DWTS Season 14 – POLL: Does Sherri Have An Unfair Advantage?
Some of you may remember that Vogue spotted a picture of Sherri at Maks & Val’s studio a few months back on Twitter, which was then swiftly deleted, and there have been rumors swirling ever since about whether Sherri had been taking lessons for awhile prior to the DWTS cast announcement. Lots of strong opinions on both sides of the issue, but we want to know what you guys think:
Where do I stand? I find that the thing that seems to bother me the most is the possibility that she was actually rehearsing with her future pro – I think part of the struggle most of the couples have early on is just developing chemistry and getting used to the way each one teaches/learns, since most of them are strangers, and of the ones that do already know each other, odds are they haven’t been under the circumstances that they are when they’re on the show. If Sherri & Val have already gotten over that hurdle, I think that’s a big leg-up they have over the other couples – and if they’ve been practicing long enough, Sherri may already know the basics of some of the dances, and may even have some choreography. If that’s the case, I feel like they’ve already gotten lord knows how many weeks of EXTRA rehearsal time in that the other couples haven’t – so while everyone else maybe be muddling through cha-cha basics and foxtrot timing, Sherri & Val might just be putting the finishing touches on their routine. The only other precedent we have for a situation like this was back in season 9, when Donny admitted to taking ballroom lessons to prepare for his stint on the show – it annoyed me, but at the same time, he wasn’t taking lessons with his future pro. I think I’d be able to better tolerate Sherri taking lessons beforehand if I knew that she was doing it with someone that she wasn’t going to be paired with on the show. But let’s see how Vogue & Heidi feel, shall we?
Vogue: This whole thing makes me question if others have cheated before Sherri? No, we don’t have 100% proof that Sherri was taking lessons with Val that day, but, why the work out clothes (similar to the clothes Nancy wore), and why did they take the picture down which was the icing on the cake that told me that they knew they were in the wrong or trying to hide something? If this was the case, I think Sherri knew she was dancing or possibly going to dance this upcoming season. Granted, it would only be natural to want to learn how to dance (or better your dancing) if you knew you were going to be dancing in a major dance competition on television. I would bet others have done the same who knew they were going to dance too (ie: Donny). Is it unfair to the others who didn’t know they were going to dance, yes. At the same time, I think they know what they are getting into when they sign the dotted line being some of the celebrities might have some dance experience in their background and some may not. Another thing too… even if Sherri’s been practicing ahead of time and she can dance, she doesn’t have the “likable” factor in her corner which is just as important on this show to win. She also has some weight issues that will play a factor in coordination, stamina, and endurance. The other celebrities will have their plus and downsides too. In the end….and experience in dancing or not…all I really want to see on this show is some good dancing. So, part of me says, “Who cares Everyone? Just dance!!”
Heidi: Well, the point Court makes about chemistry and friendship is a huge one – that takes a while to establish and even if she’s been hanging at DWMS and NOT dancing, it’s still an unfair advantage. But come on – why delete the picture if everything was innocent and no shenanigans (aka dancing) were happening?? Why? It would be SO easy to explain a picture, even though she was in work out clothes, if it was just a one-time, simple thing. But, like in politics, it’s the cover up that always does the most damage. Same is certainly true here – we would never be having this conversation if she hadn’t deleted the photo almost immediately. What is MOST galling to me is that it’s a Chmerkovskiy that’s her partner – you remember, one of them took unfair (and ignorant) shots at Derek last season for appearing to side with the judges and having the nerve to get good partners the last few seasons. That SAME pro has been incredibly blessed with partners of his own – he just can’t win with them for whatever reason. If it wasn’t for that, this situation wouldn’t be nearly as annoying as it is. Is it balls or ignorance that allows a situation like this one to occur AFTER being an asshole to a fellow profession who DOESN’T pick his partners (like Maks did) and was, frankly, speaking the truth when he said “we’ve been on the show for how many seasons now – nothing has changed”??? Was that sentence too long? 😉 Seriously, it’s the hypocrisy and the apparently desperate need for a Chmerkovskiy to win at any cost that is bugging me.
Where do you guys stand? Do you think Sherri has somehow cheated a bit, or do you think she’s perfectly justified in taking lessons prior to the show? How, if at all, do yout think it will affect the outcome of the competition? Sound off! 🙂
It’s not the Olympics. It’s not the National Leagues. It’s not the World Championships and there is no governing body here. It’s a TV show. As much as I don’t like the idea, whatever Sherry did… be it take dance lessons for fun, take lessons for her wedding and continue on after, take lessons knowing she was probably going to sign on the show, take lessons with her eventual pro… I don’t think she’s breaking any stated rules. I can be morally outraged (sheesh, over a dancing show. *eyeroll), but really, she’s not done anything wrong.
Sorry Evaine, but it is unfair. How would you like to be competing or try for a job, put in the time & work your butt off only to find out that someone who had a heads up for the position started preparing before you? AND $350,000 was the prize? Umm…you might be annoyed or think it’s unfair….just sayin’ 🙂
I can see why people are aying hse has an advantage but I don’t think its going to amount to much. Lets be honest she isn’t Donny Osmond.
Sheery, that happens in real life all the time.
Show me a rule and I’ll call it unfair.
I might be a little more concerned if there was actually money on the line for a final prize(to be given to a charity or something like that) but it just a mirror ball trophy. I typically don’t vote…so I go with the if don’t vote I can’t complain about the voting results.
My opinion – This poll is putting a damper on what I thought or hoping was going to be a great, fun and drama free season of DWTS. If Sherri has been talking lessons, I am sure she isn’t the first and won’t be the last.
I’ll agree with Evaine – life is unfair. And I agree that Sherri isn’t breaking any sort of official rule or being morally bankrupt…but I do think it was kind of what I call a “d*ck move”. And what I mean by “d*ck move” is something that’s not explicitly forbidden or blatantly unacceptable, but just something that’s kind of smarmy or underhanded upon further examination. Something that might illicit a disappointed sigh and a “Really?” I mean, the show is unfair enough as it is, with the judges generally playing favorites and scoring with an agenda. I don’t think the couples should make it any more unfair by doing stuff like this.
And I kinda get what sheery’s saying too – I think we sometimes forget that there’s more at stake for the celebs with this show, especially with the money & exposure they get. If I were someone currently unemployed or trying to make a comeback, like maybe Jack or Jaleel, and I was counting on this show to give me a career boost, I might get upset to find that one of the other celebs was getting a bit of an unfair edge – and I guess I just see Sherri as someone that doesn’t really NEED this show and is doing it for bragging rights, anyway, so maybe I just see her extra efforts to help herself just a bit…greedy. But that’s just me, and I will readily admit that I generally find all the women on The View to be obnoxious simply by virtue of being on The View. 🙂
Then don’t participate, Evelyn. Go away if it bothers you so much…because you’re trolling right now. And if you can’t help but stick around and lecture the rest of us on how wrong we are – I’ll just start deleting your comments. Your choice.
If a Chmerkovskiy has to cheat to win, so what?
Y’all did note that I said off the bat that I didn’t like the idea, right? And I don’t like Sherry and that’s NOT something new. And I also am not surprised by her doing something like this, if indeed she did.
But… I pose this question as devil’s advocate. What if she’d only taken lessons because she enjoyed dancing and wanted to be good for her wedding etc… And because she IS a personality in NYC and supposedly a friend/acquaintance of the Chmerkovskiys it’s hardly surprising she’d go to Dance With Me for any lessons. When DWTS came knocking at the door, is she supposed to decline because she’s been taking lessons?
totally dont care whether she took lessons or not… I dont put that much thought into this show.. Love it, watch it for entertaining purposes..And i have to disagree with Heidi and her comment about the Chmerkovskiy ( i am sure she means Maks). I think all the pros want to win and dont think he appears desperate at any cost to win. Its more the fans that are desperate that he wins…
Underhanded describes it beautifully. And what about the celeb that may get eliminated before they even had a chance to bond with their partner. I think the C Brothers are very selfish, classless, and unprofessional. I really thought I would give Val a chance, bring a new pro and all, but not now, no way.
Your right Heidi, Maks would be calling out his opponents very LOUDLY to anyone that would listen if the shoe was on the other foot.
Sherri worked as the host for one of the chmerkovskiy events held in NYC- it is entirely possible that she was seen at the studios in preparation for that. As for the mysteriously deleted pic- if the cast was supposed to be kept under wraps, then it would make sense to take down that pic – its not like we haven’t seen someone tweet about dwts only to take it down soon after
Allegedly, Sherri was taking dancing lessons with Val for her upcoming wedding. Well her wedding was in August 2011. So just how many months could this have been going on?
i call unfair…when you are in a competition and you “steal the start” first time around you get a warning…second time around …you are out! i don’t care if she is not Donny or that she has weight issues…it is still unfair that she got to dance with her partner…before the others even knew they are doing the show… Court is right…it takes time to get to know your partner and get comfortable enough with him/her … they stole that…it takes time to learn the basics of a dance…they stole that too… i don’t want to give any names…although it will be obvious ..i don’t care…i can only imagine the drama and the controversy if we were talking about another team or pro…somehow it is alright to take dance lessons in advance with your pro partner…but it is unfair to only get the ringers…even though your partner’s previous dance experience was a movie she did 25 years ago…go figure….
Evaine, just because it’s not against the law doesn’t mean it OK or justifiable. ETHICS!!!
Maddy… I said I didn’t approve.
Maddy, I’m not sure you even read Evaine’s comment – she is not saying it’s ok. She’s just saying it’s not against the rules. I think you owe her a bit of an apology…
Sorry!!!!
Thanks. 🙂
The only thing I want to say is that it IS unfair to the other contestants!
If someone other pro (you-know-who-I’m-talking-about) had done that with his partner, I can’t even imagine what people would start saying about him, considering what they said about him in past seasons!! Like it’s his choice who’s his partner is going to be each season (which btw, Maks DID chose a partner and when things didn’t come around the way he was planning we’ve seen what happened). It’s not his fault if the celebs want him as a teacher!!!
When exactly was the picture posted, like what month? I know Sherri got married in August of 2011 so if it was before that then I would say maybe she was practicing for her wedding. If it was more recent, like November or December, I could see how it would raise questions but I wouldn’t automatically assuming she was practicing. She’s been friends with both Maks and Val for a bit and I think as someone previously mentioned done some event or something with DWM. So maybe she was visiting when she was out and about and deleted the picture because she was in talks to do DWTS and didn’t want to help fuel any rumors. My point is that it could really be anything so to automatically assume she ‘cheated’ by having lessons with her pro is a bit of stretch. I personally would find it hard to believe a rumor like this unless more than a picture of her LEAVING the studio surfaced.
@Allie – The picture showed her in workout-type clothes…the kind one might wear when practicing. That’s what raised some eyebrows for us – if she was just visiting, you would think she’d be in street clothes. And at the time the picture was taken, no one had even mentioned her name recently as a DWTS contestant…so I don’t think it would have raised any suspicions, especially since she has been friends with Maks & Val for awhile, as you said. The whole thing just felt GUILTY to me – why hide it if it was something innocent?
Was it fair when Julianne was partnered with her then boyfriend Chuck Wicks in Season 8? No, they could’ve been practicing the moment they signed on but it is what it is.
@Courtney- What if she had stopped by before going to the gym? I’ve done other errands in work out clothes before hitting the gym or if it’s laundry day. lol! I’m not trying to make excuses per say but just point out it could be other things. Sure taking the picture down does seem guilty. I’ll give you that. Do you know when the picture was posted and how long after that it was taken down?
The circumstances seem odd but I still personally believe it’s a stretch to say it was lessons without any more concrete proof.
I really don’t think Sherri is going to go very far, in all honesty. She can take as many lessons as she wants. She seems to be annoying to many people even before they officially start.
@ohlala – I always got the feeling that Chuck was a last-minute addition when they couldn’t find anyone else. I remember Julianne said after season 7 that she wouldn’t be back for season 8…and then at the 11th hour, suddenly she was back, and her boyfriend (who I hadn’t heard of until that point) was her partner. As if they made some deal where they begged her to return for one more season and used the prospect of having her bf as her partner as leverage. Was it fair? Probably not, but I never found Chuck to be that great of a dancer, anyway. If they were practicing ahead of time, it didn’t seem to do them a whole lotta good. 😛
The photo with the fact that Sherri has said she wanted to do the show…plus “people in the know”===the speculation that she was on this season before she was officially announced.
Well, Allie, you’ll notice we used a whole lot of “ifs” in this post – we aren’t asserting that she was taking lessons. But we’re speculating about what consequences could result if she was. I believe the picture was taken around Christmas time, but Vogue would have to answer for sure as she is the one that found the picture. FWIW, one of our readers that lives in the NYC area had heard a local radio affiliate also reporting that Sherri may have been taken lessons beforehand.
Soon to be less posts on here….
Bot A. Chmerkovskiy @ChmerkovskiyBot
#Chmerkovskiy #hot RT @pravda101: I really should stop going to PureDWTS.Their bias against either Chmerkovskiy is becoming v. obviou…
That’s the reason I stopped going to my MIL’s house…bais LOL.
b-i-a-s….sorry for the typo…was LMAO.
@Courtney- Ok. I understand. I wasn’t trying to be rude but point out there could be other explanations and that all of this is just speculation. Around Christmas? hmmm that is interesting. I do remember that both Val and Maks left shortly after the Nancy Grace special at their SoHo studio for vacation so maybe she didn’t even see them? Again I don’t know just guessing.
What does ‘FWIW’ mean?
Everyone has a bias. To quote Heidi, “Pot, meet kettle”. I would rather speak my mind and piss a few people off than hold my tongue and cater to someone else’s biases.
Whether Sherri has been taking lessons with Val or anyone else at the studio is probably not going to give her an advantage. Winning is accomplished, not by how well you dance on this show, but how big and dedicated your fan base is, and whether or not the judges look upon you with favor. Sherri and Val could dance like the second coming of Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire, but if they don’t get fan votes,and the 3 Amigos don’t like her, it ain’t happening. How many times has the best dancer won? Not saying it’s never happened, but not often. I’m with Vogue..Who cares, just dance. 🙂
@Allie – FWIW = for what it’s worth. And yes, I agree there could be other explanations…but as I said before, it all just reads fishy to me. You’ll have to ask Vogue, but I believe the picture had Maks & Val in it with Sherri.
I have a lot of different thoughts, but one is that she’s getting a lot of press from this. To me it could really backfire to draw too much attention to it if it rallies people who think she’s being unfairly accused who might otherwise not have cared enough about her to vote. I don’t approve or like it but I don’t think either Chmerkovskii will win, cheat or not. And I’m not giving them a pass. I thought Maks might still be one of my several favorite pros but somehow I realized during the cast announcement that he’s just not. I have a sick little one and am exhausted so i hope I haven’t sounded rude or preachy.
Yes, it’s unfair, and life isn’t unfair. But to me, Sherri & co. know the underhandedness of it, because THEY are the ones trying to HIDE IT. If it’s truly one of those “yeah, I did it, so what?” kind of things, then why take the picture down? Again, just IMO, but the picture was taken down PRECISELY BECAUSE someone knew it would generate this type of backlash – that people would perceive it as unfair, and it might cost Sherri & Val some votes… and frankly, I hope it does.
@jess – Lord knows if enough Chmerkovskiy fans go running to Maks & Val to “tattle” on us on Twitter (and they have before), I wouldn’t be at all surprised if Sherri launches into a diatribe on The View on Monday about how she’s learning fair & square and whatnot. I can just hear Elizabeth, Joy, Whoopi, Barbara, & Sherri squawking away now. But even with that extra “edge” I still think Sherri runs a big risk of giving viewers a case of burnout – the constant exposure on The View and her outspoken personality could get to be a bit much. In the long run, I don’t think any potential advantage she has now is going to last – but it might give her an extra week or 2 of longevity, if she outlasts other contestants that she wouldn’t have otherwise.
Sorry to hear about your little one. Hope he/she feels better soon 🙂
Thanks Courtney! 🙂
Oh dear god, nobody knows what happened and what the situation was lol i hardly think anybody would cheat, its a tv show and not the world championships as somebody else has said.It all depends on what happens on march 19th , sherri is lovely and has been wanting to come on dwts for along time, give the poor girl a chance before condemming her, she’s enjoying working with Val can’t say i blame her and is putting in 100% as is everybody else, so lets relax and look forward to season 14, without dramas and accusations 🙂
I do think it’s not cool at all if she’s been taking lessons with Val prior to now. But having said that, she can get all the unfair advantage she wants, I don’t think it’ll help her chances of winning much at all.
Well said, Jo
I think its unfair on 3 accounts: 1- as Courtney pointed out in the post, getting the chemestry with your partner is a big hurdle, and prior practice might eliminate some of that, 2- whilst Donny did admit to taking lessons he owned up to it, Sherrie has denied it which brings me to 3- She took the picture down almost ASAP! Why would you delete if it you did no wrong. That would be like pleading guilty to, say for example cheating on your significant other when you knew you did not commit it. If you did no wrong the picture shouldn’t have been a big deal. She could have said “why not I wanted to learn.” or “happy early bday/christmas/hannukah(did I spell that right?)/other holiday where you get a gift.” or simply said she wanted to learn a few moves. Then it would have been no big deal. Deleting the pic to me says “I did wrong, I know it and I got caught.” Just saying.
But, and I’ll be devil’s advocate on this, if she didn’t know who her partner was when she took the lessons, or if she took them with someone else(like maks, tony or any other teacher besides val) then she was innocent of wrongdoing. Now we don’t know when she found out her partner, because as we were told by DWTSGossip(I think that’s who gave the “5 males, and 6 female pro” tweet) there was a last minute sign up. We don’t know 100% certainty that it was Gladys who signed up at the last minute and remember only 1 of the chmerkovskiys was supposed to be on according to twitter, so maybe just maybe she took the lessons with val thinking she had maks and that val wasn’t on(val did have some odd tweets making you think he wasn’t on) and then the last minute sign up changed that she got val.
but if she KNEW she had Val and took lessons with him then yes it is cheating.
I am going to choose to be open-minded and just enjoy the show. You can always find something unfair in any competition if you really look. Personally, I could take dancing lessons for a year, and I still wouldn’t be much of a dancer. I expect Sherry to be like me.
The photo was posted in January? At that time, the celebs/pros had not been finalized, correct? If Sherri was taking a few lessons for whatever reason, I don’t believe she and Val knew they would end up as partners on DWTS. If she was taking lessons in anticipation of being on the show, can’t say that I like it, but since I don’t know for sure, I can’t accuse her of anything. I’m just happy that she’s excited to be on the show and is enjoying herself. It’s always nice to see the cast having fun. My favorite couples are the ones who show they’re having a blast being on the show… and some good dancing helps too. 😉
@Teresa – When did she deny it? Has anyone asked her? Would someone please ask her? Until we hear what she and Val have to say, I don’t think it’s fair to assume that we know what a briefly posted picture means.
If lessons have taken place, I would agree it’s a sneaky advantage, but I’m having a hard time with the word “cheating” given that there are no rules against it.
When I first heard she might be taking lessons, I kinda went “Ouch.” But the more I think about it, the less it bothers me–the show manipulates things so much that what any competitors do seems trivial in comparison. If she’s fun to watch for whatever reason, I’m good with it.
Also, saw a clip of her on The View dancing with Maks; she moved like it was far from her first time, and that was a while back. I think she likes to dance, and that makes for good viewing.
While I do think it’s unfair, especially about getting used to working with the pro partner, as Courtney pointed out, in the end I don’t particularly care. I just don’t think that an extra month of practice is gonna help that much anyway. I don’t think it was intensive practice like the ones that happen during the season, and ballroom is just difficult so if she’s a natural and quick learner she’s gonna be good anyway, and if she’s the stiff type she’s not gonna be that much better by the first episode.
But this speculation is just making me dislike her more. Not a fan in the first place, then the fishiness of this is just ugh.
I would go more into this but really haven’t the time, so all I would say is IF she has been taking extra lessons with Val, she sure as help better be good in her first dance, or she will look like a real prize pratt (as we say in London).
sorry it should have read “sure as hell”
@Courtney: Chuck had a pretty good run on the show but i agree with u. definately a last minute casting.
The situation does appear fishy to me and maybe a little pitiful and sad if its true she took prior lessons to get a “leg up” on the competition, if indeed that is what she actually did. But, part of me thinks that no matter whether she took prior lessons or not, with one of the ‘Chmer’ brothers or not, it won’t help her much. I don’t think she’ll go very far in the competition due to her weight issue and rather annoying (imho) personality. I’d be happy to be proved wrong, time will tell.
@catherine L (#49) Good one! 😛
Hey, to answer Allie’s question, the pic with Sherri happened that week leading up to Christmas when they were filming the Nancy Grace Christmas and New Years Eve specials at Dance With Me Studios. She was pictured with only Val in it.
@Kathleen- She hasn’t denied it with words but by taking the picture down that fast says something. I was always told “actions speak a whole hell of a lot louder than words” and her action of removing the picture that fast to me says something was done that wasn’t supposed to be done. I do think someone should point blank ask her though I’m not sure who and whether she would answer.
Weeeellll….I think there is a bit of point missing going on here. It’s not about just about “fair”, its about blatant hypocrisy.
That said, anyone who thinks it’s not unfair?? Ask yourself what you would think if it was someone OTHER than a Chmerkovskiy doing it. Like, say, DEREK.
Not against the rules? Again, a different subject. There is a difference between not against the rules and “fair” to the other competitors. Again, what would you be saying right now if Derek was paired with Cheryl Cole? Leaving out the fact that she’s a pop “singer” :::cough::: that does dancing while singing (not nearly as well as others in her genre) – Derek choreographed a dance for a TV show and a music video and a concert – all the same song, but a few variations of a Paso. But it was a PASO and she spent a TON of time with him over the course of more than a year – dating her and teaching her the Paso. He taught her to dance. Can you honestly say that if Cheryl had NO OTHER dance experience than that Paso that Derek taught her that you wouldn’t bitch your head off??
I think it’s very sweet how anxious Maks fans are to give the benefit of the doubt – yet aren’t inclined to do that for other pros. Seriously, how many of you WERE bitching about Julianne and Chuck?? Because there was A LOT of bitching going on at the time that occurred and I would lay money it was some of the same people giving Val and Sherri a pass.
Theresa, anytime you have to tie yourself in knots to explain something, you’re on the wrong track. The simplest explanation is usually the correct one.
For me, it’s all about the bitching Maks did to the media about one of his “friends” for having always been handed good partners – an ignorant and insulting statement to start with, not to mention a huge diss to all his very talented partners. Bet he doesn’t say a word about Val and Sherri. If there’s nothing to it?? Re-post all the photos. ALL of them.
The problem for me is not whether she was taking lessons or not. The problem is the fact she’s been friends with both Chmerkovskiy brothers for quite some time now — or at least has been attaching herself to them and getting to know them by showing up at their events, hanging around at them with KA, etc. For that reason alone, she never should’ve been paired with anyone involved with DWM, whether it be Val, Maks or Tony. They should’ve paired her with a pro she doesn’t already have an existing relationship with (Mark, Derek or Tristan) or let one of the DWM pros sit the season out and brought back Dmitry or Louis or someone to dance with her.
Adriana, she has said she wanted to do the show for a while and couldn’t because she had to work & provide for her son—now she is married and a bit more secure.
If they have contacted her before, she obviously would have known after her wedding that she’d be able to do it….hence preparation. Hey, listen if the photo was never posted and quickly taken down…..there would be no discussion. And remember, Maks & Val have been “buddying up” with local NYC radio personalities and some of the people went to film a segment at DWM….so let’s just say everyone saw her, but yet she wasn’t there?
As far as friends go, Sasha Cohen wants to dance with Mark and they are great friends. He wants her to try and do the show. Do you think he’d be happy if she’ with Derek or Tristan? Of course not. They’d already have great chemistry, so would that be fair?
Hi Staci & Louise who don’t like to read here, but sometimes do. No, fans of other celebs are not jealous or nervous of Sherri & Val’s pairing. That is not why these comments are here. Ironic that if Derek was practicing with Maria occasionally for 2 months prior it wouldn’t be fair and she’s a ringer, right? Does that mean that Maks fans are nervous about Val & Sherri? Maybe people should be nervous about Donald…you know NFL votes, or Jaleel….someone most of us might have watched growing up and is a sentimental favorite. Heck, I’d love to see Gladys be able to really move and inspire people, or Martina go out and do a great dance when everyone thinks she’ll be bad and be the first off. So even though many of us have our early favorites, Sherri & Val don’t make me nervous…SMH maybe, but not nervous. Good night.
Interesting how it’s assumed that anyone who’s willing to give Sherri and Val the benefit of the doubt is automatically a Maks fan. I’m willing to give them the benefit of the doubt FOR NOW because that’s what feels right to me. But I’ve watched DWTS since Season 1 and had trouble distinguishing Alec, Tony, Maks until around Season 5 and was hoping Maks would be benched this season. Sorry, but I don’t fit your assumption.
I’m more of a casual Derek fan (for his dancing and choreography) who only occasionally lurked here until this past season. Maybe I’ve missed too much of the drama that explains all the Maks fan bitterness and Derek fan defensiveness that permeate this blog, but they take so much fun away that I’ve started dreading even potential controversy.
I’ve like Tristan since the troupe introduction–he’s the first male pro I seriously root for–and I hope his fans never lose perspective the same way. (I’m a Maks fan because I’m willing to give Sherri and Val the benefit of the doubt? Seriously??) I may start rooting for Tony this season. At least there’s not so much drama attached.
I find it odd that no one brought Derek up yet in the end that’s all it’ll become. At the end of the day the Derek and if he gets ringers or not debate will always stand where its always standed. The debate never changes anyones opinion, so I just don’t see the point in bringing it up.
Hi Everyone! I found your site with three weeks left in season 13 and have been following the discussions ever since. Kudos to Vogue, Heidi, Courtney and John for your hard work and thank you to everyone who posts here. You know you have found a good site when you can laugh, cry,and throw a hissy fit all on the same day after reading the new posts! 😀
I don’t have a problem with the celebs taking lessons beforehand. I’m sure they must get some notice in advance confirming their placement in the cast so they can adjust schedules etc. No one is stopping the rest of the celebs from taking lessons beforehand, so if they chose not to and find out Sherri did, I’d think twice before calling her out on it.
I have two issues though: 1) If she practiced with Val then that has changed the whole dynamic of the relationship. Part of the fun of watching is to see how their personalities mesh together. So if they have met or practiced beforehand with their pro then they’ve not only cheated the rest of the cast, but the fans and audience too. 2) It opens the door for “ballroom politics” so to speak. If you go into the process already knowing what your partner’s strengths and weaknesses are, it won’t take long for you to manipulate your fanbase and the judges opinion on your partnership to your advantage. The other celebs and pros may still be ascertaining their strengths etc and be completely in the dark as to what you’re up to.
Sorry for the long post! Promise to keep them shorter moving forward!!!
@Vogue- Thanks for providing the details on the picture! =D
@Donna- Going by your logic then Melissa shouldn’t be with Maks because she’s friends with Kirstie. 😉 I think if there becomes a general rule that stars shouldn’t dance with their friends who are a pro on the show starts to complicate things because some of the pros are branching out and making friends in the entertainment industry. I think that it would just create to many headaches when casting. I should stop there since I am sort of going off topic. I’m sorry! =]
LOL Rebecca – you missed last season when Maks took the shots at Derek, effectively beginning the entire hypocrisy angle that this whole subject entails? As for Sasha/Mark – well, I think that if they had been practicing together this whole time, we would be having the same discussion but some would be on different sides. 🙂 Then again, there is the whole “massive ringer” angle to that pairing as well.
Kathleen, it should be OBVIOUS from the discussion that there has been much past drama and history regarding Maks and Derek on this site – since you admit to being relatively new here perhaps you should refrain from the snotty comments regarding something you know nothing about. In fact, avoid discussing how other people choose to spend their time on this blog, it just pisses people off. I’ll just delete you next time. I don’t give a rats ass who you’re a fan of and I don’t care for the tone of smug superiority. If you don’t like the discussion, don’t get involved to tell other people they are wrong to have it at all.
That goes for everyone – if the urge to talk about how other people post strikes you, fight it off. I’m not putting up with the same level of crap this season that we have in seasons past.
And of course, someone immediately shows that they can’t take direction. Wise up, Mn.
The rules clearly state that the contestants can’t be professional dancers, meaning, if they’ve taken private lessons for 20 years, that okay. Lots of assumptions are made from photographs by the media. A well known Survivor competitor walks by Lyndsay Lohan on a sidewalk and some lowlife TMZ paparazzi snaps a photo, and suddenly it’s all over the media that they’re dating. The lack of privacy these celebrities have today, and the total fiction that’s out there simply astounds me.
Allie, to my knowledge, Melissa didn’t spend any time around Maks. In fact, according to Maks on GDLA yesterday he didn’t even know who she was when he met her. Sherri has spent time around Val and gotten to know him by attending DWM events with KA. There’s a huge difference.
Maks didn’t even know who Melissa Gilbert was?? I find that very hard to believe.
Heidi, I think you may have misunderstood my comment when I stated re: laughing, crying and throwing a fit. I was strictly referring to my own reactions I’ve had when reading the posts, not how someone else is commenting. It was nice to finally come across a site that actually made me think and illicit those emotions from me. Let’s face it, some discussion boards can be a bit boring or take the joy out of the discussions by not moderating the comments. I apologize for my earlier comment if it offended you or anyone else here-that wasn’t my intent.
Sorry, JennJenn – wasn’t talking to you or about you. I actually have similar reactions as you do from time to time. 🙂
The person with the biggest fan base usually wins, and the pros do not get to choose who their partners are, and a photo of two people that know one another means nothing, so since the topic of the poll is, Do You Think Sherri Has An Unfair Advantage, I ask, what’s fair?
Who has the most fans? Is it fair to pit Katherine Jenkins and William Levy against Melissa, Jack and Jaleel, because they obviously have an unfair advantage when you consider and factor in the fan based votes! Was the well known and fan backed Hines better than Disney kid Chelsea Kane?
The producers want SIX things, Celebs that have lots fans, Entertaining Personalities/Entertainment, Drama, Back Stories, Controversy and RATINGS! Dance experience of the celebs is of no concern whatsoever.
Heidi – Alrighty then! Phew- just wanted to make sure Lol 🙂
Actually, JJ, I think you’re wrong on a few levels. The person with the biggest fanbase doesn’t “usually” win – that should be obvious just from looking at past season. Judges scores count for half, remember?? If someone really popular scores a total of 10 from the judges, it doesn’t matter if they are hugely popular – they aren’t going to win. JR was not the person with the biggest fanbase – but he won the audience over with his personality and dancing. Brooke was FAR from the person with the largest fanbase – she was a great dancer, however, and for a lot of the audience (those that aren’t haunting twitter and actually buying into that being the largest segment of the viewing audience), that is what matters and that is what they vote on. She beat out LANCE BASS, fer crying out loud.
Emmett Smith?? I think others had bigger fanbases than him going in, but again – great dancer, engaging personality. Apolo? Yes, big fanbase, but he was competing against another person from NSYNC – another big fanbase. Apolo won largely because of his fanbase, but also because of his partnership with Julianne – people LOVED them together. Then there is Helio – the DWTS audience didn’t have a clue who he was and he was up against Marie Osmond and Cameron Matheson – two people who had MUCH larger fanbases which coincided with the DWTS audience – Marie was a fanbase ringer for that reason. Jennie Garth – another big fanbase. Dancing and the judging actually counts. Shawn won – but she almost got beaten by an unknown. She won by less than 1 percent of the vote.
Nicole?? Relative unknown to the DWTS audience competing against one of the biggest ringers around, Evan Lysacek and another very well known (and sympathetic at the time) person in Erin. Kirstie Alley?? That woman had one of the largest fanbases ever and I would argue that it was bigger than Hines going in – but Hines could dance and Kirstie wasn’t really that good. And people loved Hines. All in All, I would say that the person with the biggest fanbase at the start of the season has actually won in seasons 10, 9, 8 and 6…and maybe 2. That’s 5 out of 14 seasons. Even if you add in Apolo, you’re still below 50%. That doesn’t equate to “usually”.
The dancing does matter. If you go in with a huge fanbase, you have an advantage, sure. That’s why we call them fanbase ringers, and I do think Melissa is one, and maybe Jaleel, but not Jack. Melissa is an icon like Kirstie or Jennifer. But if she can’t dance for shit, she won’t go that far. Not the way the scoring works. We have also seen complete unknowns come on the show, dance very well and have the audience fall in love with them. Gilles is one, Helio is another. Kyle almost stole the show from a cultural icon. We have had lots of ringers on the show – some win and some don’t. You can’t really say “dance experience” plays no part whatsoever, nor can you say that fanbase doesn’t matter. It all matters together: dancing, personality, fanbase, chemistry with your partner – it all matters. That’s why people bitching about “ringers” in the traditional sense bugs me – it’s so simple minded. Sherri has several advantages – she’s known Val for a while (with or without dance lessons), she’s on TV every day (and will be screeching loudly for people to vote for her) and people are very familiar with her. Those are all advantages. But will she win? I doubt it – how do you know that William, Katherine or Maria (those who are not as well known) won’t come in and knock it right out of the park AND be loved by the audience? You don’t.
My inclination is to say that either Melissa or Jaleel will win, based on the their fanbase and likeability, respectively – but it’s NOT a sure thing. They have to dance. The scoring dictates it and if the audience doesn’t like them, they won’t be inspired to vote. With an audience of 20 million, you don’t get by on fanbase alone.
I apologize for the tone of my last comment…I was just upset that my opinion was presumed to be hypocritical. For the record, in similar circumstances, I would give Derek and the other pros the same benefit of the doubt that I’m giving Val and Sherri.
@Heidi (#74) – very well said; winning really is down to a whole lot of factors coming together in a couple’s favor.
Question: How does judges’ favoritism factor in? The judges (being human) develop favorites and whipping boys, and it seems to sometimes reflect in their marks. Have you seen obvious trends in how the audience votes in response to the judges’ marks? Of course hard-core fans of a couple get aggravated and motivated to vote if the judges slam their favorite, but overall does the audience tend to go along with the judging or against it (or is that too simplistic)?
Reviewing what I said I will conceded that I should have said, the persons with the biggest fan base have an advantage.
Cidra – I was doing a study of the judging before Hulu took down all the full seasons of DWTS and I didn’t really notice any favoritism as a whole. I think CAI gets attached occassionally, but it hadn’t (up to season 9) made a big impact on the end result. Now, the whipping boy is a different topic altogether – I think they do get whipping boys and I think there are different reasons for it. I have no idea why they hated Ralph, but you will notice that they are a LOT harder on the people they see as really good dancers. Nicole, Gilles…and there are plenty of others. Part of me always wonders if they know that person is getting the votes and arent’ worried about them, or they are just STUPIDLY trying to level the playing field. My hunch is number 2. 🙂
This is just one opinion, but I still believe the judges were given the word to whip on Ralph by TPTB, and it was a simple case of demographics/ratings. Kirstie was generating more buzz, Hines had the footballers all locked-in, and it came down to Chelsie (who was supposedly bringing in the young-uns), or Ralph – who was a “dup” of Kirstie’s demographic. So, Ralph was sacrificed on the altar of the mighty advertising dollar… Now, maybe that’s way too “conspiracy theory”, but it’s my theory, and I’m sticking to it… 😛
Cidra # 76 I have also wondered how the judges’ scores, remarks, expressed attitudes toward each celeb might affect the voting of the wider audience who wields the most voting power – sure would make it easier for us to speculate if ABC would release the viewer vote each week (I know, won’t happen)
Heidi #78 – your remarks on the judging for the first 9 seasons were particularly interesting. I didn’t start getting really annoyed by them till later seasons and have often wondered if I had changed or they had.
Sally #79 – I completely buy into your theory re Ralph and ratings. It probably wasn’t the first time the judges had whupped up on 1 contestant in order to elevate another, but it was the time that made my head spin, to the point that now when I feel that someone is being underscored, I start asking myself – in case it isn’t immediately obvious LOL – who are they trying to promote here?
I’m going to agree to disagree….if dancing does matter, how do you explain Rob Kardashian’s second place, Bristol Palin getting as far as she did ( I think it was 3rd, maybe 2nd) and Ty Murray( although I loved him) beating out Lil Kim? That was one of the times I felt Derek got a raw deal. Ty certainly couldn’t dance, and although the judges seemed to like him, they certainly didn’t give him high scores. It was his fanbase, and when I say fanbase, I mean all people who bother to vote. Whether they are a “fan” of the celeb (or pro) before the season or become one during the season, it’s being a fan. If you don’t have people voting for you, or, in some instances, the judges giving you inflated scores ( Rob/Bristol), you can dance beautifully, and not get to the finals.
Auntie – how can you claim Rob couldn’t dance?? I though he was dancing great at the end. Not better than Ricki, but certainly better than most who left before him, especially Hope. She’s the one who stayed far longer than she should have and that was largely them being propped up but the judges scoring.
And for the record, I said ALL THINGS MATTER. I think I was pretty clear on that, saying dancing, fanbase, personality, charisma, judges scoring, etc etc etc. I was responding to someone who said dancing didn’t matter at all, which is just bullshit. You can’t say that it’s all fanbase and no dancing. I think it’s a pretty complex mixture of everything that gets someone to the end and gets them the win. JR didn’t have a fanbase going in, but he could dance and he had a great story.
Derek also got a raw deal when Kelly Osborne beat him and Joanna to the final and when Marie Osmond shut him and Jennie out of the final – it happens. The dancing matters, but other things matter as well. People liked Ty’s and Kelly’s stories, and Marie was a fanbase ringer. That’s the way it goes. But it’s a rare thing that someone makes the final two or three and can’t dance at all. I think Ty and Bristol might be the only two examples in 13 seasons.
Bristol is a prime example but as P Heidi stated, rare, however the entire nation knew what was going on there and for Brandy to be voted out, as good as she was, was really upsetting and a huge shock to everyone, and to summarize in one word, “unfair”. I also must agree regarding fan bases and what fans actually vote! Lil Romeo has tons of fans, but does that demographic go online or text in votes? Having lots of fans and having fans that actually vote is something to be considered. My mother and aunt watch every season and they have their fans for sure, but neither one has ever once voted for anyone.
Er, if you were hanging around here, JJ, you would know that some of us weren’t shocked at all by Brandy’s departure. Sometimes the writing is on the wall. I was bummed out, but not surprised. Nor was I surprised when Kristin and Chynna got eliminated. Nor Audrina.
Heidi, we all see things differently, and in my opinion, Rob was a terrible flat-footed dancer, who just stood while Cheryl danced around him. If he hadn’t been a Kardashian, and CA’s “guy” for the season he wouldn’t have made the finals. Again, my opinion. As you yourself said, there are so many things that factor in to success on this show. Good dancing is no guarantee, lessons or not.
Calm down, ya’ll. It’s a TV show….a TV show. In the big picture, it doesn’t matter much. It’s meant to be fun. Every season, someone has an advantage over others. Dance leasson, smance lesson. If Sherri has talent, a few private lessons won’t help her win in the atmosphere of the TV show. If she doesn’t have talent, the lessons will be a moot point. We all have our favorites, nobody’s right and nobody’s wrong. If it matters, (and it doesn’t) I thought Joey should have won and not Apollo in Season 4. And watching the repeats on GSN have only made that belief stronger. But that opinion and $1.50 might buy me a cup of coffee. In other words, just sit back and enjoy the show!
patti, you assume that people aren’t “calm” – we’re having a discussion. By the way – it’s not your place to tell people to do anything. Keep that in mind next time you post.
# 86 patti – I really like what you said, and it’s a good reminder to me. As the seasons roll on – I’ve seen them all – I often find myself getting very agitated about one thing or another – super pissed off at the judges, the music, the theme weeks, the presentation of the rehearsal packages, whatever.
This season I intend to chill – disregard the press stories that make something out of nothing, try to stay calm over what I think are destructive manipulations by TPTB, and just enjoy as much as I can learn about the dancers’ actual journeys, and above all, enjoy the dancing. (we’ll see how I do)
Thanks, Faby. Good luck with your efforts to remain calm. You may enjoy the show even more if you detach. I decided a few seasons ago to pretty much ignore the hype and simply watch the show. In the end, who wins the famous mirror ball trophy doesn’t impact my life at all, so why waste energy on it? I’d rather put my postive energy toward greater things with more meaning. Have a great day!
Heidi, thanks for your response (#78). I’ve been trying to get back to this topic for a day but keep getting sidetracked higher up by new stuff. Of course, it’s all Vogue’s fault; she’s just too dang good at sniffing out and posting the latest news 🙂
It’s reassuring to read that you don’t think the judges have allowed themselves to be swayed by favoritism. Wish they didn’t feel the need to pick out a whipping boy. To me, that’s more heinous than some unintentional, natural human bias creeping in – because it’s a deliberate choice.
Faby (#80) – If wishes were horses… but no way will TPTB ever reveal the numbers. Heck, they won’t even reveal the real bottom two anymore! Ah well, I’m chillin’ this season too. Staying engaged, reading and chiming in on the discussion, but not letting things I can’t control ruin my enjoyment. Can’t wait for March 19!
IF Sherri & Val have been rehearsing beforehand (or Sherri with anyone for that matter), then yeah, that gives them an unfair and intended jump on the competition. Though that’s probably one of the least of the show’s problems.
FWIW, I seem to remember Sherri & wedding company practicing at a non-DWM studio for her marital dance.
Didn’t Sherri just say in a “View” interview or backstage interview that she and Val have been practicing for weeks or for months or something like that?
If so, I find that very interesting, mimi 🙂 Can anyone find a clip?
You can see the video with Sherri commenting on her “weeks” in practice in this post from last night;
https://www.puredwts.com/2012/03/05/sherri-shepherd-wants-her-dancing-on-dancing-with-the-stars-to-speak-for-her-video/
i “heard” that comment differently. I thought the producer guy was saying something to the effect “so, you’ll be (as in WILL BE) practicing for weeks before the premier. Which, of course, is the case for all the teams – each will be practicing for the weeks between reveal and premier.
Honestly, Linde, as much as I dislike to admit it, I heard the same thing.
Like Linde said. Sherri says she has had three rehearsals and she will be practising five hours a day to March 19th.
I am surprised that Maks was okay with Sherri and Val allegedly practicing (possibly for months) beforehand.
But, Sandy, as long at the MBT is in the family, it doesn’t matter. 😉
I was thinking the same thing myself, Winter 🙂 It’s all good in the hood with Maks if it’s someone in his entourage getting preferential treatment or a leg up – Val, Tony, Teddy, Nicole, Dasha, etc. But the minute anyone outside his circle may have a perceived “unfair advantage”, ooh – there’s hell to pay. Especially if that someone else is Derek or Karina…those 2 in particular really seem to illicit a strong response from him.