PureDWTS Season 18 End-of-Season Awards – Which Guest Judge Was the Best?
So now that the voting is closed on our biannual end-of-season awards, it’s time to reveal the results – and for me and my fellow mods to weigh in 🙂 So let’s get to it…
Courtney: As I think most of us suspected, Kenny ran away with this one – he seemed to be the one guest judge this season that everyone seemed to universally agree was both qualified to judge and would actually give good feedback. And he did – my only complaint is that they held off until week 9 to have him judge, and I think by that point the feedback the judges give is almost universally positive and you rarely hear much actual criticism…so I think I would have liked him a bit earlier in the competition when he could have given some really good advice, and I wish they would have saved one of the softer judges (like Robin) for the week 9 gushing and parade of 10’s. I actually voted for Ricky on this one, because I kinda dug that he seemed to refuse to conform to the judges’ predetermined rhetoric for each couple – the judges may have been raking Charlie & Sharna across the coals for their paso, but Ricky wasn’t afraid to say “I see what you’re saying, but I totally loved it! TEN!!!!” Not at all surprised at who ended up at the bottom of the list – although I do find it a bit funny that Redfoo beat out Donny 😛
Heidi: I’m guessing the Donny fans have learned their lesson about this site and aren’t darkening our doors anymore. Although, congrats to them, they are no longer the worst fan group to bug the shit out of us. 🙂 Kenny Ortega has CRED. Even the pros were thrilled to be dancing in front of him…and he has the ability to give them jobs, if they play their cards right. Hey, maybe he’ll make a Meryl and Maks movie. :::snort::: Although, I will say…the acting was decent. 😉
Vogue: I may be nuts (well, this you already know. lol), but, I threw my vote to Redfoo. Technically, Julianne and Kenny were the best judges, but, Redfoo was so entertaining. He game me some “moments” I won’t soon forget. He brought that “Wooooooo”‘s home and especially for Amy and Derek’s dance for just what I was feeling. What a crack up. I also enjoyed Ricky Martin. He gave Charlie and Sharna a deserving 10 despite whatever the other judges were going on about. So huge kudos to him.
In that picture it looks like Bruno is some demented elf gleefully contemplating what havoc he’s going to wreck on poor Kenny.
I’m glad Kenny Ortega came out on top in the poll. I wavered back and forth between Kenny and Ricky for top stop until I finally went with Ricky just for his enthusiasm and spot-on comments.
I voted for Kenny but my second choice was Robin
Yeah Vogue for voting for redfoo! Lol. So did I….. He was so funny and I loved that he beat Donny! But sure Kenny was the best but he does over praise
I don’t comment very often and didn’t vote in the poll but that picture made me think Bruno was thinking something else entirely. Maybe it’s a hero worship look. You guys always make me laugh. [“week 9 gushing & parade of 10’s”; “Maks and Meryl movie . . Snort”; ] I never read here without laughing at something.
Frankly, I don’t enjoy guest judges although I wouldn’t mind a new panel altogether. The moment I say that, however, I get that old familiar feeling of hating how many changes they’ve made I don’t like. I guess Ricky Martin would have gotten my vote for giving Charlie and Sharna the 10. Agree Kenny had the CRED but also agree he should have been on earlier before the entailed 10s parade. Then again, I might have voted Kenny because of his wisdom and insight: “Derek you have redefined choreography for this generation.” Always love repeating that whenever I have the opportunity.
If they continue with guest judges, I would like to see him return but overall I thought last season’s guest judging was irrelevant since the fix was in. It was fairly obvious to me, anyway, that they were told how to vote.
I don’t particularly care for guest judges at all. When the show had the luxury of two nights, I could abide them as “filler.” Now that the show has been pared down to one night, I really resent the (precious) time they take up without really adding anything to the through line of the show. I really really miss the confessionals, and also the playback which includes remarks the dancers’ microphones pick up during their performances. I would much prefer the “discretionary” time taken up by guest judges be used to reinstitute these features.
I think the show could do with a permanent fourth judge. Maybe Craig Revel Horwood from SCD. Not surprised by the result, I voted for Julianne.
Kenny was my choice but I liked Ricky Martin too. Still, I’m in the “no guest judges” camp. There’s already too much emphasis on the judges and having a 4th steals even more time from the dancers (celeb and pro) who *should be* the stars of the show.
When I go back and rewatch old dances I’m always amazed at the length of the packages and even the dances themselves – even the earlier weeks. I feel like we got to know the celebs a bit better back then, and the judges had less presence on the show – as did the pros, of course. Of course the nature of the show being that we know the regulars so well and cheer for them as much as the celebs, of course there’s going to be some shifting of the scales – I just feel like the show has shifted TOO much. Even taking into consideration the reduction to one night, I think there is room to improve this – and one of the things that can be reduced is the guest judges.
^^^Yes, yes, yes!!!
I think they need to limit the time the judges can talk. Say 1 good thing the celebrity did, 1 thing they should work on for the next week, and no more than 15-20 seconds. Take the time that has been spent on the judges commentaries for the last several seasons, and put it toward the packages, and letting us get to know them better.
“I really like how your footwork was so much better, try to work on your upper body this week, and get the arms to match how well your feet are moving.” Boom. The end, no drama, no falling off the chairs, no standing and sweeping everything off the desk, no kisses and hugs and any number of things they’ve used to turn the show into something about THEM instead of the celebrities.
I think instead of the guest judges, they could have increased the length on Charlie and Sharna’s rehearsal packages LOL.
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