "real Caucasians" btw, people from Caucasus mountains. They are usually dark haired, mostly dark eyed and more tan. So in Russian people use the "dreaded n-word". )

[spanana]

13 hours ago, Toonces464 said:

I don't consider the mini season a real season.

This we agree on.  It's not that Adam winning was unfair in context of that season but in a 4 week set up, there are no arcs.  The show is so short that it's impossible to compare it to a full season and there is no time for celebs to build fanbases.  So it's incredibly biased towards those coming in known.  It was pretty much a given from day one that Adam would win because he was by far the most known and most relevant to the overall general public at the time.  I think if it had been a full season, Sharna's partner may have had a chance to built a fanbase and maybe could have overtaken Adam but not in such a shortened format.

Also what was said about they barely learned any ballroom.  I may be mis-remembering but I feel like Adam managed to spend at least one full week of a 4 week season not doing any ballroom.  I feel like he only learned bout 3 dances.

And I don't begrudge them a win for this reason, but his freestyle was a hot mess (very much a SYTYCD rip off type routine) and a cultural appropriation fest to boot.  

[spanana]

5 hours ago, boyznkatz said:

You might be right, but the fact he dated outside of his race (Amber Rose, Janel Parrish) probably means that he isn't really racist. I get the feeling that his family is probably racist and he married the queen of white privilege Jenna to please them. But yeah, he does get more embarrassing the more he opens his mouth, so as long as he shuts it and just dances, I'm okay with him being on the show.

I don't agree with this at all.  You can date someone outside of your race and still be racist. You can have kids outside your race and still be racist.  That's about the equivalent of someone saying they have a black friend and therefore can't be racist.

And let's also note that Val and Janel barely dated.  He claims he entirely used her in the name of winning the show.  So either he's lying about that to save face to his wife or he used her without cluing her in to his con.  

I'd also argue if Val says racist/clasist stuff for attention, then it's no better.  Plus he grew up in this country for the most part and in Brooklyn no less, as he likes to remind us every five seconds, so it's not like he wasn't exposed to people of other races and backgrounds.

Edited June 13, 2019 by spanana

[MsTree]

19 hours ago, Toonces464 said:

I don't consider the mini season a real season.

Mini-season or not, I'll take Adam over Bones any day, any week, month or year!!  Now that's your joke (meaning Bobby).

Edited June 13, 2019 by MsTree

[boyznkatz]

14 hours ago, spanana said:

I don't agree with this at all.  You can date someone outside of your race and still be racist. You can have kids outside your race and still be racist.  That's about the equivalent of someone saying they have a black friend and therefore can't be racist.

And let's also note that Val and Janel barely dated.  He claims he entirely used her in the name of winning the show.  So either he's lying about that to save face to his wife or he used her without cluing her in to his con.  

I'd also argue if Val says racist/clasist stuff for attention, then it's no better.  Plus he grew up in this country for the most part and in Brooklyn no less, as he likes to remind us every five seconds, so it's not like he wasn't exposed to people of other races and backgrounds.

Well I agree with you that you can date someone outside of your race and still be racist. I just don't know that he in particular is a racist. He is definitely a d-bag, though.

Yeah, I don't excuse him for the stuff he says no matter where he is from or where he grew up. I've been to Eastern Europe and the people I met weren't racist even though I looked different from them. The C brothers aren't the only ones from this show that say stupid stuff for attention, though. If they are going to get rid of people for that reason, then get rid of Julianne Hough and Sharna and Jenna as well.

Edited June 13, 2019 by boyznkatz

[vdw84]

On 6/12/2019 at 2:21 PM, boyznkatz said:

You might be right, but the fact he dated outside of his race (Amber Rose, Janel Parrish) probably means that he isn't really racist. I get the feeling that his family is probably racist and he married the queen of white privilege Jenna to please them. But yeah, he does get more embarrassing the more he opens his mouth, so as long as he shuts it and just dances, I'm okay with him being on the show.

Janel Parrish was just a showmance thing. He ended things right after their season which made Janel hating his ass for manipulating her into thinking they really had something but he used her like a fiddle to garner votes on the show. As far as Amber Rose, I never took them seriously but maybe it was real, I dont know. She just didnt seem like someone he would date, not because of her race but because of her persona.

[vdw84]

23 hours ago, spanana said:

I don't agree with this at all.  You can date someone outside of your race and still be racist. You can have kids outside your race and still be racist.  That's about the equivalent of someone saying they have a black friend and therefore can't be racist.

And let's also note that Val and Janel barely dated.  He claims he entirely used her in the name of winning the show.  So either he's lying about that to save face to his wife or he used her without cluing her in to his con.  

I'd also argue if Val says racist/clasist stuff for attention, then it's no better.  Plus he grew up in this country for the most part and in Brooklyn no less, as he likes to remind us every five seconds, so it's not like he wasn't exposed to people of other races and backgrounds.

I agree with this, u can def. date someone outside ur race and still be racist. Its hard to explain it but I have seen this with my own eyes.

[vdw84]

9 hours ago, boyznkatz said:

Well I agree with you that you can date someone outside of your race and still be racist. I just don't know that he in particular is a racist. He is definitely a d-bag, though.

Yeah, I don't excuse him for the stuff he says no matter where he is from or where he grew up. I've been to Eastern Europe and the people I met weren't racist even though I looked different from them. The C brothers aren't the only ones from this show that say stupid stuff for attention, though. If they are going to get rid of people for that reason, then get rid of Julianne Hough and Sharna and Jenna as well.

Val's first mistake in the things he say is he thinks he can just comment on any and everything because he thinks he is so down and woke because he grew up in Brooklyn as immigrant and poor, listen to biggie growing up and because he has  few black friends. I mean these r things he has said to justify himself speaking on things that people shut him down about. He may not be racist but sure is ignorant as hell.

[boyznkatz]

11 hours ago, vdw84 said:

Janel Parrish was just a showmance thing. He ended things right after their season which made Janel hating his ass for manipulating her into thinking they really had something but he used her like a fiddle to garner votes on the show. As far as Amber Rose, I never took them seriously but maybe it was real, I dont know. She just didnt seem like someone he would date, not because of her race but because of her persona.

I know he used Janel, but I think they had some kind of relationship. I don't think she would have been as pissed if it were just a showmance like Maks and Meryl.  He might have dated Amber for attention, but he did have more chemistry with her than he ever did with Jenna. They have zero chemistry even though they are married. 

Edited June 14, 2019 by boyznkatz

[boyznkatz]

11 hours ago, vdw84 said:

Val's first mistake in the things he say is he thinks he can just comment on any and everything because he thinks he is so down and woke because he grew up in Brooklyn as immigrant and poor, listen to biggie growing up and because he has  few black friends. I mean these r things he has said to justify himself speaking on things that people shut him down about. He may not be racist but sure is ignorant as hell.

Oh I agree. I'm just saying that isn't going to stop TPTB from giving him a job. Just look at Julianne Hough and her blackface stunt. They gave her a seat at the judge's table after that, and she continues to get jobs on other networks. The producers of this show don't care how much those fools embarrass themselves...they will still be back next season. I just hope they just stick to dancing.

[vdw84]

42 minutes ago, boyznkatz said:

I know he used Janel, but I think they had some kind of relationship. I don't think she would have been as pissed if it were just a showmance like Maks and Meryl.  He might have dated Amber for attention, but he did have more chemistry with her than he ever did with Jenna. They have zero chemistry even though they are married. 

Its kinda hard to have chemistry with someone u r just settling with. Val is settling with JJ. I dont think for one sec he is inlove with her. He loves and care for her, im sure but he is not deeply inlove with her. I have seen him show more love and passion toward his dance partners.

[vdw84]

36 minutes ago, boyznkatz said:

Oh I agree. I'm just saying that isn't going to stop TPTB from giving him a job. Just look at Julianne Hough and her blackface stunt. They gave her a seat at the judge's table after that, and she continues to get jobs on other networks. The producers of this show don't care how much those fools embarrass themselves...they will still be back next season. I just hope they just stick to dancing.

Im in noway a Julianne Hough fan but I truly believe she wasnt aware of what it meant when she did that get up. She basically admitted to dressing like her fav character from a tv show and she wasnt at all trying to offend anyone. Alot of white folks arent aware of the whole blackface thing, hell its black people that arent aware of it. I dont know, I guess for me I felt like people came down to hard on her for something she clearly had no clue about but hey thats jmo.  Val on the other hand, he knows exactly what he be doing, like that whole Jussie Smollet thing, he knew him getting himself involved was going to be some backlash but he carried on anyway, he can be straight ass sometimes.

[vdw84]

1 hour ago, boyznkatz said:

I know he used Janel, but I think they had some kind of relationship. I don't think she would have been as pissed if it were just a showmance like Maks and Meryl. 

Nah, he def used her to the point she ended breaking up with current boyfriend at the time over him. They may have had a sexual relationship but that was it. Janel was pissed because she thought they were going to finish what they had after the show but Val pretty much fooled her, its kind sick how he did her but Val was so determine to win back then that I think he would have sold his soul to win a mirrorball.

[spanana]

4 hours ago, boyznkatz said:

Oh I agree. I'm just saying that isn't going to stop TPTB from giving him a job. Just look at Julianne Hough and her blackface stunt. They gave her a seat at the judge's table after that, and she continues to get jobs on other networks. The producers of this show don't care how much those fools embarrass themselves...they will still be back next season. I just hope they just stick to dancing.

I don't really give much thought to Julianne and I'm still not sure if I think her blackface stunt was stupidity and ignorance on her end or an actual stunt, but the reason IMO Julianne still gets jobs (besides being white of course) is that she issued an actual apology.  Whether one bought it or not or forgives her is another issue entirely, but she did apologize for the issue and admit some wrong doing.

I'm not going to compare anything Val has done to blackface.  He isn't that sort of ignorant and he hasn't done anything that I would expect to get him fired.  He's the type to come off more casually racist in a way that most white people probably wouldn't ever notice since it usually comes in the form of microaggressions or feeling like he can say whatever he wants because he's down with the culture and hood.  Also Val has never apologized a day in the life for anything he says (at least publicly).

By the way funny aside on Val and his "hoodness".  I remember once years ago he had gone to Oakland with Zendaya and her family for a few days, which is where she's from.  It was awhile post DWTS and I think they were maybe rehearsing for one of those Sway shows, but she had a family something.  And before anybody starts in on their weird relationship back in those days, her boyfriend was also on said trip.  But poor hood Val was so out of his element in her world in Oakland.  Like I remember him tweeting weird things about how scared he was or weird things that would happen.  I think that was the moment Val realized his Brooklyn street cred wasn't what he thought it was.

[boyznkatz]

1 hour ago, spanana said:

By the way funny aside on Val and his "hoodness".  I remember once years ago he had gone to Oakland with Zendaya and her family for a few days, which is where she's from.  It was awhile post DWTS and I think they were maybe rehearsing for one of those Sway shows, but she had a family something.  And before anybody starts in on their weird relationship back in those days, her boyfriend was also on said trip.  But poor hood Val was so out of his element in her world in Oakland.  Like I remember him tweeting weird things about how scared he was or weird things that would happen.  I think that was the moment Val realized his Brooklyn street cred wasn't what he thought it was.

LOL. I  admit I don't really follow him, so I didn't know that. Yeah, I used to live in Memphis so I know all about white folks who are scared to be there. They are the I'm not racist BUT..." types.

[vdw84]

On 6/14/2019 at 3:55 PM, boyznkatz said:

LOL. I  admit I don't really follow him, so I didn't know that. Yeah, I used to live in Memphis so I know all about white folks who are scared to be there. They are the I'm not racist BUT..." types.

Not surprise Val has always taken me as someone who loves black culture but do not want to be black culture. Its a difference, u know like u can love someone but u dont want be with them kinda thing. Val is perfectly fine with JJ living the perfect russian structured life he has planned for himself. He got woman that will worship the street he walks on and cater to him 24/7 so he good.

[friendperidot]

We've made it to Bastille Day and I'm starting to miss this show. Any one got any hints about who's in negotiation for this season? Pros, stars, I don't care, I'm just wanting to hear something.

[boyznkatz]

14 hours ago, friendperidot said:

We've made it to Bastille Day and I'm starting to miss this show. Any one got any hints about who's in negotiation for this season? Pros, stars, I don't care, I'm just wanting to hear something.

The only serious rumors I've heard are Katelyn Ohashi and Jennifer Love Hewitt. I'm not sure how true they are, though.  I haven't heard anything about the pros at all. I don't know how old Jennifer Love Hewitt is, but she's been around a while.

[vdw84]

1 hour ago, boyznkatz said:

The only serious rumors I've heard are Katelyn Ohashi and Jennifer Love Hewitt. I'm not sure how true they are, though.  I haven't heard anything about the pros at all. I don't know how old Jennifer Love Hewitt is, but she's been around a while.

I think she is her forties

[ShaNaeNae]

19 hours ago, boyznkatz said:

The only serious rumors I've heard are Katelyn Ohashi and Jennifer Love Hewitt. I'm not sure how true they are, though.  I haven't heard anything about the pros at all. I don't know how old Jennifer Love Hewitt is, but she's been around a while.

Like @vdw84 said, she's in her early 40's.  She's been on 911 the past few seasons.  Never been much of a fan. 

2 months from today!  I've been going through withdrawals this spring.  I am so looking forward to September 16.  I'm already planning my whole evening to have a watch party...party of 1.    

[boyznkatz]

2 hours ago, ShaNaeNae said:

Like @vdw84 said, she's in her early 40's.  She's been on 911 the past few seasons.  Never been much of a fan. 

2 months from today!  I've been going through withdrawals this spring.  I am so looking forward to September 16.  I'm already planning my whole evening to have a watch party...party of 1.    

Why am I thinking that JLH has some dance experience? Maybe I'm wrong lol.

I'd love to see Katelyn, but I can't imagine why she would risk injuring herself since she's America's next great hope for an Olympic gold.

[ShaNaeNae]

1 hour ago, boyznkatz said:

Why am I thinking that JLH has some dance experience? Maybe I'm wrong lol.

 

No, I think you're right.  I just looked it up, she did some dance as a youngster.  I found a YouTube of The Client List (a series, I guess?) where she did some sexy dance numbers.  I think she also did some Dance Barbie videos back in the day.  Gahhhh ringers. 

[Bridget]

I can’t stand her either and I think she is a terrible actress, but these are the times when my People magazine subscription pays off! 

Jennifer Love Hewitt turned 40 in February. She was on “Kids, Inc.” when she was a kid, but other than lip syncing and moving her feet to a “step touch, step touch, step touch” pattern, she didn’t do much performing on the show.

She also released albums as a young adult in Japan, as did nearly every other teen “idol” in the 80s and 90s. In fact, I just learned that Carrie-Ann did that too. I was floored when CAI mentioned that because I wonder how she managed to sing and cry at the same tone. 🤣

I definitely wouldn’t call JLH a musician/singer/dancer or place her in any other category other than “actress.”

Her resume includes projects like Hallmark Channel movies to Party of Five to two seasons on Criminal Minds.

I’ve never seen her dance at all, so I don’t know how much of a ringer she would be. I had to Google Katelyn Ohashi (never heard of her) and after learning she’s a gymnast, I’d think she’d be considered as the ringer over an actress who probably wants to do the show to insert generic line about proving something to herself/doing something to show her kids XYZ/rediscovering her “passion for performing” here.

[boyznkatz]

3 hours ago, Bridget said:

I’ve never seen her dance at all, so I don’t know how much of a ringer she would be. I had to Google Katelyn Ohashi (never heard of her) and after learning she’s a gymnast, I’d think she’d be considered as the ringer over an actress who probably wants to do the show to insert generic line about proving something to herself/doing something to show her kids XYZ/rediscovering her “passion for performing” here.

Bridget,

Ohashi is a college gymnast who went viral on SM for her amazing floor routine. She danced to Beyonce, so she probably can light up the house. I don't know if she can ballroom dance, though.

Edited July 16, 2019 by boyznkatz

[ShaNaeNae]

On 7/16/2019 at 1:32 PM, Bridget said:

I can’t stand her either and I think she is a terrible actress, but these are the times when my People magazine subscription pays off! 

 

I just finally cancelled my People subscription after like 25 years...  

[doLLish]

On 7/16/2019 at 12:05 PM, boyznkatz said:

I'd love to see Katelyn, but I can't imagine why she would risk injuring herself since she's America's next great hope for an Olympic gold.

Is she really? She shouldn’t be. She’s past her elite gymnast days and is no longer considered a pro. Mostly due to injury but ultimately by choice. There’s no possibility of her being on the Olympic team. America’s next great hope for Olympic gold continues to be Simone Biles.

With that said I love Katelyn and really hope to see her on the next season. Her personality and enthusiasm are infectious and she’d really light up the ballroom, she’s a natural performer...which also means she’ll probably be widely hated.

[boyznkatz]

18 hours ago, doLLish said:

Is she really? She shouldn’t be. She’s past her elite gymnast days and is no longer considered a pro. Mostly due to injury but ultimately by choice. There’s no possibility of her being on the Olympic team. America’s next great hope for Olympic gold continues to be Simone Biles.

With that said I love Katelyn and really hope to see her on the next season. Her personality and enthusiasm are infectious and she’d really light up the ballroom, she’s a natural performer...which also means she’ll probably be widely hated.

I'll take your word for it since I haven't really followed gymnastics lately. Yes, Simone is pretty amazing. 

[howmanywords]

Sooo does anyone have any clue what Witney and Alfonso have been working/filming together the last week? They have both been posting instagram stories since last week and I'm intrigued. Alfonso's wife showed they were in Vegas and mentioned "episodes". He's become really annoying to me but I don't think I'll ever get tired of watching those two dance together.

[Toonces464]

The first two cast members are being announced on GMA Monday. I'm not sure if they mean celebs or pros. If it's the latter, my money is on Val and Jenna since they love having their faces out in the media.

On 7/31/2019 at 9:35 AM, howmanywords said:

Sooo does anyone have any clue what Witney and Alfonso have been working/filming together the last week? They have both been posting instagram stories since last week and I'm intrigued. Alfonso's wife showed they were in Vegas and mentioned "episodes". He's become really annoying to me but I don't think I'll ever get tired of watching those two dance together.

He's hosting the new Catch 21 on GSN and she's his card turning girl.

Edited August 2, 2019 by Toonces464

[RomanKat]

On 8/2/2019 at 2:46 PM, Toonces464 said:

The first two cast members are being announced on GMA Monday.

So season 28 is finally starting up.  These past months, I've been saving replies in Notepad to post "later".  Following are responses to various recent forum posts......

Re: Showrunners - Most executive producers from the past 10 years have moved on. Conrad Green after season 18. Rob Wade after season 23. Joe Sungkur, Ashley Edens--and artistic director Mandy Moore--after last season. Of the current team, Andrew Llinares joined pre-Athletes season, from a non-DWTS/SCD background. Deena Katz was the long-time casting director who co-exec produced DWTS Juniors. It's a new team. Season 27 had symptoms of "too many cooks" with Llinares, Sunkur, and Edens, plus Moore and possibly Katz having influence. Hopefully, the smaller team will have steadying hands.

Re: Male pros - Val's effortful "charisma" may be popular with certain demo groups, but his personality can get tiresome. Whenever I hear how popular Artem is, I think: 1) "That says a lot about the recent male lineup", and 2) "How much of his popularity is holdover SCD fanship versus current DWTS fanship?" Agree that Alan seems genuine, but his youthful overeagerness in the troupe makes me wish they had waited a few years to hire him. I've speculated that he was available while other young ballroom males were still competing, attending college, or serving church missions. e.g. Brandon, who could also moderate his enthusiasm level, but adds diversity to the show. FWIW, I thought Keo, who debuted at 24, made big strides with Evanna last season, showing that young dancers *can* grow on this show. Appreciate that Sasha is obliging, but doubt he'd have lasted this long without Emma. Not a fan of Gleb.

Re: Newer pros not as good as older pros - Do stylistic preferences affect perceptions? The older pros were trained mostly in Eastern and Western European ballroom traditions, including the Houghs via their Ballas connection. Several younger pros trained in Utah schools and American traditions, though some trained with Eastern European coaches. I ask because Alan doesn't seem as criticized for his Eastern European style as Jenna, Lindsay, and Witney sometimes are for their Utah style, even though Jenna and Lindsay had more successful Dancesport records. Then again, I haven't seen much criticism for Brandon's style, so maybe there's a sexist element? Perhaps the fast-rising Miami school with ties to Latin American traditions will be better received by Old School fans? Especially as they can add diversity to the cast, and have young stars like D'Angelo Castro and Amanda Carbajales approaching DWTS age.

Re: Possible new hires - According to Pure bloggers, the May pro auditions were invitation-only and included troupe members. Given Britt and Hailey's time on the show, I can see producers allowing some latitude, provided they now show basic proficiency with Latin/Ballroom. Britt or Hailey as pros wouldn't be my ideal choice, but the renewed focus on Latin/Ballroom may apply more to new hires. From what we've heard, I'm expecting a shift back towards Latin/Ballroom, but not necessarily an outright exclusion of other styles. For reference, SCD introduced new styles last year, with each couple choosing one of Jazz, Contemporary, or Street to perform during the season.

Re: Making room for new pros - We don't yet know how many celebrities will compete on season 28. Maybe the format/schedule will accommodate an expanded field, to compensate for losing the spring season. SCD typically manages 14 or 15 couples per season. Even DWTS managed 16 couples in season 9, though that felt excessive. An expanded field--should it happen--would open space for new pros. FWIW, it's been awhile since they had an Eastern European female. We used to see Karina, Anna, and Edyta on a consistent basis. Oksana and Daria were the last Eastern European female troupe hires, and Anna Demidova the last pro.

Re: Recent direction of dancers - It's not just whom they haven't hired or retained (e.g. Paul Karmiryan, Brittany, Kiril), but whom they have instead hired, retained, or rehired (e.g. Shannon, Morgan, Gleb) that annoys me. Even if the dropped dancers didn't fit because of redundancy, personality, injury*, etc., the general direction of non-ballroom hires hasn't worked too well. Although Tyne, Allison, Hailey, Britt, Shannon, and Morgan are highly telegenic, none has yet established themselves as regular pros, even while the show's format drifted beyond Latin/Ballroom styles.

*A recent NYT article revealed that Kiril had fractures in both feet while dancing in the DWTS troupe. It possibly adds to anecdotal reports that injuries cost Oksana and Kiki troupe spots, and limited Paul to guest spots. First rule of troupe or would-be troupe: Don't get injured.

[PTVjones]

Val posted recently a video of him and Jenna dancing to a song from the show Euphoria. Some reactions: Val and Jenna

- Euphoria will be off putting and offensive to a lot of people. Everyone should watch Euphoria. Zendaya is really nothing short of a revelation. 

-Jenna out danced Val in this video. 

-Am I the only one that finds it strange that he post a video stating that Euphoria was the inspiration, but does not credit Zendaya in any kind of way? Even if they're not as close as they used to be, it does seem odd. 

[ShaNaeNae]

On 8/2/2019 at 2:46 PM, Toonces464 said:

The first two cast members are being announced on GMA Monday. 

 

Did they ever announce anything?  I'm not finding anything Googling.

[Toonces464]

13 hours ago, PTVjones said:

Val posted recently a video of him and Jenna dancing to a song from the show Euphoria. Some reactions: Val and Jenna

- Euphoria will be off putting and offensive to a lot of people. Everyone should watch Euphoria. Zendaya is really nothing short of a revelation. 

-Jenna out danced Val in this video. 

-Am I the only one that finds it strange that he post a video stating that Euphoria was the inspiration, but does not credit Zendaya in any kind of way? Even if they're not as close as they used to be, it does seem odd. 

I think everything these two do is odd and for no other reason than attention. And speaking of attention, apparently Val and Maks are taking their lousy acting skills back to the small screen and doing another appearance on Fuller House. Wish I knew why Candace is so obsessed with them.

1 hour ago, ShaNaeNae said:

Did they ever announce anything?  I'm not finding anything Googling.

Nope, no announcement. 

Edited August 6, 2019 by Toonces464

[kitcloudkicker]

2 hours ago, ShaNaeNae said:

Did they ever announce anything?  I'm not finding anything Googling.

It got bumped because of the shootings 

https://www.dancedishwithkb.com/post/when-will-the-dancing-with-the-stars-two-celeb-reveal-happen

"Due to breaking news and scheduling, we decided to postpone," wrote the ABC rep. "We don’t have a confirmed date that we are sharing at this time, but will let you know when we do."

[legaleagle53]

So evidently, Sean Spicer is going to be this year's most controversial celebrity contestant. God help whatever pro gets stuck with him!

[truthaboutluv]

I'm actually okay with the entire cast, except Spicer. I'm sure the DWTS Mod is already groaning. I know Abby Lee was rumored and while I'm no fan of hers, I'd take her over Spicer. But again, that aside I'm okay with the cast. 

Edited August 21, 2019 by truthaboutluv

[Was-MArsenault]

Here are the celebrities that will be competing:

[pally]

Sean Spicer and Ray Lewis are 2 reasons for me to skip this season.  Spicer is a liar and Lewis is simply obnoxious and full of himself (not in a fun way).  So I'm not watching.

[MMLEsq]

2 minutes ago, pally said:

Sean Spicer and Ray Lewis are 2 reasons for me to skip this season.  Spicer is a liar and Lewis is simply obnoxious and full of himself (not in a fun way).  So I'm not watching.

I'll probably watch, but I'm on the fence.  I have ZERO interest in watching Sean Spicer trying to redeem himself.