DWTS

Who knew that Dancing with the Stars cohost, Samantha Harris, is ripped with a six pack?

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Len Goodman, you are one crafty old chap! I have been blind to your shenanigans on how you manipulate the vote as the Head Judge on the Dancing with the Stars. Very devious, very simple, but very effective.

For those of you who don’t know Len Goodman, he’s the Head Judge of DWTS and the traditionalist ballroom dancer amongst the other judges, Carrie Ann Inaba and Bruno Tonioli. But don’t be fooled by his age. He is like Jedi Master Yoda who you don’t want to face in combat/competition or else get whooped on.

Like Yoda’s strong mind tricks, Len Goodman is a master of reverse psychology and easily gets fans to vote for the dancers he thinks should be in the DWTS finals. All Len has to do is provide negative comments to his favorite dancers, rile up the fans, and watch as the people defend the chastised dancers with their votes, ensuring their passage to the next round. Don’t like the fact that Lance Bass wasn’t wearing shoes? Lance and Lacey’s ticket to Week 8. Give Brooke Burke an 8 when Carrie and Bruno give her 10’s? Brooke and Derek Hough are guaranteed to move on. Comment about Warren’s footwork, but he still moves on.

The dancers in danger are the ones who Len has some good words for. Guys like Maurice Greene who pleasantly surprised Len in Week 8 but then was dismissed, and Cody Linley who Len talks about improving throughout the season. These words of encouragement are lukewarm fodder for the fans that don’t do much to generate public votes.

So sneaky! I love it!

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On the 8th week of Dancing with the Stars, Olympic sprinter Maurice Greene was eliminated after repeated scores of 8. I think someone didn’t explain the rules of the competition very well to Maurice. Maurice, unlike track meets, it’s better to get the high numbers for your performances. It’s not like running 60 meters in a mere 6.39 seconds.

With Maurice’s departure goes former DWTS champion Cheryl Burke who’s been fighting controversy over her weight gain. Cheryl, you look just fine!

One of my favorites for Week 8 is Warren Sapp’s Spy Hunter-ish tango. Once I heard the music, I had a feeling the dance would be good.

My next favorite is Cody Linley’s foxtrot, well the intro segment to his foxtrot with Edyta. You see, Cody was bummed being in the bottom two in Week 7, so his teenage friends came by the studio to cheer him up… and bask in the radiance of his new temporary partner. Around the 48 second mark, watch his friends ogle Edyta then all volunteer to cop a feel dance with Edyta.

Only four couples remain – a Super Bowl champion, a teeny bopper, a gay pop star, and a TV host/model. Who’ll bring home the mirrorball trophy?

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On the week when DWTS Judge Carrie Ann Inaba instructed Susan Lucci to stand up and positively profess her dancing success, the daytime soap star was positively eliminated from the competition. Kinda brutal, but it was her time. Maybe it was all my positive thinking about Susan needing to go that did the trick? Even with small improvements each week, Susan clearly wasn’t in the top tier of dancers.

Who had the best performances in Week 7? Lance and Brooke (again). Lance’s barefoot rumba riled up traditionalist Head Judge Len Goodman while Brooke Burke got the first perfect score of Season 7.

In Week 8, the stars will dance solo along with a normal routine paired with their professionals. Lots of gimmicks this season – scored group dances, team dances, and now solos. Five celebrities remain – Cody, Maurice, Warren, Lance, and Brooke, but the only female left is leading the pack.

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Every week, I post a YouTube video of one or more of the Dancing with the Stars performances. By far, the ones with the most views are of Lance Bass and Lacey Schwimmer. Lance and Lacey dances about double the amount of views of other posted performances. Maurice Greene and Cheryl Burke are no match, Warren Sapp and Kym Johnson get some attention, and Mark Ballas and Kim Kardashian get outviewed by his dad, Corky Ballas, and the now-eliminated Cloris Leachman.

The only couple that comes anywhere close is Derek Hough and Brooke Burke, but only for their Too Erotic Samba. Wonder if this viewership is any indication of who will win the DWTS Mirror Ball trophy?

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What a funked up Dancing with the Stars in the sixth week of competition. Must be cause Halloween is coming up, but what a strange show. First off, Head Judge Len Goodman was no where to be seen, replaced by the Lord of the Dance, Michael Flatley. This rookie judge had some questionable scores, contradicting Carrie Ann and Bruno. And what was with Carrie Ann and Bruno’s bickering the entire night?

The plague of injuries continues to haunt Season 7. Brooke Burke’s foot is jacked up limiting her mobility on the night she performed the rumba, the most sensual of the dances. The Lord was going majestic on Ms. Wild On giving this performance a 10 to Bruno and Carrie Ann’s 8. I thought Cody Linley and Julianne Hough’s samba was good but the judges didn’t agree. And now Julianne is going under the knife to remove her appendix for what I thought I heard was endometriosis? Cody will dance on with the return of hotness personified, Edyta Sliwinska.

Break through Maurice Greene reverted back to mediocre material. Cloris Leachman is approaching the judges’ death knell with substantially lower scores. This week all 5’s across the board. I can’t believe jokester Warren Sapp was feared in the NFL.

Lance Bass is back from being in the bottom two last week. My pick for this week.

And lastly, even though Susan Lucci showed signs of life out on the dance floor, she should be eliminated just for her performance in the group hip hop. This New Yorker proved that hip hop is definitely a West Coast thing, looking lost and awkward while trying to bust the funk, yo. Erica Kane, you got to be steppin’!

Len Goodman, where ever you are, please come back and stop the funk.

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Week 5 of Dancing with the Stars was unusual with its new dances and special recap episode (which came in very handy). This week’s dances included West Coast Swing, Hustle, Salsa, and Jitterbug. Warren Sapp and Kym Johnson’s Hustle was highly entertaining, but Maurice Greene’s Salsa with Cheryl Burke was the breakthrough performance of the evening.

Toni Braxton is singing another sad love song, being the semi-surprising elimination at the halfway point of the competition. Yes, Cloris is still hanging in there.

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After Week 4 of Dancing with the Stars, the competition is all Brooke, Lance, and Cloris(?!). Even after a too erotic samba (I guess there’s such a thing), Brooke Burke is still the leading lady, and Lance Bass is the only guy that can catch her. Even though Cloris Leachman won’t win the mirror ball trophy based on her dancing technique, she is disrupting the votes with her form of painful entertainment.

Everyone else (so far) is just carnage for the Brooke/Lance finals showdown. Rocco DiSpirito and Susan Lucci are soon to go. Unless Maurice Greene can really put things together, he’s not far behind. Who knows, Cloris may outlast these three.

Then there’s Toni Braxton, Cody Linley, and Warren Sapp. All three have potential but not enough to beat the top tier. Toni moves well, but I just don’t see her at the finish line. Cody has evaporated the advantage of Julianne Hough. The youngest professional dancer, Julianne had been paired with older dudes in past seasons, creating a fantasy of old guy and young hottie. Not so with Cody who’s even younger than Julianne. Now, this age thing is just icky. I love to watch the joy of Warren Sapp, and it’s amazing to see this huge guy who can’t easily fit through a doorway but can walk on his hands. But is he dancing elite?

My favorite performances from this week are: Brooke Burke’s erotic samba, Cloris doing the tango, and the goth Lacey and Lance.

Brooke Burke and Derek Hough’s too erotic samba with Brooke’s wardrobe adjustment at the 1:48 mark.

Cloris Leachman doing the tango that only she can do.

Lance and Lacey go gothic to Disturbia.

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Only in Week 3 of Season 7 of Dancing with the Stars and already there’s some drama. Misty May-Treanor had to leave the competition due to a serious Achilles injury needing surgery. She won’t be back to the show this year but may make a cameo or even return for next season. This also means that her partner, Maksim Chmerkovskiy, is out. Even though Maks is gone for this year, he performed the jive choreographed for Misty with special guest Edyta Sliwinska.

With this unplanned exit, all dancers were safe this week, giving a second chance to Rocco DiSpirito who would have been eliminated under normal circumstances after receiving the lowest overall score. Rocco’s time is up, and he may very well be gone after this new opportunity though I can’t see how Cloris Leachman continues to move on. Like I said, watching Cloris dance is painfully entertaining.

Brooke Burke is starting to distance herself from the competition. Can you believe she got the first 10 score of the season and from Head Judge Len Goodman? Here’s their acclaimed Viennese Waltz.

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What’s this? Dancing with the Stars contestant Misty May-Treanor may be out of the competition due to an injury requiring surgery?

What’s DWTS and Maks to do?

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Season seven of Dancing with the Stars is in its second week, and there are still too many performers with 11 couples remaining. Already in Week 1, we saw two stars eliminated with Jeff Ross (damn, no more Edyta!) and Ted McGliney going home.

Here’s my quick rundown so far. Toni Braxton has heart disease but is out there with solid performances. No wow (yet) though. Rocco DiSpirito has been hit or miss. His time is up soon. Lance Bass and Lacey Schwimmer have fresh choreography, but can they win over traditionalist Len Goodman? Here’s an example of their interesting perspective with their paso doble this week to Katy Perry’s I Kissed a Girl. I like it!

Maurice Greene is having fun but is mid round material at best. Mother of four, Brooke Burke, is still wild on. She looks great in every sense and is the clear leader for this season. Kim, Cloris, and Susan have all got to go. Soon. Cloris Leachman is painfully entertaining – let’s leave it at that. Susan Lucci will not win this year’s competition. Kim Kardashian continues to be a tease on the dance floor with everyone’s expectations so high with Kim unable to deliver. Here is Kim’s unhot mambo from Week 1 to Sir Mix-A-Lot’s Baby Got Back.

Youngster Cody Linley must be getting his jollies with Julianne Hough slinking all over him. Can he overcome the distraction of his hormones? Olympian Misty May-Treanor looks frightening at times but has the right physical and mental attributes. Warren Sapp surprises me with his joviality. Would never have thought this NFL Pro Bowler was not a meanie. His Matrix-like paso doble with Kym Johnson this week was pretty mean though.

See ya Rocco…

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Season Seven of Dancing with the Stars is debuting on September 22, and the star lineup has been announced today. Hmmm, looks a little gimmicky if you ask me.

After seven years on the air, this popular series may be having problems outdoing itself. In order to hold the interest of its fans and keep up its appeal, the show’s producers might be relying on some gimmicks. Let’s take a look at this year’s stars.

1. Lance Bass
2. Toni Braxton
3. Brooke Burke
4. Rocco DiSpirito
5. Maurice Greene
6. Kim Kardashian
7. Cloris Leachman
8. Cody Linley
9. Susan Lucci
10. Misty May-Treanor
11. Ted McGinley
12. Jeff Ross
13. Warren Sapp

First off, there are 13 stars, the most ever. In the past, there was an even number of male and female star performers. Season seven features 7 guys and 6 gals. A little odd that there are more guys since there have been more male winners in the competition. Kristi Yamaguchi finally broke this string of male winners last season.

Lance Bass of *NSYNC caused an initial uproar asking to be paired with a male dancing professional. Inspired by the Gutt’s mango, the gay singer’s request has been denied. I don’t think America would have been ready. Gimmick #1.

Toni Braxton has had health issues of late, but could DWTS relaunch her once stellar career? Un-break my heart with Gimmick #2.

Brooke Burke continues to tap the MILF-izzle started by Jennie Garth in Season Five. A mother of four, former host of Wild On, voted one of the sexiest women in the world, and paired with Derek Hough. She get chance of winning if she’s a decent dancer.

Props to Rocco DiSpirito for crossing over from the culinary world. This renowned chef has been on Top Chef several times, but can he cook with partner Karina Smirnoff on the dance floor? I personally don’t see this combination working out.

Olympic sprinter Maurice Greene is fast. Hopefully his stay on the show with Cheryl Burke isn’t fast. There’s that Olympian angle again – Gimmick #3.

ABC is lucky that Kim Kardashian has a reality television show with her family. Otherwise, how else could they justify a big booty, porn star on the show? Gimimck #4.

Cloris Leachman is 82 years old. Enough said. Gimmick #5. She is paired with Corky Ballas, the father of Mark Ballas. Gimmick #6.

Cody Linley is the youngest DWTS competitor ever and is on the Hannah Montana show. He’s dancing with Julianne Hough who now has a partner younger than she is. Gimmicks galore! Gimmick #7.

Has Susan Lucci finally won a Daytime Emmy? I thought she would have been the elder states-person role, but Cloris has that one.

Olympic beach volleyball player Misty May-Treanor will now be wearing outfits less revealing than her beach attire.

I’ll give Ted McGinley Gimmick #8 just because he’s been around and was on Happy Days and Revenge of the Nerds. That and he might have taken Tom Selleck’s older, hunky spot on the show. What happened to Magnum PI?

I don’t know who comedian Jeff Ross is.

Super Bowl winner Warren Sapp is a huge dude. Don’t get smushed, Kym Johnson. Gimmick #9 cause Sapp’s decked out in Jordan wear.

I have a weak mind susceptible to Jedi mind tricks and simple gimmicks so I eagerly await the three-night premiere starting on Monday, September 22!

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