DWTS Season 13, Week 5 – The Results (SPOILERS!!)
Well, the results are in….and we’ll leave a bit of white space so no one on twitter gets spoiled.
I don’t have much to say tonight. I’m VERY sad to finally be right. Sadder than I thought I would be. That’s right – Carson and Anna have departed the ballroom. :::sniff:::
And they are pimping Hope and David, possibly at Ricki and JR’s expense.
Other than that, good show tonight. Good to see mark, Tristan and Derek on the floor, and not just Val and more Val. Oh, and I have a straight girl crush on Kym. π
boourns.
So sad with the results tonight π That would happen to us, Heidi gets it right when it’s someone alot of us DON’T want going home LOL. I honestly would’ve picked Carson to stay over Hope and David in a heartbeat.
Gawd, I’ve been watching the X factor and DWTS results at the same time. Talk about drama and intense!! π―
Anyway, I am so sad it was Carson to go tonight!! I was really hoping he’d be able to entertain us for a few more weeks. π He had to be the most entertaining celebrity to have ever danced on this show. I hope this isn’t the last we of see him.
You’re right, Heidi. It is sad to see Carson go, but dance-wise, it was time. The clip they showed of Hope after her dance backstage whining did not endear her to me, so they can pimp her all they want, but I won’t be the only one who is turned off by that.
Nice to see how Tristan can dance with a pro. I’d forgotten. Loved Derek and Mark tonight with Charm. I also loved Kelly Clarkson. Wouldn’t she be great on the show??
I saw Footloose tonight. It was really good. Julianne is quite the actress. I was impressed!
Carson made me laugh every week, and I always looked forward to seeing them dance. He had such a great attitude and tried so hard. It just won’t be the same. Very sad tonight. π
Tristian is a hottie! His performance with Kym was beautiful. I hope he sticks around next season. I agree dance wise it was time for Carson to go but I will miss his comic relief. I’m not a big fan of Hope & Maks. I just can’t warm up to her or them as a couple. I think she was just venting her frustration nothing we haven’t seen before on DWTS!
BOO!! Carson has left the building…. *sadface*… What a ray of sunshine he was… Darn it, wanted him to stick around for Broadway week…
Hope looked pissed all night. I thought when they showed her package and she said she didn’t want to do it anymore, she might be a goner. NOT. I hope she is eliminated sooner than later.
WHEN IS CHAZ LEAVING? WHEN?
Aww I’m sad Carson had to go….I would have much rather lost Chaz, Nancy or Hope. Geez, bottom 2 for two weeks running….they REALLY want the fans to be scared into voting for her (more likely to keep Maks on the show).
Now, I am not a fan of Maks, but I think I actually am more turned off by Hope more than him this season. I won’t say they aren’t friends, I’m sure they are, but her personality isn’t translating well and it makes their partnership appear awkward. She’s not as appealing as the sports stars usually are and as much as she is trying, I don’t think that natural ability for dancing is there. I think the good we have seen is a result of work and athletic talent but not artistic talent. The judges have been way too nice, because I don’t see this ‘beautiful dancer’ or girl ‘with the ability to win it all.” Her and Maks interview yesterday with George P and really all the video bits the show has shown of her lately aren’t winning her personality points either from what I can see. As much as hey love Maks, I can’t believe the producers would be TRYING to put her in a bad light, so I can’t think you can just blame the producing…. I’m sure they will be safe next week with Maks fans voting like crazy and a better start order.
Anyway, I’m sad Carson is gone. Mainly because I only really look forward to watching J.R., Ricki and Carson’s comedy every week. Now that one is gone, I hope the other two make it all the way to the finals.
Carson made me cry.
I know both of them were prepared, and didn’t look surprised, but still…. Carson is Carson, and what he said…. or his prepared going away package, just made me bawl. I think it was the last bit of what he said on that package, but it just turned on my waterworks.
I will miss Carson.
I will miss Carson too! I haven’t been able to warm up to Hope at all. She does not seem to enjoy being here at all. I miss the Maks I got to see last season.
Oh and Kelly Clarkson was awesome. Love a great live singer.
Karine & Louis were great! They always have creative choreography when they dance together.
Enjoyed the performance with Charm, Mark and Derek. And I couldn’t help but watch that performance and think, man, Derek could have definitely won So You Think You Can Dance. Maybe Mark too, but Mark can get a bit spastic in his performances which might not have translated well. Not like they need to do that show…..but just saying, it would be fun to watch them do all the genres, I love SYTYCD.
π The ballroom lights dimmed a little bit tonight… so sad to see Carson and Anna leave.
Boy, did you ladies call it this week with the storyboarding, the judges, & TPTB.
I agree maryt. Maks with Kirstie was the most appealing he has been since his first few seasons on the show.
@EPMusic – I know you don’t want to say they aren’t friends, but Hope seemed to make it clear that they weren’t tonight. She said “We don’t have to be best friends, but we have to respect each other.” Doesn’t sound very friendly to me. I feel bad for Maks after such a great season with Kirstie.
Hope is clearly not use to criticism or losing. She doesn’t handle it with grace and most of the stars do. It’s interesting how bad it really makes her look.
Good job with the numbers Heidi omg!
Also I was sure Nancy was a goner but wrong again, glad Tristan did not get the boot with his parents there lol
His dance with Kym was just gorgeous, they are very beautiful & did that dance or something very similar this summer when they were at a wedding expo I believe somewhere in the states lol
Derek & Mark dancing with the girl who’s name I cannot remember…sorry….was such a highlight for me, Mark & Derek are such total dolls!
Oh yeah Tristan in that dance, well I needed the hour to recover & it seems like Kelly Clarkson was slightly distracted to which she even mentioned to Tom which I though was hilarious!
I was so sad!! I silently cried without tears. I wanted Nancy to go home. I wanted to see Carson and Anna on Broadway week!!! Well, the judges can’t blame me because I voted for Carson.
Derek’s an amazing tapper too, EP. There’s a vid on YouTube of him taping crushed coke cans to his shoes and going to town. Multitalented.
I’m so sad! I really hope they find a way to make Carson a permanent part of the show. He is a GEM!
I, too, am really turned off by Hope. Her attitude is severely lacking, and honestly, I wish it had been her that went home tonight. Don’t care for her lack of committment and didn’t care for her mysterious tweet earlier. She’s obviously not up to the challenge and she’s clearly ready to go.
Val is this year’s Lacey when it comes to results show performances. Last year it was “And now here’s the troupe, along with Lacey and (insert male pro name here)!” Now it’s “Val and _____ with members of the troupe.” I like Val, but other pros have been eliminated, and I’d like to see them too.
On that note, glad to see Tristan and Kym dance together again. Their dance seemed similar to one they did at the Pittsburgh event over the summer. Thrilled that his parents got to see him work his stuff with another pro!
“I think she was just venting her frustration nothing we havenβt seen before on DWTS!” And others. Yes, if you don’t want to enjoy the show, don’t take it on, unless you have career “handlers” who are pushing you into it. In contrast, Nancy G can be a polarizing figure in her day job, but I only see her wanting to participate in the show and accepting her pro’s advice. (Not to mention her crush on Tristan! LOL) I think everyone left plus Carson are genuinely positive, although David A is definitely an acquired taste. Can Rosanna sub for him? Nice wrap-ups by Pure DWTS staff.
I hate to say it but, I’m starting to get turned off of Hope too and I didn’t think I’d ever say that. I feel like someting is deeply wrong between her and Maks…and he’s even given up. I hope I am so wrong on this. I miss the Maks of last season too.
Magnolia, it was so cool seeing Tristan perform a pro number finally.
Val is just HOT when it comes to these pro numbers. He hasn’t failed me yet. I love he and Peta together.
The rest of the season won’t be the same without Carson. Week in week out, he impressed me with his upbeat, positive attitude and his commitment to working hard to be the best dancer he could be while still having fun and entertaining us each and every Monday. That’s the way to approach DWTS. I’m sure Anna felt very lucky to be his partner this season. Carson is a true gentleman!
Loved the dance with Tristan and Kym: so beautiful and sensuous. They looked fabulous together. I’m glad Tristan and Nancy were saved; not so much for her but because I enjoy the interplay between the two of them and enjoy Tristan’s dancing. Also loved the dance with Mark,Derek and Charm, but have to say my eyes just kept going to Derek; his charisma is unequaled. But poor Carson! I’m so bummed that he was eliminated and Chaz & Hope were saved Carson’s humor really added so much to the show; I’ll really miss his fun energy and quips.
I’m sorry that Carson is gone. He was a source of entertainment for me. I’d much rather it had been the Kardashian or Chaz.
Now, I’m not getting vibe that the judges are pimping Hope…quite the opposite. She’s had to go 1st in the forgettable spot 2 times now. The judges are giving her conflicting critique…”you’re too strong”, you’re too willowy” and she’s been in jeopardy twice, but “not necessarily in the bottom two”. Seems like to me they’re being overly harsh. JMHO. Anyway, I’m glad she’s safe.
Magnolia, I was curious, so I looked on twitter….do you mean the one where she said she
doesn’t live for contests without clear winners and losers/those based on popularity and judges subjective opinions?
Well…..someone signed up for the wrong show then. Wow. It doesn’t even make sense for her to say something like that, it just seems a bit ignorant to what the show is. Well, sorry Hope, even if the competition was only based on….well….would the equivalent be who is the best dancer?….you still wouldn’t even medal in my opinion.
The results shows lately have almost been outdoing the Monday shows in terms of producing dances of entertainment and quality. On a positive note, I think Broadway could be a better theme for music for the different dances and am looking forward to seeing some great dances next week!
Ok my 2 cents on Hope, don’t like her, Maks is looking more annoyed & uninterested each week & she is not getting better, & her attitude sucks… she needs to go. lol
Too harsh?
Awww. I wanted Carson to stay, he didn’t have many dance skills but made up for it, by being such a joy to watch on the dance floor. I’m gonna miss him. Maybe he’ll do backstage interviews, that would be great!
Auntie, the judges aren’t the sharpest tools in the shed for sure, but I don’t think their critiques of Hope are necessarily conflicting. I’m no expert at all, but it seems to me some dances require strength and power, others require softness and fluidity. They thought she was “too strong” when she should have been more “willowy” and vice-versa.
Lisa, “too harsh?” maybe, maybe not, but the LOL was tacky.
How in the hell are they pimping Hope?! They barely showed her at all in the results last week and this week they only showed her looking bad. Not to mention she had to go first and Len’s over-the-top criticisms. JR and Ricki are the over-pimped ones by a long shot. How many times have they danced early in the show?
So sorry to see Carson leave. He was such a joy to watch! He will be missed.
Really enjoyed the performance with Derek, Charm & Mark-It was a very creative performance and what an inspirational story. She seemed so happy! I couldn’t take my eyes off Derek though-Hypnotic! He’s the type of performer that just grabs your attention and I’m not usually into Hip Hop!-LOL I can’t wait to see him tap!!-He’s so talented!-Mr. Charisma!
Nice to see Tristan with Kym too! I’m just glad other male pros were dancing tonight. I like Val too but he’s “always” in the result show performances, seems like he’s one of the troop!
@EPMusic, yes, that’s the tweet I was referring to. I read it and just went “Ugh, sour grapes, much?” Like you said, if she wanted a contest where scores only decided winners and losers, wrong show, honey.
I feel bad for Maks, but let’s remember, he was the one practically begging her to come on the show and be his partner. Doubt he’ll be doing that again. I hated the clip of them in the confessional where she just walked out. Maks was just sitting there, frustrated and finally went out to her. Vogue is right, something is not right there, and it’s not making them look any better.
Anywho, onto next week! π
LOL, I meant Troupe!!
It’s getting to the point where I find Hope and Maks almost hard to watch…on, and off the dance floor. I feel bad saying this, as they were the couple I was most excited about this season. Neither of them seems very happy. Like a lot of you, I miss the Maks from last season.
On a lighter note, I loved all the dances tonight! My favorite was Tristan and Kym…they were really beautiful together.
She didn’t stomp out, she was CRYING and didn’t want it on camera any more than it was! JEEZ!! I’d have done the same thing! And as for the competition, I imagine she’s trying to get her head around something that’s very alien to her considering what she’s done all her life. She’s the most fish out of water on this show that I’ve ever seen and I feel bad for her.
Sad to see Carson go. Wanted to see him next week on Broadway night!
As for Hope, was she really “bottom 2” or was this a slap in the face to her for her attitude?
I think Hope has a strong personality and is used to being “in charge” and now having Maks tell her what to do (and the judges telling her what she’s doing wrong) and it’s just not setting well with her.
PS…bet Maks won’t suggest partners for himself for a while. π
@Guest Hope was in the pimpage spot. It her week to shine and rebound from last week, it was in the story placed by TPTB but she failed to. I’m afraid with her attitude shell be leaving sooner rather than later.
Is this a dancing competition? As far as I know it is. Carson COULD NOT dance. Great performer, but not one ounce of a dancer. Same goes for Chaz. Nancy should go next. Then Rob. The quality of dancers this season is just awful.
I was rooting for JR but Hope has won me over. Hope simply showed the frustration that many of us have felt on one season or another. Not even the judges could agree on how to judge her. Either too strong or not enough. Make up your mind. The moment she showed vulnerability we jump all over her and complain that she’s whining. The good thing about Hope is that she is not a has-been like the rest of the cast. She is the only ‘star’ on the show.
We all know JR is going to win, so why build all this drama around Hope?
@Trenta First is the most forgettable spot– how is that pimpage? It’s well known in all these vote-based shows that the later in the show you go the better off you are.
And I’m not saying she doesn’t have a bad attitude… but I don’t blame her for it with all the contradictory criticism, Len having it out for her, and Maks’ obvious disinterest. She really hasn’t been given a fair shake. So for the original poster to say they are pimping her is beyond laughable.
I’m stoked about Ricki and JR, but sad about Carson. There will definitely be a void next week. I wish he would have been spared over Hope.
Actually going first and last is what people remember the most. As far as her attitude goes she acts like she’s never heard criticism before. This is a reality show its not fair it never really has been, if she can’t handle it she deserves to go. She was overscored and has been the last 3 week in order to keep her around so that the bottom feeders go before.
@Liz this cast by far has been one best in terms of relevance. The only one who hasn’t had much going on in the limelight was Kristen and Chynna.
SO DISAPPOINTED! Carson is awesome. He is so good natured and honest and SO funny!!! Really going to miss him. So my burning question is – who is keeping scowling, arrogant Hope Solo on this show? If it’s Maks fans….stop it! I”m pretty sure even he would appreciate it. She is so unpleasant. She may be a world class athlete – but she shows no class whatsoever in this realm.
@Trenta Odd that DWTS would be different than Idol, SYTYCD, etc. where going first is universally considered the kiss of death.
And yet most people who go first DON’T go home. Anybody who does is purely coincidental IMO both Ron and Chynna were both at the bottom of the board so its not that they went first that sent them home.
Yes, i’m commenting on the ones that made comments about Hope, first of all Maks ask for her back in July to be his partner. Secondly he should’nt never ask for her at all, because he’s not doing his best in the competition this season.
She can cry, humans and God, you mean with the girl, she can not do, act or say anything to you …… I will criticize it and human, have feelings must be bad and you strive always listens you’re not trying … I put the blame on maksim it is not very good with a technique to this day, he is struggling to get the better of her and still does a pretty bad tango choreography that brings out not in Hope anything, he seems uninterested in helping her ……
To me she is not guilty of anything but him … Hope to be with Derek or Mark it would be the best competition, I’m sure
@Mary I’m pretty sure he won’t put in a special request in the future π I still think the judges will help her get to the finals, but overall what a disaster.
Hope told everybody that she couldn’t Dance from the beginning and that she didn’t walk in heels to well. They kept begging her to do the show. She came to learn how to dance.
Maks needs to bring in the Lady Etiquette coach like he did for Mel B.
Maks is a tough teacher. It must be hard hearing criticism from him all day, then having to hear conflicting insulting comments from the judges.
All the Videos of Hope and Maksim always negative, negative, negative. It seems deliberate. Itβs really a turn off.
Maks is a practical joker and he does pull pranks and have fun. They need to show more of that instead of trying to keep him as the Eternal Bad Boy of the Ballroom.
nooooooooooooooo ! I’m so sad Carson left the competition, he was one of my favorite celebrity ! Guess my votes were not enough :'((
I agree about Hope, her attitude stinks! Its starting to get to Maks. Everyone notice how much calmer he was with Kirstie! Hope is starting to annoy him. I really think she will go soon. How can anyone work with her?
Loved the pros dance! Can’t wait until next week. Great info this past week Vogue, Heidi and Courtney! Great Job!
You guys are being a little harsh IMO.
Hope had a meltdown. No one looks good while having a meltdown.
She is very frustrated because she has the toughest teacher, she has her work drive and determinedness, Maks has been telling her she is making progress- yet, she keeps stagnating and getting bad comments. She clearly doesn’t understand what she’s doing wrong and I’m not sure Maks is helping her much.
So Maks, PLEASE get outside help this week! She needs to hear it from someone else.
Awww Carson is gone and so is much of the fun this season. I doubt Iβll be watching nearly as much. Hope is less and less likeable each week and Maks needs to be put out of his misery. I love watching Derek but Iβve never been able to warm up to Ricki. Nancy has shown her personality is more like her HLN personality than I would have hoped. David and Rob bore me and the show seems to be pimping them way too much. Chaz should have gone out on a high note after proving the pre-season haters wrong. JR is great and genuine but I worry almost every week that they might storyboard him to second place.
I suspect before the season started, TPTB expected the battle of the Chmerkovskiy brothers to go deep into the season, dancing with the two hot women and they were hoping Ricki would be the new Jennifer. Throw in Nancy and Chaz for some ratings controversy and they were all set. I suppose now they are playing it by ear, trying to figure out how to keep people tuning in to a season with some pretty low ratings. About the only pleasant surprises this season were Carsonβs fun and JRβs natural talent and amazing personality. Now one of those is gone and I donβt trust the show to showcase the other. I find Iβm enjoying Tuesday a lot more than Monday.
I can understand that Hope’s not winning any new fans with her dancing and the packages, but I’d give her a break as a person.
She hasn’t adapted well to the show-biz aspect and hasn’t been able to switch her goalkeeper persona to a ballroom dance femme persona, and maybe Maks isn’t the right teacher for her.
But I like having people like her on the show. Jennifer Gray was the one who drove me crazy.
Reading all these comments just makes me wonder. If we feel this way about Hope the majority of the viewers must be getting the same vibe from her. The relationship between Hope and Maks just seems strained. Like a couple ready to breakup. That with TPTB portraying the video packages that they are. I don’t see how any pimping by the judges will save them.
I think Hope and Maks are Toast. π
@Voguerista: I was watching both shows too and I can’t believe how much drama was packed into the x factor. I still think Stacey is going to win it since her voice is incredible. I also think Lakoda Rayne has a really good shot to win it. But anyways back to dwts lol. Sad to c him go but i think he kinda knew it was gonna happen Ithink Hope is on the bubble now as well as Chazz. Hope beacuse maks just seems to have given up any hope and they argue far too often and Chazz becasue entertainment value and persoanlity can only take one so far. I have to say though Chazz wins for best costuming this week. it was very “The wedding singer” ish lol. Worst costuming had to be Rob. He looked too bright lol
Appearing on this show is a double-edged sword. And Maks has said in the past that there are two types of stars – ones who come in thinking they know what’s what and ones who come in realizing they don’t know anything about dancing (and TV). Hope is getting a crash course in all sorts of things. I took Maks’ slight smile when she got up and walked off camera to be acknowledging this whole thing is hard on her. Carson, on the other hand, came in understanding reality TV and realizing he didn’t know a thing about ballroom. Which one worked harder? Hard to tell. Which one had more fun and added skills to the resume? Easy to tell at this point.
I also agree that I think people are way off base when it comes to Hope Solo, and to Hope and Maks. I just saw an interview they did with Access Hollywood right after this results show and I think it shows more what their relationship is REALLY like. I think they totally like each other and by the looks of things, spend a lot of time together, as far as travel, hanging out, shopping,..
I think some of the other couples look like they get along, yes, but sometimes look to me a little like they don’t really know each other, and so comes off as kind of fake. I think Hope and Maks are the most real, to be honest, like it looks like they really are starting to know each other and who the other person really is.
Also, I don’t think Maks is annoyed with Hope, I think he is just tired of telling her she’s doing well and her not believing him. I think she is being a perfectionist about this all, and you really can’t be. He just wants her to relax, have fun, and not be so uptight about it all! She just really needs to chill a little bit and just let go and trust Maks, and be cool about it all! It’s difficult to do when you are out of your comfort zone, but I think Hope is getting there. She has been improving, has great potential, and just needs some more work in the competition, and she’ll be right up there, I think.
I also think there is not enough credit being given to what she DOES do on the dance floor. The forward dip in the tango was awesome, and I bet only the female professionals left could pull that off. I like how she gets into character and Maks also said performing is a part of who Hope is, she just doesn’t want to admit it.
Basically, what you guys are seeing is probably Maks just frustrated with her resistance of some things. That does NOT mean that he doesn’t like her or that they don’t get along. I bet they have so much fun just hanging out together, you can see it in how they are. Nobody says and does the things they do around or with each other if you are not comfortable or like each other. It’s weird that some people don’t see or understand that.
Also, there is a video and pictures from the Just Dance 3 party that some DWTS cast people went to and Hope looks like she is having a blast with Kristin, JR, Karina, and others. In fact, her and JR get along really well and throughout the whole show thus far, he has sounded like he thinks she’s the coolest person ever! Carson loves Hope, so does Nancy, and she apparently got the entire cast some cool special Nike stuff since she’s a Nike athlete. I think you guys have an incorrect read on her individually and on her and Maks as well.
It’s just so weird that she gets so much hate. I don’t get it. Hope is a cool chick from the Pacific Northwest that plays soccer (she was a forward until she switched to goalkeeper at University of Washington), loves Starbucks, also grew up playing basketball, beach volleyball, and snowboarding. She’s just a cool girl that I hope other parts of her personality will shine through as they have to tons of people, especially this summer in July in the World Cup.
Everybody is allowed to have a meltdown, cry, get frustrated. Ricki said she wanted to quit just some weeks back. It’s okay, we’re human, we get past it.
Last but certainly not least, Hope Solo is the starting goalkeeper for the United States Women’s National Soccer Team. She is the main reason (along with Carli Lloyd’s goal) that the USA won the Gold Medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. She is awesome. She is amazing at what she does. She represents the USA in a wonderful way as an amazing soccer player. I think we should be supporting athletes that play for Team USA, not trying to say negative things about them at every chance as it looks like a lot of people want to do. After this competition, Hope starts training camp, and Olympic qualifiers in January. She will be representing the USA this summer in London at the 2012 Olympics as the starting goalkeeper and trying to win another Gold Medal. I just think that Hope Solo deserves our respect and we should be applauding what this woman does and will be doing. She worked hard to get where she is and has earned every success she has achieved.
I believe Hope’s schedule is pretty clear at least until November, so her commitment now to the show I’m sure is everything she is focusing on. I do believe she wants to do her best and is working hard with Maks to try and win. I just think she needs to relax and have fun with and it will go a lot smoother for them from now on.
Just my thoughts and opinions!
Can we talk chemistry for a moment? Because I have been thinking of this for a while, and hopefully, I will get out the words the way they are rattling around inside my head….
Chemistry is important, anyone who has watched this show for a while knows that, and, somehow, the couples that seem to have less chemistry, seem to fall out earlier than couples who seem to ooze it out of their pores. And, I do think that it is some of the reasons that Kristin and Chynna fell out of the competition so early. One can say until they’re blue in the face, that the partners have chemistry, but if the average viewer doesn’t see it, they are less likely to vote them through. Add some forgettable routines, and they are toast.
I do think that Hope and Maks are in trouble, but I think the reasons go quite deep. Going by what I see on the show, unfortunately, as much as I want to watch all the videos posted, I’m finding that when I have a chance to sit and watch, my computer doesn’t cooperate. Anyway, Hope and Maks, and their chemistry….. In my own personal opinion, it feels like Hope and Maks had more friendly chemistry at the beginning of the season, than they do now. It’s really feeling pretty antagonistic right now, and that ISN’T Maks’s fault, and it ISN’T Hope’s fault, either. It just IS. Maybe their personalities are just too similar? It’s completely normal for Maks and his partner to fight the whole way through their run on the show, each and every one, there’s been fighting. Each and every one of his partners so far have gone off crying, at least once. There’s been cursing before, there’s been everything…. Basically, what they’re showing in the pre dance packages isn’t anything new, and it’s hard for me to figure out why Hope and Maks seem to be having such a negative chemistry….
Maks was gone from the show after last season…. He came back this season, for two reasons….. The producers courted Hope for this season, because she was Maks dream partner, and they also courted his brother, and gave Maks and Val an opportunity to be together on the show. And, face it…. Things haven’t gone the way that Maks thought it would….. People assumed Val would go far, because he had a young, fit, pretty partner, and they were gone second. People assumed Hope would go far, because she’s young, fit, pretty, and an extremely good athlete, and the record for athletes doing this show is pretty good….
And Hope strikes me as a perfectionist, she’s extremely hard on herself, and she seems like someone who doesn’t want to settle for anything less than perfect, and at this, there is no way to BE perfect! There have been other perfectionists on the show, and once they figured out that they need to give that up and completely trust their pro, things do go better for them…. Hope just doesn’t seem to me like she’s willing to do that, and it is probably hurting her relationship with Maks. She’s frustrated because she can’t be perfect with this, and he’s frustrated because she can’t simply “hand herself over” to him and trust him….
As for the other couples…. Carson and Anna had chemistry in spades… JR and Karina have a lot of chemistry, as do Nancy and Tristan. Chaz and Lacey and Ricki and Derek have chemistry… It doesn’t feel to me like Rob and Cheryl have as much chemistry as they want people to think they do… David and Kym? It just feels strange, almost like he’s a powder keg with the fuse lit, and she’s sometimes just waiting for it to explode. But that could seem that way to me, because honestly, I don’t really understand anything that he says!
#29 Cidra,
Thanks for replying to my post civilly…I appreciate what you’re saying, that some dances, like the Waltz, need softness, and some dances like the paso need strength, but she received both on the same dance the Tango. CA said she was too strong..Len said she was too willowy. The general consensus on this blog is that Hope is a lost cause. I don’t think so. Don’t count her out yet. This is tough for her, but now’s the time for her to get mad, and shed the fear.
Just to give my personal shout out to David- I’ve laughed quite a lot this season, mainly at Carson but others have been funny too, yet the biggest laugh was courtesy by David. First the Len impersonation and then the Billy Idol rambling after their scores… that was the funniest segment ever on dwts for me.
Ooiii mate!
Manchester United!!!
LOOOL
*sorry, I had to add that gem
Sasa- they said they were channeling sid and Nancy lol. Mission accomplished!
Vin, I love Stacey too on the X Factor. I was so glad Simon changed his mind on Melissa (is that her name?) at the end too. They are both power houses. In fact, there are so many powerhouses on XF, I can’t count them all. Amazing talents. That Dexter is a crack up. I’m glad Nicole kept him even though I’m not sure how far he will go? He will be like Carson on DWTS and be entertaining if anything.
Lori, excellent post about Chemistry! I think you nailed it about Maks and Hope.
Anyway, after some thinking on it, I’m wiping the slate clean today with Maks and Hope. Since Maks is one of my fave dancers and we can’t really see everything behind the scenes to really judge or know them, I’m going to cut her some slack (like Evaine posted). After all, Kirstie had a melt down too and almost all of his partners in the past (and serioulsy, who wouldn’t? Maks is a tough, ‘tell it like it is’ coach and he can be hard on people. I love that about him, but, it can be a fault too). But, they seriously need to get things “together” now. We need to see a tight, really “connected” dance this next week (one with ‘chemistry’ like Lori posted about) or they are in trouble. Their package needs to be clean too. I agree with others that he needs to pull in some help.
I was having trouble with my internet connection yesterday, downloads and videos took FOREVER. Anyway, this AM I went on youtube to check and see if we were still having the same problem and it looks to have cleared up. Anyway, the video I happened to choose to check with was Maks and Erin’s Jive which was done in Week 5. They got 3 7s for it. The video package? They fought the whole way through it.
The reason I bring it up is because there is always SO much talk about Season 10 being so super duper and honestly? Same script this season (something that makes me ponder a lot of things, BTW. *LOL*). The difference being that I don’t believe Hope gets the ‘make believe’ as well as Erin did.
Is Maks having as much fun as he was last season with Kirstie? Good God, who COULD? Kirstie’s… an Over The Top force of nature that could do/say anything at anytime and it’d probably be shaded rather inappropriately too! *LOL* It’s not fair to compare Hope to Kirstie.
Anyway, I’m hoping it all gets better. π
Lori,
I see what you are saying, and I think it makes a difference to watch interviews with Hope and Maks because you get a better sense of how they really are together. Maks also mentions this in the Access Hollywood interview from yesterday.
I think Maks is just frustrated with Hope not letting go, and this is something that I think Hope is starting to realize she HAS to do if she wants to go on.
I know a lot of people are not familiar with Hope at all, and it’s so weird sometimes for us Hope Solo and soccer fans to hear or read all these strange thoughts on Hope that are just so off from who she really is and her personality. I am only watching DWTS this season because I am a fan of Hope and soccer, although I have watched it before. I wish that who she is would translate more through to everyone watching who doesn’t know her.
Again, this is where I think reading articles, watching interviews, really helps and I think Hope benefits from those types of things. I think her and Maks get along well. They have spent a lot of time together that I think they just know each other a little bit better than some others. Remember, they’ve traveled to a ton of cities, and even practiced up in Seattle before the season started. Hope said in an interview on radio for soccer when she was playing at a friendly in Kansas City, that (jokingly) right now she feels like Maks is her boyfriend because they spend so much time together, and breakfast, lunch, and dinner…
I think, for example, Ricki and Derek get along, sure, but they for sure have not spent as much time together as Hope and Maks. When I hear Ricki and Derek interviews, I feel like they come across as like they kind of know each other, but not really. Sometimes Hope and Maks look like they’ve known each other for at least a year or something.
Again, I am a Hope fan and soccer player/fan, so I see a lot of Hope and Maks interviews and just observe this in their relationship. Maks went to a lot of Hope’s practices with the National Team and attended a game. US Soccer interviewed them as well, I personally think they get along great, and would go as far as saying, they are probably pretty attracted to each other. I honestly would not be surprised if they end up dating sometime, who knows?
I hope you guys can see soon that Hope is a really awesome girl, and someone who stands up for what she believes in and would stand up for those that cannot stand up for themselves. That’s the type of person she is.
Also, when you guys say Maks looks serious or miserable or whatever, I think he may just look different this season, but it doesn’t necessarily have to be bad. He could be serious about Hope! And at the end of the results show when some one is eliminated, everyone looks sad, Hope may just be upset that someone is leaving. In my opinion, it’s completely unfair and incorrect to say Hope looks like she wants to go, is miserable…I think she’s just upset like everyone else about whoever is leaving.
In the interviews after the show, they look ready for Week 6, and are looking forward to that, it looks like.
Oh, Guest – you’re about thisclose to getting a STFU from me, they way you’ve waltzed in here and generally been rather arrogant and antagonistic to other posters. Find a way to be more civil or get out.
I can see that a refresher post on running order is in the cards, since there still seems to be some confusion as to which spots are good and which spots aren’t. For now, just know that 1st, middle, and last are strategically the best running order positions to have – regardless of what they say on Idol, SYTYCD, etc. I find it “beyond laughable” that someone would think you can just lump together all vote-based talent contests into one category, with the same rules applying to all of them.
And Liz, find me an original press release that states that DWTS is solely a dance competition and then we’ll talk. Len himself has said multiple times that the show is “part dance contest, part entertainment program” and that the best dancer does not always win, nor does the worst dancer always go home. You may not see any problems with Carson going home since he was a bad dancer, but just know that not everyone shares your view of the show – many of the viewers that are sad about his leaving will readily admit that he wasn’t a good dancer, but that it didn’t matter to them because he was so entertaining. Trying to pigeonhole DWTS into a strict “dance competition” doesn’t take the sting out of Carson’s elimination for a lot of us.
As for Hope…I’m going to kind of reiterate what I said in my rankings this week, which is that I understand Hope’s frustration with the judges whiplashing-inducing critiques, but at the same time…it kinda comes with the territory. I’m not sure if Hope just came into the show with unrealistic expectations (or that everyone else’s expectations of her were unrealistic), but it’s not exactly a secret that the judging, storyboarding, faux drama, etc. of DWTS can get a little…wacky. My mom has always said “Life is 10% what happens to us and 90% how we react to it”, so I guess I kind of put it on Hope to not feed into the drama of the show and to keep a clear head and not give TPTB what they want – some ratings-raising controversy. Obviously TPTB aren’t going to change the way they play the game anytime soon…so it’s kind of up to Hope to control what people see of her on the show. Which brings me to some “food for thought”, if you will: do you think that the reason that Hope’s packages are so unflattering could be because that’s all the editors have to work with? If a couple doesn’t really get along well in general, the bulk of the footage you get from their rehearsals is going to be rather unpleasant – and it’s not going to give you a whole lot to work with when it comes to editing their packages down to something worthy of being shown on the show. Just a thought…
Well I feel the need to lighten the mood. So you know how the Berg dodged the bullet of the 80s pic, well I found one.
http://seacoastnh.com/images/stories/linkfree/bergeron1981b.jpg
I was sad to see Carson go, but truly he couldn’t dance. But boy, could he entertain. ABC is crazy if they don’t find him something to do on the show.
In terms of Maks and Hope, interestingly, eTalk is running an online survey of who will be the next to go and Hope and Nancy are tied at 38% each. So Hope must be starting to annoy viewers, rightly or wrongly.
Courtney, judging by their interviews it really seems like they get along fine.
I’m leaning towards believing what Maks said- they are happy in their spare time but when it’s rehearsal time there’s no room for being nice and sweet. I’m not saying that’s a good way of handling things, I’m just saying that’s their way. Maks likes to be tough and that has been difficult on his partners in the past as well.
It’s OK to be tough when you’ve already throughly cleared up what it takes to dance well, it just seems that they didn’t. I think Maks should realize that people are EXTREMELY vulnerable if they have never before tapped into that part of their personality so it’s no use being tough for that part. It just makes the ladies crack.
Courtney, I’m wondering if it would help Hope and Maks, if Maks should say something about how their packages are put together? I know TPTB gets to decide how to edit things, but still…
I remember when Derek was dancing with Jennifer, she was having many injuries and other things she was dealing with, and that’s what they decided to focus on, making many people out there saying that she’s just spending her whole time whining, she doesn’t seem like she is in pain when she’s dancing so she has to be faking the whole thing, and so on…. In ONE interview after several weeks, Derek simply mentioned that he wished that they’d focus more on all the fun they’re having, and that the time spent on her health/etc was such a small amount of time. And after that, they did start to show a more balanced package for Jennifer.
I think it’s still early enough for Hope, that Maks could ask to focus on other things,to try to bring the “real” Hope to people?
Hope has a week to rehabilitate her shredded reputation. She will probably still go home but at least she could hold her head high. When your name is mentioned in the same sentence as Kate Gosselin you have to know it’s bad. I say she will rise to the occasion, even though it didn’t help Kendra after her little meltdown. Hope should at least try to make amends so all of her and Maks fans don’t feel so dumb wasting our votes on her.
Well, Natalie, THIS Maks and Hope fan doesn’t feel in the least dumb for voting for them every week, nor will I ever. π
sasa, I didn’t say anything about their interviews. I’m talking solely about their rehearsal packages – which, unfortunately, are what most people see. You have to remember that the average, casual viewer probably doesn’t get online to watch a bunch of the interviews like we post here – so they don’t see the happy, friendly Hope & Maks that a lot of us see in those interviews. Their opinions are based solely on what they see on the show – which is why it’s so important to make a good impression there.
Lori, while it would be nice if the pros could talk to TPTB and ask them to portray their partners in a more positive light in the packages, at the end of the day TPTB are going to do whatever they want, whether it’s showing the most dramatic portions of the rehearsals for ratings, or just trying to do the best they can with what they’ve got. And speaking of that…that “food for thought” from my previous comment? Without saying too much, let’s just say I’ve gotten the impression from a few that what we’re seeing in Hope & Maks’ packages may very well be the best the editors could do, given the footage they’ve gotten from their rehearsals…
You know, guys, no matter how often you keep repeating that going first is the βbad spotβ itβs not going to become true. Statistically, it just isnβt. And saying βeverybody knowsβ is anecdotal bull.
Conflicting criticism on Hope?? I donβt think so, really. She was powering through the dance, but her arms were flailing β I didnβt disagree with either Len or CAI. Pretty sure Len called her arms willowy specifically.
Anyone whoβs watched this show for a long time knows the tricks they pull trying to promote people and keep them around β if itβs failing miserably in Hopeβs case, that doesnβt make it less pimpage. Iβm also sorry to say that from what I hear, they ARENβT making her look bad. What youβre seeing is reality. While the judges often smoke crack, I don’t think their criticism has been unwarranted on Hope. I also think they will be MUCH softer on her next week, judging by the sad looks on their faces after seeing the clips of her and Maks.
And Iβll tell you something else β I would MUCH rather that they put Ricki and Derek in jeopardy a couple times than calling them safe first every single week. Thatβs just common sense. At some point, fans are just going to start assuming that she safe and stop voting for her. Itβs the same reasoning as being glad that they werenβt top of the leaderboard on Monday night β fans get complacent. And the producers know it too β why else a sudden reveal of a bottom two when David is the one in trouble?? And look, he hasnβt been in trouble since, as far as we know.
The problem with Hope, as I see it, is that sheβs a world class athlete. Sheβs accustomed to WINNING. Now sheβs involved in something that sheβs not good at, is being critiqued on and sheβs have a very hard time adjusting. If youβre always good at stuff and suddenly youβre NOT and youβre being not good at something in front of millions of people β thatβs a huge blow to the ego and hard to deal with. I think she is coming off badly and I donβt think itβs productions fault at all β but I can kinda understand what she must be going through. After last nightβs show I feel rather bad for her. And I honestly feel sorry for Maks because he seems kinda at a loss. Or tired. Or something. I think I actually prefer old pain in the ass Maks to this somewhat beaten down version of Maks.
What I think Hopeβs fans have to realize is that, unfortunately, perception is reality. If the vast majority of viewers share the same opinion β that becomes their reality. And they will vote or not vote accordingly. Most people donβt see the nice interviews between them, just like most viewers donβt see all the βcuteβ between Tristan and Nancy. Letβs face it, those of us who inhabit this place are saturated with DWTS media β the average viewer isnβt.
Someone made a crack about low ratings β what you smoking?? This is a top 10 show with more than 80 shows on the big four networks. :::rolls eyes:::
Natalie, NO vote is a wasted vote, even if your favorite pair gets voted off. The only way someone can waste their vote, is to not vote. jmho π
I’ve just had a thought which I’m sure I will not be able to verbalize well enough and it will probably seem vague but…
I’ve made a scale based upon how much a particular dance reflects the pro or the celebrity.
I think Anna’s choreography tends to be all about the celebrity. She really tries to show their personality, perhaps too much so at the expense of quality dancing.
Maks is on the opposite end of that scale. He always tries to bend the celebrity into a designated role, depending on which dance is in question. But the ladies oftentimes simply do not understand what it is that is required for a certain role and they end up not connecting to it.
That’s why I admire Kym as much as I do. She knows just how to balance the two and is aware that you have to sometimes be patient and wait for the celebrities to get it. At the same time, while waiting for the epiphany she doesn’t make crazy routines which look wild but keeps to her trade and tries to make the best of what she’s got.
Personality wise I very much like both Anna and Maks (especially Anna, she’s my favorite along with Kym) but they are just not very smart about balancing the personalities and the show.
Natalie and Evaine,
I am one of the Hope and Maks fans voting as well! I think they will be fine, it’s not that bad! Honestly, it was kind of interesting to see Hope showing that emotion, and also Maks trying to (somewhat) help her!
She is getting confusing comments from the judges and it must have been frustrating. In a way, I think it could show that Hope and Maks are more invested in this than some may have thought.
I hope Hope and Maks have an amazing dance this week, I just feel like they still have that “breakthrough” dance somewhere!
Courtney, I understood you wrong. I thought you were saying that they don’t get along ever.
“If a couple doesnβt really get along well in general, the bulk of the footage you get from their rehearsals is going to be rather unpleasant”
I agree that Hope&Maks themselves have not shown the positives in rehearsals.
@Would like to say..
I agree that it’s not a lost cause but it will take something very powerful and good from them to change the public’s opinion now.
Every single couple gets what seems to be conflicting criticism at one time or another – this is NOT unique to Hope. This is where Maks has to step in and clear it all up for her and focus on what HE feels is important, because there ain’t no changing (or often predicting) the judging. Just look at the comments that Ricki and Derek got – it was all mainly focused on the two tiny bits where they did the running rabit. In a THEME week. But you know, they sucked it up – and Derek told her in advance that it wasn’t likely going to be good. He’s managing Ricki’s expectations. I think maybe Maks and Hope have to have a heart to heart about what this show is REALLY all about.
Auntie (#60), Thanks. I do try to be civil π You’re right, Hope did get contradictory critiques for the same dance, and of course that’s confusing and frustrating. At that point, the celeb needs to have a talk with their pro and get them to interpret the judges’ babble. That might be where Maks is kind of dropping the ball with Hope. He tends to tune out the judges and follow his own path, and he expects his partners to just do as he does (no questions asked). He doesn’t like to “explain”, but maybe he needs to try some more of that now.
Hope’s frustration level has been building for a couple weeks now. Maybe this meltdown will get all that out of her system, and she’ll be able to approach the show from a different perspective…see it for the “sparkly dancing show” it is π
Courtney,
I was thinking that too about Hope and Maks’ rehearsals because in one of the interviews from yesterday, Hope talks about having a tough week, so maybe all their rehearsals were just not good. I hope this week they have much better rehearsals so that translates to the show.
It’s weird though, at the beginning their rehearsals were cute and funny, and showed a better side of Hope. Why can’t they just keep doing that? All of a sudden, it’s Hope and Maks arguing. I would rather her calling him girly in rehearsal like what they showed before!
Heidi,
That’s a good point about the general viewer and what they see. Yeah, I doubt most people are looking at all the interviews, even if I wish they would. When I see Hope on the show as a fan, I know what she means or is trying to say, I just wish people who don’t know her could somehow see that too.
You guys have a lot of great thoughts and info about DWTS! Only started reading this season because Hope is on and you guys were discussing her being on the show!
sasa-very timely post re the celebrity-pro scale, as I was just wondering about why Anna isn’t as successful as, for example Kym. I think you’re could be right.
I adore her and would love to see her win. Such a shame that both she and Carson are now gone.
I also feel that it is because of Makses lack of explanation and his sparseness in doing stuff to help his partners connect to the role they are given- the judges try to somehow intervene and say more than they would usually say (Len’s remarks to Hope, CA insisting on her femininity etc.)
I love Hope and Maks and can’t believe that anyone could think they are being “pimped!” If anything, it looks to me as if they’ve stacked the deck against them. Hope has danced well and the judges have not had one kind thing to say to her. The videos they show of her are all negative. It’s ridiculous! One week she’s too “muscular” and the very next week she’s too “willowy?” What??? It’s the same thing they did to Ralph Macchio last season. Who knows why they do it. But I think Hope and Maks have danced really well and deserve much better than they’ve been given. I’m really disappointed.
Sasa, I see what you’re saying, but I’m not sure Len and CA’s comments are particularly helpful in getting Hope to connect to the role. CA saying that she needs to be more “feminine” isn’t exactly much to go on. Of all the judges, I feel Bruno (surprisingly) often gives the most useful advice. For example when they were all complaining about Hope walking too strongly, he actually went on to say “take it on the ball of the foot and place one foot slightly in front of the other”.
Joan, I think you need to absorb the comments and evaluate them with a less biased eye. Pimpage isn’t just fawning comments from the judges and inflated scores. It’s also where they dance in the running order, the quality of the song they’re given, etc. As for the negative rehearsal packages, that’s been addressed too. If there’s a lot of conflict between the couple during the rehearsals, it’s hard to make a “fun” rehearsal package.
Cidra….I can’t believe I’m going to say this, but – in all fairness to the judges, it’s up to Maks to teach Hope the proper technique. And I’m sure he’s tried, but it’s a live show and sometimes one forgets. Bruno telling her that her feet had to go so and so is fine and dandy, but it doesn’t make CAI’s or Len’s comments less valid or important. These pros likely know what the problem is, even if the judges don’t express it well. Yes, the judges are often ridiculous and out of line – but I really haven’t seen too much of that this season so far. I don’t always agree with them – but this is NOT unique to Hope.
I understand that as fans of Hope’s you all are feeling some righteous indignation on her behalf – but this show is no different than it was last year or the year before. And, they are actually not treating Hope badly or unfairly or any differently than dozens of contestants on this show before her. You’re just used to different treatment for her.
Cidra, I don’t think they are being very smart about it I just think they sensed her desperation and wanted to say something, anything. Maybe that was more the reason behind the inappropriate comments than them trying to be mean, or trying to stir drama.
IMO the producers are the ones who stir for drama purposed, the judges less so.
My only comment is that it is not so smart to believe the video packages, although most people do because that’s all they have to go on, because the package is showing things that actually happened (in spite of being taken out of context), and because they ‘trust’ the show to give them a sense of the particular couple.
A classic case of this is the video packages that were used for Maks and Brandy Norwood. The video packages they showed made them look so bad that Maks actually had to go speak with the producers to ask them to stop doing that, and he said he felt that he and Brandy had to fight an uphill battle with the voters throughout the season because of the bad and misleading video packages. This is crazy when you consider that not only were those 2 getting along well during rehearsals, but were also seeing each other outside the show. And I recall hearing Maks say during interviews (Good Day LA and The View come to mind) not to believe the video packages (and in those cases he was talking about other couples, not himself and his partner).
Every single couple argues during rehearsals, some celebs walk out of the room on their pro, some celebs have meltdowns, etc. We know that, yet we are ready to judge and hate when the producers decide to show it to us. Didn’t Ricki Lake say once that she wanted off the show? But the producers decide what they want to show (out of probably 25 to 35 hours of video shot for each week).
We should all know better than to believe the video packages by now, and we should remember that the snippets they show us can really be taken out of context. Who knows what Hope was like half an hour after her meltdown – she might have remained negative or she might have returned to her normal self.
And how do we know how much explanation Maks is giving Hope? Because the video package shows him talking to her about that for 15 seconds we think that’s all he did? We have to remember that they’re in rehearsals around 5 hours a day/5 or 6 days a week. We have no idea whether its Maks not giving Hope enough or Hope not giving Maks enough or Hope just not being a good dancer. There we go again believing the video packages are telling us the whole (or even an accurate) story.
Heidi and Sasa,
Guess my comments have me coming across as a frustrated Hope fan, which I’m not. I like Hope well enough, but she didn’t bring me to the show. I’ve been watching it for years. They haven’t treated Hope and worse than they have any number of other celebs and she’s gotten a better ride than many others. I also agree with you, Heidi, that it’s the pro’s job to teach the celeb, not the judges. However, I do feel that the judges’ comments should be more constructive than they sometimes are, and I’m talking about their comments to all the teams not just Hope and Maks. Of course, their main role on the show is to be entertaining.
Cidra – My comments are my comments and frankly “absorbing and evaluating” what others have said is not going to change my own observations. I think that Hope and Maks have not been treated well this season – that’s my opinion. And whether you think it is “biased” or not is irrelevant.
LOL – Sandra, well, ordinarily I would say you are preaching to the choir on believing rehearsal packages. But not this time, because I’ve heard they’re actually accurate. And we’ve really not heard Maks protesting them this season, have we.
And calm down – I never said he wasn’t giving her instruction. On the contrary, I’ve said he likely is. My point was about the judges and what’s constructive and what isn’t. I doubt very much that Maks needs to be told proper foot placement and he IS with Hope all the time. So, it is constructive from an audience point of view, but really – is Maks going to take instruction from BRUNO on foot placement?? I don’t think so. Bruno could say “your feet are all wrong” – and that would likely be enough for Maks.
Actually Joan, her comments are just as valid or MORE valid than yours because she’s been watching the show forever. Therefore, she knows whether Hope is being treated badly relative to previous contestants.
Well, Sandra, without trying to sound like a bitch, let me just say this: I have it on good authority that Hope & Maks’ rehearsals haven’t exactly been all sunshine & rainbows…in fact, they’ve been rather miserable for all present for them. While I agree that some couples have unfortunately been the victims of a bad edit here and there, in this instance, I’m more inclined to believe that this is simply just the general mood of Hope & Maks’ rehearsals. I think you can only blame the editors, the judges, and TPTB in general for so long before you have to consider the possiblity that the problem may be Hope & Maks themselves. Where there’s smoke, there’s often fire – so if we repeatedly see unpleasantness in their packages, can we really deny that it’s not there? And that it’s just TPTB working an angle?
Take it with a grain of salt, if you wish. And normally, I’d kind of agree with you about the packages being misleading…but in this instance, I think the repeated negativity of them is a bit of a red flag that there may be trouble in paradise.
@Sandra
I don’t want to make Maks look bad just because. I like him. And of course we never can KNOW anything about the show, we guess.
I’m basing my guess on the fact that Maks had partners with a lot of potential quite a few times but never managed to snag the top spot. Also on the fact that almost every one of his partners cracked at some point during the course of the show. A little bit on the fact that a boxing champ (Laila Ali) said that his teaching is too tough and she’s probably used to some tough couching. And just on the fact how lost Hope appears to be in all this.
Princess: I’ve been watching the show forever too. And if some comments are more valid than others, I’m done here. Best wishes.
Heidi, thanks for the kind words. I can get as emotionally involved and worked up as anyone on this blog, but I try to recognize when I’m doing that, step back and be more objective. Doesn’t always happen π When I can’t control it, I step away from the keyboard ::LOL::
Joan, Of course you’re entitled to your own opinions. I apologize for assuming that you reached them in a vacuum.
:::rolls eyes::: No, you’re not the least bit overly sensitive about Hope and Maks, Joan. Maybe you do need to step back.
Eye rolls right back atcha, Princess. It’s not about Hope and Maks. It’s about not being able to express an opinion without being told to “read and absorb” everyone else’s views as well as being told I’m biased. I merely expressed my own opinion, I don’t care to be chastized for it. And I’ll be stepping way, way back, not to worry.
Cidra: Thanks for your apology. I also feel I’m entitled to express my views. In the future, I will express them elsewhere.
Okay everyone – we all have our favorites and we all have our opinions. It’s hard to say what is truly happening on this show with the judges, producers, powers that be, etc. I always felt last season that Ralph Macchio was tormented by the judges. You just don’t know what the show has planned before the season starts and then if something goes awry, what is then done or said that wasn’t supposed to be said?! I have not been totally blown away by any of the “stars” this season – with that said, it supposed to be a show that takes us away from the stress in our lives and not add to it. It’s a dance show that is meant to entertain. I think we all get very invested in it and very touchy when our particular favorite appears to be picked on. However, when you have a favorite you tend to be more sensitive to every little nuance that occurs with them. No one wants to see anyone treated badly and no one wants their favorite to go home. I think that is something all of us can agree on. With that said, I am interested to see how this season shakes out – how the stars do with two dances. I must say I am confused as it appears there is a group dance next week – with 7 couples, how is that going to work – 4 on one team and 3 on the other – or is it one of those marathon things? Oh, one more comment – I wish the judges and the producers, etc. didn’t try to manipulate how people think or how they vote and instead just let us make all those decisions by ourselves. I think when they choose those rehearsal clips it would be more interesting for all of us to see when the star catches on to the dance, or when something humorous occurs and not all the frustration, I want to quit, this is too hard, I hate you and I want to leave kind of crap. That is not beneficial nor is it a true reflection of what is going on – and it sure isn’t entertaining. Maybe we could do without seeing any rehearsal footage and see if that calms the waters and leaves us to vote based on the dancing itself and how much the star is improving. π
For those of you who watch DWTS every season every show, does telling a couple they are the last team to be safe mean anything specific?
I just feel like with Hope and Maks, they’ve now done this twice, and continue to say that it is not the real bottom two. So is it for ratings, are they just a really popular couple then, that they want to wait till the end?
I just got the feeling that Maks knew they were safe and that they were being put there for drama, like the other time. Hope and Maks were probably just not happy about the drama again, which again I still just don’t understand it. I mean why not put who was really at the bottom? Why Hope and Maks? I totally got the feeling that Carson and Anna felt they were leaving already before it was announced, or at least they looked like they were ready to go.
Of all the couples left, I just think you NEED Hope and Maks up to the end in the final! I mean, she brings a different dynamic to the show, and they balance out other couples. Would make an interesting final with the other two, most likely JR/Karina and Ricki/Derek.
I think Hope brings different viewers and honestly, the show needs that, in my opinion. There are so many people watching JUST because Hope is on.
Nameless person. π There are posts and comments all over the place from the past 4 days speaking to that very subject. The “in jeopardy” etc… I could never explain it as well as both Courtney and Heidi have, but.. .short answer, it can mean a few specific things and it’s always done for a reason.
Maks looked relieved so no, I don’t believe he knew in advance, but he obviously knows Hope has a large soccer following so there was probably some comfort level standing next to Carson. Hope has a niche following, but so does Rob and Chaz. As for David, who knows. A really tough call this year on overall fan bases I would say. If I had to guess I’d say Hope’s base is not as large as Rob’s or even Chaz’s, but women’s soccer is being promoted by ESPN so ABC has a vested interest in seeing that she does well. This may be why they’re trying to push her to dance better. They have been generous with her scores, but I suspect she thought she would excel in spite of the “I can’t dance, or walk in heels” schtick.
I think my Carson votes may very well move to Hope. Personally I think Hope dances at least as well as Rob and David and is much more likeable than either.
Assuming JR and Rickie are in the finals*, then who fills out the third spot? As much as I like Chaz, his technique is lacking. I think Hope, David, Rob and Nancy are pretty much tied in dancing ability. I think remaining dances, choreography and music will be the over-riding factor in how well they perform each week. I thought Hope was underscored this week. I thought David and Rob were overscored. Neither David nor Rob deserved the same score as JR. JR knocked it out of the park with that Samba.
I think CAI was correct that David lacks musicality. To me, it always just looks like he’s stomping around. Rob stood there while Cheryl danced around him and, to me, it looked like he was groping her rather than being sensual.
I think Hope gets tough choreography and attempts to execute it well. As someone said yesterday, I think the props this week were a bit distracting for her. Tristan’s choreography for Nancy was simple and unexciting but she performed it cleanly.
Hope also doesn’t seem to have the acting ability to project the veneer that Nancy, David and Rob know how to do. I think we’re seeing the real Hope rather than a shadow that someone wants to pretend is their real self. If I had the opportunity to have a glass of wine with one of these four, I’d pick Hope.
Anyway I hope Maks figures out a way to let Hope shine on Monday. I’d rather she ended up in the third spot.
(*I am voting for them and not just “assuming” before anyone jumps on me.)
Now I’m wondering if I also need to do a “What it means to be ‘in jeopardy'” post as well π
Cliff’s note’s version: Sometimes being “in jeopardy” is a tool used to motivate a couple’s fans to vote harder, as most of them incorrectly assume that “in jeopardy” means the same thing as “in the bottom 2”. I often think TPTB do have a strategy for picking the other couple that is left “in jeopardy” along with the person going home – it might be their subtle way of nudging the viewers and saying “Pssst. Your favorite couple might not be getting the votes they deserve…might wanna vote harder next wee.” Likewise, not being “in jeopardy” can sometimes lull a couple’s fans into a false sense of security, and they may believe that they don’t have to vote as hard for their favorites since they’ve never been “in jeopardy”.
Now I’m thinking that the “in jeopardy” post might now be such a bad idea…
Wait, Maks and Brandy dated? I didn’t know that.
Nth’ing all the suggestions that Maks call in a female coach to work on styling with Hope. It seems like an obvious solution, PLUS it’d be an excuse to feature a guest in a cute clip package. I can’t for the life of me figure out why he hasn’t already done it. Maybe they’ll try it next week?
For Would like to say….
Everything that the producers done on the show, is done for a reason. They used to announce the real bottom 2, and I think that it was a good thing, because it would spur on the pair that stayed, to get them to try to improve enough to NOT repeat the bottom 2.
For some reason, they changed that, and with one exception this season, haven’t been releasing the real bottom 2. Doing it this way, leaves all of the pairs wondering, and they know that honestly, no one is safe from jeopardy… They can, and probably have, put one of the top scorers in jeopardy. Why? Could be many things, but seeing your favorite in “the bottom” can galvanize their fans, and get them voting harder the following week. So….. I am sure that Heidi and Courtney have probably said this already, they want Hope and Maks to stay, and have been trying to get them to get votes. But honestly, I don’t know.
They also used to put all of the pairs on the floor at once, and would announce who was staying or leaving “in no certain order.” And the last 2 were the ones in the real bottom 2.
Hope and Maks could be the top vote getters…. They don’t publish those at all.
Did that answer at all?
It does sort of feel like they’re setting Ricki and Derek up for a surprise elimination…. Knowing that the order that people get called safe matters to people who vote…. The earlier called safe, the more people feel that their favorite is safe, and more likely to give their votes to someone that was announced safe later in the results show, so…. People could be feeling that Ricki and Derek will be safe no matter what, because they were announced safe first more than once, and want to make sure Hope and Maks are safe, so they take the votes they usually give to Ricki, to Hope instead…. keeping Hope on the show, and eliminating Ricki.
Just to be perfectly clear…Hope and Maks get all my votes on all 4 of my household phones along with making my mom( who hasn’t a clue what DWTS is) vote also, so I am a super didicated fan of both of them. That is why it breaks my heart to see them in such a bind. I still say she will rise to the challenge and adjust accordingly. I think she is pretty inspiring and a tough cookie.
Honestly, I have no idea what most of these posts are about Hope and Maks and rehearsal footage and packages etc etc. I also have no idea abut Hope’s sports career. Quite frankly, I don’t care. Those things do not influence my dislike of Hope. It is based on what she does on the dance floor. She is stilted and bullish, and more importantly comes off as arrogant, has no chemistry with Maks, does not give or connect to the audience and appears confrontational with the judges. She is NOT the only contestant who gets conflicting comments! Performance arts require a person to open up and give of themselves. I see none of that in her. Hope seems to have an egotistical attitude that she is doing us all a big favour by bothering to show up. With her athletic ability, she could be fantastic if she actually put her ego aside and tried to learn, and then tried to give something of herself in a performance, but she doesn’t seem to have it in her. Dancing isn’t her forte. Call it a day and send her home!
@Lori Sure, a Hope, Rob, Chaz final and let’s rename it Laughing with the Stars while we’re at it.
“I think she is being a perfectionist about this all, and you really canβt be.” The same thing happens in sports, so she should understand. You train and train and train, but in the game the responses have to be intuitive, instinctive, body memory should take over. We see this in basketball all the time. Some coaches are trying to diagram plays and instruct as the play happens. It doesn’t work. The smart coach (i.e. Maks, Derek, etc.) knows that when performing it just HAS TO FLOW. I think this is why Kirstie A did so well. No, the steps weren’t always the greatest, but she let it flow as a performance. I think Carson had that quality to last this long-don’t loose the forest for the trees. Enjoyed all the responses.
Nah, as much as it pains me to say so, I think that Rob and David both are several steps ahead of Hope in the dancing department. I thought that Rob was overscored by a point or so, though. I thought Hope was overscored by 3 points at least. I may not be a ballroom dancer but I’ve watched this show long enough to know what a Tango is supposed to look like. And Rob and David didn’t get the same score as JR, so I don’t know what you’re talking about there, Leigh.
Let me know if you need help with a jeopardy post, Courtney. I would be nice to just post a link instead of explaining it over and over again. π
Lori, in my series on the Judges there’s a pretty clear break off between real bottom 2 and faux bottom two. I personally think they stopped doing the real one because the mystery increases the drama. If you aren’t sure who the real bottom 2 are, then that leaves the door open for more frequent “shocking eliminations”. Plus they can use the faux bottom two to propel someone not getting the votes forward more – I think they want Hope and David to stick around for a while, and Hope may not be getting the votes, so they put her in jeopardy to throw a shock into her fans. By the same token, I don’t think they WANT Ricki or JR (neither has been last called safe) to leave, I think they’re likely getting plenty of votes so they are focusing on Hope. However, if they keep doing that and Hope still isn’t getting it, then they risk Ricki and JR both for nothing.
Heidi, are you saying Rob and Chaz are steps ahead in terms of progression, or overall ability?
Sorry, meant Rob and David (not Chaz).
But Courtney, that’s just the point – where there’s smoke there isn’t always a real fire. The fire can be totally made up for entertainment (or other) value. This is television, after all, and it’s about creating images, not necessarily about conveying truth or accuracy.
Perhaps what they’re showing is true and accurate, perhaps it is not – I have no real way of knowing. But I do know for a fact of that other occasion where the producers created a whole lot of smoke, and there was in fact no truth, no fire. And with the same pro. So possible that the producers are doing it again? And that other time they did it, there were also rumors from supposed ‘insiders’ that the impressions being created by the video packages and snippets were true, when in fact they were not (and there were at the same time other insiders who were saying their relationship was good, and it turns out they got it right).
There are potential ulterior motives lurking all around, so it’s hard to know what’s true and what’s false. So believing what they choose to show can be misleading. I’m going to take it all with a grain of salt.
First, I’m sorry to see Carson go. This season, dancewise, is all about JR, Ricki and a long way to everybody else. As none of the other elses do much for me, would’ve preferred Carson for the gusto and class he’s demonstrated throughout the show.
Regarding Hope, I’m probably one of the few here that is a longtime fan/follower of both soccer and DWTS (with Maks being my overall fav male pro).
Through the years, I’ve come to see Hope as a determined, hardworking straightshooter both on the pitch and on the dancefloor. Thing is one come naturally to her, the other not so much. Some people are just built better for some things than others. There is a long history and high expectation that athletes do well on this show. It seems that some translate better (footballers, skaters, gymnasts) while others not so much (basketballers, volleyballers, boxers, soccer players).
Those new to DWTS/Maks (or his detractors) must realize that his teaching style on the show, while seemingly harsh at times, is born out of his heritage, especially impressionable training years under Soviet regime as well as a near career ending injury he fought tough odds to overcome (I know Hope fans can respect this). He has had incredible success with this approach. The shortcoming is that it’s not adaptable and not always the style that works best for all. Plus he can be competitive to a fault.
As for Maks & Hope, I have seen them both on the show and in interviews. While I don’t think that they completely despise each other, there’s not a lot of rapport there and I’m not seeing the investment nor enjoyment from Maks that I saw with some other partners, particularly Mel and Kirstie (who Hope had the misfortune to directly follow. While he had ups and downs with these ladies (who each had personality to spare), Mel and Kirstie clearly loved and embraced the art of dancing. I’m getting the feeling (and some judges comments reflect) that Hope views dancing on this show as something to be tackled rather than tapping into the joy of dancing.
To Hope I’d say what not all of what works in soccer applies here: Feel it, don’t force it. And be more gracious of critique and accomodate improvements as best you can. Of course, natural shape, ability, muscle memory may limit, so accept you may not match other competitors or athletes or expectations and take pride with that, but do your best and take pride in that.
Maks, for his part, would do well to aid her by customizing training and routines as best he can to her style (and cameoing Kirstie in for a crash session in “How to Survive & Have Smoldering Chemistry with Maksim Chmerkovskiy 101” wouldn’t hurt either).
That said, there is storyboarding to the max going on with these two. As soon as saw the meltdown last night, knew she wasn’t going home. Judges, particularly Len, will likely be soft on her this week as per protocol (ala Carrie Ann and Kendra, Season 12). They’ll probably have a good week in vengence as a kick off of momentum and recovering underdog status. Frankly, from what we’ve seen from production, I’d be more far more shocked to see these two NOT make the finals than was to see either Kristen or Chynna depart early.
Who can say, Katarina? I just know that they sure danced better than she did on Tuesday night. Rob had some rough spots, and David sure wasn’t perfect, of course.
Funny thing is, wynn, from where I’m sitting they already went easy on her by giving her a 24. Yeah, they talked tough, but their bark wasn’t even close to their bite. If they keep overscoring her, that will come back to haunt them too.
Well this is what it all boils down to for me: Hope, IMHO, is not a great dancer. Except for the foxtrot, she looks like a bull in a china shop. Add to that the fact that she does not have the likability factor (IMO) or the entertainment factor. I don’t care when she dances on the show and I don’t care what they show in the rehearsal clips. I don’t even care that she rolls her eyes at the judges. There are others on the show that are more appealing in any or all three areas. By the time the show is over, I have completely forgotten about her.
But… if she has enough fans, she will stay. It’s pretty simple. π
“Those new to DWTS/Maks (or his detractors) must realize that his teaching style on the show, while seemingly harsh at times, is born out of his heritage, especially impressionable training years under Soviet regime as well as a near career ending injury he fought tough odds to overcome”
Maks is not the only pro from the former USSR. It does affect you but it doesn’t define you.
As far as the injury goes (and I remember him talking about it), I admire him for overcoming it but I don’t necessarily see how that would affect his teaching style.
@Meggie – I never really thought of it that way, but you are right. There is so much entertainment, dancing, and likeability on this season… And Hope just does’nt fit in with the others.
These two look like a couple that can’t stand each other and are ready to go their separate ways… Now they have the dance of love next week…
Regarding the paragraph on WINNING in #75 (Heidi):
Hope is also used to winning in an “objective” sport – her teammates score goals or they don’t, she either stops shots on goal and penalty kicks or she doesn’t, and the difference is winning or losing. Other athletic events are subjective with judge’s scoring – like gymnastics, figure skating, and diving. DWTS winners have come from both camps – S Johnson and C Namaguchi (sp?) from the latter, E Smith, A Ohno, and H Ward from the former (and I may have missed some).
It would seem far easier for an athlete to come on the show from the subjective sports rather than the objective – less of a conceptual hurdle to overcome.
On the somewhat same subject, here is a link to a video of Hines teaching some teammates the cha-cha that is apparently going viral:
http://ca.sports.yahoo.com/nfl/blog/shutdown_corner/post/Video-Hines-Ward-teaches-Polamalu-and-Keisel-to?urn=nfl-wp9908
Kym will be pleased.
“Funny thing is, wynn, from where Iβm sitting they already went easy on her by giving her a 24.”
I too think she’s overscored. I think she’s about a 7 dancer. To her credit, Maks does incorporate more difficult choreography than some others and she does know and attempt even if she doesn’t execute most of the technique particularly well.
Thanks for a great link Lee!
“Maks is not the only pro from the former USSR. It does affect you but it doesnβt define you.
As far as the injury goes (and I remember him talking about it), I admire him for overcoming it but I donβt necessarily see how that would affect his teaching style.”
Having come through such a severe injury makes him have less sympathy for some comparably lesser issues his co-dancers may have. Feeling sorry for yourself is not tolerated by him. As said, that is only a piece of his life that makes up who he is. He’s comes from a hardworking, militaristic influence…he’s adopted his dad’s mantra about “it’s all about the end result.” In DWTS case, the end result is best if the journey is enjoyed along the way (it makes a difference to the dances and voters). Just not seeing or feeling that in this partnership of yet.
“Thanks for a great link Lee!”
Same from me! That is hilarious! #99 there wasn’t half bad…maybe DWTS should give im a ring. π
Wynn, I understand what you’re saying and I pretty much agree with you.
“In DWTS case, the end result is best if the journey is enjoyed along the way (it makes a difference to the dances and voters). Just not seeing or feeling that in this partnership of yet.”
The problem is that the only partnership that to me seemed truly enjoyable for both Maks and his partner was the one with KIrstie. The others have been very strained on occasion. I feel like every season there is a “do Maks and XY hate each other” question coming up. I think he did so well with Kirstie because he didn’t have high hopes and expectations and neither did anyone else. Also, her personality (cough* ego * cough) is even bigger then his which is saying something.
And if he truly feels that it’s all about the end result then he should embrace that celebrities having fun exploring themselves and rehearsing with a new found positivity is a big part of the end result. Because that will show up in the rehearsal package for the viewers to see and vote on.
Also, like it or not, the judges are a part of the beast as well. I’m guessing every pro tells their student to at least be respectful when facing their critique but Maks probably just tells them to not pay attention to it, which would be hard to do when you’re doing something you’re so new and not very good at.
Sasa, I think if you read Maks’ blogs from seasons past and his interviews, you’ll find that even his relationship with Kirstie was strained at times (both during and outside of rehearsals). Also, in Maks’ current TV Guide blog he talks about his (recent) favorite season. Our perceptions of Maks’ relationships with his celeb partners aren’t always the reality. Also, Maks has talked about what influenced his teaching style and he stated that he coaches the way he was coached (which may in part be influenced by his Ukrainian/Russian background and his family’s (namely, his father’s) belief system). There probably have been other influences, but these are ones I remember him mentioning off the top of my head.
I’ve been reading his blog and watching the interviews for 4 or 5 seasons.
Kirstie was a handful, I wrote it a few days ago, she would be a handful for anybody. But they shared the genuine joy of dancing and learning to dance which IMO lacked in his partnerships with Brandy, Erin and Laila. Mel B was too good on her own to stress to the same degree but they did have their issues.
Apart from Kirstie, those are the partnerships that lasted long enough to really judge.
@Wynn
I love your comment and agree with much of it.
My problem, though, is that Hope should be used to being coached and critiqued. I’m fairly certain her soccer coaches don’t baby her or pull punches. I can’t help the feeling that she just views this as so much less important and … for want of a better word… lower… than everything else in her life that she can’t understand the judges and Maks being so picky.
I tend to compare her to Nancy. I had assumed going in that Nancy would kind of be a bear to work with and for the judges to deal with. And yes, she bickers with Tristan – but underneath that bickering you can see a real respect and developing friendship. She really likes him and I think he even likes her.
Even more, she respects the judges opinions enough to be emotional over receiving an 8. Of course, she doesn’t take it as seriously as her real life, but she seems to be loving to learn to dance. And, as you would expect, she has a superb poker-face.
I found it interesting that Nancy has tweeted several times in defense of Hope since the show. Maybe they’re two similar tough women, but one is simply benefiting from life experience and maturity. Or maybe they’re not that similar but Nancy sees something in Hope that we haven’t been shown yet.
Christy, I think all the celebs, pros and production staff of DWTS see a whole lot more in all the celebs than we get to see. As others have said in various ways, the rehearsal packages and press we see gives us the illusion of knowing the celebs and pros. It’s very easy to get sucked into feeling that we do know them, when we really don’t. Even savvy viewers (which I think most of us are — **pat ourselves on the back**) who know better than to believe the rehearsal packages can get seduced into believing we understand the celebs/pros. IMO it’s one of the things that makes “reality” TV successful. All that aside, I’m pleased that Nancy is defending Hope on Twitter. This cast seems closer than many others, and I like that.
@Princess Heidi re a beaten down Maks you hit the nail on the head. An athlete is strong physically and mentally and “HOPE SULK” has a mini breakdown and says she does not want to do this anymore. Maks kept walking away because the camera was still filming and I think he was trying to help Hope not to get herself in any deeper. She is supposed to be on the show to promote womans soccer. She will retain her fans bit I think she turned many off because of her arrogance and lack of personality also not to mention she can’t dance. Controversy always seems to swirl around Hope. If it is not dubious reffing in soccer than it is dubious reffing on dwts. She seems oddly detached I can’t quite put my finger on it. The newest videos show her and Maks in damage control and promise not to fight anymore. I feel so awful for Maks this is probably his last year on the show and she is damaging him,not the way I want to see him go out. To make matters worse he handpicked her so he has to be really beating himself up. The best thing that could happen is if next week they play nice and get voted off. I will be really surprised if Nike keeps her she is too polarizing and people have not liked her at all!
FYI, people – you can have opinions all you like, but if all you have is a rant at me for a completely valid observation re: some knowing how the show works and some who don’t, then I’m going to delete your ass. You don’t like the way I post? Hit the road.
Oh, and I forgot….STFU.
Diana, I feel bad for Maks too, but I don’t think that she’s doing him any real damage that he won’t get over. I would imagine it’s a pain in the butt but he’ll get back on it. He’ll be fine.
Maks & Hope have ZERO chem it’s really bad & she seems like she wants to be anywhere but dancing in his arms, which is not something alot of women would have to fake lol being happy to be in that position.
I feel bad for Maks & think they will go next cause the viewers cannot be rooting for her to win, can they??
Amazing how people thought Nancy Grace would polarize the show or something similar. I now admire Nancy as she seems like a genuinely nice person. She appears to get along with most of the cast. Yes, she is not the best dancer, but she isn’t the worst dancer folks figured she’d be before the season began.
I was very pleased to see Karina dancing with Louis. They have class, precision, elegance, technique, emotion, beauty, sensuality, creativity and more.
Their dance was one of the best performances I’ve ever seen on DWTS.
@Christy
Hope’s training as a goalkeeper isn’t helping her actually. It is the anti-dance. She was the first to admit that day one. Her life is all about hours and hours of repetition down to the smallest body movements and muscle reflex. She has to move faster than a 60+ mph ball kicked at close range. She’s a perfectionist, an introvert so she’s a deep thinker to likes to see the mechanics behind things and internalize them, and that is perfect for a gker. She’s used to being overly hard on herself because in her job it comes down to fingertips and microseconds and being perfect. The English bloke who is her coach fine tunes her but she is her own slave driver. She is the best in the world at it so you know it is deeply ingrained.
That is all bad if you are learning to dance in a fast turn around, glittery, extrovert friendly, reality show. No one can perfect a dance in around four days. The better ones are natural at dance, do it well enough for the time they have, and use some acting to sell what they can’t do. JR and Ricki have all of that to a good percentage and it shows.
Hope actually has some assets there but they need to be polished. She isn’t a natural dancer, certainly not at this pace, but she is very pretty when her lines are right and she has the physical gifts to do hard stuff that other pros can’t try with their partners. Maks does tap into that a bit. And while acting isn’t a strength her natural personality is very lovely. Sweetheart isn’t a lie. She has a megawatt smile and is magnetic in a room when just being herself. Unfortunately being herself hasn’t been promoted in her dancing, even in personal story week. The closest we’ve gotten to that is probably the foxtrot, jive, or vwaltz to degrees.
And outside of dancing all we get to see of Hope are those nastigram packages and we all know how that looks. Intentional or not the final product they put out looks terrible when really her biggest crime is probably being boring when she practices. She’s en fuego Hope at times for sure, but if she was like that all the time they’d never get a routine done. If they included her in their little skit reels and soundbites more or even caught them when they were on a break or feeding her coffee habit or anywhere but when she is practicing you’d get to see the Hope her fans love and the person the whole cast and crew seems to love and love enough to try to defend. It has to suck to expose your securities so publicly and dance your heart out and have your opening package make you look like a one note awful person. That is the subjective side that makes it not very fun for those who know who Hope is.
About Hope’s meltdown and why it is a good thing… (I’ll shut up after this. Promise.)
Maks said seeing how happy she is after dancing on Mondays is what gets them both through the intense, unfun rehearsals. Which is kind of sweet as Hope celebrating is a thing to witness, but kind of sad too because that’s a lot of hours to get through to get to be happy for an evening. On top of the emotionally exhausting rehearsals her results have plateaued and the feedback is like a lazy susan of personal insecurities spun every week. Not feminine enough. Too strong. Not working hard enough (bogus and insulting combined). The contender carrot which sounds hollow without any specific things praised. She’d cling to any kind of praise and all she can hear at this point are their recycled talking points. It’s all work work work, view nastigram package, dance, and spin the wheel and get some of the above “feedback”. Three weeks of that and she finally blew. Thank goodness because I love Hope and being stuck in that pattern is like assisting in your own hazing. Anyone would want off that show. Fortunately that’s not how the experience has to be.
Solution? I think they are already going in the right direction. Stop focusing on powering through the week for the home run that you can’t count on, hasn’t come, and is only a portion of your grade anyway. The full score card is subjective. Even the judges portion is subjective which Hope has had a hard time wrapping her head around, bless her. It is an entertainment show after all. Hope needs to embrace the glitter more or less. The journey is as important as the final product. They film part of it after all! Dance all you want, but if they give you a bad package to play before your dance people are going to hate you. Maks and Hope gave their vows to rehearse in a different way (picture unicorns with rainbows shooting out their rears) and hopefully that will kill two birds with one stone. A better way of learning a dance and maybe even a happier way in the end. Smile all the time and they can’t film you in a bad way. And then, at the end of the day, even if your dance gets the same score again you have a nice package, we finally get to see that smile I miss, and all that time you put into it was at least fun.
Finally, lose all of the baggage. Maks’ mirror ball? Tough. It isn’t worth being miserable over and you aren’t going to win it that way anyhow. There is an opportunity of having a good time and that is all I ever wanted for Hope anyway. I think she started out like that but it got too intense after week two and she really isn’t built to handle this kind of craziness. Maks is intense. So is Hope when she is working that hard. They really need to shift it down a gear. Dance to entertain your fans. You can’t lose with that kind of goal and you’ll likely put out your best effort too and have more fun. I’ll just be happy if we get to see more of the real Hope next week. Make it happen guys!
I feel bad for Hope but not necessarily Maks. He’s the one who should be a wise and patient teacher. In theory.
Like when he said: Hope has performing in her dna, she just won’t admit it. Well, it makes it sound like she’s gotta problem when in fact it is Makses job to help her tap into that performer inside. It’s not like she is deliberately denying him and herself of amazing performances. She just does not have a clue what she’s doing. At least it seems that way to me. So bring someone relatable in. Or take her to a show. Or something, anything.
I’m sorry but watching Maks with his partners over the seasons, I’ve had the impression in a lot of the dances that his partners are trying to act the role instead of just interpreting it for themselves and owning it. And there are very few who are good enough dancers and performers to be able to act it out convincingly.
He should just let them be more themselves in the dance and then maybe there will be less of them outside the dancing (meaning: arguments, meltdown..)
I was thinking about the results shlow yesterday when I heard the new Kelly Clarkson song on the radio and how Tom thought shwe she should do a future season of the show. That would be cool to see.
As for the Maks and Hope stuff: I think Maks has really made Hope improve as a dancer but idk if its her titude sometimes or maybe the fact that she seems to be in lack of a betterway to expalin my thoughts, to confident in herself. Let me explain what I mean: this week’s dance: she gave len a look that really shocked me during his critique i mean if look scould kill he would be dead. Just because she thinks she serves a higher score she she thinks the judges will give her one. I admire her drive BUT she looks like she is viewing the competiton as just a compettion and not having fun. The only time she seemed to have legit fun out there was the foxtrot i think.
I wish she had the same approach as Carson.
The thing I see in Hope is a lack of enjoyment (apart from the Toy Story dance – she seemed to have fun with that). No doubt it sucks to be removed from your comfort zone and have criticism coming from all sides, but she is learning something brand new! I think if she lets go of the competition and just focuses on the music and the joy of dancing, it would help. At least she would take away some positive experiences from her time on the show.
Also, when she is in a competition on a soccer field, her adrenaline rushes result in strength, power, speed. When she is in front of a live audience on a dance floor, those adrenaline rushes don’t translate as well.
I hope she settles down and starts to have some fun.
I haven’t given up on Hope and Maks for this season. There is still next week and she could deliver a good dance. This has all been a lesson for her. Wasn’t it two weeks ago that they ran a clip where Ricki said she wanted to quit? Sometimes we have bad days and it’s hard to take, but with a camera watching your every move, it’s hard to hide your head and your feelings to sort it all out. π
I’ve moved on and am looking forward to the dances next week. :8 It’s Broadway week! Will be interesting to see what the couples bring to the dance floor.
Hope had a blast with her cha-cha, too. With her whole team there, she shocked the heck out of everybody with her sexy moves – including Maks! And then the Toy Story foxtrot, dedicating it to her adorable nephew, her family in attendance – and Len chooses that special night to lecture her about commitment??? That was just plain mean of him and/or whoever put him up to it. Took the joy right out of it for her.
Then the tango – one judge saying she’s too willowy, another that she’s too strong. I’ll tell you, it made me roll my eyes, too. π
You know, I’m not a big fan of Maksim behavior (but he does is a great pro), but I like Hope a lot.
I think that this couple problem is that – different from Derek, Kym, Karina, and maybe Mark, Cheryl, and the other pros – Maksim always doesn’t adapt himself to the stars style. The star have to herself adapt to his style.
And I feel he always want his partner just follow his lead, you know… sometimes he pushes and pulls his partner… I don’t see he teaching her (and some of his former partners) with patience, care… it can work with some people, but not with everyone… I don’t know… maybe it’s just me, but that’s how I feel about him.
@diana, “I will be really surprised if Nike keeps her she is too polarizing and people have not liked her at all!”
For your reference, she just shot a new ad for Nike two weeks ago. Seems Nike will keep her for a time. And she just singer a new contract with Gatorade and BOA. Does it surprise you? LOL
Oh, how ignorant for you to say “people have not liked her at all”, you think you are the same as “people”? Please stop state your PERSONAL BIAS to someone as what “people” think. Look around at twitter and other social networks, there are more ppl like her, otherwise she won’t be one of the hottest female athletes currently.
The difference between sports fan (Hope’s major supporters) and entertainment fan is, we regard athlete’s ability on the field more than what you fake for the camera. It’s all about competition. Yes, Hope also has some controversy in soccer world but fans care less about it since she’s at the top level in her sports. Plus, her strong aggressive personality maybe doesn’t favorited by entertainment fans but it’s much more welcomed on soccer field. That’s why Nike will keep her and fans will admire her as long as she’s the best female goalkeeper in the world.
Oh, the “dubious reffing in soccer” you mentioned is not about Hope herself, it’s about her team. Did you watch the semifinal between USA and Brazil at this World Cup? If you watched, I think you would know what she means. If not, I think it’s better for you not to comment on something you don’t know at all.
That’s an astute observation, Carlos.
I think the one exception was Kirstie. Everybody seems to want to see the Maks that adapted his style to her. But it was an aberration for him. She was twice his age and grossly overweight, he was forced to make adjustments for her. He couldn’t have dreamed that she would actually make it to the Finals and that people would get so invested in her transformation.
Well, Hope says she needs a tough coach. She doesn’t need to love him, for her it’s all about Respecting him as the pro. The partnership would work very well for them if people would stfu, let them do it their way, and stop pining for Kirstie.
Sorry, “the semifinal between USA and Brazil”, I mean the “quarterfinal”.
@Skyisnolimit – YES! Thank you!
Thanks, Shep.
I just wanted to see more from Maksim, you know, working for his partners, trying to discover what fits better for them, etc, etc… not just “Do what I say”, you know…
I think a bit of a mountain is being made out of a molehill when it comes to Hope and Maks. I don’t believe she is ready to quit just because she said she didn’t know if she could do this anymore. It happens every season on this show and already happened once this season with Ricki (and Ricki was the one who actually used the “quit” word, not Hope).
Shep, I completely agree with what you say. Hope has shown many times that she’s having fun in this competition (like the night of the cha cha), so I don’t think she’s not opening herself up to enjoying the DWTS experience as some say.
I do think her and Maks obviously hit an emotional wall this week. It was interesting in the local interview they did with Hope’s friends from Washington that Maks said it wasn’t always fun in the rehearsal room but he looked forward to the moment at the end of the dance when Hope was happy and that was fun. I think this week was hard because it wasn’t fun in the rehearsal or after the dance. However, they seem to be moving beyond it already. In the post-elimination interviews they seemed back to normal. I liked how in the OTRC interview, Hope was saying she was fully starting to realize how far out of her comfort zone she was but she was glad Maks could bring that out of her and that was something she could take pride in and Maks was nodding his head next to her. I think he gets frustrated because she’s too hard on herself but he wouldn’t get frustrated if he didn’t care.
Now if you want to look at a pairing where the pro is emotionally checked out then I would say look at any interview with Cheryl and Rob. I always feel like she could not look less enthused if she tried.
Carlos — but then it wouldn’t be Maksim, would it? LOL
Shep, sure not. ahahahahah =]
Thank you, Mary S. I couldn’t agree more that this molehill doesn’t deserve mountain status, but certain commenters have made it impossible to ignore. I’ve had to back away from my keyboard so many times through this thread, and have been amazed at the level of cattiness I’ve seen that is usually not condoned at PureDWTS.
I think you’re right and that team MakSolo are going to get through this just fine. Looking forward to their Rumba!
Ok, the buck stops here. The next person to write a novel about Hope & Maks, whether it be for or against them (or taking swipes at another poster), gets DELETED. This has gone on long enough and we’re beating a dead horse at this point…it’s just a stalemate now, with each side just rehashing what’s already been said upteen times. I’d like to think that we’re all mature enough to have a level-headed discussion, but some of you have proven you can’t, so I guess it’s time to institute a state of martial law in this post. Find something else to talk about.
Skyisnolimit, find a way to share your feelings without insulting other posters – while I agree with some of what you said, I don’t agree with your antagonistic delivery.
Jeez, I’m half-tempted to withold the cheese & lolz this week, out of sheer frustration with some of what’s going on here…
*pirouettes through the thread tossing glitter and sparkly confetti*
*big cheesy grin*
As an addendum to Courtney, no one gets to point the finger and cry catty – everyone is sharing their opinions. Just because someone doesn’t like Hope, it doesn’t make them catty. And Sky-person?? Much like you don’t think non-soccer fans should talk about Hope because they know nothing about her or the sport, lots of people think Hope fans are talking about something they know nothing about when it comes to DWTS. That is evident from all the whining about how mean everyone is to poor little Hope.
Neither side is changing minds. Deal with it and move on.
P.S. Attempts to sound above it all and snotty will also be deleted. Keep at it and you’ll no longer be welcome. We’ve been living here a long time. You are new. Behave accordingly.
I’m tired of new kids coming to my house where me and my friends a playing and shitting in my sand box with not so much as a “can I play too?”.
@Princess-person, what “dubious reffing” refers can be easily found as the truth since it’s about a game played in front of millions of audience. It’s not like argueing with who’s better dancer and who’s worse which is completely subjective. I don’t think you can compare these two together.
I’m glad you said this, Heidi. I’ve recently been on other sites that don’t let you say one bad thing on a pro’s partner or else. That’s ok though for them, but, I’m glad this isn’t the way this site is ran.
Adding: I don’t like the above it all, snotty, and and insulting attitudes and remarks either.
Ok, I feel so much better getting that off my chest. Love to all and I’m off to work for a while. xx
Sky – last warning. Move on or get blocked.
@Evaine – Sparkle harder π
*twirls and jumps and tosses glitter and sparkles with BOTH hands*
(I’m kinda distracted by the pics of Maks in the top hat, but I’ll do my best!)