Frustrated with the show tonight. I am so tired of watching the judges week after week harshly berate & belittle the contestants. The whole idea of this show is to watch
inexperienced (well, some have a little experience) 'stars' grow & blossom in their dancing skills, while competing with others in the same position.
Most of these stars (not all are 'stars' in my book ;o) are tossed into a life they are unfamiliar with regarding professional dancing. They are removed from their families for extended periods of time. They're basically thrown into a dancing studio, for exhausting hour after hour, while they are taught a routine they've likely never seen before, let alone danced. Yes, it's a competition & yes, obviously they agreed to participate, but I don't necessarily think they signed up for much of the harshness they receive.
Some people are just naturally good dancers. Like me. Heehee. ;o) They have natural rhythm & dancing comes easy for them. But some aren't natural dancers. Many aren't. And I feel like the judges lose sight of that entirely too often. This is not a
professional dance competition. The non-professionals dance
with the professionals. It irks me that many of the contestants give their all, more than their all, heck, they give all they've got, only to be completely smacked down because they didn't do good enough. When in reality, for them, they did. They absolutely did.
I don't know why I'm posting this. Maybe it's because I love dancing & Dancing with the Stars is my most favorite show. Maybe it's because I've noticed this unnecessary pattern for quite some time now & tonight when Maks finally had had enough, he kind of confirmed what I've thought for some time. And I guess it's because I care about people, & I see so many of the 'unpopular' contestants get their confidence & enthusiasm ripped right out from under them. You can see it on their faces as they intensely listen to the judges, while they offer their opinions/insight with little to no empathy. Doesn't always happen, but it does happen often. I fully understand that some contestants don't nor can't really match those who can naturally dance. But for those who don't dance as well, there has to be a more appropriate and/or acceptable way to commend them for their efforts, & express & validate all their wonderful moves. Their dances may not be 100% perfect, but good glory, these people are giving their all to improve weekly.
I hope the contestants who participate are paid well. Because when they leave, other than the amazing friendships they develop while there, their DWTS paycheck is probably just about the only thing they have left. I'm sure many of them leave with pretty damaged/hurt feelings - especially on competition nights. Maybe the show should offer to let the contestants keep their outfits. That should help. :)
I was proud of Maks tonight. Because it was not scripted, I think he fumbled for words & didn't necessarily use the right ones. Who does in a heated situation such as that. That said, I think everyone got his point & agreed. I can only imagine how tough it is to witness your non-professional dance partner work so hard week after week, only to ultimately hear hurtful comments with little to no praise. At some point, the defense mechanism has got to kick in. And I think that's what happened tonight. Nonetheless, kudos to Maks!
All this to say - there has to be a better way. And I hope they discover it before many stars begin to decline the invitation to participate & say 'no thanks'. I've already read that the show struggles to find participants & that's a shame.
On my old blog (will be imported to this blog one day, promise. :), I used to blog about DWTS frequently. Maybe I'll start again. I used to blog about anything & everything & I enjoyed my blog more. But in the meantime, here's a clip of one of my favorite dances to date. Remember? (Be sure to scroll down & click the music off or you'll hear two musics at once. :) Btw, I sure do miss Carson Kressley. Loved him & his humor!
It's not a secret I ♥ celebrity gossip. Should I start blogging about the Kardashians, too? Who knows!
Happy Tuesday! Ü
