S04.E07: Whitney Calls in Backup

[Ketzel]

3 hours ago, John M said:

Taking dance classes in college does not mean you are a trained or professional dancer, most colleges offer arts classes for people not pursuing careers in the arts, it is not unusual at all for a college student to take some or even a lot of dancing/painting/music/pottery classes that are not advanced and not really meant for someone pursuing it as a career. Yes, taking dancing classes implies that she was pursuing it as a career because many professional dancers do in fact get formal training in college to pursue dance careers but I am 99% sure that she was taking them for fun and not as an educational path.

If I recall correctly, Whitney started out as a dance major in college, then switched to theatre when she put on weight, got the PCOS diagnosis, became depressed and failed her dance courses.  Of course, being a dance major doesn't mean you are headed for a professional dance career. But all the yammering Whitney has done about how PCOS robbed her of her lifelong passion for dance, and how proud she is that she no longer lets narrow-minded conventions keep her from the dance career she was meant to have, leads me to believe she thought she was headed down a professional path.  Or quite possibly, she decided to think that after her Fat Girl Dancing Video went viral.

3 hours ago, John M said:

As for now, yes, she is a professional dancer. People (TLC) pay her to dance, that by definition makes her a professional dancer, it however does not mean she is any more trained , skilled or qualified  than Krystal at Boobalishious having singles stuffed down her panties who is also a professional dancer.

Hey, don't put down Krystal! Especially if she can really work a pole, that girl has had some serious training somewhere!

Have we ever seen Whitney dance a paid gig on the show? I mean as a performer, not teaching a class, or choreographing something.

[sATL]

17 minutes ago, Ketzel said:

If I recall correctly, Whitney started out as a dance major in college, then switched to theatre when she put on weight, got the PCOS diagnosis, became depressed and failed her dance courses.  Of course, being a dance major doesn't mean you are headed for a professional dance career. But all the yammering Whitney has done about how PCOS robbed her of her lifelong passion for dance, and how proud she is that she no longer lets narrow-minded conventions keep her from the dance career she was meant to have, leads me to believe she thought she was headed down a professional path.  Or quite possibly, she decided to think that after her Fat Girl Dancing Video went viral.

Hey, don't put down Krystal! Especially if she can really work a pole, that girl has had some serious training somewhere!

Have we ever seen Whitney dance a paid gig on the show? I mean as a performer, not teaching a class, or choreographing something.

Then she should have some dance skills - k-12 level. you have to audition to be accepted into (most) universities as a dance major. And some universities might also ask for a dance teacher recommendation and resume'. of past performances. And if she at least two semesters before she got sick, she would have been in an university level performance - most likely with tryouts / cuts and professors who didn't have time for her foolishness. Did she go from a dance-trained body to 300+  lbs  in a semester ?  Meaning yes, she was gaining , but still should have been able to do something...

Edited March 8, 2017 by sATL

[LocalGovt]

19 hours ago, mamadrama said:

Jiya was tough but I liked her. Jenzie is just a bitch. I can't even hate watch her.

I think Jenzi is really a man.  The Jenzi I looked up on line is, anyway.  The article online didn't refer to him as a her (as in, he identifies as a woman).

[Dot]

8 hours ago, Kid said:

I thought so!!! It was the constant hair tossing and total lack of concern about the boobage almost being exposed.  

Do you think Twit knows? It explains the hostility Todd & Mattie had. They didn't like an interloper on their sacred ground.

[TurtlePower]

52 minutes ago, lovetheduns said:

The names I heard her spout are all D list or lower. Nia Frazier is from Dance Moms. 

And the fact that a "dancer" never watched any epic dance movies............really? 

[ClareWalks]

5 minutes ago, Runnergirl said:

And the fact that a "dancer" never watched any epic dance movies............really? 

If she has never seen "You Got Served," she needs to get ON THAT SHIT. It is such a great dance film that the entire plot feels tacked-on. I'm all "shut up and dance, fools."

[Dot]

9 hours ago, Yajmele said:

Well, I didn't think Jenzi was too far out of the way of someone trying to boot camp new choreography in a short time. I do feel that she and Whit had different takes on how to approach the dance battle.  Jenzi was, "Let's go all out on this and put out absolute best out there by any means necessary."  Whit kinda talks a lot about that, but never really does, because of excuse #1, excuse #2, etc.  If she's just having a class to have fun, a little empowerment to big girls, that's fine.  Don't drag them into a dance battle if you're not willing to do what needs to be done to actually be competitive.

That being said, Jenzi was being kinda rude at the BBQ place. 

This was a Mac's, but I think they do have a location in Greensboro. It's a small chain, mostly around the Charlotte area though.  I've eaten at one in Charlotte a few times, as it was close to where I worked at one time. Lots of my colleagues absolutely loved the place. I was pretty indifferent. 

Now, I gotta comment on one of the more minor sub-plots of this episode, and it was Will saying he wanted Buddy and Whit to compete in a CrossFit competition.  I swear, I had a mental record needle-scratch moment when he said that, and I said, "Are you f***ing kidding me?"  Yes, it's a charity dealie, and there are a lot of those.  However, if Buddy and Whit are talking about wanting to win, they're delusional. Even in their brief clips of working out with Will, they're not even getting the basic movement standards down.  Whit can't even do a proper squat.  She was struggling to stay in dance shoes for more than 5 minutes. I can kinda get where Will is going with that, as a competition can spark the desire to ramp up training, but ultimately, I think it's a set up for failure, if they can't even do the basics well. 

It was the Twit talking about wanting to win because she's so "competitive." And she basically told Buddy he'd better keep up & not cause her to lose. At that, were I Buddy, I would have leaned over & whispered in her ear: "Don't worry, sweetie. TLC's got you set up to win, just like all your other supposed contests."

[Dot]

8 hours ago, polandspring said:

I think she and Todd are both aspiring actors, so anything that gets them exposure is good, from a certain perspective.

Re: the weight.  Can anyone find a picture of someone who's roughly Whitney's height and 360 to compare?  I couldn't find one on mybodygallery.

I get that.  I think the organizers are trying to take away the stigma and giggle factor by making it fun and embracing that it has to do with a sexualized body part.  It might be a good idea of the colon cancer folks did the same, come to think of it.  

Except that it doesn't work that way. There was a similarly titled program for mammogram awareness in San Jose a dozen or so years ago. All it did was tittilate (verb intended) teenage boys who went around grabbing decals off walls & pasting them on unwitting girls' backs. I hate it when MEN think it's so cute to use pejorative terms when they apply to women but would morally outraged if the table were turned.

[TurtlePower]

1 hour ago, Ketzel said:

If I recall correctly, Whitney started out as a dance major in college, then switched to theatre when she put on weight, got the PCOS diagnosis, became depressed and failed her dance courses.  Of course, being a dance major doesn't mean you are headed for a professional dance career. But all the yammering Whitney has done about how PCOS robbed her of her lifelong passion for dance, and how proud she is that she no longer lets narrow-minded conventions keep her from the dance career she was meant to have, leads me to believe she thought she was headed down a professional path.  Or quite possibly, she decided to think that after her Fat Girl Dancing Video went viral.

Hey, don't put down Krystal! Especially if she can really work a pole, that girl has had some serious training somewhere!

Have we ever seen Whitney dance a paid gig on the show? I mean as a performer, not teaching a class, or choreographing something.

I worked my way through college as an acrobatic pole dancer (with some traditional thrown in). Takes some serious work to be anything but a typical "slinky" dancer. Ugh. I admitted it. 

[Ketzel]

10 minutes ago, Runnergirl said:

I worked my way through college as an acrobatic pole dancer (with some traditional thrown in). Takes some serious work to be anything but a typical "slinky" dancer. Ugh. I admitted it. 

No "ugh" about it, Runnergirl.  I know what it takes to be even a beginner level acrobatic pole dancer. Respect!

[Dot]

6 hours ago, Cherrio said:

Excellent post !     I would like to add to it and its also the reason why I will no longer hate watch another season.  I hope enough people do the same so she is off the air.   

The reason being is that she is no different than say an anorexic or drug addict sending a dangerous and deadly message that what she is doing and saying is healthy and positive.

I am especially concerned about young girls and women who are headed down the same path and instead of getting real help, think Whitney is a role model.   That is easier to do, especially when instead they need to face some hard truths and do some hard work. Our country does not seem to endorse honesty anymore. Blame, excuses and lies are embraced instead.

I wish a group of doctors and other professionals would band together along with the public and demand this show be cancelled.

You are so right. Twit is writing a death notice for some of the women who follow her. She needs to be stopped, or at least removed from TV so that she doesn't have such a large platform to trumpet her lies.

[KateHearts]

9 hours ago, Yajmele said:

However, if Buddy and Whit are talking about wanting to win, they're delusional. Even in their brief clips of working out with Will, they're not even getting the basic movement standards down.  Whit can't even do a proper squat.  She was struggling to stay in dance shoes for more than 5 minutes.

But you know they'll crush that competition, right? Because the show is really "Whitney's Fake Fabulous World Where Fat People Are Never Disagreed With and Always Win."

[SunnyBeBe]

I think the show is entertaining....well...at times.  Sometimes it annoys me, but, it also has some positive parts, like friends, older couples, family love, community involvement, pet love, social issues, medical issues, etc.  Whit's doctors have given her advice on losing weight, getting fit, risks for health issues, etc.  It's up to her to address it.  Obesity is a complex issue.  Many people struggle with it.  Whit's not the only one.  Maybe, she'll grow and get serious about her weight loss or maybe she won't and we'll see her crash and burn.  That's life. You never know what you'll get.  

I did have to turn the channel last night for awhile. I just couldn't take that guest choreographer. No way. I don't tolerate that kind of treatment. 

It's obviously scripted, though, and that's why they have Whit pretending that the group only has a very limited amount of time to to prepare for performances.  FOR SOME REASON REALITY TV BELIEVES that having to rush something just in the nick of time is somehow a great thing.  Notice they do it on Alaska shows, when they have to get the moose shot before sundown.  On home improvement, the house renovate by the weekend.  With cooking, the dish ready in 6 minutes.  It's RIDICULOUS, but, someone in the reality tv world thinks that's entertaining. I disagree.  

[Dot]

Wildly off topic -- forgive me, OnceSane -- but I just want to acknowledge that today is "A Day Without Women" & to honor all my sisters on this message board for the "women's work" y'all do. I hope each & everyone of you found a way to honor the day in whatever way you were able to.

And for my brothers here: take a moment to gaze on your wife, secretary, nurse, etc., and wonder how you'd fend for yourself without her! (Hell, hubbies, tonight's a good night to take her to dinner to show your appreciation.)

P.S. Anyone else remember Alice Doesn't Day on Oct.29, 1975? (Probably not, I think I'm the oldest here at 78.) Anyway that was when women earned 58¢ to a man's dollar for comparable work. There's still a ways to go, in terms of economic -- and other -- equality, but at least ADD was able to bring great awareness to the importance of women's work. I hope today's focus will move the bar again.

[zoltana]

21 hours ago, DNR said:

Wait .  Jenzi is a man ? 

I guess so... http://www.genrepublic.com/jenzi-russell/

[Alapaki]

I'm feeling more and more that TPTB have just taken the gloves off with Whitney.  Jenzi was an awesome truth-bomb.  They showed the DJ calling Whitney on her bullshit.  They didn't even have the heart to play out the faux-lesbian storyline.  

I just wish we'd seen some sort of disclaimer to assure us that none of those nail-salon-attendants were harmed in the making of this episode.  Because subjecting them to that "Does Whitney have a Girlfriend" conversation was sadistic.  And that doesn't seem like a job that comes with great workers' comp coverage.

[AmyB]

11 hours ago, sATL said:

Agree. I think this is the (link) for the event held in the NC area last year.

So I decided to look this up and if that was the fitness competition Will was referring to, then it was the same day as Will's open house for his gym.  They can't do both.  Also the Barbells for Boobs has a facebook page with live video posted from the different heats and wods, neither buddy, twit, or will are there. So it's either a fake competition cuz we know the show loves to do that, or a different one all together, or they ended up not doing it. The synopsis for episode 9 says as Whitney and Buddy gear up for the fitness competition, Will drops a bomb. I bet they ended up not doing it.

[Dot]

13 hours ago, sATL said:

I was kinda thinking that if a cat got loose outside (like the one who jumped out of the stroller), an Olympic track runner couldn't catch it. Is it the breed, combined with age that made Whit's cat stay put ?

Cats which find themselves in a new environment may freeze for a moment to get their bearings. Twit was lucky to be right there when Henchie freed herself from the netting, or she'd have been halfway across the county in another moment.

[KateHearts]

8 hours ago, Ketzel said:

She performed  and accepted an award for being a dance "inspiration" from the Sarasota Museum of Dance.

Actually, it was the Saratoga Museum of Dance. She was there, I know from the footage. But it honors dancers such as Bob Fosse, Michael Jackson and very esteemed ballet dancers. So I have no idea how she weaseled herself in there.

[John M]

3 hours ago, LocalGovt said:

I think Jenzi is really a man.  The Jenzi I looked up on line is, anyway.  The article online didn't refer to him as a her (as in, he identifies as a woman).

I mean not to be too pedantic but as a gay man and a trans ally I have to correct again.

Jenzi may be genderqueer or gender fluid or some other gender or no gender identity.

Jenzi is Jenzi and there is no need to label Jenzi as anything unless Jenzi has chosen a gender or no gender at all that Jenzi requests to be identified as.

Bottom line, Jenzi is not "really a man" or trans or anything. And honestly suggesting Jenzi is "really a man" is incredibly offensive to many people in the LGBTQ  community. I know, it's confusing, I'm assuming you don't mean to be offensive. There is clearly some gender ambiguity going on and as such it's best to play it safe and not speculate, if you have a need, and I highly doubt you do, ask Jenzi or Jenzi will make it clear otherwise just avoid gender specific terms. 

[Dot]

42 minutes ago, KateHearts said:

Actually, it was the Saratoga Museum of Dance. She was there, I know from the footage. But it honors dancers such as Bob Fosse, Michael Jackson and very esteemed ballet dancers. So I have no idea how she weaseled herself in there.

I've always wondered about that, too. Maybe it was like the "invitation" to dance at the folk festival? Or the auditorium at her college filled to capacity with people who were not plants asking her questions?

[John M]

I can't believe this has not come up yet but can we talk about the shirt Whit was wearing in the last scene?

Yeah, she is so nice, so worried about her girls and stereotypes and judgement and she is literally wearing a shirt saying she is going to talk shit behind their back.

Fuck you Whit.

[mamadrama]

4 hours ago, LocalGovt said:

I think Jenzi is really a man.  The Jenzi I looked up on line is, anyway.  The article online didn't refer to him as a her (as in, he identifies as a woman).

Yes, I addressed this later and posted a link to his bio yesterday. But I still think the term "bitch" applies.

[Dot]

24 minutes ago, Dot said:

I've always wondered about that, too. Maybe it was like the "invitation" to dance at the folk festival? Or the auditorium at her college filled to capacity with people who were not plants asking her questions?

I got interested in this topic, and went to Wikipedia. The institution's name actually is National Museum of Dance and Hall of Fame. The Twit is NOT one of it's inductees.

Associated with the museum is the Saratoga Performing Arts Center, apparently originally intended for classical performances,  but soon showcasing pop , etc., as well.

According to a newspaper article, however, SPAC fell on hard fundraising times around 2013.  So, extrapolating from that, my guess is that TLC waved a fistful of bucks at SPAC (not the museum) to rent its dance studio for a couple of hours. Just like the folk festival let -- or was paid to allow -- Whit & her cowgirls to use its stage an hour before the festival opened.

[mamadrama]

18 hours ago, M.F. Luder said:

I felt sorry for Whitney when I saw how happy she was when Jenzi agreed to come teach her class because I knew how disappointed she was going to be when she realized how mean Jenzi was. It would have worked out better if they had had the conversation about how the class was casual with a lot of no-skilled dancers before Jenzi agreed to come and put her choreography on some foolery. Whitney could have handled it like she did her DVD filming and had try outs so she could cut some dancers in a more respectful way.

I would be more willing to give Jenzi a pass for her disrespectful behavior if it was confined to just the dance class, but she was rude to Whitney at the restaurant when she was trashing the food that Whitney was paying for. If you don't like it, don't eat it, but you don't have to take a bite then declare it's not good when the person sitting across so obviously hopes you enjoy it. Whitney should not spend her money on such foolery. (and yeah, I'm aware TLC probably paid the bill, but still)

You know, I feel the same way. It's the first time in the history of the show that I felt sorry for Whitney. Her excitement, and almost pride, gave me secondhand embarassment because I knew how things were going to turn out. I am kind of sensitive to these kinds of things. I believe some of Whit's reactions were genuine in regards to Jenzi and I just felt bad for her. Don't get me wrong, I LIKE when Jiya puts her in her place and acts out but Jenzi complaining about the food, talking about the other dancers, etc. just didn't do it for me. I almost couldn't watch. 

[Dot]

30 minutes ago, John M said:

I can't believe this has not come up yet but can we talk about the shirt Whit was wearing in the last scene?

Yeah, she is so nice, so worried about her girls and stereotypes and judgement and she is literally wearing a shirt saying she is going to talk shit behind their back.

Fuck you Whit.

That seems to be one of her favorite shirts. She wears it often. Perhaps because she can still get in it.

[DNR]

12 hours ago, yogi2014L said:

1- congrats on your weightloss1 and 2- hi fellow crossfitter!!!! Crossfit is a very accepting community. 

I do crossfit 5X a week and omg there is no way Whitney can do almost any of the movement standards, even scaled. Plenty of overweight people can( and do ) crossfit but she is at a point in their morbid obesity where her mobility is severely impacted. She can't even tie her shoes I can't see her bending over to grab a barbell for any of the standard oly lifts ect.

For those of you who are wondering what a typical crossfit workout would look like , here is an example workout 

"annie"

50-40-30-20 and 10 rep rounds of:
Double-unders
Sit-ups

So you would do 50 double unders ( jump rope with the rope passing under your feet 2x) then 50 sit ups, then 40 ,40 ect. you go as fast as you can until you are done

People who are really good at crossfit can do this in 5 minutes or less. 

. to scale this ( make it easier) you could do 2x the amount of single unders ( regular jump rope) so it would be 100 jump rope, 50 sit ups

For Whitney, I don't even know if jumping would be a good idea but she would probably need like 50 single unders, maybe 25 sit ups, then 40/20, 30/15, 10/5, Even then I don't know if that would be possible. 

"Competetive" Twitney made me laugh out loud when she was barking at Boo Bear about wanting to WIN the Crossfit event that Will brought up. ( uh Will, you can't be serious).  

[Ketzel]

2 hours ago, KateHearts said:

Actually, it was the Saratoga Museum of Dance. She was there, I know from the footage. But it honors dancers such as Bob Fosse, Michael Jackson and very esteemed ballet dancers. So I have no idea how she weaseled herself in there.

Oh dear, I always do that, mix up Sarasota and Saratoga. I think it's because my maternal grandparents lived in Sarasota and my paternal grandparents lived in Saratoga.  Thanks for the correction.

[Tosia]

I watched the show tonight.  I still love saying :  pocketa-pocketa-pocketa ugh, more than than this show. 

This show: UGH. 

What idiots  take cats for a walk?  How abt letting them or the back door and watching how they do first?  Morons.  

Maybe the cats and the horse will petition the ASPCA to charge Twit with animal cruelty.   Free Henschie!  

Ok. So Twit let Jenzi bully her class for 2 days, AND then practices a different routine with the sticks?   Stupid. 

How mean was Twitt to Poobear in the gym?  Way to support your friend/room mate, Twit. 

Dumb show. Jenzi was icky, unlikable, and mean. And Twit hired her. 

Go Manney! 

Edited March 9, 2017 by Tosia
Yes, I feel stupid even for hate-watching. No excuses.

[princelina]

22 hours ago, Cherpumple said:

Ugh, this show. Could someone please explain to me how Whitney has her "plate full" with the dance battle, when she's not even creating the choreography herself, nor doing anything else to prepare other than staring blankly at a pair of sticks and trying not to drop them?

The ironic thing is that her plate is full that she can't choreograph the dance battle "at this time" - because she's so stressed out about the dance battle!  

17 hours ago, sATL said:

I'm going to go out on a limb, here.. I like Jenzi teaching. And teaching style. And I like the routines. Whit signed up (ok - was pushed) into a battle not an open class.

Yes, Whit , go spend a $1.50 at redbox and go get "Bring it On".

Granted maybe Whit should have attended one of Jenzi's classes in person, first, to evaluate her teaching style and do a run though of the routine. And whit should have told the class first she was coming and maybe played one of her videos. Only b/c Whit probably doesn't bring in guest teachers and also, to see who wants to participate in the battle.

And even if this was an open class, why would you come (1) in very late and (2) not in dance attire. That drew attention to yourself, not the teacher or other students. Show  up late to a calculus class or exam w/o a calculator. Do you really think the teacher is going to give a damn ?

What is Todd's dance background? It is coming across too much like a baby.  a grown man-baby. And due to his height, he belongs on the far left/right  or back- he is kinda blocking the ladies behind him, and throwing off the lines.

I'm team Jenzi for this reason!  Jenzi was brought in to do an emergency boot-camp for a dance battle.  Not Jenzi's fault if Jenzi was lied to about why Jenzi was rushed cross-country for a two day workshop.  Also, I think Todd is up front to lead the ladies along with Whitney since she can barely get through round 1 on her own.  Or to distract the judges by dancing better than the ladies are capable of doing.

 

15 hours ago, sATL said:

Why can Whit order custom made dance shoes? Or is there no such thing?  Something like what ice skaters do, they go somewhere and have a detailed measurement and the boot (skate) fits properly on their feet.

They're probably expensive - why waste the $$ when she knows she is going to practice 3 times, "win" the competition, and never ballroom dance again?

13 hours ago, Runnergirl said:

I didn't find the choreographer that bad given it was for competition, but Whit's whole group is oversensitive IMO. Maybe it's cause I got used to being yelled at by tactics instructors, so I let that kind of thing roll off and turn any angst into better concentration and performance. Can't run off crying in the middle of a fight. Edit: What's worse (to me) than an bullish instructor is a passive-aggressive one who talks down to students in a soft, whispery voice. I've had both and would rather be yelled at so we both know where we're at.

Anyways, I agree about Whit--she talks a big game and then for the most part, seems to back down during real confrontation (runs to Twitter where it's "safe"). But, she did let Kerryn have it last season and Kerryn was only calling her out. Kerryn: "For someone who says she's the happiest she's ever been, you sure cry A LOT." So, so true. 

I also have the feeling Whit might be a closet bully. As someone pointed out in another thread, hardly anyone ever stands up to her on the end of season shows and they always gang up on the "villain" of the season, even if the villain makes good points (Kerryn). 

Agree agree agree!  With one exception - I think she's a pretty open bully, just feels that because she's in a "protected class" she can do it with impunity.

2 hours ago, mamadrama said:

You know, I feel the same way. It's the first time in the history of the show that I felt sorry for Whitney. Her excitement, and almost pride, gave me secondhand embarassment because I knew how things were going to turn out. I am kind of sensitive to these kinds of things. I believe some of Whit's reactions were genuine in regards to Jenzi and I just felt bad for her. Don't get me wrong, I LIKE when Jiya puts her in her place and acts out but Jenzi complaining about the food, talking about the other dancers, etc. just didn't do it for me. I almost couldn't watch. 

I see where you're coming from, but how old do you have to be before someone is allowed to give you a dose of reality without being called mean?  She has no reason in the real world to have excitement or pride about what she is asking those ladies to do.  She COULD have excitement or pride about creating a class that attracted all types and made them enjoy moving their bodies and learning about dance and becoming more accepting of themselves and less inhibited - but we know she hasn't done that.  So IMO she lied to Jenzi and then acted pissed that Jenzi didn't go along with it - typical treatment for her "costars".  

And when Jenzi was a bitch at the BBQ - I just can't get to worked up about it.  Either Jenzi was told to act that way by production, or Jenzi knew Jenzi was hired to play a villain and had some fun with it.

ETA:  the one thing we have been told for years now is that even though her body sometimes gets in the way, Whit is a great dancer at heart and even with physical limitations can choreograph like crazy . . . now even that is proven to be a lie :(

Edited March 9, 2017 by princelina

[MissCurmudgeonly]

10 hours ago, operalover said:

I disagree 1000% - it's offensive. There is nothing funny about breast cancer. This is way off topic, I am aware and sorry to the mods but my blood boils over this. The following is from a woman with breast cancer- I'll quote her because I feel the same way. They would never have a fundraiser for colon cancer and everyone wears white tighties in support of men with colon cancer.

When I see SAVE THE TATAS, my stomach hurts. When breast cancer is reduced to “boobies” and “hooters” and sexualized Facebook games, I want to shout STOP IT. Just please stop it. (etc., snipped)

Word. Source: me, Cancerchick at a young (40 and under) age. And ALL my Cancerchick friends who fucking HATE the ta-tas crap. I've had a shirt made up that says "Fuck the ta-tas, save our lives." Kind of the sister shirt to the one a friend had made that says "Fuck awareness, save our lives." Sadly, she's dead now, from what started out as Stage 1 breast cancer. 

And back to Twit - you can be competitive while not being delusional. How the hell does she think she can actually "win" anything, when she can barely trundle around? Umm, no.

[Dot]

Well, shit. The Twit actually was at the National Museum of Dance.

http://dancemuseum.org/school/thore.html

Or, at least at its school. I still think TLC payola probably paid her way in. Maybe not though. In her first year of MBFFL, she apparently picked up several nice awards, according to a google search I did. Not so much these days, I notice, since everyone but her devoted fans have figured out what a whiney narcissist she is.

[princelina]

1 minute ago, Dot said:

Well, shit. The Twit actually was at the National Museum of Dance.

http://dancemuseum.org/school/thore.html

Or, at least at its school. I still think TLC payola probably paid her way in. Maybe not though. In her first year of MBFFL, she apparently picked up several nice awards, according to a google search I did. Not so much these days, I notice, since everyone but her devoted fans have figured out what a whiney narcissist she is.

Yes - in season one they probably believed she was an "inspiration" if they followed her PR - she hadn't proven herself to be a big fat fabulous liar yet :)

[mamadrama]

3 minutes ago, princelina said:

 

I see where you're coming from, but how old do you have to be before someone is allowed to give you a dose of reality without being called mean?  She has no reason in the real world to have excitement or pride about what she is asking those ladies to do.  She COULD have excitement or pride about creating a class that attracted all types and made them enjoy moving their bodies and learning about dance and becoming more accepting of themselves and less inhibited - but we know she hasn't done that.  So IMO she lied to Jenzi and then acted pissed that Jenzi didn't go along with it - typical treatment for her "costars".  

And when Jenzi was a bitch at the BBQ - I just can't get to worked up about it.  Either Jenzi was told to act that way by production, or Jenzi knew Jenzi was hired to play a villain and had some fun with it.

Yeah, I know what you're saying but I can't help it. That's just my personality and the way I am and I can even spare a little sympathy for Whitney in some of those scenes. I believe in honesty but I also believe in kindness. I totally got where she was coming from in the dance studio but at the restaurant? I didn't like it. And it's the restaurant scene that I was referring to. Perhaps Jenzi was playing it up or maybe she really IS that way. I don't know. What I DO know is that I get on here every day and snark with you guys. I was Team Kerryn, Team Jiya, and am Team Whoever Doesn't Play Along on any of the Teen Mom shows. I barely  cut any of these people any slack. Every once in awhile, though, I find my compassion outweighing my ability to snark. 

[princelina]

12 minutes ago, mamadrama said:

Yeah, I know what you're saying but I can't help it. That's just my personality and the way I am and I can even spare a little sympathy for Whitney in some of those scenes. I believe in honesty but I also believe in kindness. I totally got where she was coming from in the dance studio but at the restaurant? I didn't like it. And it's the restaurant scene that I was referring to. Perhaps Jenzi was playing it up or maybe she really IS that way. I don't know. What I DO know is that I get on here every day and snark with you guys. I was Team Kerryn, Team Jiya, and am Team Whoever Doesn't Play Along on any of the Teen Mom shows. I barely  cut any of these people any slack. Every once in awhile, though, I find my compassion outweighing my ability to snark. 

Fair enough - it's hard to know where to draw the lines on these "reality" shows where we at some point believe they are all scripted but aren't quite sure about every little thing!  Last night my power was out for a while so I ended up reading some posts here before watching the show (including the reveal that Jenzi is a he on Jenzi's website) so when I watched the BBQ scene I was kind of thinking it was Jenzi being faaaaabulous in a certain kind of way.  But since I taught special ed at the middle/high school level, I tend to equate kindness and compassion with being honest about what one can and cannot realistically do, so I couldn't feel bad for Whit at the dance studio.  I could however feel it for some of her "girls"; if they are not familiar with the dance world other than what they have done - she has encouraged them to think of themselves as amateur performers who are good enough to compete anywhere other than Broadway!  But I know I am kind of a hard case when it comes to feeling compassion for people :)

Edited March 9, 2017 by princelina

[Dot]

28 minutes ago, princelina said:

Fair enough - it's hard to know where to draw the lines on these "reality" shows where we at some point believe they are all scripted but aren't quite sure about every little thing!  Last night my power was out for a while so I ended up reading some posts here before watching the show (including the reveal that Jenzi is a he on Jenzi's website) so when I watched the BBQ scene I was kind of thinking it was Jenzi being faaaaabulous in a certain kind of way.  But since I taught special ed at the middle/high school level, I tend to equate kindness and compassion with being honest about what one can and cannot realistically do, so I couldn't feel bad for Whit at the dance studio.  I could however feel it for some of her "girls"; if they are not familiar with the dance world other than what they have done - she has encouraged them to think of themselves as amateur performers who are good enough to compete anywhere other than Broadway!  But I know I am kind of a hard case when it comes to feeling compassion for people :)

That has bothered me, too. I see no reason why someone who just wants to get a little exercise in a supportive environment is constantly being put in the position of going along with Twit's delusional projects or facing her wrath.

Anyone else notice that neither Caitie nor the skinny teen were around for the dance battle practice? I think a number of others were missing, too. Was Heather there?

[princelina]

4 minutes ago, Dot said:

That has bothered me, too. I see no reason why someone who just wants to get a little exercise in a supportive environment is constantly being put in the position of going along with Twit's delusional projects or facing her wrath.

Anyone else notice that neither Caitie nor the skinny teen were around for the dance battle practice? I think a number of others were missing, too. Was Heather there?

I don't recall Heather being a part of the class

[AmyB]

7 hours ago, princelina said:

I don't recall Heather being a part of the class

I didn't recall seeing her in this class. I remembered seeing Catie comment that she was sad she wasn'f able to do the battle. Catie is also a figure skating coach.  

[John M]

I love that Whit has the idea that Buddy would hold her back physically. I am pretty sure Buddy is less overweight than Whitney. I mean yeah he is fat as hell too but he is also a lot taller than Whit and his weight seems more evenly distributed while Whit appears to have a significant panniculus. I'm pretty that accounts for Whit's lets say unique gait.

Just for example did anyone else catch the brief second of Buddy and Whit going down the couple of stairs at the gym? They both held onto the handrail which was unusual but Whit clearly needed the assistance of the handrail and more threw herself down the stairs by shifting her body weight to the handrail than walked down the stairs.

Whit may be slightly better conditioned to physical activity but appears that Buddy has significantly more mobility. To be honest I'm pretty sure Whit would qualify as physically disabled at this point, she seems to have major difficulty walking short distances and navigating stairs.

[Summer]

Someone upthread (too lazy to search) mentioned that Twit is probably gunning for an acting career and every time I sob my way through This Is Us, I think to myself Twit probably thought she would be perfect for the Kate role.  I wouldn't be surprised if she tried to snag an audition for that show.  

[Kickboxer]

21 hours ago, ClareWalks said:

I love how appalled Whitney was at the idea of partnering with Buddy. "You know, Will, if it's a competition, I want to WIN." If I were Will, I would have just started laughing. And never stopped. The gall of this bitch, to think that she is such a magnificent physical specimen that doing a Crossfit competition with her friend is the ONLY thing that would bring her down to unwinnable levels. I know I talked a bit of shit about Crossfit being a cult or whatever, but I will give it to them, you gotta be in SHAPE to do that shit. Otherwise you could damn near kill yourself. I've seen the Crossfit competitions on TV, and the women are so fit they look like dudes from a distance. Not hating, that is a compliment. Imagine Whitney doing even ONE of the moves at those competitions. If she could do one proper rep of ANY of those moves, I will eat my hat.

I know right? My own fitness 'cult' is rather anti-Crossfit, but I do respect the work and fitness that can be attained in a properly-led Crossfit gym. If Whitney and/or Buddy could ever reach the fitness level to make it through one Crossfit WOD, scaled to beginners, that would be admirable and miles away from their current baseline.

[ClareWalks]

1 hour ago, Kickboxer said:

I know right? My own fitness 'cult' is rather anti-Crossfit, but I do respect the work and fitness that can be attained in a properly-led Crossfit gym. If Whitney and/or Buddy could ever reach the fitness level to make it through one Crossfit WOD, scaled to beginners, that would be admirable and miles away from their current baseline.

My fitness cult is the marathon community, they never shut up about it just like the Crossfitters ;) I think we all just find our favorite cults! Agree about Whitney doing one (even modified) WOD. Never gonna happen, at her current level of motivation.

[Broken Ox]

20 hours ago, Hana Chan said:

Whitney's endless complaints about the dance battle are now officially on my last nerve. She's blaming everyone except for her own idiot self for getting her into this, and she doesn't have the balls to say "You know what? This just isn't right for my group. Trophy Wives are great, and so are the Big Girls. Let's just each do our own thing. Peace out!" 

Irony being that her choreographer is treating "her girls" exactly the way she doesn't want them treated by Jiya. And exposing Whit's deficiencies the same way Whit's afraid Jiya would. 

Isn't this about the fourth class in a row Whit has said, "I didn't tell them [insert here] because I was afraid they wouldn't come"?

[Dot]

15 hours ago, John M said:

I mean not to be too pedantic but as a gay man and a trans ally I have to correct again.

Jenzi may be genderqueer or gender fluid or some other gender or no gender identity.

Jenzi is Jenzi and there is no need to label Jenzi as anything unless Jenzi has chosen a gender or no gender at all that Jenzi requests to be identified as.

Bottom line, Jenzi is not "really a man" or trans or anything. And honestly suggesting Jenzi is "really a man" is incredibly offensive to many people in the LGBTQ  community. I know, it's confusing, I'm assuming you don't mean to be offensive. There is clearly some gender ambiguity going on and as such it's best to play it safe and not speculate, if you have a need, and I highly doubt you do, ask Jenzi or Jenzi will make it clear otherwise just avoid gender specific terms. 

Just to be clear, this correction of John M's is his opinion not necessarily shared by all gays, including me. There is no Book of Gay Facts from which he is quoting. Gays are just as individual & complex as straights. As far as "gender fluidity" goes, I can only quote the great Popeye: I yam what I yam.

So no one should feel guilty about being surprised that Jenzi is a man. I was, too. After all, he presents himself as an obnoxious obese woman with a giant ego. TLC & Twit did nothing to disabuse us of that notion. Why wouldn't we be surprised?

I find it incredible that Twit hired this guy off Instagram. What, are there no legitimate directories & agencies full of choreographers panting to be hired for a TV show for a couple of days? It's as ridiculous as someone going to Instagram for help with their diet & choosing Whitney Way Thore.

[ClareWalks]

I don't really care about Jenzi's gender identity, but she does present female and didn't correct Whitney when she used feminine pronouns, so I think being surprised that she is referred to as male online isn't out of line. As a fellow ally I do appreciate the clarification on the current preferred terminology, since it does change rapidly and most people want to use the "proper" words :)

Call me skeptical, but I feel like Whitney is "collecting tokens" when it comes to having gay or transgender friends. She is just so narcissistic that it's hard to imagine that she is relating to these people as friends because of who they are inside. Whitney seems like the type to be all "look how many diverse friends I have! Aren't I amazing?"

[sATL]

1 hour ago, Dot said:

I find it incredible that Twit hired this guy off Instagram. What, are there no legitimate directories & agencies full of choreographers panting to be hired for a TV show for a couple of days? It's as ridiculous as someone going to Instagram for help with their diet & choosing Whitney Way Thore.

That was kinda part of my point on my 1st post on this thread. Not only she went off  Intagram, she had to go clear across the country. She found someone with LA credentials (so to speak) to come to Greensboro - that is a little jumping the gun, a little. She could have found a choreographer, or a good lead to one,  much closer to home - like her own alma matter, another university dance dept, any dance studio, any fitness studio, any cheer team, etc. And depending on the rules/type of battle, some of the NC colleges/universities have teams, who dance and compete consistently, would also have a list of contacts. I'm not sure if the Panthers have professional cheerleaders - but if they do, that is another pool of contacts for a choreographer.

And let me give a shout out to the city that is my sign-on name - She couldn't find a Instagram choreographer in all of ATLANTA ?!?...

Edited March 9, 2017 by sATL

[OnceSane]

If you have questions about appropriate language here when referencing the LGBT community and LGBT people, please refer to the GLAAD Media Reference Guide.

[John M]

12 minutes ago, Dot said:

Just to be clear, this correction of John M's is his opinion not necessarily shared by all gays, including me. There is no Book of Gay Facts from which he is quoting.

True but I don't think you will find any trans advocacy group that won't go out of their way to point out that when there is gender ambiguity that it is best to be gender neutral unless the person has specified what if any gender pronouns they prefer. And same with referring to previous gender, if Jenzi has transitioned and we don't know that Jenzi has is generally considered offensive to bring up their previous gender. If Jenzi identifies as female than she was never a he and there is a good chance that it is still a really raw area for her with a lot of emotional baggage.

Yes there is no big book of gay facts, there is a spectrum of feelings on a lot of LGBT issues. Like in a gay relationship it's generally considered offensive to ask who is the top or bottom or even worse who is the "woman", me, I don't give a fuck but general best practice is not to ask a gay person if they prefer to top or bottom and it's generally best practice to sensitive when there is gender ambiguity.

 

15 minutes ago, Dot said:

Twit did nothing to disabuse us of that notion.

Twit is also an idiot and consistently inconsiderate and rude so I'm not going to base anything off of what stupid stuff comes out of her mouth.

[Dot]

3 hours ago, John M said:

I love that Whit has the idea that Buddy would hold her back physically. I am pretty sure Buddy is less overweight than Whitney. I mean yeah he is fat as hell too but he is also a lot taller than Whit and his weight seems more evenly distributed while Whit appears to have a significant panniculus. I'm pretty that accounts for Whit's lets say unique gait.

Just for example did anyone else catch the brief second of Buddy and Whit going down the couple of stairs at the gym? They both held onto the handrail which was unusual but Whit clearly needed the assistance of the handrail and more threw herself down the stairs by shifting her body weight to the handrail than walked down the stairs.

Whit may be slightly better conditioned to physical activity but appears that Buddy has significantly more mobility. To be honest I'm pretty sure Whit would qualify as physically disabled at this point, she seems to have major difficulty walking short distances and navigating stairs.

In her current physical condition, I doubt that she is even able to walk UP stairs.

[Dot]

1 hour ago, sATL said:

That was kinda part of my point on my 1st post on this thread. Not only she went off  Intagram, she had to go clear across the country. She found someone with LA credentials (so to speak) to come to Greensboro - that is a little jumping the gun, a little. She could have found a choreographer, or a good lead to one,  much closer to home - like her own alma matter, another university dance dept, any dance studio, any fitness studio, any cheer team, etc. And depending on the rules/type of battle, some of the NC colleges/universities have teams, who dance and complete consistently, would also have a list of contacts. I'm not sure if the Panthers have professional cheerleaders - but if they do, that is another pool of contacts for a choreographer.

And let me give a shout out to the city that is my sign-on name - She couldn't find a Instagram choreographer in all of ATLANTA ?!?...

There was also a show last year (on TLC, I think) about a group of gay guys who perform as the Prancing Elites & do dance battles all the time. They're in Mobile.

Edited March 9, 2017 by Dot
wrong city, not Birmingham