S25.E04: Week 3: Guilty Pleasures Night

[MsJamieDornan]

36 minutes ago, Hello Lady said:

http://people.com/tv/maks-chmerkovskiy-vanessa-lachey-feud-dwts/

Very interesting!  Maks is an ass !

[Toonces464]

37 minutes ago, Hello Lady said:

Well he should maybe stay off the show, and let, say,  Sasha dance. It's a paycheck, you don't get to pick and choose. It's more to do with his partner.

If there's any truth to the People article then it must be really bad because he didn't even walk out on Hope Solo and we all know how bad that one was.

I've always said Maks is fine when he likes his partner, thus his great seasons with Mel B, Erin, Kirstie and Meryl. The problem lately is that he can gush all he wants but it's been pretty obvious he didn't have much use for Amber, Heather or Vanessa. 

[PBGamer89]

Lindsey and Mark definitely had the dance of the season. Loved the concept AND content of that Jive! She's so quick but so much control and she's never been formally trained as a dancer.

I really hate Jazz on this show, it's always a mess and comes off as a freestyle, mostly because the pros aren't trained in it and it's so open and broad.

I agreed with Len about Jordan. Very, very little Charleston content. Can't believe that got 9's from CAI and Bruno. I wonder if he needs scores from low votes?

I hope Terrell, Derek, or Nick go because honestly don't wanna lose a 3rd female celeb in a row. Nikki has been underscored every week and Sasha proved last week she was improving. 

[Emily-D]

I’m not suggesting that that People article is true but Vanessa has rubbed me up the wrong way since the first time I saw her. It wouldn’t surprise me if Maks has had enough of her. As for the show, Lindsey had the best dance. Frankie had his worst of the season. Jordan’s dance wasn’t really a Charleston. Nick was overscored again, Sasha’s jazz was awful. Nikki finally broke out from the forgettable pack with her dance and was badly underscored. Forgot about everyone else.

[MsJamieDornan]

31 minutes ago, Toonces464 said:

I've always said Maks is fine when he likes his partner, thus his great seasons with Mel B, Erin, Kirstie and Meryl. The problem lately is that he can gush all he wants but it's been pretty obvious he didn't have much use for Amber, Heather or Vanessa. 

Then it's time for him to leave, permanently.

14 minutes ago, Emily-D said:

wouldn’t surprise me if Maks has had enough of her.

And maybe she has had enough of him.

[Lonesome Rhodes]

I think maybe the reason they didn't have an elimination is that they could not, in good conscience, eliminate just one couple.

If Terrell danced a Salsa, I'm Ginger Rogers.

[blaase]

This season's cast isn't doing it  for me. No surprise the ratings are at an all time low.

Edited October 3, 2017 by blaase

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Tonight's performances:

Spoiler

Opening number

Victoria & Val - quickstep (of note: whichever intern monkey is in charge of uploading these performances typed that V+V danced to “Easy” by Sky Ferreira - I guess they've never heard of Chumbawumba):

Derek & Sharna - cha cha

Drew & Emma - tango

Vanessa & Alan (for Maks) - jazz

Nikki & Artem - waltz

Frankie & Witney - samba

Lindsey & Mark - jive

Nick & Peta - jazz

Sasha & Gleb - jazz

Terrell & Cheryl - salsa

Jordan & Lindsay - Charleston

 

 

[ElectricBoogaloo]

One of the things I remember being told as a performer was NEVER to sing along with the song unless you were very clearly and intentionally lip synching. Someone needs to tell half of the pros on DWTS about that. I get that it's hard to resist singing along when it's a catchy song that you know well, but that's why you're a professional, not some drunk frat boy at a bar.

It was totally fine when Frankie did it at one point during his dance because it was obvious that he was lip synching but way too many of the pros just started randomly singing along during their routines tonight for no reason. I don't remember everyone who was guilty but Sharna definitely did it more than once during her cha cha tonight.

Dancing and performance wise, Jordan, Lindsey, and Drew did the best. I agree that Lindsay didn't put enough Charleston in Jordan's routine, but I still applaud her for making the most of the music she had to use this week because it ended up being a really fun routine to watch.

Frankie's salsa wasn't the best (but to be fair, a lot of celebs aren't great at the salsa), but he was so into it that it cracked me up, from his JT denim outfit to his little dance with the guys near the end.

At this point, jazz routines are just another excuse to do freestyles before the end of the season. Unfortunately, many of the pros SUCK at choreographing these routines and their celebs are the ones who suffer because of it. Sasha, Vanessa, and Nick clearly could have been given way more to do because they executed the shitty choreography pretty well. What I don't understand is that the pros are allowed to bring in other choreographers but for some reason they insist on coming up with these poor excuses for jazz routines themselves. You're basically allowed to do anything in these jazz routines so they should be using them to highlight anything the celebs are good at but instead they give them these clunkers.

5 hours ago, sab85 said:

See, I'm normally a band apologist cause I think it's a little ridiculous to expect one band and four whole singers to be able to do like classical, Latin,  boy band, and Frank Sinatra all in one night but tonight was just bad. I realized they sped up the Fresh Prince but that theme song is iconic. I could have pulled people off the street to do it better. 

Leslie Knope, possibly the whitest person on the planet, did it better than the DWTS singer!

 

3 hours ago, TroopinFairy said:

Jordan was good as usual. I don’t really like it when they’re good right out of the gate. I like to see progress and be able to root for them when it’s good. I wouldn’t call him a “broadway star” though. Yes, he was in Hamilton but, not for very long and he’s done a lot of other things besides that. 

OT: My 12th grade english teacher made us analyze and write papers on various Chumbawamba songs. 

First of all, your English teacher sounds AWESOME. Secondly, I agree that "Broadway star" is a bit of an overstatement. Yes, he was in a Broadway show that everyone has heard of, but he was a replacement (and not even the first replacement) in a supporting role that required almost no dancing. In the second act, all he does is pretend he's a kid and then get shot. No dancing required! And he only played this role for 14 weeks which is the blink of an eye for a Broadway show. I'm not denying that he's talented and that he has clearly taken dance classes. I just think that "Broadway star" might be a bit of a stretch. Hell, he's only done ONE Broadway show and half the people watching this show didn't even know that. To me, that's not the definition of a Broadway star. That's like calling an actress who was a replacement while someone else was on maternity leave for a few months a soap opera star. Doing that for a few months doesn't make you Susan Lucci. The word "star" implies huge name recognition and some longevity.

[bealled]

Lindsey and Mark were the standout dance for me. That routine just made me smile and happy. The bit on the bed was so cute too, and you could tell the dance actually had a ton of Jive content.

Sasha got screwed over by Gleb. I threw her all my online votes this week. She has shown dance ability, but Gleb is not giving her much to work with. That Jazz was just terrible and barely had any dancing at all. I was really confused about what their routine was supposed to be until I realized it was a Jazz. They need to remove Jazz as a dance category. These pros don't know what to do with it, and there doesn't really seem to be clear guidance about what a Jazz should be. I am okay with Contemporary because generally the pros know how that style is supposed to be done. I would prefer they replace Jazz with Broadway if they insist on having these non-Ballroom styles.

I really enjoyed Frankie's dance too. I think he is my favorite contestant right now, he and Lindsey. Frankie just seems like a really nice guy, and his dancing is actually pretty good. He will be fun to watch over the season.

Jordan's dance was really well done, but I agree with Len's critique. I was excited to watch a Charleston but we didn't really get that. Even though Jordan is great, I almost feel like he's too good already so I'm not as excited about watching his journey because we already know he will be amazing. He seems on another level to anyone else this season. I imagine he will easily make the finals, but I am not sure I will be rooting for him to win.

Everyone else I'm kind of whatever about. I think Vanessa had the best Jazz routine, and at least hers involved dancing. Nick's Jazz was okay. He did seem more comfortable this week. Drew did a really good job. He has been a lot better than I expected him to be. I think Derek's dance was okay. The bad cover song really detracted but the dance was fun. Honestly everyone else kind of runs together. I'm not really feeling Terrell. I think his personality is kind of grating because you can tell he has a big ego. I wouldn't mind Terrell to exit next. Nikki actually seems like a decent dancer, but I always forget about her. I'm not very invested or interested in her and Artem's partnership either. Same with Victoria. I think she is the one I forget about the most. I don't think her story will get her to the finals, maybe as 4th place. She does seem sweet but I guess I just don't connect with her. I did like Tom's message to bullies though.

Also on the bullies note, does anyone else get tired of hearing about bullies after a while? It seems multiple contestants bring this up each season. I didn't mind Normani mentioning it because it's publicly known how badly she was cyber bullied, and it was only brought up once that I recall. I didn't mind Victoria mentioning it either since I'm sure some kids did make fun of her for being disabled which is screwed up. But when Jordan talked about bullying I was kind of rolling my eyes. Plus not every school makes fun of the theater kids. Jordan is an attractive kid, in my high school he would have been incredibly popular. At my school the show choir/theatrical kids were the most popular. Maybe my school experience has biased me, but I thought Jordan's comments about being bullied fell flat.

[NeverLate]

6 hours ago, MsJamieDornan said:

Very interesting!  Maks is an ass !

I've always thought that, he does nothing for me, he's a legend in his own mind ...

5 hours ago, Lonesome Rhodes said:

I think maybe the reason they didn't have an elimination is that they could not, in good conscience, eliminate just one couple.

If Terrell danced a Salsa, I'm Ginger Rogers.

Will two leave next week? 

[thefog]

7 hours ago, Toonces464 said:

If there's any truth to the People article then it must be really bad because he didn't even walk out on Hope Solo and we all know how bad that one was.

I've always said Maks is fine when he likes his partner, thus his great seasons with Mel B, Erin, Kirstie and Meryl. The problem lately is that he can gush all he wants but it's been pretty obvious he didn't have much use for Amber, Heather or Vanessa. 

But when you think about it, what "personal issue" would justify Maks not performing?  Both Peta and Val performed - so that would eliminate the possibility of a family emergency.  And there was no report of him being injured and sidelined.

[Good Queen Jane]

5 hours ago, ElectricBoogaloo said:

One of the things I remember being told as a performer was NEVER to sing along with the song unless you were very clearly and intentionally lip synching. Someone needs to tell half of the pros on DWTS about that. I get that it's hard to resist singing along when it's a catchy song that you know well, but that's why you're a professional, not some drunk frat boy at a bar.

I think that sometimes the pros sing as a mnemonic devise for the celebrity. A certain word could be a cue to make a turn or a line be a way to get back on the beat. It could also be that the studio's band version is so different from the version they have been rehearsing to that the celebrity gets lost in the middle of the routine and the pro is trying to get them back on track.

[Packerbrewerbadger]

7 hours ago, PBGamer89 said:

7 hours ago, PBGamer89 said:

 

I really hate Jazz on this show, it's always a mess and comes off as a freestyle, mostly because the pros aren't trained in it and it's so open and broad.

 

1000 times this!!!  Plus there's no criteria for judges to judge on ( i.e. Heel leads , etc) so the couple pretty much gets a free pass as long as it's " entertaining "  ditto for contemporary!

[Lady Calypso]

1 hour ago, bealled said:

Also on the bullies note, does anyone else get tired of hearing about bullies after a while? It seems multiple contestants bring this up each season. I didn't mind Normani mentioning it because it's publicly known how badly she was cyber bullied, and it was only brought up once that I recall. I didn't mind Victoria mentioning it either since I'm sure some kids did make fun of her for being disabled which is screwed up. But when Jordan talked about bullying I was kind of rolling my eyes. Plus not every school makes fun of the theater kids. Jordan is an attractive kid, in my high school he would have been incredibly popular. At my school the show choir/theatrical kids were the most popular. Maybe my school experience has biased me, but I thought Jordan's comments about being bullied fell flat.

It is tiring, but bullying does happen and it can affect someone's life. I actually liked when Jordan talked about his bullying experience, because for guilty pleasures week, his story and guilty pleasure actually fit the most out of everyone's. Him talking about living in a football town and being into comics really fit the theme this week, while other guilty pleasures were more of a stretch (Nick's romantic movies, Vanessa's girls night out, etc). As much as I loved Frankie's guilty pleasure, part of me wondered why admitting that you like boy bands is a guilty pleasure.

Now, just wait until next week when it's Most Memorable Night, when the sob stories are thrown left and right. 

So, I completely retract my earlier statement about Terrell deserving a higher score. I was flipping between channels around the time of his dance and missed that his was supposed to be a salsa. 

1 minute ago, escape said:

But when you think about it, what "personal issue" would justify Maks not performing?  Both Peta and Val performed - so that would eliminate the possibility of a family emergency.  And there was no report of him being injured and sidelined.

Well, it was mentioned above that Maks has friends in Las Vegas. Perhaps he has someone affected by what happened and decided to take the night off? That's honestly the only reason I can think of. I also read that Maks dropped out yesterday last minute so Alan had to jump in and fill in.

7 hours ago, PBGamer89 said:

I hope Terrell, Derek, or Nick go because honestly don't wanna lose a 3rd female celeb in a row. Nikki has been underscored every week and Sasha proved last week she was improving. 

I'm really worried about Sasha possibly leaving next week because of her scores. I'd love for Terrell to go, personally. His ego bugs me and he hasn't been shown to be able to do the more technical dances. He can move his hips and do sexy, but I haven't seen him do anything else. His Foxtrot, for example, didn't impress me last week. He's just not working for me in general.

Nikki's definitely good, and I am starting to enjoy her. I don't necessarily think she's been underscored every week, but I do think she needed a point higher this week.

I agree about the jazz. That, contemporary, and sometimes freestyle seems too close together in terms of content. It feels very repetitive, so I'd love for jazz to be replaced by something else.

[SheTV]

7 hours ago, Emily-D said:

I’m not suggesting that that People article is true but Vanessa has rubbed me up the wrong way since the first time I saw her.

Me too.  I don't know anything about her at all other than the fact that she's Nick Lachey's wife (I don't know anything about him either, but he's more well known than her), but she's bothered me since day one.  I also think she DESPARATELY wanted to be on DWTS, but the only way TPTB would agree to it is if Nick did it as well.  Just a theory, cuz she's waaaaaay more into it than Nick.

[Toonces464]

26 minutes ago, escape said:

But when you think about it, what "personal issue" would justify Maks not performing?  Both Peta and Val performed - so that would eliminate the possibility of a family emergency.  And there was no report of him being injured and sidelined.

Maks was chowing down with Val, Peta, Jenna and his parents last night after the show so I don't think there was any family emergency or anything to do with Vegas. Personally I believe the People article, or something very similar. It's been clear to me from the start that Maks doesn't have much use for Vanessa or the whole married couple thing.

 

1 minute ago, SheTV said:

Me too.  I don't know anything about her at all other than the fact that she's Nick Lachey's wife (I don't know anything about him either, but he's more well known than her), but she's bothered me since day one.  I also think she DESPARATELY wanted to be on DWTS, but the only way TPTB would agree to it is if Nick did it as well.  Just a theory, cuz she's waaaaaay more into it than Nick.

I'm with you that she wanted to do the show and the show used that to get Nick on as well. They'd probably been trying to get him for years. I don't know too much about her either other than she used to date Derek Jeter and Orlando Bloom.

[spanana]

14 minutes ago, SheTV said:

Me too.  I don't know anything about her at all other than the fact that she's Nick Lachey's wife (I don't know anything about him either, but he's more well known than her), but she's bothered me since day one.  I also think she DESPARATELY wanted to be on DWTS, but the only way TPTB would agree to it is if Nick did it as well.  Just a theory, cuz she's waaaaaay more into it than Nick.

I personally find it more troubling that Maks not showing up to the show amidst rumors of drama between himself and Vanessa and 100% of the blame is being put on Vanessa, and not the overdramatic man baby with a long history of temper tantrums on the show.

Don't get me wrong in that both Maks and Vanessa are big personalities so I can see them butting heads, but lets not pretend that Maks doesn't have a long history of having drama and temper tantrums with partners.  Not to mention it is Maks freaking job to show up and be professional.  If he can't put up with "difficult" partners then he should give back his paycheck and leave the show as I'm sure there are any number of pros that would be glad to take his place.  Why is every other pro required to be professional and Maks can just back out last minute because he feels like it?

But by all means, lets always blame the woman.

[Jax7917]

Vanessa's personality is just a lot to handle and I only see her for less than two hours a week. She's one of those very in your face, always needs to be the center of attention type people that I can't stand.

[ladylaw99]

I agree with many that Lindsey's dance was great.  I have always enjoyed Mark's choro - sometimes it is out there but at least he tries to do different routines.  I really loved this one.  Lindsey looked like she was letting go and having fun.  I admit I didn't  really noticed her because she  was so blah but if she keeps it up I think she could be fun to watch.  I already know she is a good dancer now she needs to add personality which I feel she did last night.

I adore Frankie.  I could not stop smiling throughout his routine.  He just makes me happy.  It was not his best dance but I couldn't stop grinning. 

Vanessa is capable of so much more than what she got.  I don't know who choreograph this but it was terrible.  She annoys me but I can see past that if she dances well and she could have with a song like that.  I didn't miss Maks at all which tells me I am over him and his choreography.

Jordan was great but I too have to agreed with Len.  I would have loved to see him do a fully packed Charleston.  He would have been great.

Sasha got screwed.  That was not a dance at all.  She has great potential but with choro like that she will not get far which is sad.

[spanana]

2 minutes ago, Jaclyn88 said:

Vanessa's personality is just a lot to handle and I only see her for less than two hours a week. She's one of those very in your face, always needs to be the center of attention type people that I can't stand.

I could say the same for Maks yet he finds continual employment on this show.

[SheTV]

2 minutes ago, spanana said:

I personally find it more troubling that Maks not showing up to the show amidst rumors of drama between himself and Vanessa and 100% of the blame is being put on Vanessa, and not the overdramatic man baby with a long history of temper tantrums on the show.

Don't get me wrong in that both Maks and Vanessa are big personalities so I can see them butting heads, but lets not pretend that Maks doesn't have a long history of having drama and temper tantrums with partners.  Not to mention it is Maks freaking job to show up and be professional.  If he can't put up with "difficult" partners then he should give back his paycheck and leave the show as I'm sure there are any number of pros that would be glad to take his place.  Why is every other pro required to be professional and Maks can just back out last minute because he feels like it?

But by all means, lets always blame the woman.

I was just commenting on my being instantly put off by Vanessa, and offering my theory on how she was cast, not blaming her for Maks' absence.  The comment I quoted starts off with "I'm not suggesting the People article is true..."  There are any number of possible reasons why Maks was absent last night.  Being an ego case is probably high on the probability list, but I wasn't commenting on that.

[mtlchick]

Quote

I don't know anything about her at all other than the fact that she's Nick Lachey's wife (I don't know anything about him either, but he's more well known than her), but she's bothered me since day one. 

Vanessa hasn't irritated me as much as some previous contestants (Heather Mills, Kate Gosselin.)   Maks however has had a long history of either fabulously getting along with his partners or hoping to get it over with asap (and with Kirstie Alley, have a separate falling out due to Leah Remini.)  And even with the partners you know that he despised, he still toughed it out.  If the people article is true, either his ego really can't handle her or she gets under his skin that much.  I don't expect Vanessa to win, but enough to make it half way.  I can only imagine what Nick and Peta discuss. 

Edited October 3, 2017 by mtlchick

[WhosThatGirl]

9 minutes ago, spanana said:

I personally find it more troubling that Maks not showing up to the show amidst rumors of drama between himself and Vanessa and 100% of the blame is being put on Vanessa, and not the overdramatic man baby with a long history of temper tantrums on the show.

Don't get me wrong in that both Maks and Vanessa are big personalities so I can see them butting heads, but lets not pretend that Maks doesn't have a long history of having drama and temper tantrums with partners.  Not to mention it is Maks freaking job to show up and be professional.  If he can't put up with "difficult" partners then he should give back his paycheck and leave the show as I'm sure there are any number of pros that would be glad to take his place.  Why is every other pro required to be professional and Maks can just back out last minute because he feels like it?

But by all means, lets always blame the woman.

This. I used to like Maks and was excited when he initially came back but then that fizzled because he didn’t really try at all with Amber.  And then he got Heather Morris and he didn’t seem to care much and then he got hurt and she did better with Alan. And now he has Vanessa and the pairing is so bad he’s missing a live show- and not just a live show.. I keep forgetting he clearly missed all of their rehearsals, he wasn’t in any of that footage was he? 

Like.. I don’t know. I get Vanessa’s a big personality, but still.. 

And look the people article may not be true but the fact that the excuse was “Maks has a personal issue” and yet both his wife and brother were there is going to make the situation look suspect. 

[Lady Calypso]

I'd be totally ok if Maks kept having "personal emergencies" and had Alan just be Vanessa's partner. With Alan being less Alpha male than Maks, he seems to tone Vanessa's Alpha female personality down as well, and she was less annoying and frustrating this week compared to the last two. Plus, I bet Alan can come up with better choreography for Vanessa. Maks is a good dancer and he can come up with good dances in his wheelhouse, but he seems done with the show, and I'm done with him. He ruined Heather's jazz last season, and now it seems like he choreographed Vanessa's jazz this week. I personally liked it, but I understand the critiques with her barely dancing with Alan and her mistakes with the lift.

[luvthepros]

7 hours ago, Lonesome Rhodes said:

...........If Terrell danced a Salsa, I'm Ginger Rogers.

If Jordan danced a Charleston, I'm Fred Astaire.

[spanana]

7 minutes ago, SheTV said:

I was just commenting on my being instantly put off by Vanessa, and offering my theory on how she was cast, not blaming her for Maks' absence.  The comment I quoted starts off with "I'm not suggesting the People article is true..."  There are any number of possible reasons why Maks was absent last night.  Being an ego case is probably high on the probability list, but I wasn't commenting on that.

I apologize if I misconstrued what you personally said and I know I chose to quote you, when it probably should have been of a general comment.  I was reacting more to the fact that the rumors of drama between the two came out followed by a string of comments about how awful Vanessa is/was and how fake she is with little to no mention of Maks and his behavior.  I don't care if people don't like Vanessa.  That is fair.  My only point is I doubt that this is all on her, nor is she likely the devil celeb that unfortunately this article and others similar will make her out to be by virtue of being "difficult".  I'm also just particularly sensitive to women with thoughts and opinions and who aren't pushovers getting automatically labelled as difficult because the men in question can't deal with it.  Lets just say I highly doubt Maks would pull something similar with another man as opposed to a woman (and yes, I realize that is sort of a moot point since we don't have male/male pairings on this show).

Edited October 3, 2017 by spanana

[Annber03]

55 minutes ago, Lady Calypso said:

As much as I loved Frankie's guilty pleasure, part of me wondered why admitting that you like boy bands is a guilty pleasure.

I can see a guy thinking it's a guilty pleasure to like boy bands, as some people would say that that's supposed to solely be a "girl thing". I could've easily seen the guys at the middle and high schools I went to mocking another guy for liking boy bands, because they'd think t's not "cool', and that it must mean the guy's gay, and things of that sort. Stupid attitude, of course, but sadly, one I can see some people having. 

Edited October 3, 2017 by Annber03

[Lady Calypso]

11 minutes ago, spanana said:

I apologize if I misconstrued what you personally said and I know I chose to quote you, when it probably should have been of a general comment.  I was reacting more to the fact that the rumors of drama between the two came out followed by a string of comments about how awful Vanessa is/was and how fake she is with little to no mention of Maks and his behavior.  I don't care if people don't like Vanessa.  That is fair.  My only point is I doubt that this is all on her, nor is she likely the devil celeb that unfortunately this article and others similar will make her out to be by virtue of being "difficult".  I'm also just particularly sensitive to women with thoughts and opinions and who aren't pushovers getting automatically labelled as difficult because the men in question can't deal with it.

I see your point. I think that Alpha personalities bring out the worst in each other. I'm not sure about Nick/Vanessa's relationship, but she seems to be very strong headed and I do think she likes to take control, which is admirable. But Vanessa being paired with Maks, someone who also likes to be in control, it seems to bring out the worst in each other. Maks not showing up last night is on him. Whether or not his excuse is legitimate, he needs to push his issues aside or he needs to learn to move on. 

She showed last night that she can actually be likeable when paired with the right partner. I just wish that she had something else going for her that wasn't about her being a mom or her hanging out with her girlfriends. It's a very boring angle to work with and very repetitive, but it really does seem like that's all she has to offer. It's like if they just had Nikki talk about her relationship with John Cena and wrestling all season long. Nikki has offered a lot more than that, and I want to see that for Vanessa next week. What does Vanessa like to do, other than party with her girlfriends and be a mom? I want to know more about Vanessa as a person, and that's what they are missing from her. 

4 minutes ago, Annber03 said:

I can see a guy thinking it's a guilty pleasure to like boy bands, as some people would say that that's supposed to solely be a "girl thing". I could've easily seen the guys at the middle and high schools I went to mocking another guy for liking boy bands, because they'd think t's not "cool', and that it must mean the guy's gay, and things of that sort. 

True. I only briefly considered that, but maybe because I was very nonchalant when he revealed it; I even said "Really? That's it? That's the guilty pleasure? I love boy bands too, as do most" when it was revealed. 

I feel like this week was more about Things That They Like, rather than legitimate guilty pleasures. I mean, Nikki liking 50 Shades is personally what I consider a guilty pleasure, and Jordan's comic book love fit into the guilty pleasures category because of the tie in to his background, but a lot of the others didn't quite fit that box. 

[crowceilidh]

Yes, in my circles the disdain for boybands carries over to people of the female persuasion liking them too.  Boybands are thought of as bait for teenyboppers -- the assumption is that most are only minimally talented and their producers have handed them their look, their music, their people, their agents, their p.r. etc.  in order to make money /be famous NOT to make music.  These are not people who have music firing through their veins insisting on being heard.

Edited October 3, 2017 by crowceilidh

[doodlebug]

9 hours ago, MsJamieDornan said:

Very interesting!  Maks is an ass !

We don't know that it wasn't Vanessa who initiated the change.  She is the 'star', she's got to perform every week.  If she and Maks were having issues (and especially if he said something assy or inappropriate to her at some point which is certainly within the realm of possibility); she could've gone to production and insisted on another partner.  Maks may not have had a choice about performing, his 'personal reason' may have been that she refused to perform with him.

[Jax7917]

10 minutes ago, crowceilidh said:

Yes, in my circles the disdain for boybands carries over to people of the female persuasion liking them too.  Boybands are thought of as bait for teenyboppers -- the assumption is that most are only minimally talented and their producers have handed them their look, their music, their people, their agents, their p.r. etc.  in order to make money /be famous NOT to make music.  These are not people who have music firing through their veins insisting on being heard.

I disagree with that. There are and were tons of bands in the 60's/70's who were really talented who in this day in age would be considered a "boy band". Most start in a boy band and then end up separating because they catch a break (Justin Timberlake for example). They're still just as talented though. I do see why it would be a guilty pleasure for a guy to like a boy band though because it's generally geared toward a girl fan base (with guys secretly loving it) lol

[deemac]

I think I've gotten too old for this show.  I totally agree with Len's comment about the songs.  I actually recognized most of them last night and was lucky to recognize one from the previous shows this season. Made me much happier and I could sing/dance along (only pets to watch me thank goodness).   I'm glad Jordan, at least temporarily, lost the 'I love Lucy" looking hair color but think he's still skewing too young for me.  One reason I've always loved Disney week though I think most on here hate it.

[rockibirdi]

I normally enjoy DWTS, even with all of its faults. This season, however, has left me a little cold. Some of the dances were really good last night, but it is difficult to see past the tired, cynical, incompetent patter of the  hosts (more so Erin than Tom), the showboating subjective judges, the fakeness of both the stars and the pros.  

Does anyone else notice a difference this season?  

I know many people on this forum are enjoying the show, and I don't want to be all negative about it, but something seems more off than usual.  

[Toonces464]

7 minutes ago, rockibirdi said:

Does anyone else notice a difference this season?  

Yes. While everyone was so excited about a seemingly good cast with no real front runner, I find this season to be very boring. I'm thrilled that Mark and Cheryl are back but while I like Lindsey, Jordan and Derek, none of the cast really excites me.....unlike in previous seasons where in the first week or two someone would really catch my eye and make me root hard for them.

[crowceilidh]

Quote

Yes, in my circles the disdain for boybands carries over to people of the female persuasion liking them too.  Boybands are thought of as bait for teenyboppers -- the assumption is that most are only minimally talented and their producers have handed them their look, their music, their people, their agents, their p.r. etc.  in order to make money /be famous NOT to make music.  These are not people who have music firing through their veins insisting on being heard.

Quote

I disagree with that. There are and were tons of bands in the 60's/70's who were really talented who in this day in age would be considered a "boy band". Most start in a boy band and then end up separating because they catch a break (Justin Timberlake for example). They're still just as talented though. I do see why it would be a guilty pleasure for a guy to like a boy band though because it's generally geared toward a girl fan base (with guys secretly loving it) lol

 

I wasn't saying this was true - I was characterizing the whys and wherefores of the social attitudes that would make boy bands a "guilty pleasure"..  And, for as much as I know anything at all about him, Justin Timberlake's musical talent, persistence and drive surprised everyone as I recall, so he strikes me as proving these ideas rather than defying them.  Anyhow.  Just saying what the attitude of my social circles are to these kinds of bands - So far as I know (hence the guilty aspect) none of my friends or family would ever admit to liking a boyband.  My 14 year old niece is embarrassed to admit any enjoyment of a boyband song.  I suspect the fact that Frankie named them as a guilty pleasure, reflects a similar attitude.

Edited October 3, 2017 by crowceilidh

[Emily-D]

1 hour ago, Jaclyn88 said:

Vanessa's personality is just a lot to handle and I only see her for less than two hours a week. She's one of those very in your face, always needs to be the center of attention type people that I can't stand.

You’ve hit the nail on the head for me. Combine that with Maks’ ginourmous ego and it’s only going to end in tears. Having said that, for Maks to actually give up on her is extremely unprofessional. Proves more than ever that he only came back for the money. The producers need to stop pandering to him because he’s one of their long time pros and retire him for good.

[Jax7917]

How come Sasha got demoted to troupe this season? I thought he was a favorite.

[LadyMustang65]

We thoroughly enjoyed the show last night, and we're really enjoying this season as well.  We like (to one degree or another) everyone who is still there and think all of them have had moments where they at least showed some potential.  Of the group left, we'd miss Sasha and Terrell the least because for some reason they don't really register with us.  I can't even remember Sasha's dance from last night.  We really like Jordan, Frankie, Vanessa, Lindsey, Victoria and Nikki, which is half of the remaining group.  Drew, Nick and Derek are growing on us.  So we're loving it. 

On the Maks thing, I know he's a controversial figure.  I used to love Maks, but not so much any more, although I still love to watch him dance.  I just love the way he moves.  But I think it's really unfair to speculate that he missed the show because he doesn't like Vanessa or he doesn't like doing jazz.  Say what you will about him, he has never done anything to suggest that he is that unprofessional.  Nor is there any reason to believe the show would allow him to just skip an episode for a reason like that.  He has worked with some really difficult partners and still managed to do his job.  What is known is that his decision to miss the show was made late in the day.  Alan had only 2 hours to work with Vanessa; the show edited their package to show just Alan and Vanessa rehearsing.  Given that the shooting became known overnight and Maks has several close friends in Las Vegas, it seems much more likely to me that he was very affected by the shooting and ultimately decided to miss the show.  Maybe he went to Las Vegas to be with his friends?  Maybe he thought Vanessa would do better with someone who was less personally affected?  Yes, Maks can be an ass.  No doubt about it.  But thinking that he would miss a show because of personal differences with his celebrity or because he didn't like doing a certain kind of dance just seems very unfair to him.  He, like all of the pros, is a professional, and I just don't see either of those scenarios being very likely at all.

[spanana]

17 minutes ago, LadyMustang65 said:

We thoroughly enjoyed the show last night, and we're really enjoying this season as well.  We like (to one degree or another) everyone who is still there and think all of them have had moments where they at least showed some potential.  Of the group left, we'd miss Sasha and Terrell the least because for some reason they don't really register with us.  I can't even remember Sasha's dance from last night.  We really like Jordan, Frankie, Vanessa, Lindsey, Victoria and Nikki, which is half of the remaining group.  Drew, Nick and Derek are growing on us.  So we're loving it. 

On the Maks thing, I know he's a controversial figure.  I used to love Maks, but not so much any more, although I still love to watch him dance.  I just love the way he moves.  But I think it's really unfair to speculate that he missed the show because he doesn't like Vanessa or he doesn't like doing jazz.  Say what you will about him, he has never done anything to suggest that he is that unprofessional.  Nor is there any reason to believe the show would allow him to just skip an episode for a reason like that.  He has worked with some really difficult partners and still managed to do his job.  What is known is that his decision to miss the show was made late in the day.  Alan had only 2 hours to work with Vanessa; the show edited their package to show just Alan and Vanessa rehearsing.  Given that the shooting became known overnight and Maks has several close friends in Las Vegas, it seems much more likely to me that he was very affected by the shooting and ultimately decided to miss the show.  Maybe he went to Las Vegas to be with his friends?  Maybe he thought Vanessa would do better with someone who was less personally affected?  Yes, Maks can be an ass.  No doubt about it.  But thinking that he would miss a show because of personal differences with his celebrity or because he didn't like doing a certain kind of dance just seems very unfair to him.  He, like all of the pros, is a professional, and I just don't see either of those scenarios being very likely at all.

Except that the speculation isn't coming from completely out of nowhere.  It's coming from a People article, which while not hard hitting news, they aren't Star or the National Enquirer.  They usually at least have a base for their stories. The other thing is while I too thought maybe it was connected to Vegas, Maks was out to dinner with Peta, Val and etc. right after the show looking like he didn't have a care in the world.  So what would prevent him from doing the show, but didn't prevent him from going out to eat with his family right after the show?

[Emily-D]

Last comment from me on the issue. I thought it might have to do with Vegas as well. Then I saw that picture of Maks stuffing his face looking just fine. I think People have it right. Of course DWTS won’t air their arguments publicly as they’ve been shielding Vanessa all season. She’s a producer and judges favourite and don’t want to let on that everything isn’t rosy in the garden in the fear that she loses votes.

[penbrat]

I enjoyed Drew and Derek's dances the most (not saying they were the best dancers of the night, but those were the two I remember and liked) - I liked Sasha and Nikki's dances the least, but I did not think that anyone was terrible.    It was a relief to be able to watch this show after the horrible news of the day.  Tom B. is a delight.   "Quit being an ass" indeed.   He was a breath of fresh air for me last night.

Whether it is true about Maks or not, I think Maks needs to break up with DWTS permanently.    For the past few seasons, when he is not being an ass, he is simply phoning it in.   I go back and forth on liking him.  If he and his partner get along and we get cheerful, fun Maks (Mel B. Kirstie Allie, etc) then I like him.   But if he and his partner are not connecting and we get broody, butthead Maks, I do not care for him.    Again, I have no idea if the rumor is true or not about he and Vanessa, but either way, I hope the Lacheys are the next to go.  Not because I dislike them so much, but I dislike this "Married Couple" drama.  It did not work with the Penn-Vega couple and it is not working with the Lacheys

[SheTV]

2 hours ago, spanana said:

I apologize if I misconstrued what you personally said and I know I chose to quote you, when it probably should have been of a general comment.  I was reacting more to the fact that the rumors of drama between the two came out followed by a string of comments about how awful Vanessa is/was and how fake she is with little to no mention of Maks and his behavior...

It's all good.  I totally agree with what you said, I just wanted to clarify that I wasn't blaming Vanessa for a totally speculative fight between her and Maks. 

[Andie1]

13 hours ago, jay741982 said:

Also to bash the band some more. That version of Wake me up before you go go SUCKED

It sucked almost as hard as Frankie singing. Man he's horrible. I thought his boy band stuff was almost as stiff as the Samba.  Not a fan.

Edited October 3, 2017 by Andie1

[Andie1]

Personally it seems obvious that Maks is only there for a pay cheque and if it were up to me I'd take a pass on both Chemerkovskiys, since Val isn't helping Victoria to be her best.  I like Victoria despite Val, but he's pulling her down.

Maks pulled a similar stunt last season, I thought he was away a lot longer than his "injury" warranted.  He let Alan take the fall again for craptastic choreography.  Maybe Vanessa had a few suggestions that he didn't like, he is pretty thin skinned when it comes to "his" dances. 

Edited October 3, 2017 by Andie1

[iMonrey]

I think it's safe to say that the best 2 dances of the night were Lindsey/Mark and Jordan/Lindsay, but . . . big difference. It's amazing that Mark - Mark, of all pros - keeps pulling off these pure dance styles with no troupe or messing about. That was an awesome jive, and while Jordan and Lindsay's dance was very entertaining, it wasn't a recognizable Charleston and it was over-produced. Too many graphics, strobe lights and troupe members. 

The Argentine Tango was a good number for Drew because it's a style that suits someone that tall. Lots of posing and nice lines, but the lifts were hella awkward. It should also be noted that The Property Brothers are first and foremost entertainers, not real estate agents and contractors. Their resumes include "apprentice clowns" for Pete's sake. They have always had showbiz aspirations and are primarily trained/practiced in the entertainment field so it's not a big surprise that Drew is able to "sell" his numbers with enthusiasm and energy even if he lacks dancing ability.

I think I like Derek more than the judges do. It seems to me he moves pretty well but the judges keep nit-picking him to death. I'm guessing they want to avoid a repeat of last season with two pro athletes as the final two, so they're determined to get rid of both Drew and Terrell sooner rather than later. 

I blame Witney for Frankie's failure to master the samba. They focused too much on the boy band crap and not enough on Salsa technique. 

I think Sasha will go next. She's getting lost in the shuffle like Debbie Gibson, even though both were pretty decent dancers, and I'm not sure about her fanbase.

[Andie1]

12 hours ago, djlynch said:

I don't think I heard Len say anything negative all night until he got to Lindsey not having Jordan do enough Charleston for his taste

About that.  Did Lindsay pick the music?  I'm guessing it was producer driven, some sort of Disney animation so yeah- hard to Charleston to.

[LadyMustang65]

17 minutes ago, spanana said:

Except that the speculation isn't coming from completely out of nowhere.  It's coming from a People article, which while not hard hitting news, they aren't Star or the National Enquirer.  They usually at least have a base for their stories. The other thing is while I too thought maybe it was connected to Vegas, Maks was out to dinner with Peta, Val and etc. right after the show looking like he didn't have a care in the world.  So what would prevent him from doing the show, but didn't prevent him from going out to eat with his family right after the show?

I'm sure there's a "base," but that still doesn't mean it's not greatly exaggerated.  Unnamed sources, show insider, etc.  Who knows if this anonymous person is at all reliable?  People is still basically a gossip magazine, and a story like this will sell magazines.  Maks will be back next week according to a show spokesperson.  As for what the personal issue is?  I don't know.  But I can think of better possibilities than that he skipped the show in a snit because he doesn't get along with Vanessa.  Good grief.  He managed to work with Hope Solo without missing a show, and imho she was a flat out bitch most of the time.  Vanessa doesn't even begin to compare to that.  And she's a good dancer, which Hope didn't begin to reach.  I just don't see Maks being that unprofessional nor do I see the show allowing it, quite frankly.  But that's just me.  YMMV  :)

[spanana]

22 minutes ago, LadyMustang65 said:

I'm sure there's a "base," but that still doesn't mean it's not greatly exaggerated.  Unnamed sources, show insider, etc.  Who knows if this anonymous person is at all reliable?  People is still basically a gossip magazine, and a story like this will sell magazines.  Maks will be back next week according to a show spokesperson.  As for what the personal issue is?  I don't know.  But I can think of better possibilities than that he skipped the show in a snit because he doesn't get along with Vanessa.  Good grief.  He managed to work with Hope Solo without missing a show, and imho she was a flat out bitch most of the time.  Vanessa doesn't even begin to compare to that.  And she's a good dancer, which Hope didn't begin to reach.  I just don't see Maks being that unprofessional nor do I see the show allowing it, quite frankly.  But that's just me.  YMMV  :)

I'm not arguing that People is 100% fact, but the story has now spread to just about every gossip site/rag with some alterations so I do think there is something to it, even if exaggerated.  Also if there weren't, either Maks or Vanessa would have stepped up by now and shut it down.  But the other point I was just trying to clear up was that Maks did not fly to Vegas and his absence seemed to have little to do with any of that since he was out after the show and on social media looking just fine.  Also considering neither Peta nor Val seemed at all bothered, it wasn't likely anything to do with a serious family situation.  So short of an injury or Maks having some sort of spat with TPTB, I have no other ideas.

Also just because Maks and Vanessa have both posted something about him being back next week doesn't mean they aren't having issues.  Of course Maks had to come back eventually unless he had plans to quit the show and be out a paycheck.

Edited October 3, 2017 by spanana

[Boofish]

6 hours ago, bealled said:

Also on the bullies note, does anyone else get tired of hearing about bullies after a while? It seems multiple contestants bring this up each season. I didn't mind Normani mentioning it because it's publicly known how badly she was cyber bullied, and it was only brought up once that I recall. I didn't mind Victoria mentioning it either since I'm sure some kids did make fun of her for being disabled which is screwed up. But when Jordan talked about bullying I was kind of rolling my eyes. Plus not every school makes fun of the theater kids. Jordan is an attractive kid, in my high school he would have been incredibly popular. At my school the show choir/theatrical kids were the most popular. Maybe my school experience has biased me, but I thought Jordan's comments about being bullied fell flat.

I'm sorry but I need proof that Victoria went to a school on the first day in a wheel chair and people pointed and laugh. If it happened, I'm sorry but nope - not buying it

I agree with everyone who thinks Maks is an ass. There is nothing interesting about him, his face or his dances. I'm sure if Vanessa was THAT BAD TPTB would have no problem showing it in some way.  There have never shied away from showing celebrities in a bad light when called for starting with Trista in Season 1 (Kate Gosselin, Tatum O'Neal, DL Hughley, Misha Barton .. the list goes on). What's so special about Vanessa they are trying to protect? She's not even the front runner for the trophy. I don't know why they think Maks is the one keeping the lights on over there