Full Version: Dancing With The Stars
| Bitter But Brilliant > TELEVISION > Reality TV |
Mario Lopez is so skeevy.
And in response to the subtitle, may I just add "You call those stars?"
You may, but it smacks a lot of MissAlllie's (TV Guide?) piece where she invented "Dancing" "With" "the" "Stars", which is moderately funny, but she can keep her honking non-dancing tootsies off my show, thanks.
PMK, were you baiting the Gator?
PMK, were you baiting the Gator?
I was actually going for a give-and-take I remember from my Rocky Horror days.
FRANK: I've been making a man...
AUDIENCE: You call that a man?
FRANK: With blonde hair and a tan...
AUDIENCE: You call that a tan?
Speaking of which, I want to start a write-in campaign to have the Time Warp as one of the dances next season.
FRANK: I've been making a man...
AUDIENCE: You call that a man?
FRANK: With blonde hair and a tan...
AUDIENCE: You call that a tan?
Speaking of which, I want to start a write-in campaign to have the Time Warp as one of the dances next season.
I've been casting all my online votes each week for Emmitt and Cheryl, mainly because I adore Cheryl. Tonight, I voted the same way, but it was just as much for Emmitt this time around, because he was fabulous! I love it that he not only dances well, but he seems to be enjoying the dance as opposed to worrying about what he looks like on camera (MARIO).
I bet Emmitt would rock the Time Warp.
I bet Emmitt would rock the Time Warp.
I'm just bemused that on a show that featured Tony Dovolani, Tucker with an F Carlson, Joey Lawrence's eyebrows, AND that doyen of the trailer park, Jerry Springer, Mario Lopez gets singled out as so skeevy. But to each his/her own.
Emmitt was good, definitely the best of the night with his mambo, but I think he, and Mario last week, were really well served by getting a true mambo song. I don't know the name of Emmitt's song, but as soon as I heard the beginning of "Ran Kan Kan" last week, I knew it would be a hot dance. Too bad they didn't feature the vocals.
Emmitt really has a lot of natural grace and a fluidity to his movements that I almost forget just how muscular he is. It is a lot of fun to watch him dance because he's charming and Cheryl's a sweetheart, who's also a great dancer, and they just bring so much joy to their dances.
Mario and Karina bring a different vibe entirely, but I find it just as entertaining to watch. They're sexy and live wires and it's all very kinetic between them. They bristle with energy and he really is the class of the field as a dancer. I thought their fox trot was fun and flirty and every bit the equal of Emmitt's mambo.
As for the rest, Joey gets a lot of assists from the very presence of Edyta's legs. You almost forget he's even there because, damn. And she's constantly showing them off to their best advantage. I only wish the show went with Perez Prado's original arrangement of "Mambo #5" instead of that crap Louie Bega version. It's so much more mambo-y with all the brass.
Emmitt was good, definitely the best of the night with his mambo, but I think he, and Mario last week, were really well served by getting a true mambo song. I don't know the name of Emmitt's song, but as soon as I heard the beginning of "Ran Kan Kan" last week, I knew it would be a hot dance. Too bad they didn't feature the vocals.
Emmitt really has a lot of natural grace and a fluidity to his movements that I almost forget just how muscular he is. It is a lot of fun to watch him dance because he's charming and Cheryl's a sweetheart, who's also a great dancer, and they just bring so much joy to their dances.
Mario and Karina bring a different vibe entirely, but I find it just as entertaining to watch. They're sexy and live wires and it's all very kinetic between them. They bristle with energy and he really is the class of the field as a dancer. I thought their fox trot was fun and flirty and every bit the equal of Emmitt's mambo.
As for the rest, Joey gets a lot of assists from the very presence of Edyta's legs. You almost forget he's even there because, damn. And she's constantly showing them off to their best advantage. I only wish the show went with Perez Prado's original arrangement of "Mambo #5" instead of that crap Louie Bega version. It's so much more mambo-y with all the brass.
It seemed like they've all been reading their press because Mario was animated during the judging and Joey referred to his lip-licking habit and Jerry actually tried this week. I liked all the dances last night, though I might have missed a lot, because I was on the phone. There are some really good dancers left (plus Jerry), but this season just doesn't amaze me. I thought Drew and Cheryl were pretty amazing, but while these dances are enjoyable, I'm just not loving it this season.
Poor Monique, I thought we were going to have another flashing last night! I hope that's the repeat dance so they have another chance, but I'm guessing it will be Cheryl and Emmitt, who were both very good.
Surprisingly, I really really enjoyed watching Joey dance last night. Carrie Anne was right, he really did look like he was enjoying himself on the mambo. I don't know why Edyta gets the suckiest dress designs, though. It's like they're putting sheer dress panels on her and belting them. Bah.
Surprisingly, I really really enjoyed watching Joey dance last night. Carrie Anne was right, he really did look like he was enjoying himself on the mambo. I don't know why Edyta gets the suckiest dress designs, though. It's like they're putting sheer dress panels on her and belting them. Bah.
I was pretty amazed at how well Monique handled getting her shoe heel caught in her dress during her first dance. That had to suck, doing those steps with feathers under her foot. I would've given her a 10 just for her poise.
Now that Jerry's taking it more seriously, I'm not finding him as interesting. Impressed with the talent, sure, but it doesn't measure up to his competitors. The amusement factor isn't there as much now.
Sara got her foot caught during her disaster of a Paso too. Her's was caught for most of the dance too. I kept watching it and wondering if she would fall. I think that was part of why it sucked.
I just like all of them. The season isn't wowing me though. They all seem nice, so I don't know why I am not all that riveted.
Monique may be gone this week. She does well, but again, no real pull for me, except her amazingly fearless moves. I think her costumes suck, and don't show her or her moves off. Her "sexy" dance outfit for the "dance of love" looked like a white girdle and granny bra, feathers or no, and it cut her in half and ruined the showing off of the hip movement. Last nights were a bit better, but I think her performances are really under-rated and blah because of the consistantly odd music, and the horrid clothes. Someone on TWOP said they watched a few of her dances using Mario's music and they just sparkled, Samba seemed more like Samba, etc.
I like Mario, but he seems to get the best music, generally got to go near last or last in the beginning, and is a ballet trained (and who knows what else!) ringer. Add that to the way the judges push him as the next coming and it bugs me. I still think he's the best out there.
Jerry just charms me, and great choice of music for his fox trot! "My way" was a great way to go out, if he goes out this week.
Emmit is a joy to watch, and more of a natural dancer. If he had Mario's training he would be the stand-out here, so for that reason, I think he "should" win it.
Joey seems sweet, and sometimes sparkles, but he has this "loooosey-gooosey" body, head, and arm movement that just takes me out of the magic almost everytime.
Last, if no one is doing a heel lead, and that's what the dance calls for, (whatever the hell it means) then they do NOT deserve 10's!
Edited to fix crap, and also because I want to say that I am sick of Edyta's costumes. Vary it up a bit! I am sick of your bikini with fabric strips flailing around.
I just like all of them. The season isn't wowing me though. They all seem nice, so I don't know why I am not all that riveted.
Monique may be gone this week. She does well, but again, no real pull for me, except her amazingly fearless moves. I think her costumes suck, and don't show her or her moves off. Her "sexy" dance outfit for the "dance of love" looked like a white girdle and granny bra, feathers or no, and it cut her in half and ruined the showing off of the hip movement. Last nights were a bit better, but I think her performances are really under-rated and blah because of the consistantly odd music, and the horrid clothes. Someone on TWOP said they watched a few of her dances using Mario's music and they just sparkled, Samba seemed more like Samba, etc.
I like Mario, but he seems to get the best music, generally got to go near last or last in the beginning, and is a ballet trained (and who knows what else!) ringer. Add that to the way the judges push him as the next coming and it bugs me. I still think he's the best out there.
Jerry just charms me, and great choice of music for his fox trot! "My way" was a great way to go out, if he goes out this week.
Emmit is a joy to watch, and more of a natural dancer. If he had Mario's training he would be the stand-out here, so for that reason, I think he "should" win it.
Joey seems sweet, and sometimes sparkles, but he has this "loooosey-gooosey" body, head, and arm movement that just takes me out of the magic almost everytime.
Last, if no one is doing a heel lead, and that's what the dance calls for, (whatever the hell it means) then they do NOT deserve 10's!
Edited to fix crap, and also because I want to say that I am sick of Edyta's costumes. Vary it up a bit! I am sick of your bikini with fabric strips flailing around.
QUOTE ( "woodstove"+)
Last, if no one is doing a heel lead, and that's what the dance calls for, (whatever the hell it means) then they do NOT deserve 10's!
You can bet in a real world dance competition you would get marked down. But so would Kym totally missing that heel turn in the foxtrot. What I want to know is how the judges can say there were NO heel leads unless they never looked up from the contestant's feet.
I can't count the times I've seen that heel-caught-in-the-fishline-hem thing happen. Poor Monique. Between that and the shaky Paso, she may go. (Paso works against the whole "bodies in motion" rule, in that if you have more than 1% body fat you can't stop as crisply as you should to make it look sharp.)
Yes, Gatorbait, you're right, skeevy is relative. I call Jerry's show the White Trash Cavalcade, but he comes across as avuncular and wholesome here. Go figure.
Note, I would love Edyta's costumes if they all didn't look alike. For example, I thought the fabric strips / bikini look was perfect for the "dance of love." They just are beginning to bug me because they don't "add" to the dance's story, and they all look alike. Boring, as stunningly georgeous as she is.
I do not get how the scoring system works. As noted above, you have judge's complaining about a lack of a required step and giving out 10s. You also have Jerry Springer, who is trying but is just so far below everyone else and he's getting a 7 from judge's who are giving other contestants an 8. How in the hell can he only be 1 point below any of the other contestants? I would love to know exactly how the scoring system works. I'm not making any accusations, honestly. I just don't understand why Jerry Springer is not getting 4s and 5s.
And if they're only going to use the 7, 8, 9 and 10, then it's a FOUR POINT scale.
P got a 4 once I think, but I agree, use the damn range, and FIVE should mean "hit all the basics, enjoyable performance".
Aside from the fact that the judges need to be less generous with the scoring, I don't think Monique is in any real danger this week specifically because of the judges scoring.
After last year's fiasco with P, they no longer rank the competitors, but assign a percentage to the number of points a contestant receives out of the total points awarded as well as a percentage of the total vote. So, out of a total of 388 points awarded last night, Jerry received 64, or 16.5%. Monique received 77 points, or 19.8%. So for Jerry to beat out Monique, he'd have to receive at least 3.3% more votes this week. That's not taking into account the percentage difference between Jerry and Monique last week.
So it's feasible that she could lose, and them showing her complaining that the judges are tougher on her won't play well with the audience, but I don't think it will happen. I'm pretty certain Jerry goes tonight.
After last year's fiasco with P, they no longer rank the competitors, but assign a percentage to the number of points a contestant receives out of the total points awarded as well as a percentage of the total vote. So, out of a total of 388 points awarded last night, Jerry received 64, or 16.5%. Monique received 77 points, or 19.8%. So for Jerry to beat out Monique, he'd have to receive at least 3.3% more votes this week. That's not taking into account the percentage difference between Jerry and Monique last week.
So it's feasible that she could lose, and them showing her complaining that the judges are tougher on her won't play well with the audience, but I don't think it will happen. I'm pretty certain Jerry goes tonight.
I didn't watch tonight's show (can't miss ANTM, after all) but DodgerGirl kindly informed me that Jerry was finally sent packing. I'm betting he's thrilled. I'll kind of miss him, because he was so unlike how I thought he'd be that he was kind of fascinating, but his high point on the show was the waltz and that's all he claimed to be there for, anyway.
My prediction for next week is that Joey will go.
My prediction for next week is that Joey will go.
I liked his Fox Trot a LOT.
Good about Jerry though.
Good about Jerry though.
Next week depends on the dances. I think it's either Joey or Monique. Last woman left or not, she's not that engaging. It's like she and Louis are doing the same dance but not together. And I think she's doing herself a disservice to have complained two weeks in a row about the big, mean judges. Especially since each of the men left have all been taken to task for poor/illegal performances and they didn't slam the judges for being hard on them. Audience votes are fickle and they don't like sass. Just as Vanessa Olivarez.
But either way, it's not like a final two of Emmitt & Mario wasn't predictable back in the first week. And I'll be very happy with that.
But either way, it's not like a final two of Emmitt & Mario wasn't predictable back in the first week. And I'll be very happy with that.
I just figured out what I don't like about Joey's dancing. He seems to do the woman's moves. (The flaunt of his hands, the set of his shoulders during some "poses", he would look really nice as the female 1/2 rather than the lead.) I wonder if this is Edyta's inability to teach a GUY's part?
Damn, I said that poorly, but I decided to watch the Mambo picturing him in a feathered gown and Edyta as Max, and dang if Joey's moves weren't excellent!
He's absorbed too many of Edyta's mannerisms.
Damn, I said that poorly, but I decided to watch the Mambo picturing him in a feathered gown and Edyta as Max, and dang if Joey's moves weren't excellent!
He's absorbed too many of Edyta's mannerisms.
woodstove, that is hilarious...and you're right. Maybe Joey and Mario could dance together 
No one mentioned that Alec came back. Man, that man is a Gumby. It was becoming a bit difficult to watch him swivel every joint on his body simultaneously. I mean, it's a neat parlor trick, but a little disconcerting.
But he and Edyta are a ridiculously attractive couple and they dance well together, when he's not doing that swivel thing, and it's always nice to see the pros really dance.
But he and Edyta are a ridiculously attractive couple and they dance well together, when he's not doing that swivel thing, and it's always nice to see the pros really dance.
Yeah, you never realize how much the pros are holding back until they dance together.
Jerry Springer seemed to be the only one happy to see him leaving. I know Monique is the only woman left (and I know this because she mentions it every other sentence) but I would much rather have the final 3 be all the men. They're just more interesting dancers to me.
I have to say the segment about the men was a little off-putting. The whole emphasis on how these are manly men who are definitely not gay or effeminate in any way -- hey! look at them watching football! So not gay! Mario especially seemed to want to hammer home the fact that the fact that he's a good dancer should not in any way make you think that he couldn't take you in a bar fight!
Jerry Springer seemed to be the only one happy to see him leaving. I know Monique is the only woman left (and I know this because she mentions it every other sentence) but I would much rather have the final 3 be all the men. They're just more interesting dancers to me.
I have to say the segment about the men was a little off-putting. The whole emphasis on how these are manly men who are definitely not gay or effeminate in any way -- hey! look at them watching football! So not gay! Mario especially seemed to want to hammer home the fact that the fact that he's a good dancer should not in any way make you think that he couldn't take you in a bar fight!
They even dragged Emmitt into that "real man" thing. Yeah, so a lot of them are straight. Some aren't. Just like in, you know, life and all.
(Here's one of the things I like about the pros. You know the old space race joke between Russia and the US? "Our Germans our better than your Germans?" In ballroom, the joke is -- even if it says Ivan Storchesky, Newark, New Jersey -- our Russians are better than your Russians.)
(Here's one of the things I like about the pros. You know the old space race joke between Russia and the US? "Our Germans our better than your Germans?" In ballroom, the joke is -- even if it says Ivan Storchesky, Newark, New Jersey -- our Russians are better than your Russians.)
Hi Monique? Enough with bitching about how you're working so much harder than the men. Cause for the most part this is partner dancing - so the men and women are pretty much side by side for most of the routines.
I always thought her gripe was that the guys got passes when they didn't follow the rules, like when Tucker with an F sat in a chair for 3/4 of his first dance...and got the lowest score and booted. Or when Mario did that one, stupid, illegal move during his tango and...got 7s instead of the 10s the judges said they'd HAVE given him if he followed the rules. Or that time that Joey did the lift with Edyta and...he too got much lower scores because of his illegal moves.
Yeah, she's right. The men have never been held accountable for their slips and mistakes.
Yeah, she's right. The men have never been held accountable for their slips and mistakes.
yeah, she really needs to get over Tucker Carlson and the whole "other dancer(s) were sitting! In chairs! While I was doing splits!" He's gone, you're not, what's your point?
Miss Alli has weighed in that Emmit and Cheryl's Rumba was not "all that." Well, I loved it. I was fanning myself afterwards and I said to my husband that it looked like they were having sex. And apparently there is some question of where Cheryl's hand landed at one point. I guess I'm a dork and I KNOW I don't know beans about ballroom dancing, but geez, it made me happy. But I don't dare post my thoughts you know where 
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| And apparently there is some question of where Cheryl's hand landed at one point. It landed exactly where you think it landed. I get where Monique is coming from. It's almost clear that the judges have their favourites and she's not one of them. Even when they denigrate Mario for lack of actual steps and stuff like that, they still get 8s and 9s. After all of the complicated stuff that Monique does and never gets rewarded (case in point the wicked awesome step sequence across th floor during last night's tango), she's bound to feel put out.
Her hand landed, rested, and stayed for a really really long time
QUOTE (davitt+Nov 1 2006, 06:02 AM) I get where Monique is coming from. It's almost clear that the judges have their favourites and she's not one of them. Even when they denigrate Mario for lack of actual steps and stuff like that, they still get 8s and 9s. After all of the complicated stuff that Monique does and never gets rewarded (case in point the wicked awesome step sequence across th floor during last night's tango), she's bound to feel put out. But she also doesn't have to learn to lead the dance which the men do. She has a built in advantage of having a showboating pro throwing her around and leading her through those complicated steps. And that tango was a hot mess. The steps were so complicated that it took all her effort just to try to get them right, and most of the time she wasn't. Part of ballroom dancing is that the dancers move have to be in sync and she looked like she was trying not to step on Louis's toes half the time. Len was on the right track about competitive diving but his ultimate point was wrong because competitive divers have to do exactly what they asked Louis and Monique to do, which is balance the difficulty level with her actual ability to complete the steps. Louis keeps creating these difficult dances that Monique can barely learn so she ends up looking, and performing, worse than the other dancers. I think the judges criticism of her is more than fair, but she and Louis just aren't hearing it. It really IS better to do a less complex routine flawlessly than to attempt a very complicated one half-assedly. Mario and Karina have some fairly intricate footwork as well, but it looks less complicated because he's better able to execute it, and in sync with Karina. But I will say that when he broke the rules those two weeks in a row, he was also given 7s, which is slightly lower than what Monique got when she got called for not doing a samba and much lower than Emmitt's 25 for basically breaking the exact same rules Mario did when they both did the fox trot. Great performance, not a fox trot. So I also think Monique is off on that criticism because as the series has gone on, the judges have become less punitive with the rule-breaking. As for Emmitt & Cheryl's rumba, I think most of the dance was Cheryl and Emmitt swayed a lot. It was sexy, but because she's such a smooth and sexy dancer and that dress was even hotter than Edyta's weird paso costume. I've said before that he's a very graceful and fluid mover which makes even his non-dancing look like dancing, and the rumba by it's very nature is going to be hot, but as far as actual dancing, he was okay but she was incredible. Monique is the weakest competitor at this point. And it's not that she can't dance, it's that Louis is creating far too difficult dances for her and her performances are suffering for it. It's a pity because they're both entertaining, but Louis needs to take a page from Cheryl's playbook and realize that the way to win is not to be the tricksiest dancer on the floor, but working with your partner's strengths and weaknesses to create memorable dances. Even their cha cha, with all that praise, didn't have any kind of Latin rhythm to it. It was just trick swivel shimmy trick.
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