In The Media: DWTS

[friendperidot]

Unpopular opinions, I love Marilu Henner and will be rooting for her in spite of Derek as a partner, I like the older contestants, I'm 66 and if I were in shape and a star, I'd so do this show. I like Cheryl, and I'm not hating Ryan Lochte, he's not real bright, but since when has that stood in people's way before? He did something really stupid and on an international stage, but if he puts in some hard work and works on forgiveness, maybe he's sincere. I like Maks too, but I have a soft spot for bad boys. I really hope Rick Perry is not true, but if it is, maybe he'll go first, someone has to. I'm looking forward to the season.

[crowceilidh]

I'm looking forward to Marilu.  As someone who used to do her aerobics programs (dancerobics) faithfully (yes, I'm old), I have to say that she didn't show a lot of evidence of superior dance ability in those - but she had solid ability.  I also wonder how popular she will be, she can sound kinda know-it-all.  I loved her from Taxi, but I don't really know much about all the other stuff  she has done.

[legaleagle53]

5 minutes ago, crowceilidh said:

I'm looking forward to Marilu.  As someone who used to do her aerobics programs (dancerobics) faithfully (yes, I'm old), I have to say that she didn't show a lot of evidence of superior dance ability in those - but she had solid ability.  I also wonder how popular she will be, she can sound kinda know-it-all.

That's probably because in addition to having been trained as a dancer almost from the time she could walk and having taught dance starting at age 14, she also has the power of nearly total recall, which means that she literally can remember pretty much anything and everything.  It's a bit hard to avoid sounding like a know-it-all when you really do know it all.

[saylubee]

I wouldn't be surprised if Marilu has always been the designated female backup celebrity for the show in case someone gets too injured before the premiere or in this case, Derek finds out he's really available a week before cast announcements.  

Both Witney and Mark have been suspiciously quiet on the pro front still.  There's the rumors that a second racecar driver was in talks besides Sharna's partner, so I wonder if he was the guy slated for Witney.  She wasn't at the event in Texas though and really hasn't pimped out the latest season like the confirmed pros.  If she's in, I have no idea who she could have.

I still think Mark is out-out.  He seemed pretty over last season and if he's not partnered with Laurie, I don't see him excited to come back.

[PhD-Purgatory15]

YMMV, but I thought Mark was super engaged last season with Paige.....as she pushed him w/ the choreo she was capable of doing. And I'm pretty sure Alexander Jean (him and B.C.) toured through the summer. I'm leaning towards he's in (probably w/ Beverley Mitchell.....but maybe the casting people still have one more major card to play). Isn't the season starting like two full weeks early for a fall cycle? They can surely absorb one additional contestant and still not have to worry about getting too crazy w/ double eliminations in the later weeks..

The one other Indy Car racer I saw referenced was Alexander Rossi. I know less than nothing about James Hinchcliffe and him. But two Indy Car drivers (without some sort of strange hook) in the same cast seems a bit extreme.

I'm beginning to think maybe Rick Perry is here as a form of Ryan Lochte insurance. In the event that he comes off looking even more buffoon-ish than he did in Rio (and can't dance), having Emma/Rick as potential sacrificial lambs gives DWTS at least one more week to milk the controversy and drama that Lochte will bring.

I don't care one way or the other about Marilu. By virtue of Derek's fans alone she'll at worst finish in 5th or 4th place. Even if she comes off as a know-it-all. Memory condition or no memory condition.

Still wonder about JoJo the Bachelorette though. That's the name that's been out there from the beginning on the potential celeb side that hasn't been confirmed. I could still see them go in another direction away from her.....

Edited August 29, 2016 by PhD-Purgatory15

[MsTree]

If rumors are true, I'm thrilled that Marilu is finally going to do the show. After all, the show is called Dancing w/the STARS, not Dancing with the mostly D-list celebrities who are (for the most part) totally uncoordinated.

In fact, I would love to see an entire show of Stars who actually have a little experience and watch them get better. It would also give the Pros something to look forward to without having to continually push around someone with two left feet.

If the show allowed an "all-pro" season, the competition would be REAL and not based solely on popularity.

[calipiano81]

Quote

YMMV, but I thought Mark was super engaged last season with Paige.....as she pushed him w/ the choreo she was capable of doing.

I really see no YMMV about Paige and Mark last season. Mark was THRILLED to have Paige as a partner, was utterly positive all season long, and we saw some of his best choreography to date. I don't know what else Mark could have done to show how invested he was.

But about this season, with less than 48 hours to go and no Mark confirmation is making me really nervous. 

[Lonesome Rhodes]

I'll be thrilled to have Cheryl back.  I believe Derek would be fine with an earlier exit than customary for him due to his next show (Hairspray?).  Henner is ridiculously intelligent and will be a handful for him, in my opinion.  I doubt she will take his direction well.

[boyznkatz]

I was considering skipping this season because I have zero interest in any of these "stars" but I think I'll tune in just to see Cheryl put Lochte in his place. LOL! No way is she going to let this putz make a fool out of himself. 

Glad to see that Derek FINALLY has a senior citizen. Even if she was a dancer, she's going to be a challenge. I am curious to see how he does with her.

Edited August 29, 2016 by boyznkatz

[howmanywords]

I've suspected for a while Mark might sit this season out so he can focus on his music and get married.  When he was in tears at the end of the last season I thought he seemed extra emotional.  I too thought he really enjoyed having Paige as a partner and I thought they had a good chance of winning. I remember thinking thoughabout 2 weeks before the finale that if Nyle does a tearjerker contemporary freestyle that Mark would be screwed heh.

[legaleagle53]

9 hours ago, MsTree said:

If rumors are true, I'm thrilled that Marilu is finally going to do the show. After all, the show is called Dancing w/the STARS, not Dancing with the mostly D-list celebrities who are (for the most part) totally uncoordinated.

In fact, I would love to see an entire show of Stars who actually have a little experience and watch them get better. It would also give the Pros something to look forward to without having to continually push around someone with two left feet.

If the show allowed an "all-pro" season, the competition would be REAL and not based solely on popularity.

Marilu doesn't just have "a little experience."  She's a full-blown pro who has been dancing and teaching dance most of her life.

And an "all-pro" competition in which everyone was at the same high level to start with would be boring to watch, as far as I'm concerned, because there would be no room for potential growth.  You might as well just have them all do the same routine every week and flip a coin to decide who goes out in what place.

Edited August 29, 2016 by legaleagle53

[DancingD]

So Julianne has a screechy voice? Someone needs to adjust their audio. I'd prefer her as a pro, but she is miles better as a judge than Maks. Last time he judged, I predicted who he would praise and who he would pan BEFORE they danced and I was 100% correct. He's fine as a pro.

I will miss Mark if he is out. Love his choreography when he has a decent partner. 

After a certain age, eidetic memories become a bit less reliable. I used to have one too, though nothing like hers. I hope Marilu is in good shape, will be fun to watch. "Seasoned" ha!

Edited August 29, 2016 by DancingD

[boyznkatz]

On 8/27/2016 at 8:03 PM, PhD-Purgatory15 said:

Edited to add that it's looking more and more like Sharna will be dancing this season with Indy Car racer James Hinchcliffe. She was spotted at a race in Texas tonight.

I just googled that guy and Holy Cow, he is smokin' hot! I guess my shallow self has someone to root for this season. LOL

[Uke]

4 hours ago, howmanywords said:

I've suspected for a while Mark might sit this season out so he can focus on his music and get married.  When he was in tears at the end of the last season I thought he seemed extra emotional.  I too thought he really enjoyed having Paige as a partner and I thought they had a good chance of winning. I remember thinking thoughabout 2 weeks before the finale that if Nyle does a tearjerker contemporary freestyle that Mark would be screwed heh.

Mark gets emotional. He wears his heart on his sleeve. Remember at the finale of S14 with Katherine Jenkins? Even he joked a day or 2 later that his face looked like a Toby Jug. LOL!  At least he can laugh about it later.

[Uke]

2 hours ago, legaleagle53 said:

Marilu doesn't just have "a little experience."  She's a full-blown pro who has been dancing and teaching dance most of her life.

And an "all-pro" competition in which everyone was at the same high level to start with would be boring to watch, as far as I'm concerned, because there would be no room for potential growth.  You might as well just have them all do the same routine every week and flip a coin to decide who goes out in what place.

With an "all-pro" competition and having contemporary, jazz, broadway, etc. in the mix, for some of the pros it would be a case of the student teaching the teacher, kind of like Alison looking better with the ballroom because of Ryker's training and experience.  (Too bad they didn't show some of that reverse training.)

I do agree with the idea that Marilu might present a bit of a challenge for Derek despite her life-long dance experience and total memory recall.  I suspect he's not used to anyone challenging his instructions (maybe Lil Kim back in S8?).   If he says "do it this way" and she says "no it's better that way", well, he's not used to that.  He flusters very easily and he's got a mean mouth at times.  I wonder if TPTB would actually show it.

Edited August 29, 2016 by Uke

[Thadeeeyus]

I like Marilu but don't like Derek.  I like Cheryl but don't like Lochte.   Couldn't care less about Maks.   I love Mark. :(   What to do..... ?  

[calipiano81]

59 minutes ago, Uke said:

Mark gets emotional. He wears his heart on his sleeve. Remember at the finale of S14 with Katherine Jenkins? Even he joked a day or 2 later that his face looked like a Toby Jug. LOL!  At least he can laugh about it later.

I agree. Mark was also emotional at the end of his season with Sadie (S19). In the "Road to the Finale" episode before the finale results, it was the first time I'd ever seen him get choked up about missing his partner when it was all over.

[PhD-Purgatory15]

Latest buzz is that Witney is in and will be dancing with none other than Vanilla Ice.

Now we're just on Mark and Gleb watch at this point...

[calipiano81]

According to Pure, Mark is OUT. :(

I can't believe with all the folks returning, and Mark gets squeezed out. My interest in this season has immediately plummeted...

Edited August 29, 2016 by calipiano81

[SnarkyTart]

3 minutes ago, calipiano81 said:

According to Pure, Mark is OUT. :(

My interest in this season has immediately plummeted...

Nooooo!  Please be wrong please be wrong please be wrong.

[PTVjones]

Vanilla Ice is on DWTS??? That's hilarious. I always thought he gave up dancing after his hey-day and especially the Suge Knight incident, even though I thought in his own way he was kind of a hip hop dance pioneer. Makes me wonder if Mc Hammer will get in the mix at some point. 

[Dancingjaneway]

As much as I would love to see Cheryl on the show again I just can't stomach douchebag Lochte. Also with Derek being back that's a firm no watch for me. 

[Uke]

27 minutes ago, calipiano81 said:

According to Pure, Mark is OUT. :(

I can't believe with all the folks returning, and Mark gets squeezed out. My interest in this season has immediately plummeted...

Why do you say he got "squeezed out"?

[calipiano81]

Sorry, "squeezed out" doesn't mean anything, it's just my own feelings about the irony. 

The show brought back so many old pros, but then Mark (and Tony) ends up with no partner which he might have had without the returning pros.

Edited August 30, 2016 by calipiano81

[Uke]

1 minute ago, calipiano81 said:

Sorry, "squeezed out" doesn't mean anything, just my feeling about the irony.

Don't be sorry. There's alot of upset fans right now.  I'm seeing a few in absolute meltdown mode on twitter/FB right now.  It'll be alright!

[PhD-Purgatory15]

My fear is maybe they had designs on giving Mark an Olympian or someone else who fell through, and then on short notice they tried unsuccessfully to get Beverley Mitchell on board as plan b.

But Alek was literally signing the paperwork around midnight before the morning of the GMA reveal a couple seasons ago. So there's still hope. At least for a few more hours...

Edited August 29, 2016 by PhD-Purgatory15

[PTVjones]

Quick question, if anyone out there has knowledge about this. Does Mandy Moore have an exclusivity contract with DWTS? Why is she like... the choreographer in residence for the show? I'd love to see the pros/cast do opening or the big time numbers with a different perspective. Many of their pros are Emmy nominated (and I'm not just talking about Derek) plus you know... there's a lot of choreographers out there. 

[Uke]

1 minute ago, PTVjones said:

Quick question, if anyone out there has knowledge about this. Does Mandy Moore have an exclusivity contract with DWTS? Why is she like... the choreographer in residence for the show? I'd love to see the pros/cast do opening or the big time numbers with a different perspective. Many of their pros are Emmy nominated (and I'm not just talking about Derek) plus you know... there's a lot of choreographers out there. 

I'm pretty sure she's still also choreographing for SYTYCD so it wouldn't be an exclusivity contract w/DWTS.  Obviously someone at DWTS  really likes her bump & grind dances.  Maybe they think she'll get the show Emmy nods like she has on SYTYCD. But I don't see that happening for what she produces on DWTS.   I think it was said on one of the AfterBuzz shows that she knows how to block for cameras. So I don't understand why DWTS doesn't have one of the pros do the choreography and they she can help out with the camera blocking. I really wish they'd replace her.

[kitcloudkicker]

She seems pretty competent at wrangling all the production aspects, which seems like why they keep her around. But it seems like they could have her do that in a producer capacity and have her collaborate with other choreographers to mix up the openers and pro dances. I don't know why they don't.

[TheGreenKnight]

I wish they weren't going to have Julianne Hough as judge again, she's absolutely awful. If they couldn't get Lens, I'd have preferred Maks.

[PhD-Purgatory15]

...and the winner for the most stunning looking couple might just go to Gleb and country music artist (and sometimes actress), Jana Kramer. IIRC, she performed on DWTS not too long ago.

Looks like JoJo may have gone the route of Kaitlyn B. and Ben. Heavily hyped but ultimately not cast. Unless there's shuffling and she ends up with Mark.....which I'd be okay with (as a non-Bachelorette watcher).

Edited August 30, 2016 by PhD-Purgatory15

[BW Manilowe]

Tom Tweeted a few hours ago that 2 of the S23 couples will be on GMA with him tomorrow, & that he loves both pros but has really missed 1 of them (Cheryl reference, since she's been gone awhile?). He also said the entire cast will be with him on GMA on September 7th (in a different Tweet than the quoted 1).

https://mobile.twitter.com/Tom_Bergeron/status/770359399185539074?p=v

And Marilu Henner's memory ability is called "Highly-Superior Autobiographical Memory" (or H-SAM), as opposed to eidetic memory. She was apparently a technical advisor on the CBS & A&E TV show Unforgettable, & something of the model for the lead character who was a female police detective with the same extraordinary memory ability.

[McManda]

Quote

Obviously someone at DWTS  really likes her bump & grind dances.  Maybe they think she'll get the show Emmy nods like she has on SYTYCD.

There's very little chance she'll earn the show Emmys with her bump and grind routines (Besides, if the show wanted Emmys they should just let Derek do it. I don't think anyone would argue his choreography abilities, especially if that were his only role in the show.)

Chances are they keep her around because they're hoping her bump and grind routines (what she doesn't solely use on SYTYCD) draw in the elusive 18-40 male demo. 

IMO they can send Mandy Moore back to SYTYCD and she can take Allison with her. 

Edited August 30, 2016 by McManda

[mtlchick]

Vanilla Ice is joining.  Maybe he can build a wet bar in the fishbowl. 

 

http://www.usmagazine.com/entertainment/news/vanilla-ice-joining-dancing-with-the-stars-season-23-w436865

[PhD-Purgatory15]

Snap judgment rankings on who I'm excited about (not necessarily who I think will win or do well).

1.) Lindsay and Calvin: I just hope Lindsay can get him to perform/emote/show off. Athletically they should look great....particularly in the standard dances and maybe contemporary/jazz too.

2.) Gleb and Jana: They will bring the pretty. And Gleb deserves better than being one and done on the American DWTS w/ the immortal Lisa VanderPump lol.

3.) Val and Laurie: Hopefully we'll get a more relaxed Val, and someone w/ Zendaya like skills....and a bubbly personality.

4. ) Maks and Amber: I'm intrigued, and have no real idea what to expect from her as a dancer and these two as a partnership.

5.) Artem and Maureen: Well, Artem simply has to have a better experience this season than what Mischa provided. I think Maureen will be up to the challenge.

6. Sharna and James: They will also bring the pretty. But unless he's a big surprise in a good way right off the bat it might be a short stay in the ballroom.

7.) Allison and Babyface. Solidly middle of the pack for me. It remains to be seen whether Allison has improved as a teacher.

8.) Derek and Marilu: Well, people for years asked Derek to get an older contestant. Now we'll see how he does. Her personality may not translate in the packages as well as some others. I'm assuming she'll advance to at least the top 5....so I wonder how the grind will affect her especially once they get into the extra team dances and weeks with multiple dances to prepare.

9.) Witney and Vanilla Ice: These two might be just off the wall enough to rise quickly in my purely speculative rankings. If he gives a reasonable effort, he could be the Tommy Chong of the season.

10. ) Sasha and Terra: Other than a mild curiosity over how a 4'2 person will look dancing....I'm not overly excited. Although I never thought Snooki would've been as engaging as she was (w/ Sasha). So who knows? I've read other places that her personality is a real piece of work.

11.) Jenna and Jake: The "Oh yeah, those two are still here" candidate for the season. Hopefully Jenna dials it back a couple notches...and gives the kid a chance to breathe. I'll be mildly intrigued on how his personality reads. Hopefully it's not overly cocky or too much like Carlos Pena.

***Giant Chasm***

Tied for 792nd.) Cheryl and Ryan/Emma and Rick: The embodiment of the dumb,ugly American (w/ some White Privilege or Athlete Privilege throw in for good measure) and a Donald Trump surrogate. Can we start rooting for pre-premiere injuries already?

Edited August 30, 2016 by PhD-Purgatory15

[PTVjones]

Cast picture I saw on tumblr today. If the extra dancers are apart of the troupe then I am so here for the diversity!!!! 

[MsTree]

13 hours ago, legaleagle53 said:

Marilu doesn't just have "a little experience."  She's a full-blown pro who has been dancing and teaching dance most of her life.

And an "all-pro" competition in which everyone was at the same high level to start with would be boring to watch, as far as I'm concerned, because there would be no room for potential growth.  You might as well just have them all do the same routine every week and flip a coin to decide who goes out in what place.

If one has experience, it doesn't matter how much IMO. Broadway dancing is not the same as ballroom dancing with a partner. And the fact that they know the basics and can pick up routines quickly is fine by me. In fact, that would be the basis for their growth.

The growth would be in their partnership. Not every dancer is used to dancing with a partner, keeping in time (and unison) with the routine, lifts and holds etc.  I think it would be interesting to see how it all comes together.

No, it wouldn't be boring. It would be a full-blown interesting competition IMO...in the same way as one watches a sanctioned ballroom competition.

[ByaNose]

Wait! Wasn't Maureen a Silver Platter? She has major dance experience and moves. LOL!! Team Maureen al the way!!! Marica! Marcia! Marcia!

[ClareWalks]

Calvin Johnson (aka Megatron, which is how I know him) is an amazing choice. He is one of the best WRs ever to play the game, and a WR with a solid work ethic who isn't a showboat does GREAT on this show. Look at two past WRs who did amazing: Donald Driver and Hines Ward. Both very solid football players who are extremely competitive and highly coachable, and their egos didn't get in the way of their dancing. Then look at a couple other guys, Jacoby Jones and Antonio Brown. They did okay but they were both stubbornly disinterested in becoming good dancers, and both guys have more of a flashy on-field personality. Megatron is far more like the former two than the latter. I predict he will make the finals.

[legaleagle53]

7 hours ago, MsTree said:

If one has experience, it doesn't matter how much IMO. Broadway dancing is not the same as ballroom dancing with a partner. And the fact that they know the basics and can pick up routines quickly is fine by me. In fact, that would be the basis for their growth.

The growth would be in their partnership. Not every dancer is used to dancing with a partner, keeping in time (and unison) with the routine, lifts and holds etc.  I think it would be interesting to see how it all comes together.

No, it wouldn't be boring. It would be a full-blown interesting competition IMO...in the same way as one watches a sanctioned ballroom competition.

I didn't say that her experience was only Broadway dancing.  I said quite clearly that she actually grew up dancing because her parents owned a dance studio that she started teaching at when she was 14 after she'd already been studying dancing there for many years.  So she's clearly been cross-trained in other types of dance, including ballroom, to the point that she was able to work for several years as a dance instructor.

And if you want to watch sanctioned ISDF competitions with professional dance instructors, there are plenty avenues for that.  But they're not DWTS, nor should they be.

[DancingD]

Marilu was a ballroom dance instructor? She must know some, at least social dancing, because she hosted the ballroom shows on TV for some years.

[ByaNose]

1 hour ago, Bunky1412 said:

LOL!!  Yes, she was indeed.  Ringer!!  A Silver Platter - damn, that was funny.  "We're gonna keep on, keep on, keep on, keep on dancin' all through the night . . . "  Thanks for the laugh.

I would talk about it more but it's a Sunshine Day and I think I'll take a walk everyday now the summer sun has shown the way.......

[puppy breath]

Never mind - wrong thread.  

Edited August 31, 2016 by puppy breath

[Uke]

Not sure where else to put this:

Brittany Cherry:  https://www.instagram.com/p/BJtIXDBA7Kj/

Haley posted the same pic with the comment :Troupe-a-loop females??❤️ Excited to dance with these ladies every week! #DWTS

So it looks like we've got a new female troupe dancer Britt Stewart (her IG is https://www.instagram.com/brittbenae/)  Clearly not shy on the red carpet!  Her profile is here:  http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2650815/bio?ref_=nm_ov_bio_sm  . Appears no ballroom experience.

[MsTree]

18 hours ago, legaleagle53 said:

I didn't say that her experience was only Broadway dancing.  I said quite clearly that she actually grew up dancing because her parents owned a dance studio that she started teaching at when she was 14 after she'd already been studying dancing there for many years.  So she's clearly been cross-trained in other types of dance, including ballroom, to the point that she was able to work for several years as a dance instructor.

And if you want to watch sanctioned ISDF competitions with professional dance instructors, there are plenty avenues for that.  But they're not DWTS, nor should they be.

And I didn't say that you said she only had Broadway experience. I was just citing an example. And while she may have been an instructor with lots of cross-training, I still contend that she has not "partnered" as a rule to the point of competition.

And I never said that I WANT to watch sanctioned competitions. Again, just using that as an example as to not being boring.

It's quite obvious we see (or want to see) things differently, so let's just agree to disagree.

[kitcloudkicker]

Long article with Rob Wade: http://www.tvguide.com/news/dancing-with-the-stars-boss-explains-why-ryan-lochte-deserves-to-tell-his-story/

This, in particular, seems like it will be awful. 

Quote

"There's a lot of [presidential] debates in the first few weeks of the season, so we've jumped around with our schedule a bit, which has left us in Week 3 with just a one-hour show instead of a two-hour show," he says. "So we've had to create possibly one of the most impactful shows we've ever done. There will be 12 dances in one hour, the couples are going to have to face off against each other, so we're going to pair them into six different powers. Never has more dancing been done in one hour of television!"

[truthaboutluv]

So this week's issue of US Weekly has Derek, Maks and Cheryl on the cover with a headline about the Pros tell all. I didn't read it but Yahoo was kind enough to pull out excerpts from the issue and I think it is fair to say there is no love lost between Maks and Derek, except it seems the issue is more one-sided. These were the gems to come out of this:

Quote

Though Chmerkovskiy, who is known as the bad boy of the ballroom for passionately speaking his mind to the judges, has accused the show of favoring six-time champ Hough, he says he’s since dropped the beef. “I don’t have a rivalry with Derek. Derek may have a rivalry with me, but I don’t have one,” the Ukrainian hunk, 36, tells Us. “I just literally said everything that everybody else thinks. Listen, I don’t have a problem with Derek. The producers have changed and it’s different now.”

Quote

 

Naturally, Hough, 31, is proud of his success. “I’ve been very fortunate with partners,” admits the 16-time pro, who placed second in 2014 with double amputee Amy Purdy. “But I will also say that it’s not rigged. Production has said to me, honestly, ‘People are complaining, so we’re going to give you this partner, because it seems more difficult.’ Then I ended up winning.”

He’s also not dwelling on allegations. “Whatever somebody else says about me, that’s only a reflection on how they feel and how they are,” he continues. “I just say, Look, I’m putting in the work. I don’t want to get caught up in it. I don’t need extra drama.”

 

Btw, Cheryl, bless her heart, trying to be Switzerland I guess, says she understands both sides of the issue but she credits Derek for just being very talented and adds that when she won her first two seasons, people started making accusations that the show was rigged for her too. 

Okay, I'm sure there are many who will happily prescribe to Maks' comments (after all he's informed us as he usually does that he's speaking for everyone) because goodness knows it's freaking deja vu with the comments about Derek for any season he's on. But I'm sorry, in my very humble, perhaps very unpopular opinion, Maks is an egotistical blowhard who needs to get the hell over himself.

Also I think this validates my opinion that for all the stuff about Pure and their hate for anyone who isn't Derek, which is certainly true, much as Val has tried to deny it, the Fam, led by his own brother have done their fair share of shit talking about Derek and helping to feed this "rivalry" and fandom crap and it's pathetic on grown ass adults part and that goes for all of them.

And I am sorry but that delusion from Maks about how he has no rivalry with Derek but he may with him is more evidence of the unbelievable ego on that man. Because again, unpopular opinion but if for whatever reason Derek had some rivalry with Maks, I'd say that's one he's already won. I judge fans and viewers at home for being so mad and intense about some stupid ugly trophy and now I feel like it's no wonder with that attitude from Pros on the show as well. Oh and btw, he also compares himself to Trump in that he's always just honest in how he feels and that gets him in trouble. Like WTF-ever dude. 

Honestly, I like Val and from day one I've said I would happily take him any day over Maks. I think he is the far superior choreographer of the two and even teacher. Maks is just a tool who is up his own ass. Maybe focus on producing something that isn't basic instead of whinging and bitching about the horrible show you keep coming back to. I genuinely like every Pro on this show just fine but I really wish Maks would finally find something that pays decently enough so he could go the hell away. 

[Uke]

Re: the Us Weekly story...

Nah, I'm not buying DH's comment either: "Production has said to me, honestly, ‘People are complaining, so we’re going to give you this partner, because it seems more difficult.’ Then I ended up winning.”"

1.  As I understand it,  pay is based on how many weeks you stay. Once you are eliminated, the pros switch to some kind of reduction/retainer deal to keep them available till the end of the season.  A producer tells him essentially they are purposely setting it up so he's going to get an early pay reduction? Nah. Doubt it. 

2.  All the pros have always said that they don't know who their partner is until the official meet on camera.  After a mixup  one season, they now give the pros a headshot + the name moments before the meet (as in here's the face, here's the name, now go into that room or knock on that door).

3. He "ended up winning" as if it were a surprise.  He's had so many partners where they weren't judged at all ( Ohhhhh soooo inspirational!!!) or blatant attempts at hiding weaknesses, like planting her on the floor or table or bench and dancing furiously around her. At one point he literally swept the floor w/Maria.  

Also to the comment that this is all about a silly plastic trophy (actually I think it's metal and quite heavy), for the pros, it's not so much the trophy as it is about the headlines, the reputation. Media and the public see the win as an accomplishment.  "Winner" "6-time Winner"  these tags mean alot to the pros.  Most have no clue about Blackpool or championship wins, but everybody is aware of DWTS and mirrorball trophys.  I totally get why Val, Maks, Tony were so driven to get their own trophys - put some random dancer trophies in the window of their studio and people walk by. Put THE DWTS mirrorball trophy in the window and people stop and notice.

[Lonesome Rhodes]

James, James, James...what were y'all thinking????

Hinchcliffe's racing team nailed for cheating and are heavily sanctioned.

http://motorsports.nbcsports.com/2016/08/31/hinchcliffe-team-docked-25-points-20000-for-domed-skid-wear-at-texas/

[WhosThatGirl]

I'm excited about Laurie. Anyone else.. Not really. I can already predict Ryan Lochtes first package interview: him making sad faces and talking about his idiot adventures and lying about being robbed and being a drunk idiot but he wants to show everyone that isn't who he who he is!