S23.E01: Week 1: Premiere

[McManda]

2 minutes ago, Dejana said:

Gleb is married IIRC, so showmancing it up would be a bad look, to say nothing of Jana...

And probably not help with the rumors (or were they substantiated?) of infidelity he's currently fighting. 

Added to her less than stellar marriage record and current separation and divorce drama... I'm thinking the showmance route is one everyone wants to avoid, hopefully. 

Unfortunately I think I'm going to be wrong.

[vavera4ka]

1 minute ago, humbleopinion said:

Vanilla Ice has another hit?

Can you hum it for me?

fire, fire, grandma? lol

i'll just show myself out now lol

[Uke]

1 hour ago, shoregirl said:

I felt bad for Ryan he made a mistake but he didn't kill anybody or hit a woman or anything like that. He's dumb and needs to grow up but he didn't deserve that (nobody on the show does).  Jake t austin was arredted for hit and run, Vanilla Ice,he's been arrested multiple times at least two of them were for assaulting his wife where's the outrage for that? 

I bet a lot of people, like me, are unaware of Jake's and Vanilla's far more serious mistakes .

[Thadeeeyus]

35 minutes ago, Packerbrewerbadger said:

I thought Marilu would be better but what was with that tiny stage for their jive and why all those people standing around , could the judges even see the dance?  ( from their scores, I think not.....)

And when the camera did zoom in, it mostly shot her from the waist up.  What was going on with that?  Was she so bad that they needed to cover up? 

Edited September 13, 2016 by Thadeeeyus

[PhD-Purgatory15]

Does Ninja Rap from the 2nd Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie count?

Go Ninja Go Ninja Go! lol.

[saylubee]

18 minutes ago, vavera4ka said:

well if they DID approach and land him before Rio i can KINDA see why.

Similarly to how they got Laurie. They wanted Simone, but she is too big right now, and has way too many commitments, so they went for the 2nd choice (if Aly hadn't participated before she would be the next I think).

Swimming and women's gymnastics are two most popular Olympic events in America. They probably couldn't land Phelps, again, because he is too big. And I'm not the biggest follower of swimming, but i thought Ryan said (or was it Tom announcing him) that he was 2nd most decorated swimmer in the, was it US or world?

They could have gone for a female swimmer, but I can see them wanting different sexes of Olympians...

Lochte makes total sense...

If they wanted swimming, they could have signed Nathan Adrian.  Rio was his third Olympics, he was name-dropped just as much as Lochte and Phelps because of the relays, and he was dancing in the commercials for NBC.  He's graduated college, so he doesn't have that commitment right now although I don't think he's retiring yet.  Then on the diving side you have David Boudia and Steele Johnson, who were both big names in their sports and won silver together in synchronized diving.  Boudia won gold four years ago and bronze in the individual events.  I think they said Boudia was contemplating retirement so he would have been a good choice too.  Hell, Usain Bolt retired and has been sniffing around American hotspots & tabloids.  That's not to speak of the American track stars we have.

Lochte might have been the best choice pre-Rio, but there were a lot better choices after-Rio.  DWTS wanted the fireworks that Lochte would bring them.

Edited September 13, 2016 by Saytura

[FilmTVGeek80]

23 minutes ago, McManda said:

Regardless of if they know who he is or not, that's a double standard that I'm not okay with. If we're judging Ryan on the skeletons on his (not so private) closet, then we should do the same for everyone. Jake gets a pass just because no one knows about his?

 

 

How is it a double standard? Until I read it here, I had no idea about Jake T's arrest history. How is anyone supposed to get up in arms about something they DON'T KNOW about? I think the point being made is that everyone knows what Lochte did because it's almost impossible not to know because it's been splashed all over the headlines this summer and was vaguely alluded to on the show tonight. It's still fresh in the public's mind and something he's being judged on because the dust really hasn't even settled yet. Most people don't know about whatever happened with Jake T or with Vanilla Ice. Plus, it's not something that was splashed all over the news in the recent present. 

 

52 minutes ago, RedheadZombie said:

Julianne completely missed Amber's statement that she's not a princess.  She didn't want to be reassured, "you are that girl".  It's not every woman's fantasy to be a fairy princess waiting to be saved by Prince Charming. 

 

 

That annoyed me to no end. It was condescending and very tone deaf.

51 minutes ago, Madding crowd said:

She was also talking about it in the rehearsal package. I just don't think its worth mentioning on night one-if you go on a dance show, you wear dance clothes.

 

She mentioned it. Big deal. She didn't go on and on about it. She didn't refuse to wear it. She just made a comment about it not being her thing.

 

47 minutes ago, LotusFlower said:

People on Twitter are funny.  They're saying Ryan was interviewed after the show, saying the protesters robbed him at gun point.  And on and on...

Like I said before, I feel sorry for Tom and Cheryl and Erin (who seemed freaked about what happened) but this is HILARIOUS!

 

31 minutes ago, McManda said:

Hold up now, as far as I've read, that's not the whole story. He got drunk, defaced some property with public urination, and then was held at gunpoint until they reached some sort of retribution. Not to mention there's missing surveillance video and no one found evidence of the vandalism the owner claimed. 

 

 

There're so many stories about this incident going around. From what I heard, they were not held at gunpoint the whole time. There was a translator there that defused the situation and the swimmers were the ones who begged the gas station people to not involve the cops and offered the pay-off. It all would have blown over if not for Lochte's idiocy and need to please his mother and make himself seem like a big hero.

Edited September 13, 2016 by FilmTVGeek80

[Mittengirl]

I know the Monica Seles incident was quite a while ago, but you would think security would be a lot tighter and anyone coming out of an audience would be stopped much quicker.  But then again there are always the idiots that run on to baseball fields.  When you think of all the things that could happen ...

[RedheadZombie]

Just now, Mittengirl said:

I know the Monica Seles incident was quite a while ago, but you would think security would be a lot tighter and anyone coming out of an audience would be stopped much quicker.  But then again there are always the idiots that run on to baseball fields.  When you think of all the things that could happen ...

During a Cardinals game this season, someone jumped onto the field.  Not one second of this person was shown on TV, and little was said by the announcers, not even the person's gender.  It was a deliberate decision to dissuade future attempts for attention. 

[corgi]

11 minutes ago, vavera4ka said:

more of an aftermath...

 

Derek Hough to the rescue, sparkly shirt and all!

[Dejana]

7 minutes ago, humbleopinion said:

Vanilla Ice has another hit?

Can you hum it for me?

Nothing as big as "Ice Ice Baby", but...

And if you're generous...

He doesn't have an extensive catalog of hits so if he was going to dance to one of them, the biggest one makes sense, but is it all downhill from here with his DWTS experience? Give the people something to vote for, look forward to...

[Mittengirl]

In the Twitter picture posted on the previous page, it appears that there are no security people between Tom, Cheryl, Ryan, the judges and the perpetrators.  I would think that would be standard procedure, just in case.

[McManda]

19 minutes ago, FilmTVGeek80 said:

It all would have blown over if not for Lochte's idiocy and need to please his mother and make himself seem like a big hero.

All the more reason why I don't understand why this is such a bfd. It boils down to a guy doing dumb things that, in the end, he paid for, both monetarily, professionally, and personally. I don't think anyone will look at Ryan Lochte and think "well he got away scot free so I can, too".

There are so many worse people in the world. In a world where you can admit to raping an unconscious girl and get only six months in jail, why waste the effort completely villianizing some dumb, drunk guy that can't get a story straight?

Edited September 13, 2016 by McManda

[birkenstock]

1 hour ago, shoregirl said:

I felt bad for Ryan he made a mistake but he didn't kill anybody or hit a woman or anything like that. He's dumb and needs to grow up but he didn't deserve that (nobody on the show does).  Jake t austin was arredted for hit and run, Vanilla Ice,he's been arrested multiple times at least two of them were for assaulting his wife where's the outrage for that? 

Wow, I didn't know that about Jake T. Austin -though, I didn't know who he was until tonight.  I knew Vanilla Ice has crazy anger issues and was wary for him to be on the show.  

For the most part, the backlash is because Ryan has been in the spotlight for the past month.  There wasn't any cool off period between the Olympics and DWTS.  Optics-wise, it looks like he was chosen as a gimmick choice and is cashing in on his embarrassing behavior and lies even though he had signed on before the Games.      

[corgi]

All I think about when I see/hear about Vanilla Ice is the story about Suge Knight hanging Ice off a balcony.

Edited September 13, 2016 by corgi
Grammar again.

[SiobhanJW]

I'm more offended about Rick Perry being on the show  this season then anything that Ryan did. But that's just my political bias showing through. Haha. 

[FilmTVGeek80]

5 minutes ago, McManda said:

All the more reason why I don't understand why this is such a bfd. It boils down to a guy doing dumb things that, in the end, he paid for, both monetarily, professionally, and personally. I don't think anyone will look at Ryan Lochte and think "well he got away scot free so I can, too".

There are so many worse people in the world. In a world where you can admit to raping an unconscious girl and get only six months in jail, why waste the effort completely villianizing some dumb, drunk guy? 

 

Like I said before, I don't think Lochte is even the worst person on this show currently. In the grand scheme of things what he did is not some irredeemable sin. But he did do something completely asinine and thankfully he has had to pay the price for it. But I get why some Brazilian people might be more upset about this than other people might. Plus, as has been stated this is something that just happened and hasn't had the time to die down yet. While Lochte has been punished, and that's great, he hasn't had the time to show if he's really learned from this yet or to really make amends for it. He still doesn't seem truly apologetic for what he did, and appearing on some dance show to rehab his image isn't going to make a lot of people think he's trying to put everything behind him.

[PTVjones]

Not for nothing but I feel like A LOT of this should be going in the Ryan Lochte message board... just saying lol. 

[MsDiva2007]

Ok the cynic in me would not be surprised if this was set up by Lochte's camp as a play for sympathy! hmmm

[Armchair Critic]

Who is this Gleb? Mama like. ;)

[Uke]

2 hours ago, SanLynn said:

Thank you both!

By the way did I read this right? Derek was the one calling for security during the Lochte thing? I'm not a fan of his partnerships in general but I love him as an individual both on and off the dance floor and this just proves why.

Well, I just watched it on the West Coast feed of All-Access.  You couldn't really hear what was being said or if anyone was calling out for security (that Dominic just cannot stop talking). But you could see security moving in even as the 2 guys were moving through the audience toward the dancefloor.   The 2 guys were in the audience opposite the judges table.  You could see them since they were moving (I'd call it walking fast) while the rest of the audience was seated.  Before the guys even reached the dancefloor, you could see a bunch of security guys moving in from all sides of the dancefloor.  They intercepted a few feet behind where Ryan, Cheryl and Tom were standing.   Someone said that in the tousle that they bumped into Ryan or Cheryl but I didn't see that - they looked too far away (several feet).  It could be one of the security guys brushed past them.  There was also a group of security that headed for the section of the audience where the 2 guys appeared to have come from.  From the All-Access camera angle of the dancefloor, I couldn't see what was happening in that area. (as you're facing the elevated stage, it was in that right corner area of the audience).

Someone caught the take-down in a little instagram video and additional protesters on an elevated audience seating area:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BKR2npzgxhb/

Edited September 13, 2016 by Uke

[bantering]

Quote

hey probably couldn't land Phelps, again, because he is too big. And I'm not the biggest follower of swimming, but i thought Ryan said (or was it Tom announcing him) that he was 2nd most decorated swimmer in the, was it US or world?

He's the 2nd most decorated swimmer in Olympic history. Phelps, is of course, first. I believe Lochte is also the 2nd most decorated swimmer in terms of World championships. He has something like 27 world medals. (Phelps, is of course, first in terms of holding World medals).  From a hypothetical point of view, one could wonder if he'd have more medals if  Phelps weren't around.  Phelps is a highly unusual type of record holder. I think Lochte did even beat Phelps in one race (maybe it was Olympic one?). 

He's very accomplished. But he's always overshadowed by Phelps.  Well, that, and maybe his own persona. 

From a code of conduct perspective I understand why people would be frustrated with his behaviour in Rio. But when people act like he's some guy who accidentally landed in the Olympics swimming competition by fluke, I don't get it.  When it comes to his swimming, he's not a slacker.  Maybe Phelps, who is a once-in-a-millennium kind of athlete (some might say freak of nature),  has made winning a gold medal look so easy  that it appears as if some swimmers are less accomplished than they really are. In another era, Lochte would be considered one of the greats, I  should think. 

On another note and to discuss the episode more directly, I thought Marilu Henner would be a better dancer. I didn't get the big whoop. Her dancing looked a little weird to me. Just me? That's okay. 

Edited September 13, 2016 by bantering

[Michel]

3 hours ago, McManda said:

I was zoned out most of the show, but do wrt know who the troupe is? Alan, obviously, but that's all I know. 

I think Keo might've been demoted back to it, as I thought that was he whom I saw among the troupe dancers in Vanilla Ice & Witney's dance.  I think they have a new black woman in it, too.  (Unless I'm wrong, the first African-American female to join the troupe!)

[90PercentGravity]

People are so upset with Lochte because he perpetuated the idea of the "ugly American." He's an idiot and a national embarrassment. But he doesn't deserve to be physically attacked. He's been punished sufficiently for what he did.

Quote

Hold up now, as far as I've read, that's not the whole story. He got drunk, defaced some property with public urination, and then was held at gunpoint until they reached some sort of retribution. Not to mention there's missing surveillance video and no one found evidence of the vandalism the owner claimed.

There is clear video of him pulling signage off of a wall.

[kitcloudkicker]

6 minutes ago, Michel said:

I think Keo might've been demoted back to it, as I thought that was he whom I saw among the troupe dancers in Vanilla Ice & Witney's dance.  I think they have a new black woman in it, too.  (Unless I'm wrong, the first African-American female to join the troupe!)

Guys are Keo, Alan, and Dennis (who was on last season, but who is now sporting Ryan-Lochte-in-Rio bleach blonde hair.)

Girls are Hayley, Brittany Cherry (back from being demoted last season), and Britt Stewart (who looks like has been a spare background dancer on the show before.) 

[SnarkyTart]

The producers of this show like to cast controversial contestants.  That's why we had Paula Deen, Chaz Bono, Bristol Palin, Andy Dick, L'il Kim, Kate Gosslin, Tom Delay and probably a lot I've forgotten.  Somehow we've managed to get through all of them without any security incidents or audience nastiness during live shows.  Sadly, times are changing and that may no longer be the case, and not just because of Ryan Lochte specifically.  It's more a sign of the times, I think.  Whatever it is, I hate seeing this polarization of a show I enjoy for pure escapism and entertainment. 

Since Ryan Locte was cast before the Olympics, I might guess that Rick Perry was supposed to be the controversial contestant this season.  Surprise!

[bantering]

31 minutes ago, 90PercentGravity said:

 That's why we had Paula Deen, Chaz Bono, Bristol Palin, Andy Dick, L'il Kim, Kate Gosslin, Tom Delay and probably a lot I've forgotten. 

I feel sorry for whoever got paired with Andy Dick. Have you seen his rap sheet? Gross.

Edited September 13, 2016 by bantering

[SnarkyTart]

1 minute ago, bantering said:

I feel sorry for whoever got paired with Andy Dick. Have you seen his rap sheet? Gross.

It was Sharna.  Yeah, Andy Dick is, um, a dick.  He was in a rare sobriety phase during his run on the show and surprisingly managed to not make (most) viewers want to punch him in the throat.

[crossover]

1.  Of course Laurie is the best.  Just trying to see who will be the other finalists.  Kinda like Meryl and Maks.   Val has quite a few inches on her which may hurt the smoothness, tenderness, etc of ballroom.  But jazz, broadway, and latin should be really good.  Contemporary is whatever because they mostly do lifts and poses to emotional music and everyone freaks out.
2.  Right now I have James as second.  He was very graceful and had good posture.  We'll see if he has rhythm for the latin dances.  I think he will.
3.  Marilu is third.  I hope her OTT display about Derek doesn't hurt her.  With her dance background, I don't think anyone is surprised.  I don't care if she is in her sixties.  She's in good shape and training kicks in.  
4.  Jana looks like she can be a contender.  I don't think Gleb should've been so overt.  What are they going to do with the latin numbers?  Maybe they've already accepted the fact that Laurie will win because I don't think the voters would support a winner who put sexuality in the forefront.  Maybe they are going for the memorable angle.
5.  Maureen, Calvin, Ryan, Babyface, Terra, Vanilla Ice, Amber are in the thanks for playing category.
12.  Rick and Jake should be voted off as quickly as possible.  Besides, Jake doesn't act like he wants to be there??  And I think Rick needs more time than the show can give him for him to be somewhat good.

[Michel]

2 hours ago, kitcloudkicker said:

Guys are Keo, Alan, and Dennis (who was on last season, but who is now sporting Ryan-Lochte-in-Rio bleach blonde hair.)

I figured that was he.  Hmm.  Wonder if he either asked to be downgraded or was asked to be after what happened in the switch-up episode last season?

So much has been said about Ryan, but I will basically say that I'm on the "no matter how much you hate a guy, that shit is absolutely uncalled for" train.

Agreed that Laurie has this in the bag if she stays good.  But if they improve well enough, James, Marilu, Calvin, Amber, and Jana could be her biggest threats.

And Maureen's stayed in contact with Florence all these years?  Adorable!

Edited September 13, 2016 by Michel

[superdeluxe]

I didn't watch the show (of course when I don't watch something funny and interesting happens), but of course Laurie Hernandez is great.  Of course Val has an easy path to the mirror ball.  Seems like this season is another foregone conclusion.  And Maks was complaining about who has preferential treatment?

[RemoteControlFreak]

Ryan Lochte lied and embarrassed America on one of the biggest international stages.  His blaming of the innocent people of Brazil for his bad behavior is inexcusable.

What was DWTS thinking when they put this punk  on the show?  I think a few protestors are what he deserves.  They didn't seem intent on doing harm. They just wanted their T-shirts on camera. 

[McManda]

5 hours ago, kitcloudkicker said:

Guys are Keo, Alan, and Dennis (who was on last season, but who is now sporting Ryan-Lochte-in-Rio bleach blonde hair.)

So no Shannon? 

That's disappointing. Wikipedia had him listed as of last night, but I didn't see him.

4 hours ago, SnarkyTart said:

It was Sharna.  Yeah, Andy Dick is, um, a dick.  He was in a rare sobriety phase during his run on the show and surprisingly managed to not make (most) viewers want to punch him in the throat.

I think Andy Dick was a good testament to Sharma as a pro. She was given a challenge and did really well with it. His jazz routine and his Viennese Waltz are dances among dances I revisit when I'm bored clicking  through YouTube sometimes. 

 

28 minutes ago, RemoteControlFreak said:

Ryan Lochte lied and embarrassed America on one of the biggest international stages.  His blaming of the innocent people of Brazil for his bad behavior is inexcusable.

 

Man, I'd hate to have you on my jury. There are so any things in this world that are depraved, deplorable, and inexcusable, and for me personally, being dumb doesn't make that list. The guy paid for it, the world needs to move on, not protest about it at an entertainment dance show.

From what I read, Olympic Village is full of sex, drugs, and rock and roll. The athletes compete and then blow off a lot of steam in less than ideal ways. The only difference is that Ryan's indiscretions were made public. But I don't doubt that there's a lot of sketchy things happening, it's just usually ignored or sugar coated by the media. 

[dwtsgueststars]

Quote

On another note and to discuss the episode more directly, I thought Marilu Henner would be a better dancer. I didn't get the big whoop. Her dancing looked a little weird to me. Just me? That's okay. 

She's Derek's partner that's why.

[MaryPatShelby]

Cheryl has always been my favorite but.....does anyone think she had work done?  She looked lovely, but certainly not like herself, in my opinion.

I liked Laurie, liked the race car driver a lot, no one else stuck out for me; maybe that's the way it should be on the first night.

Off-topic, sort of: I've never been interested in rap and don't think I've ever heard Ice Ice Baby before last night.  What the heck with that bass line that's a complete ripoff of "Under Pressure"?  How did "Rob" never get sued?

[kitcloudkicker]

27 minutes ago, McManda said:

So no Shannon? 

That's disappointing. Wikipedia had him listed as of last night, but I didn't see him.

Yeah, Shannon was in all the promo shoots and at the Griffith Park shoot and all that, up until this week when suddenly he disappeared and now-blond Dennis reappeared. I kind of wonder if he booked a tour, or something that would conflict with the show. Of all the new troupe dudes they tried out last season I vastly prefer Shannon.

[kitcloudkicker]

Here's someone who posted side by side of the judges and red room footage of everyone's reactions to the protesters: 

[FormerMod-a1]

6 minutes ago, MaryPatShelby said:

Off-topic, sort of: I've never been interested in rap and don't think I've ever heard Ice Ice Baby before last night.  What the heck with that bass line that's a complete ripoff of "Under Pressure"?  How did "Rob" never get sued?

I'm pretty sure he did.  At least I remember it being some kind of controversy.  He tried to deny it, back then, though.

[kayma]

Marilu was so annoying. Can we get rid of her (and Rick) and have Derek and Emma team up for an exhibition every show?

I don't mind Jenna and liked what she put together, but Jake seems like he's got some serious personality issues. Better luck next time, Jenna.

Maureen was uncomfortable to watch. Save the tears for most memorable week. Still love Artem, though. Was her dance really that bad?  I fast forward the judges to see the scores only. I thought she was pretty on par with most everyone else.

I wish Sharna would resist the Kool aid hair. She and her partner were quite enjoyable.

Lindsay and her partner were fun. I think Lindsay is my favorite pro at the moment. I hope they make the finals.

I really like the Vanilla Ice HGTV shows and liked him here. I wish he'd gotten Emma, though. I like Witney, but she doesn't seem like the best teacher for a newbie. If they don't pick it up quickly, she just falls back on taking out the content.

Love Laurie and love Laurie with Val. I'm looking forward to great things from them.

[humbleopinion]

No disrespect to Sharna... but James and Cheryl would have been the couple to have Laurie and Val keep checking their rear view mirror throughout the season.

[Princess Sparkle]

17 minutes ago, MaryPatShelby said:

Cheryl has always been my favorite but.....does anyone think she had work done?  She looked lovely, but certainly not like herself, in my opinion.

I liked Laurie, liked the race car driver a lot, no one else stuck out for me; maybe that's the way it should be on the first night.

Off-topic, sort of: I've never been interested in rap and don't think I've ever heard Ice Ice Baby before last night.  What the heck with that bass line that's a complete ripoff of "Under Pressure"?  How did "Rob" never get sued?

I sincerely wish I could find the video where he explains why the songs are different, because my retelling is not going to do justice to how dumb it was.  His explanation was "my line is 'dun dun dun dun dun dun dun boom chissssh' and Under Pressure is 'dun dun dun dun dun dun dun boom".   He made the noises with his mouth while demonstrating, which really was just the cherry on how terrible the excuse was  

[kitcloudkicker]

4 hours ago, carouselride said:

A few years ago, someone managed to jump on stage and dancing during Spain's turn in the Eurovision Song Contest. He got to dance for a few seconds before security realized he wasn't part of the dance crew. It is easier than it seems, apparently.

Also a few years ago, a woman who had been hired as a background musician on Britains Got Talent wandered on stage during a performance and started throwing eggs at Simon Cowell. (Okay that one was kiiinda funny? But I mean, Simon Cowell) 

These people apparently were wearing the anti-Lochte shirts underneath formalwear that they wore to walk into the ballroom. I don't know how you would screen for that, they didn't have weapons or things they were throwing (I don't think? They seemed to be just yelling.)

[mtlchick]

The night my power had to go 30 minutes before the show and returned 15 minutes after it ended is the night everything was shot to hell. 

 

I do think Ryan is an idiot and a moron for what he did.  But NO ONE deserved that to happen to them.  I can understand why many people were freaked out especially Cheryl and Erin. 

 

Quote

What the heck with that bass line that's a complete ripoff of "Under Pressure"?  How did "Rob" never get sued?

It is the bass line from Under Pressure.  And was famously sued for it though he did end up giving the royalties.

[punkypower]

9 hours ago, humbleopinion said:

Vanilla Ice has another hit?

Can you hum it for me?

Nope, but I did like the song he did with Bloodhound Gang: "Boom."

Even though I haven't listened to it in decades, I used to listen to all of the Vanilla Ice cassette..

[humbleopinion]

The fact that Mr. Ice still tours despite his limited repertoire and sketchy past while making a living on a 25 year old song is a testament to his work ethic.

Did you see how proud his daughter was of her dad? Priceless..

You would think Amber Rose and Maks would have gotten the raunchy label but Gleb and the country western singer Jana went risque while Maks and Amber kept it classy.

Always thought Whitney has the best legs on the show but Laurie's strong gams has stolen the title.

Edited September 13, 2016 by humbleopinion
more nonsense

[RemoteControlFreak]

2 hours ago, McManda said:

Man, I'd hate to have you on my jury. There are so any things in this world that are depraved, deplorable, and inexcusable, and for me personally, being dumb doesn't make that list. The guy paid for it, the world needs to move on, not protest about it at an entertainment dance show.

From what I read, Olympic Village is full of sex, drugs, and rock and roll. The athletes compete and then blow off a lot of steam in less than ideal ways. The only difference is that Ryan's indiscretions were made public. But I don't doubt that there's a lot of sketchy things happening, it's just usually ignored or sugar coated by the media. 

I am not objecting to Lochte and his teammates getting drunk and blowing off steam.  Nor am I objecting to him pissing on the ground outside a locked rest room and ripping down a sign from the gas station's wall.  Drunk idiots do stupid things.

I'm also not objecting to him being dumb.  And I never called his actions depraved.  

I am objecting to him outright lying and claiming that he was innocently pulled over in his taxi by a fake policeman who cocked a gun and held it to his forehead, rather than admitting what really happened.  There is no excuse for that kind of lying and besmirching of the innocent people of Brazil who were nothing but welcoming to the American athletes.

Sure, there are worse things in the world. Every action has a comparable worse thing.  But that doesn't mean that everything should be excused just because "there are worse things."   

Edited September 13, 2016 by RemoteControlFreak

[vavera4ka]

13 minutes ago, RemoteControlFreak said:

 

I am objecting to him outright lying and claiming that he was innocently pulled over in his taxi by a fake policeman who cocked a gun and held it to his forehead, rather than admitting what really happened.  There is no excuse for that kind of lying and besmirching of the innocent people of Brazil who were nothing but welcoming to the American athletes.

That's what really annoys me in this case, and not the way you would think. Yes, Brazil was welcoming and did it's best to host the Olympics, but there WERE people robbed and held at gun point. His stint diminishes what other athletes and guests really had to face and gives police and government an excuse to close their eyes to real crime. "Oh you are saying that  Australian guys got mugged? really? look at that American swimmer, now who do you believe, honest police and respectable Brazilians or entitled white boys?"

[ChocButterfly]

10 hours ago, RedheadZombie said:

Six weeks ago and a c-section.

Wow! That woman is a warrior! And she got fit right away. I may be rooting a little for her now. 

Quote

So Amber doesn't like sparkly dance costumes? Then don't go on the show.

Just because she said she doesn't like something about her attire doesn't mean she doesn't want to be there. Plus, that dress was way too sparky! They could have given her something more toned down. And the fact that she agreed to wear, in spite of not liking it, it means she's comitted.

[RemoteControlFreak]

3 minutes ago, vavera4ka said:

That's what really annoys me in this case, and not the way you would think. Yes, Brazil was welcoming and did it's best to host the Olympics, but there WERE people robbed and held at gun point. His stint diminishes what other athletes and guests really had to face and gives police and government an excuse to close their eyes to real crime. "Oh you are saying that  Australian guys got mugged? really? look at that American swimmer, now who do you believe, honest police and respectable Brazilians or entitled white boys?"

Yes, that too.

[MaryPatShelby]

50 minutes ago, mtlchick said:

It is the bass line from Under Pressure.  And was famously sued for it though he did end up giving the royalties.

Thanks for the answers, guys.  I'm glad to know there was some pushback; the reason I thought he'd never been sued was that it was so egregious I assumed that he would have been told "you can never perform that song ever again"!!