Bristol Palin & Mark Ballas - Season 11

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by XenasMom;4119854;

Of course mediocre dancers have been kept on for a few extra weeks before, but certainly not all the way to the finals.

---

Yes they have. Marie Osmond, Kelly Osbourne, and Jerry Rice all come to mind. All but Jerry finished 3rd, too.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by XenasMom;4119854;

Bringing Todd Palin (especially) or another polarizing political figure on to the program will ruin it again for me.

---

No need to worry. Bristol has already said in an interview this week that her father would never do the show. Which is what I thought in the first place. Any talked about politician gets all kinds of nutty stuff made up about them. SP and her family is no exception. Besides, the Republican primary debates will be starting around the time DWTS starts again, and Sarah and Todd will be involved in some way or another. No time for DWTS.

Very sorry for your loss, btw. Sending *hugs* and good thoughts your way.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by XenasMom;4119854;

I have read the speculations about Todd Palin too. I BEG the producers not to go down that road. Please don't let the show descend into political theater like so much else in our culture.

I started watching DWTS in season 3, soon after my daughter was killed (4 years ago next week). It was the only TV show I could watch that didn't have emotional triggers, that was fun and happy, that truly helped me to escape. My whole extended family got turned on to the show and we enjoyed calling or texting each other after different performances. My daughter had been taking ballroom dancing in college the semester she was killed, and I liked to imagine her watching with me.

I've LOVED every season until this past one. I don't like Sarah Palin at all and didn't enjoy hearing her "poor me" routine echoed by Bristol. However, I honestly would have felt the same if the child of a political figure I like had gone on there, been a mediocre dancer, and made it to the finals because of an organized political bloc of callers. Of course mediocre dancers have been kept on for a few extra weeks before, but certainly not all the way to the finals. What really turned me off was that I felt it polluted the spirit of the show by importing the nasty "gotcha" aspect of current American politics into what has been a fun, distracting, frothy few hours of weekly entertainment. I was really disappointed in this season.

Bringing Todd Palin (especially) or another polarizing political figure on to the program will ruin it again for me.

---

Sorry for your loss. My experience is certainly less, but when I had my spine surgery, the night before they operated DWTS was on and Derek/Brooke and Julianne/Cody did their jitterbugs and it made me happy and forget about my troubles for awhile. I wouldn't let who is cast on there effect the happiness and the escape the show gets. If you don't like the political ones, there will be plenty of others like a Kyle or a Cody that will keep it lighthearted and fun.

I don't know that there is any other person who would elicit the reaction that Bristol did except maybe Megan McCain. Maybe Jon Stewart or Rachel Maddow or Glenn Beck :lol

If they want to bring someone political on, how about the former governator Arnold? He seems harmless and inoffensive. I don't think someone like him would bring the polarizing nature Bristol did. Even Tom Delay didn't get the reaction she did. I really hope they stray away from making this look like a campaign rally next time. I have my doubts Todd would do the show. But I worry more who else they may try to get. At least rumors like him will keep people talking and guessing, and maybe the show hopes people will be more relieved who they didn't get, that someone else they wind up casting goes over better than they normally would.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by karalott;4120044;

I really hope they stray away from making this look like a campaign rally next time. I have my doubts Todd would do the show. But I worry more who else they may try to get.

---

You pretty much nailed what I felt this whole season, but didn't know exactly how to describe it.
I went into the season planning to dislike Bristol & expected her to be snooty & entitled, but she worked hard, improved, & wasn't as abrasive & annoying a figure as her mother. She seemed like a nice girl. I was pleasantly surprised in her as a person.
But I also had that unwanted "campaign rally" feeling the whole season. I couldn't wait to get rid of her simply to get rid of that feeling.
Polarizing figures may bring the show notoriety, but they sap the fun right out of it.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by jelle;4120043;

I don't know that there is any other person who would elicit the reaction that Bristol did except maybe Megan McCain. Maybe Jon Stewart or Rachel Maddow or Glenn Beck :lol

---

Although I would much prefer they keep ALL politicians, political figures, or relatives of such, off the show, the ones who are both divisive and have a fanatical following (particularly one that considers itself persecuted and wants to "fight back"), albeit large or small, are the ones whose casting would threaten another hijacking of the show, as happened this season. Whether you believe that it was the Tea Party that kept Bristol on the show or not, there is no denying that the entire season became about the exploits of one competitor and one competitor only, for the media and many of the viewers. And that ruined the show for many long-time fans like myself.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by ironcat;4120102;

Whether you believe that it was the Tea Party that kept Bristol on the show or not, there is no denying that the entire season became about the exploits of one competitor and one competitor only, for the media and many of the viewers. And that ruined the show for many long-time fans like myself.

---

True that.

The show's going down the gutter if any of the season 12 rumblings are true. Though some show commentators remarked that season 10 was the harbinger of doom, I thought that, once Kate was eliminated, the rest of the season was legit. Season 11 was almost farcical, and there looks to be no end in sight.

The show also seems to want to become SYTYCD 2, or at least, steal that audience, the 18-25 demographic. As much as I love SYTYCD, DWTS' charm was that it was sorta hokey, sorta of-another-era, sorta self-indulgent with glitter and spray tan. It really is incredible to watch the metamorphosis of even someone with some dance background become a dancer. Season 11's cast, the use of current pop hits more than usual, the music guests, the introduction of contemporary dance routines on results' shows, the underuse of the pros to dance pro-ballroom numbers leads me to think that in the next 2-3 years the more traditional, older ballroom pros will phase out and be replaced by younger dancers who choreograph ballroom-hybrid routines.

It's unfortunate cuz the ballroom dances really are stunning.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by veg_out;4120482;

The show also seems to want to become SYTYCD 2, or at least, steal that audience, the 18-25 demographic. As much as I love SYTYCD, DWTS' charm was that it was sorta hokey, sorta of-another-era, sorta self-indulgent with glitter and spray tan. It really is incredible to watch the metamorphosis of even someone with some dance background become a dancer. Season 11's cast, the use of current pop hits more than usual, the music guests, the introduction of contemporary dance routines on results' shows, the underuse of the pros to dance pro-ballroom numbers leads me to think that in the next 2-3 years the more traditional, older ballroom pros will phase out and be replaced by younger dancers who choreograph ballroom-hybrid routines.

---

If that happens I will actually be tuning out. I don't like the SYTYCD dance stuff much, so I don't watch it ever. I also generally fast forward through "modern" dance stuff on DWTS. It's not my thing. But I'm drawn to the ballroom stuff. If it starts going the wrong way that would make me tune out when nothing else ever has.

Bristol's facebook reply to Margaret Cho is obnoxious....as IF anyone would believe that Bristol actually composed such sentences!! I keep thinking that Bristol and the Palins cannot look any WORSE, and then another ridiculous showing appears from Alaska -- does the cold temperature REALLY freeze brain cells??

They certainly have enough money to hire decent advisors to avoid such embarrassment -- what then, exactly, are they doing with all of Sarah's cash??

The real kicker in that FB post is the tacky and ultimately lame lesbian joke at the end, which involves K.D. Lang and the Indigo Girls, who Bristol is too young to even know about.

Bristol's ghostwriter is too lazy to even try and sound like her. It's just pathetic.