Access Hollywood interviewed Hope about the new shoot for ESPN’s Body Issue. She discusses what it was like “behind the scenes” nude for 8 hours shooting the cover. She also addresses the criticism on the negative feedback she’s received on “Dancing with the Stars” for having a muscular frame. “Atheletes are beautiful.” She talks of next week’s dance too. Much more below…
I'm a fashion and music nut....and I have always loved dancing too of any kind. Dancing With The Stars seems to have this way of bringing all of those things together. Derek Hough (one of my favorite dancers) said at a recent Get Healthy event that ‘dancing’ is an outward expression of what is going on inside you. He says that in some ways, everyone dances and it's so true. To TPTB, how about this song for next season's theme song? Robin G Ft. Wilunleashed - A Good Time (Original) // Download High Quality
They were fun. Michael Strahan is a big dude lol.
I thought she was terrific! And I think it’s a shame that she gets criticized for not being a foofy girly-girl. DWTS seems to be the scariest thing she’s ever done – it’s WAY out of her ken and dammit, she’s doing pretty fine, if you ask me. No, I don’t think she’ll win – I would like her to get to the finals, but even that’s iffy, but she’s a GREAT role model for not only girls who are into sports, but all girls!
I totally agree Evaine. I think she’s beautiful and there is nothing wrong with having an athletic body.
Evaine: “… but she’s a GREAT role model for not only girls who are into sports, but all girls!”
+1!! I hope she makes into the top 3 as well and there is a lot of potential there.
I really liked this Access Hollywood clip. It’s a good reminder of who/what Hope really is, and this DWTS and entertainment media world (versus sports media world) she’s suddenly been thrust into, where the beauty definitions/standards are so different from the professional sports world and even the regular world. I love the fact that she enjoys who she is and what she does, and accepts herself. I have to admit that I was guilty of forgetting that in the whole DWTS environment. Good on you, Hope!
Sandra, you wrote exactly what I’ve been thinking all along. She is a beautiful woman without having 2 hours of hair and make-up before she comes out. I hope she stays on the show for many weeks to come and even win…why not!
I just wish people would give her an opportunity to see her for the athlete that she is and not for this fake/sexy image some people want her to be. Femininity comes in different shapes and forms. She is all woman to me.
And i agree with all of you. Hope is a lovely woman, and needs not make herself over into someone’s else’s idea of feminine pulchritude.
Well said All!!!!
And doesn’t she have the prettiest “eyes”??
I agree with everything said above, but to be fair, the DWTS judges have never criticized Hope’s body. Quite the opposite – Carrie Ann especially always tells her how gorgeous she is. They just want her to be more in touch with her femininity and power-down a bit when she dances. It doesn’t have to be either/or — she can be both strong AND graceful if she will allow herself to be.
She does indeed have beautiful eyes, Vogue, long and tilted. They are her most striking feature. To me, she has a rather Slavic look.
I think Hope is a natural beauty and she also looked amazing all dolled up for DWTS.
The illustrious judges are calling her out for not being Hollywood fluffy-feminine, but I don’t think Maks is trying to make her into that. If I remember correctly, he said in an early interview that he wasn’t going to change her body. He *is* trying to bring out the “sexy”, but I think he does appreciate her athlete’s body. The costume choices he makes for her show off her athletic figure. The cha-cha costume wasn’t the strappy, fringy, typically girly cha-cha outfit and it was an aggressive cha-cha. Of course the music choice might have had some influence on that, it wasn’t a light, fluffly piece.
I totally agree, Cidra!
What Maks also is worrying about is undoing all the soccer training her body has undergone. There are ways her body moves on instinct that make her the great goalie she is. Muscle memory and all. And Maks would be the LAST person who would want to screw that up at this point in her athletic career.
I loved her costume. I liked that it was different, bold, and edgy (almost in a Lady Gaga way) right down to her stockings…and it totally matched their dance which I loved too.
Shep, I agree how she has a Slavic look (which was the perfect match to Maks physically). Just beautiful. She could have been a model easy.
Shep I agree…the judges are calling her out on her dancing not her body. I am VERY curious to see what a foxtrot to Toystory is going to look like! Can’t wait for Monday.
Hope in the top 3?? You do realize there are only THREE people in the Top 3, right?? You think Hope can get past Chynna, Ricki and JR?? Maybe if Chynna is a shocking elimination. Or Ricki or JR. But if all three of them stay in the comp, I don’t see how Hope can get there.
I have to watch the show again, buy my sense is that a lot of you (in defense of Hope) are making this whole issue into something it never was. I don’t think Hope’s actual body has been criticized, only her movement through the dance – and frankly, that DOES need work. It’s not like she’s the perfect dancer being picked on unreasonably. She does seem to be muscling through the dance – hell, I was pretty sure she was LEADING. That’s not the same thing as picking on her body type or her femininity. I dunno – I just think this discussion is not really reflecting reality. Perhaps we should all watch the show again?
Toni, yes! can’t wait to see how Maks manages that one! I’ve never seen the Toy Story movies so I looked up some dance scenes on YT. Woody & Jesse’s was definitely a free style
– and Buzz & Jesse did a very hot tango. The foxtrot should be very amusing challenge!
Oh, and Karina was so mysterious about what she has planned for JR.
Vogue – I’m so glad you liked Hope’s cha-cha costume. I’ve seen so many negative comments about it that I was afraid to say I liked it, too!
Heidi, I agree that it will be hard for Hope and Maks to make the finals if we put them up against the “Big Three” on dance skills; but we know that’s not how it works. Of the “Big Three”, I think Chynna is the most vulnerable to the shocking elimination, and I could see Hope grabbing her spot if the fans are voting.
I took your advice and watched their dance again. No, she’s definitely not being picked on unreasonably. While some of the cha-cha was fine, the walk (chasses?? sorry Courtney, don’t know the proper dance term) was scary bad and the bent knees have to be addressed, all of which the judges pointed out. That said, I do think the judges can fixate on early flaws (e.g., Kurt Warner’s “frying pan” hands, which did improve although were never great). When that happens, they focus on that one area of concern and seem to overlook improvement in the overall performance. They might be headed that direction with Hope and her “muscling”.
I think the problem is that to hope her physique and movement are directly related. If you watch some of her sport related interviews, she says numerous times that she plays the best and moves the best on the field when her body/physique looks the best. So, while she is very comfortable with her physique moving on the soccer field, she is not comfortable with her physique moving on he dance floor. So, when she hears criticisms about her movement she cannot help but connect it to looks, because that is what she has been trained to do for her career. in her world, you move the best when you are in the best shape and your body looks the best.
So, while i think carrie ann’s comments were RIGHT and innocent, Hope cannot help but think the two are directly correlated because that is what has been instilled in her. hopefully, she will learn to separated the two quickly in this competition, so she can improve.
yo, good comment
I don’t believe the judges are being mean or anything when they say this stuff about her needing to make her movements more feminine and the like, unlike the abuse they heaped on Ralph last season, however, it still comes across, to some people, as a shot against her not being ‘enough’ of a woman to be on the dance floor unless she becomes girly-girly. Sensitive? Maybe, yes, I’ll cop to it, but in this day and age of body image and looks being put under a microscope I guess I would like the judges to find other words than feminine and ladylike. Especially if they want to be encouraging.
And for what it’s worth, it’s not just the judges either that do it. It’s reporters, commenters, blogs, etc… that do it as well.
And you know… the only one I’m sure of being in the finale, is JR. It’s one crazy season!!
“And you know… the only one I’m sure of being in the finale, is JR. It’s one crazy season!!”
I agree with that one. I’m not even 100% sure about J.R. Most probably he will be there but he could suffer from always being the same: always a good dancer, always positive, always out there to inspire and share his message… it could become one-sided and boring quite soon.
Chynna could go literally either way. Early exit or all the way. I think it depends a lot on Tony as well as on her.
Ricki… I don’t know. I have a feeling she is not resonating as well with the audience as one would expect. She has Derek’s choreography skills on her side which is a huge plus but I do think it comes with a price. They (Derek and his partners) become so focused on expressing themselves via dance that the women he dances with often don’t come across as relatable or really nice or confident on their own merit. It’s more like a good business partnership than “real” (in dwts terms, which I know is rather ironic) partnership.
Cidra, the way I see it going right now is, when there are five people left (Carson, Hope, Chynna, Ricki and JR – my guess), Carson will knock Hope out of her spot UNLESS she scores the same as Chynna – then he might knock Chynna out.
Of course, Carson could wear out his welcome before then. Hard to say. I just think Hopes rode to the final is very tough.
It may be a “crazy season” but it ain’t really THAT crazy. It’s not that crazy, IMO, that Kristin got sent home. Not at all. It’s not crazy that Chaz is still there. None of this situation is NEW – only the people are.
It strikes me as funny that people worry about Ricki because of how Derek always is with his partners – helloooo. He’s won three times, remember?? I’m not saying that he’s going to win this time at all – I still think it’s JR’s to lose. But his style and his way of going about the show clearly WORKS.
I think she’s several steps ahead of Chynna and Hope in the audience department, that’s for sure. She’s not dancing in a vacuum, remember. You might not think she’s resonating with the audience, but who is? JR and Carson?? Great – that still leaves two spots in the final 4 and viewer votes only account for HALF.
It will be interesting to see how the judges treat Carson as the competition progresses with fewer couples. Will they suddenly “turn” on him and start insisting that he show good technique (kind of like they did with Ralph) in spite of his being entertaining? If the judges take this tack in a few weeks, then Carson could be out. But we’ve seen not very good dancers win the MBT before (Donny Osmond, anyone?).
Actually, I don’t think Donny was a bad dancer at all – he did pretty well (far better than Carson, so far). Donny just paled in comparison to Mya – but he had a huge fanbase and was brasher than her. Donny’s problem wasn’t that he was a bad dancer, he was annoying as hell.
I see Carson as this season’s Kyle Massey – The Entertainer. Plus, I think he’s got a more substantial fan-base of his own than Kyle did; and logically, Chaz’s core voters will switch to Carson when (not if) Chaz is eliminated. Ergo, I can imagine a scenario where Carson makes the final 3. Having Anna as his partner is certainly no hindrance, she’s popular and we’re seeing a really fun new side to her this season.
Ricki may want to be S13′s Kirstie, but wouldn’t Kirstie’s fans be more likely to vote for MakSolo? I’m posing that questions to the Demo Experts here. It seems like Maks was so nurturing with Kirstie that he may have won over a lot of that middle-aged woman demo that votes heavily (no pun intended!).
I don’t think Ricki was counting on any votes from Kirstie’s fans, I think she was being metaphorical. She was referring to the physical and emotional transition that Kirstie went through.
What you’re not remembering is that Kirstie didn’t have the juice to win. And she’s not on this season. Will they vote for Hope? Maybe. Possibly. Unless they like someone else better. It hasn’t helped Mark, having had Shawn and Kristi. And what about Derek? Will Derek get all of Jennifer’s fans? Or Nicole’s fans?? Who knows? Maks isn’t the ONLY pro to have gained fans due to past partners. And it’s NOT just votes, even though the voters often create wacky seeming things – there are still judges scores to be considered. They do count, just as much as viewer votes do. If they get down to six and Hope doesn’t improve, I don’t know that she has the support to get past someone like Carson, let alone JR, Ricki and Chynna. It will actually depend greatly on how she scores compared to Nancy, Chaz, Carson this week and the next. Will she have a breakthrough and move up to same level as Chynna, Ricki and JR?? Or will she continue to be middle of the pack? If she does the former, then obviously she increases her odds, but if she does latter??
It also matters that JR, Ricki and Chynna continue to get good scores. Out of all of them, I think JR and Ricki can afford ONE bad week. But I don’t think there’s anyone on the show this season that can afford a Jennifer style couple week slump and I think that’s ESPECIALLY true of Hope and Chynna. I would even worry if JR or Ricki fell to the bottom of the pack for a week. Scores DO matter.
Shep, I’m not sure I see the inevitability of Chaz fans switching allegiance to Carson when Chaz is eliminated. Are you thinking that Chaz fans are the kind who vote for the “underdog” and Carson will take over that role once Chaz leaves so he’ll get those votes?
Heidi, You’re bang on when you say these next two weeks will reveal how good or bad Hope’s chances are. It’ll be interesting to see if being the last one saved this week will have her working harder to make it to the next level. Unfortunately, it sounds like she’s got a lot of out-of-town commitments this week which could seriously cut into much needed rehearsal time.
Thanks for the thoughts, Heidi. This being my first season watching the show on TV, I don’t have a real good feel for how the demo action plays out .. beyond what I read here and have observed by watching previous seasons on the ‘net. I do find it all fascinating, though.
And that’s why it’s crazy, ’cause it could go so many ways. A small, single thing could end up being a HUGE deal. Other than JR, who I think is way ahead of the pack, there are so many people with so many diverse pluses and minuses that each week is a crapshoot.
Cidra, regarding Chaz/Carson voters, I’m thinking more of the LGBT community which may be more drawn to the show this year and perhaps more inclined to vote. However, I didn’t mean to suggest it’s inevitable, just logical.
Almost any of the contestants could make a case for themselves as the “underdog” in one way or another.
Well, I don’t really agree with you Evaine. I don’t think this season is much different than any other – yes, there are a lot of things that can happen, but at the end of the day I think Ricki and JR are the two who have the most solid footing. I was qualifying my theories to include judges scores – something that no one else seems to be doing. If JR has a disastrous dance and falls to the bottom, I don’t think he’s any more guaranteed of safety than Ricki is if she falls – but BOTH of them would have better odds than Hope or Chynna if they fall to the bottom of the pack.
I don’t think ANY of that is “crazy” really – it’s business as usual.
I also don’t believe that Carson is a shoo in to get Chaz’ votes. There’s just as likely to be a backlash. For example, I saw ALL kinds of hate towards Derek on twitter the other night because Mark and Kristin were eliminated. In WHAT freakin’ universe does this make sense? Answer: no universe at all. Derek didn’t stop people from voting for Kristin – on the contrary, he’s been pimping her somewhat regularly. So, the same silly sorts of people who blame Derek from Mark getting the boot, there will be some who blame Carson when Chaz goes. I don’t think there’s any predicting where those voters will go (not to mention it’s kinda like saying since I love Derek I will always vote for blondes) or if they will even vote at all.
Shep, We’ll have to see if the long-timers weigh in on this. They “get” the demographics of this show way better than I do. I definitely see the LGBT point you’re making (it’s kind of the elephant in the room this season, LOL). While it seems logical, I think it’s really difficult to know if people in a particular demo (LGBT, Women, Hispanics) really vote as a bloc. Politicians often make the mistake of assuming that people who are identified as a group use that “identity” as the driving force behind their voting decisions.
I guess we’ll just have to agree to disagree, Heidi.
I firmly believe that even inf JR has a disastrous dance and gets low-balled in the scores, his fanbase will keep him in. And he’s the only one I’d say that for. Most seasons, there have been frontrunners, middle runners, and bottom runners. This season it just seems to me that they all could be interchangeable in any given week. And I am taking into consideration the judges scores – including the fact that there’s often not a lot of difference between them – when I form my opinion. And that’s all it is, an opinion. 
Well, I guess I was on the right track, or at least Heidi and I are on the same page vis-a-vis the liklihood of Carson getting Chaz’s votes once Chaz is eliminated.
Wouldn’t it be a hoot if after all this discussion Carson goes before Chaz? I don’t see that happening, but still it’s a funny thought. Or maybe I’ve just got a warped sense of humor.
Heidi, as far as Derek and his success on the show go- of course I agree with you. He has done something right to win 3 times. In fact he has done a lot of things right.
Why I’m writing about his business like relationship with partners being an issue now? Because I have a feeling that the show itself has evolved.
In the beginning it was much more about great dancing. Season 12 was about good dancing but with a high focus on celebrity/pro relationships. I think the viewers are a little bored of seeing great dancing without interesting stories to follow, intricate chemistries in a partnership or just being able to relate to the celebrity.
Hines and Kirstie beat the best dancer (Chelsea) by far. At least I presume it was so.
Season 11, granted- the best dancer won but 2nd and 3rd were respectively Kyle and Bristol. Not the best dancers by a mile.
I think it could be a trend on the rise: interesting people getting further and further in the competition.
I could also have to eat my words of course.
hmm, Cidra, the analogy to politicians is interesting. Going for the identity vote works more often than not, and that’s why they persist. Sometimes, the expected identification is over-or-under-estimated, but rarely is it completely off. Of course, as always, the real test is who actually goes to the polls as a result of this or that identity appeal.
Something I’ve noticed about Carson besides his obvious ability to entertain is that he really connects with people – all kinds of people. And he’s truly accepted for who he is, not just tolerated. He’s a much better representative for LGBTs than Chaz. I’m sorry to say it, but Chaz is becoming a bit of an embarrassment on DWTS. The poor guy can’t dance, period, whether because of his size, injury or lack of musicality. I see no reason for the kind of jealousy that afflicts Mark’s fans toward Derek.
That’s my opinion and I’m sticking to it until proven wrong.
But as we say, it’s ONLY my opinion!
Sass, I don’t think any of that is new – people have been complaining about it since season one. Did they not have a dance off over it between kelly and whatshis name? Ty got to the semis over lil Kim. Kelly got to the finals over Joanna. Donny beat mya. Sabrina was eliminated in week six. The list goes on.
And I feel like I point these things out every single season.
Shep, I agree that Chaz should be eliminated because he is pretty clearly the least proficient dancer. However, he may still have a lot of appeal to enough people who vote. Guess we’ll have to wait and see
There’s no question that Carson engages people in a way Chaz doesn’t. Carson has that “people personality” that just draws you in. I think they’re both great representatives for the LGBT community, just in a different way, and maybe Carson is a better fit for this venue.
Heidi, Yes you do point this out every season, but maybe the audience changes, or we do a core dump at the end of each season, or folks just like their pet theories and refuse to let go of them. Methinks you’re fighting an uphill battle here.
I dunno. When I look at the results of all seasons on wiki what I see in terms of “not so good dancers who got to the top 3″ is:
First 4 seasons no one. Season 5 Marie Osmond but I don’t count it as success based on a charming personality (because of her fan base). Season 6 maybe Jason Taylor but I guess he got to the finals because all female viewers had the hots for him. So I’m not counting him as well.
Season 7, the first true charmer appears, Warren Sapp. And he was a master of his trade. Season 8 no one. Kelly O. in season 9 is my second choice for getting far on personality. Donny maybe but not really for reasons stated with Marie. And he was a decent dancer.
Season 10 no one. That was a crazy season, probably my least favorite one.
So I have 2 in the first ten seasons.
But in the last two there’s Kyle, Bristol and Kirstie. Partially even Hines although he was probably too good of a dancer to really fit the category. Something like Donny only much more likable.
By this I conclude that the importance of personality is on the rise.
Sasa, nothing personal
but I hope you’re wrong in your theory that the importance of personality is on the rise. That could become a deal breaker for me. It’s fine that personality plays some part in who fans vote for. My favorites aren’t always the very best dancer on the show, but they’re always among the best. I want the eventual MBT winner to have decent dance skills, not just a great personality or the best back story.
Well, if there is anything to my theory it is nevertheless clear that a person actually winning based on personality is not very probable. At least at this point. But those second and third spots… I could see them going to the Carsons of the world.
Cidra, for the record, I am only discussing the relative merits of Chaz or Carson “representing” in the context of DWTS and dancing. They are both lovely human beings.
I think Hope’s girly side is coming out very nicely in this video, the antithesis of the demeanor of the photo shoot. Watch it again and watch her body language. A bit shy but still sure of herself, and the movement of her upper body is certainly feminine. Now if she could just get this into her dance! Also, I think she is really pretty here, and I haven’t so far on the show. This seems like it’s probably the “real” Hope.
Sasa, I’m just going to hope it’s a temporary abberation. On the other hand, long-running shows evolve to suit the tastes of the majority of their fans or to “keep up with the Joneses”.
Shep, No worries, I understood you were speaking in terms of the show. So was I. I think Carson’s flamboyant extroverted personality fits DWTS better than Chaz’s quieter, more serious nature (although Chaz has also showed what a good sport he is and that he’s got a nice, wry sense of humor). You’re right, they’re both lovely guys.
Cidra, I think you and sasa are looking for alternative explanations where none are necessary.
It’s ALWAY been a popularity contest.
Sasa – people have fanbases BECAUSE of their personalities and/or talents and I don’t think you can so easily dismiss her – you don’t get to just randomly throw out data and call it a theory. And you very conveniently left out Ty Murray in Season 8 who made it to fourth place. Steve O also made it a ways, being the 6th one eliminated- which was 5 weeks longer than he should have been there. Season 10?? Had THREE ringers and Niecy Nash (not a great dancer) made it to 5th place). You also neglect to mention that VERY good dancers get eliminated too early on a regular basis. I don’t think your theory holds up at all. I count at least 4 people in the first ten seasons that got farther than they should have based on personality. Kyle doesn’t count because he could actually DANCE. Kirstie and Bristol – yes. Donny, eh, he was also a good dancer but with the same huge (only huger) fanbase as Marie – not sure why you throw her out but not him. Seems like a pretty even split to me.
First of all I clearly stated I was only looking at the data of finalists. If you type dwts into google and go to wiki’s dwts u.s. page that’s what you get. I didn’t do a master thesis on it.
And I also said I’m throwing both Donny and Marie out because of their pre-existing fan base. Only the Osmonds were put in this special category, no one else. I’m not American and I have no personal knowledge of the extent of their fan base but from what I read, mostly here on Puredwts, they indeed both had a hefty support regardless of their actual accomplishments on the show.
Kyle COULD dance but let’s face it- it never can look very professional when you’re overweight. Even if you do the most gorgeous extension or whatever it looks clumsy compared to looking at that same movement done by someone in great shape. Without wanting to undermine him at all, I loved Kyle, he did at times look like a mini Warren Sapp (who is an absolute favorite of mine so again- that’s a good thing in my book but I have eyes and can see they looked funny at times when they were supposed to look serious).
Everyone else you mentioned was below 3rd spot.
Heidi, Guess, I’ll just thank my lucky stars that the celebs with the big fan bases have usually turned out to be decent dancers and keep my fingers crossed that continues.
Doesn’t matter where they place, Sasa – without taking into consideration the entire cast of a season, I don’t think you can reasonably claim that personality is on the rise. Perhaps it is easier in a Season 11 for a Bristol to do really well, when Jennifer is the only person with a serious fanbase that votes. Since Kyle could dance and was getting good scores, you can’t really say that it’s just his personality. Conversely, in a Season 10, when you have three very talented ringers, it’s going to be much more difficult for someone to advance to the finals base purely on personality. I think you’re eliminating people randomly and then making a claim – that personality is becoming more important – and that doesn’t consider all the myriad factors that go into whether someone is eliminated or not.
Well, I guess we agree then, because it wasn’t a claim on my part at all but a feeling and consequently a theory behind it.
So I’ll just repeat- I could be totally wrong. But the way the last couple of seasons went and taking into consideration that the producers hired some very emotion inducing celebrities this time around rather then singer/dancers, figure skaters and other various “expected to be good at dancing” folk, that hints to me how the tide could be turning more in the personalities is what people want to see direction. We’ll see how it goes.