Private Members Area – DWTS Season 19 Switch Up Night Discussion
Tonight was week six of Dancing with the Stars Season 19. If you’re not a Pure DWTS Insider yet, you can do so here. If you are, then I look forward to the discussion in the comments.
What did you think of tonight’s show? Was it too much Pitbull for you or did you want more? How about Erin being gone? Did you miss her or were you happy with the replacement? I’ve heard a lot of people missing Len. How about the elimination? Shocked or not surprising? Lots to sound off on. Let’s hear it.
I loved loved Pitbull on the show. I wasn’t sure I’d like the opening number but, I ended up loving it. I thought he was great as a judge too. I guess I loved how he could see through Janel and Val. I was sealed on him from then on.
As for Leah Remini, I LOVED her too. She was a natural and so funny. How I’d like to see her replace Erin.
Anyway, great night. I can’t wait to watch all the dances again.
I didn’t really enjoy Pitbull. There were a couple times that I didn’t mind him, but for the most part I could have done without him. I also didn’t really enjoy the opening. I wouldn’t say that I’m missing Len, but I’m also done with guest judges.
I really loved having Leah on the show. I’m starting to not hate Erin as much, but Leah was just so at ease. She was funny and cared about the couples. None of the commentary felt forced like it does with Erin.
I was sad to see Jonathan and Allison go after tonight’s great dance, but it wasn’t really a surprise to me. I was REALLY hoping for a surprise Vajanel elimination. That would have been amazing. However…I think them at least being in the bottom 2 could be telling of their time left on the show.
I hooted with laughter when Pitbull said he didn’t see Val & Janel’s chemistry. This was clearly not on TPTB’s agenda.
I almost always fast forward through the eliminations because I hate to see the contestants agonizing over their fate – was it a true bottom two or just in jeopardy?
Leah was okay, Erin’s getting better than she was – I really don’t care what they do anymore with this role. Just dress Erin better is all I hope for at this point. I miss Brooke’s positive and comforting vibe, but even more so her wardrobe.
Here’s a little revelation spoiler that I’m not sharing with the masses just yet..
…Bethany got first pick in the team dances, and she picked Janel. Even Derek (who wasn’t in the room and was watching on the CCTV backstage) was shocked. Also interesting? Derek thinks Alfonso’s team got the better song – he apparently isn’t wild about “Black Widow”.
Say whhaaaaat? Derek must have been floored. Didn’t she get the memo? Haha.
I think Time Warp is a better song, but I think Black Widow allows for more interpretation, simply because it’s not associated with a campy movie.
Man, Derek has to do better on coaching his celebs. π
Yeah, I’m with you Fig, on the song. There is a LOT attached to that song and really high expectations. Derek may like it better, but I think I’m actually glad he didn’t get it. I can hear the critiques now – either too close to the movie, or everyone is disappointed that it’s not close enough to the movie.
I didn’t mind Pitbull as a guest judge but I’m also glad Len is back next week. But still best line of the night goes to him for saying out loud that Val/Janel is fake.
I loved Leah, she was great and a breath of fresh air compared to Erin. Still laughing thinking of the mic beating.
I’m glad Jonathan left on a high note. I also think Janel’s so not getting the votes that they decided to put her in the bottom 2 to try to get people to vote for her.
Thanks for the spoiler Courtney! I’m very surprised by Bethany’s first choice honestly considering she’s good friend with Sadie. She must have known Alfonso would pick her if she didn’t. That would mean Bethany deliberately picked Michael over Tommy too (if they were the last two of course)?
I have a preference for time wrap too but I can also see why it’s harder to do something different and the expectations attached to the song, compared to black widow.
Well, I guess it’s my turn to post a rant about CAI, this one about her spanking/scoring of Alfonso. I’ve always held a bit of a soft spot for CAI since she answered Len’s devastating criticism by speaking up forcefully for Derek and Shawn’s Tribal Samba. I guess that just needs to be held as one brief shining moment, and move on.
Getting back to Alfonso, what in crap’s name was that spanking about? If she has to do something ridiculous, I would much prefer she slide off her chair — at least that way she’s under the table and out of sight. But really, walk ever-so-gingerly along the ledge to reach Alfonso so you can count out your spanks to reveal his score? WHAAAAAT? Takes inappropriate to a whole other level.
Now, Alfonso flubbed the final move of their dance. Dancing immediately before Alfonso, Bethany slipping (but not missing a beat) resulted in 9’s across the board. So when CAI delivered the final tenth spank, I was surprised and aggravated. I know, I’m a grown ass woman and shouldn’t be looking for fairness on DWTS. It’s just that every once in a while one comes along that just seems to be all up in your face. This one was that for me.
End rant.
@Susan – Speaking of Alfonso’s spanking, did anyone else hear Carrie Anne say something to the affect of – I hope my boob didn’t pop out. Seriously, she should have stayed in her darn chair.
Courtney – Thanks for the spoiler.
I liked Pitbull on the show – he kept his critiques short and sweet and didn’t ramble on – although I think the 10 for Sadie was a little much. I did enjoy his comment to Val and Janel. I’ll be glad to see Len back although when he’s out of town I would prefer just 3 judges.
Agree with Susan about CAI spanking Alfonso – that was ridiculous! For the most part I liked Leah – I wouldn’t have a problem with her replacing Erin, although Erin’s OK too. She doesn’t bug me as much as when she first started. OK – I’m probably the only one but I liked Brooke.
That’s interesting that Bethany had first choice and picked Janel of all people. I’m really glad they have Black Widow – I’m sure Derek will come up with something great. Remember he didn’t like Call Me Maybe and that’s one of my favorite team dances. Please just have Val and Artem wear shirts – not interested in seeing the 2 macho men strut their stuff.
I’m not sure that Derek prefers Time Warp as a song – he just thinks it’s much easier to get the audience into it, mostly because of the tempo but also the feel of it. Black Widow is more hip hoppy
That makes sense, Buttercup.
Haha seeing the other members speculate so erroneously on the team picking order strategy must be driving you guys mad!! π
So I joined. What is all that spec crap going on in the public area about the strategy for picking the teams? Derek & Mark had a deal? Came over here to see if there was additional spoilers not for the public space.
Courtney you mentioned you explained how it “went down”, here. I assume you must be referring to your #4 post above?
LOL everyone on the other page is just wildly guessing and ignoring what Courtney told them.
Mark and Derek did not have a deal, Derek did not tell Bethany who to pick and was not even there with her. Bethany didn’t even know about the team dance and especially didn’t know she’d be picking her team. She picked who she picked, probably just whoever came to her mind first – and that’s it.
Buttercup, I think we have a troll. The person assuming Derek and Mark had a deal, etc is someone with the same ip and multiple names. ugghhhh I just took their posts out.
You have to remember that only members can see the explanation on here. Many might not have seen Court’s explanation here. The advantage of being a member.
I think it’s best that Bethany just did what she thought was best. At the end of the day, there really aren’t terrible picks. It will work out just fine. Props to Bethany for not caring about many of the things that people on here complain about.
Hi everyone! I joined up too! For the inside scoop! Agree with John, that Bethany did what she thought was best. It’ll be ok. I think she went with Vajanel to help out her team. Val is a strong choreographer as well and then with Lea and Artem, she’s got the whole Fam on her team!
It’s entirely possible that Bethany was thinking that if she picked Janel, she knew Whitney would pick Sadie leaving her to pick Lea – Derek really likes Lea, as I see him talking to her ALL. THE. TIME. on the BTS cameras. This way, I think that Bethany ends up with a more solid team.
Or maybe she just panicked. π
There is no “everyone” – it is one sick motherfucker posting under five names.
Actually, there were at least 9 names. lol
So the troll is basically just discussing with himself? There has to be a conspiracy theory of course Derek is involved somehow lol.
They all seem to be getting along well so it’s true it doesn’t really matter in the end who ends up in her team.
I kind of hope we’ll have a few seconds of switch up partners just like they did last year.
So a little more intel on the team dances…
*Derek’s team is going the spider route – lots of spider-y, crawling choreography. Lea is apparently front-and-center for some of the formation parts of the dance.
*It pains me to say this, but Alfonso may be getting a bit too big for his britches – apparently after the press line and the picking of the teams on Monday, everyone on Alfonso’s team EXCEPT ALFONSO went straight to rehearsal; Alfonso opted to go to dinner first. This might end up in the rehearsal package on Monday night, so I guess we’ll see how everyone reacted π―
*Alfonso is also apparently “very anal” about the choreography on his team – apparently he & Witney have been talking about the team dance for weeks, and he seems to have some very set ideas about how it should look.
*Deep Throat mentioned that Alfonso is “not popular” amongst the production staff, and that he comes across as “full of himself” but “mostly, he just never shuts up!”
Not exactly the news I wanted to hear as an Alfonso fan, but oh well…
That’s too bad. I have noticed he likes to talk. In interviews, he kind of hogs all the time and won’t let Witney chime in.
So this is my first time commenting but I have been a long-time lurker. Thanks Courtney for sharing all these tidbits from behind the scenes. One of the reasons why I joined was I kept getting curious about the kind of information being disclosed and boy am I glad I did. I had to stop reading the regular team dance thread because I couldn’t follow the logic being presented in some of these posts. I think I will stick to the Members Only Discussion area to share my thoughts.
Re: Alfonso… Really disappointed to hear that he is like this. But I guess if he’s been wanting to be on this show since Season 1, he is probably trying to make the most out of his time there. The fact that he went to dinner instead of rehearsal… Wow… just wow. IF they showed that on tv, I know some mouths will drop.
I am looking forward to seeing each of the team dances.
@DWTSSonic – Thanks for speaking up! Glad you’re enjoying π Yeah, the private area tends to house some of the more sane readers who don’t subscribe to some of the hairbrained theories like the ones you saw in the team dance thread yesterday. Oy vey. π―
As for Alfonso – I had kind of feared he would end up this way. He’s wanted to be on the show for a LONG time, and you’re right – I think he’s probably trying to make the most of it, and it’s just coming across the wrong way. It seems like celebs who are fans of the show first and then go on to do it themselves later tend to go one of two ways: the Donald Driver route (good), or the Jaleel White route (bad). Alfonso has definitely been better than Jaleel, but he still seems to have a few tendencies that are less than savory. I’m hoping he can just let go and enjoy the experience a bit more, instead of trying so hard to control everything.
As for the dinner thing – wow is right. I don’t think in any of the 13 seasons that they’ve had the team dance, that anyone has ever ditched their preliminary team rehearsal to go do something as trivial as eating. I don’t know that any of his team members (except maybe Mark) would call him out on it, but still…d*ck move, bro. D*ck move.
Thanks for the new spoilers Courtney π
I’m happy with the few spoilers concerning Derek. I’m sure the dance will be amazing! A bit surprised to see Lea is a central part of it but not so much since Derek likes her a lot BTS. I can deal with that if she’s in a good week.
I wasn’t expecting that for Alfonso. I’m speechless.
I had already noticed Witney doesn’t speak so much in interviews but I didn’t thought much of it. It they show on monday he went to have dinner instead of rehearse, especially because he’s team leader, he’s gonna look really bad and may lose some viewer’s vote because of this. Nobody likes someone who comes across as arrogant. That’s a bit far fetched that he’s so controlling of the dance when he’s not even there for the first rehearsal honestly.
A man’s gotta eat. lol There has to be more to the story no? You don’t miss a practice for dinner just because you’re hungry.
Since about week 4 Alfonso has definitely put off that vibe of, “I’ve got this!” Some of the 10s he has received, IMO, have not been deserved, especially on review of the dance. The idea that he skipped the first practice really, really annoys me too. If he has definite ideas about how the free-style should go, I would assume this means how it should go for HIM, as in the star of the dance. I hope Mark does call his ass about skipping rehearsal. Since there is no “I” in TEAM, maybe the TEAM should leave him stranded at the next practice and step out for a much needed breath of fresh air upon his arrival to practice, should he show up.
Court–hope you go public with that little tidbit. I will fall over if TPTB show that in the group package.
It’s interesting that in your example Donald Driver is on one side, and two actors-who-are-really-known-for-just-one-long-ago role are on the other. I have felt quite the odd person out since I never watched “Fresh Prince” and never became an Alfonso/Carlton fan. While there is no doubt that the man can dance, for me, all his dances sort of blend into each other — except for the Flamenco with Cheryl. I didn’t have very high hopes for that dance going into it, but Cheryl created a brilliant dance by insisting that Alfonso conform to the dance rather than the other way around — which is why I think all of his dances feel the same. I think his personality kind of overwhelms Witney (as it does during their interviews together) whereas Cheryl just cracks the whip. lol Hard to fathom the thinking that decided skipping the first team meeting was ok. To eat, no less, while losing weight was one of his stated goals. I hope Witney sees this for what it is and doesn’t take it on herself the way she did Michael’s performance. Hopefully she’ll get support from other pros.
@dancewithyou – Just to be clear – he didn’t “skip” rehearsal; he just showed up late, from what Deep Throat has said. Doesn’t make it a whole lot better, but I just didn’t want to make it sound like he just said “screw it, I’m not coming at all.” As for going public – considering that at least 60% of those in the public area of Pure are driving me to drink right now, I think I might keep this one in the private area. Cause I’m a big meanie like that π
@John – I didn’t get any more details from Deep Throat – just that ‘Fonso decided to get his grub on before getting his dance on. Maybe if Buttercup is lurking, she’s heard something else?
dancewithyou,
You must have missed it. There is an i in team:
I feared Alfonso would go this route as well Court. I think he’s been okay for the most part — maybe a few moments here and there where he comes off a little cocky but nothing major. I thought it was sweet watching him take care of Witney in this week’s package and I liked seeing how much he celebrated her birthday. I think it all depends on what is shown in the package. Right now people are really loving him and adore Witney and her choreography BUT I could also see Sadie coming up behind him and easily winning if he starts coming off a certain way — similar to what people said about Corbin. I just hope we don’t see shades of Gilles in the team dance packages where he’s telling the pros want to do.
Thanks for the scoops!
Ahhhh John that image is great hahaha, never saw that before!
One thing I forgot to mention in my last post is Val insinuated during Janel’s PLL chat last night that other PLL cast members might be involved in their dance on Monday. Now maybe his tweet was just taken out of context or he was talking out of his ass (the fam does that a lot) but I’ll be interested to see if you hear anything. Not sure how that would work with a waltz though…
Thanks for all the spoilers mods! I just paid for my membership here in the private area cause I really really wanted the little tidbits of info fed here :p have always loved this site and purederekhough esp when all the videos are put in a form for international viewers like me yay
I’m the same as susan #31 – never watched fresh prince so I didn’t exactly know who Alfonso was beforehand (though to be fair I knew nobody on the cast). but that said I do think its a very horrible that he skipped the FIRST team rehearsal, esp since I think the first rehearsal is probably the most important where everyone is trying to decide things like the theme and roughly how you want it to look…ohwell.
I am indeed a little surprised Bethany didn’t pick Sadie first. I wished they were on the same team. I don’t think she thought too much about picking teams and that she just threw out the first name that comes to mind, considering she didn’t know what team dances even were. I thought Alfonso would have gotten first pick though (or did he simply pick the music first)
anyway I’m really loving Sadie this season but I have a slight bias for Derek :p and I think that if Alfonso doesn’t watch out, Sadie might just take this season’s mirrorball.
Not trying to harp, but Alfonso JUST CAME LATE to the first rehearsal – he didn’t skip it altogether. Just want to make sure I’m relaying the information accurately.
Welcome Adeline π Glad to have you!
sorry court π I saw your message after I posted send so it was a little late to edit it π but still, everyone else needs to eat so why is he special?
Alfonso is a diabetic so therefore he HAS to eat before rehearsal. As far as I’m concerned when he went into the ladies bathroom after Witney when she was so upset about all the 5’s that says it all. How he and his family celebrated her birthday was so sweet.
Maybe he is another Alpha Male what a shock because the show is full of them but I think he cares enough for his partner to keep it in check and even though she is small, she is mighty.
LMAO, John. No I’ve never seen that! Cannot believe it I missed it.
Thanks for the clarification Courtney about Alfonso’s arrival. I joined because of that 60%. Had the rhythm of shipper posting such as “I know this” and “the 3rd cousin of my sis-in-law’s prison husband heard thru the grapevine….” So I headed here for what I hope to be a more sane conversation thread and a little more fun. For today, I’ve been laughing out loud.
Hopefully Alfonso uses better judgement moving forward, and doesn’t make the same mistake again.
Honestly though, I think Alfonso is definitely the star of the season. Not sure if anyone else is even close.
Based on the released video from ABC about their first rehearsals they didn’t show anything about Alfonso not being there at the start so I’m just hoping they stick with that. Knowing what we know though (thanks to DT and Courtney) you can tell that the team is catching Alfonso up on what they’ve decided as he wasn’t there at the start.
It really doesn’t benefit the show at all to make Alfonso appear cocky or unlikable though. They are his money maker right now in that he almost always has the most entertaining performance of the night or at least top two. While the producers may not care who actual wins I do think they care about who makes it to the finals and they would be fools to not want Alfonso in the finals.
I thought that Alfonso could be capable of this type of behavior – he gave me the impression from the start that there could be some ego to be wary of. That’s not to say that I don’t like him, but I did fear that his personality would parallel Jaleel more than Donald – but at least he hasn’t been NEARLY as bad as Jaleel. That guy gave me the heebs from the get-go.
Hopefully Witney is able to keep him down to earth.
I’ve got some more spoilers to share…but now I think we’re being watched. π― So I might spill it just a liiiiittttttlllleeeee at a time…and see what happens.
So they are recycling one song from the Halloween show back in season 13 – “Devil Went Down to Georgia”. And they saddled Mike with it – anyone else think they’re maybe actively trying to hose the guy? Even I could barely find the jive beat in that song!
That actually could be a good thing for Mike. He hasn’t been able to find the beat very well. If there isn’t a beat, then it’s not his fault he can’t find it π Plus, I think the Nascar fan base that votes for him will love that song.
Just a reminder of what this song sounded like (and the results it yielded) last time…
I LOVE that song! Grew up listening to my Uncle’s Country Band singing it. His Fiddle player KILLED the violin solo π Then I see the dance from Coyote Ugly that they choreographed to that song & think it works pretty good for a jive!
Hmmm. Watched by one of our own? In the private members area?
@Courtney – I love the spoilers that you share. I think this season especially has been one of my favorites on this site. Great work mods.
I don’t think “eating” has to mean an entire sit down meal for a diabetic. He had to know that team rehearsal was going to happen – order in.
Well that is true.
@Sandy – Not sure yet. Just too many coincidences today – methinks there’s a mole in our midst. Trying to smoke him/her out. Still gonna do spoilers…just gonna be a bit more cautious about when I spill them. π
Hmm..a mole, that’s interesting. Love the Spoilers too! Reason I joined was to find out MORE spoilers than what’s being shared out on the public board π
So I have some more info on Alfonso’s “Grubgate 2014″…
…apparently Alfonso knew ahead of time that he was going to be late to rehearsal, and let one of the producers (and Witney) know around 2 PM on Monday that he would be there after he went to dinner with his family. Didn’t really offer much of an explanation other than “I need to spend some time with my family.” So it wasn’t a snap decision. Not sure if that makes it better or worse.
Apparently Bethany felt really, really bad about not picking Sadie first, and was afraid that Derek was going to be pissed at her for “messing up” the team dance picks. Of course Derek reassured her that everything was fine – they hadn’t even really discussed the team dance at all, let alone formulated any picking strategy for it. So it just makes me even more pissed at those who are STILL clinging to the notion that Bethany was some sort of diabolical mastermind and brilliant strategist when making her picks – in reality, the poor girl just really didn’t understand what was going on, and just made a snap decision under pressure. A lot of that video of Alfonso & Bethany picking teams was cut down – there was apparently a lot of footage of Bethany hemming & hawing and being uncertain about her picks, and basically being told to hurry up and make her pick by the producer.
Alfonso & Witney, on the other hand, had apparently been strategizing for weeks, and “went through every possible scenario in their heads at least 10 times”. Apparently Derek was kinda surprised (and probably taken aback) when Witney told him this.
Also worth mentioning? There IS apparently a DWTS rulebook, and Alfonso knows it cover-to-cover. Mark joked that he doesn’t even know all the rules and has to defer to Alfonso.
Why did my dream contestant have to turn out to be such an anal-retentive diva? π
Sorry, folks, but what little appreciation I had for Alfonso is fading fast. I feel like he’s missing the entire experience of being on the show and is just trying to make it all bend to his will. His arrogance is beginning to make me want him especially not to win; I saw more than enough arrogance rewarded last season to last a lifetime, thank you very much. Personally I think his team is going to be a hot mess; however will Alfonso cope with the likes of Antonio and Tommy screwing up his chance to “de-throne” Derek? Mark, who in my view is the only hope for that team, has his work cut out for him.
I do, however, totally adore the moniker “Grubgate 2014.”
@Courtney – Your killing me here!! I love Alfonso and Witney.
Some people are just born strategizers, it’s in their blood. Not making any excuses for them, just saying.
I love Alfonso and Witney, and right now, they are probably right up there with my top 5 favorite couples EVER to do the show. So I will continue to root for them. In my opinion, the show needs Alfonso to make the finals.
Grubgate 2014, Day 4
Let’s recap the events as we know them. Oh, never mind.. Thanks Courtney!
I find the reference above about a ‘rule book’, interesting. If that’s a tongue-in-cheek reference to Alfonso’s anal-retentiveness, well LOL, at Mark’s humor. But I would be careful, very careful. Mark can be a TEAM player and help make this work, or he could do enough just to make him & Sadie look good in the team portion, then do GREAT in the couple spotlight portion, and let the paddles fall where they may.
Didn’t know Alfonso was diabetic. Can’t find it on a google search either.
If that’s the case and he needs to eat, fine, but yeah—plan ahead.
Alfonso ain’t diabetic – not sure who’s saying that. Nowhere in my conversation with Deep Throat about Grubgate did that even come up…think some people might be jumping to conclusions. From what I gathered, the purpose of going to eat had more to do with spending time with his family and less to do with maintaining his blood sugar.
@Sandy – I’m going to continue to root for them too, for the simple reason that I do feel like he’s the best dancer & entertainer this season – he’s legitimately good, and he doesn’t need propping up from TPTB in order to stick around. I also feel a tad bad for him – from my talks with Deep Throat, he seems to have a lot of regrets about the path his career took post-Carlton. Like Jaleel with Urkel, Alfonso was really kind of typecast after his gig as Carlton ended. It seemed to stunt his career, and maybe he needs DWTS to feel like he’s relevant again and able to find work as an actor. Or maybe I’ll just vote for him because his son is really, really STINKING CUTE. I’d ditch the first hour of team dance rehearsal if it meant playing with that cutie at dinner π
I never fault anyone who chooses their family over work. I’ve done it many times and never regretted that choice regardless of the work consequences.
Alfonso definitely is the best dancer of the season. However, I wish he’d just let go and enjoy the dances a little more. It would take his great dances and make them exceptional. I think that’s the difference between the stars and the pros. The pros are so confident and comfortable with the dances, that they can forget about the steps and the choreography and live in the moment. I hope that Alfonso gets there by the end of the season, because it would make for a special dance.
I agree with everything John just said.
It was me who mentioned it might have been a BS issue because when I saw him interviewed after it was announced he was going to be on the show (can’t remember where). He said he was looking forward to losing weight to help his BS and BP numbers. So I assumed he was a diabetic. If I gave the wrong info. I apologize.
As a professional what is wrong with knowing the whole playbook? You don’t go into a football game if you don’t know all of the plays. That’s just being smart.
Besides I like him and Witney and that is who I will continue to vote for.
My bad. Must have seen that on the public thread about the diabetes and took it for fact. What was I thinking!
So as all the Deep Throat info rolls in about Grubgate, it was simply a family meal. I can go with that. It’s still a wee bit disappointing. But I ain’t on the TEAM and I bet they have moved on by now. Heading out to lunch…hee hee!
Hm. Thanks for the updates!
Not sure why but the new info still doesn’t really bother me much. Maybe it’s because I had expected this from Alfonso to some degree so it doesn’t really come as a surprise. He’s been in show business all his life and has had an interesting career path (as DT mentioned) so I expect him to have a bit of a warped sense of reality and his own persona. I also think he isn’t very used to take direction or orders from people much younger than him. I’m definitely not condoning it or making excuses for him because diva behavior is diva behavior but I’ll still get the same amount of joy watching him perform. More than anything I just hope his diva qualities don’t make it into any of the packages.
So I want to complain about Val’s tweets about a showmance but not sure if I should do that here or not…(shakes head) he makes it so hard to like him sometimes.
@DLT – You’re free to complain here π We tend to have a much higher threshold of tolerance for our members than we do for general admission readers. I found it pretty funny that, not long after Val tweeted about showmances, Janel tweeted something about cologne in her hair with a heart-eyed emoji. Not quite sure those two are on the same page π
Complaining about the Fam. is one of my favorite past times:)
“I just hope his diva qualities donβt make it into any of the packages.”
That’s what I have to do on the site. I have to hope my diva qualities don’t make it into blog posts or comments. I think I’m going to change my author profile to say “Better known as Charlie. Resident Diva.”
Believe you me, John’s ego is OUT OF CONTROL. Just the other day, he asked me to address him as “Lord Lynn” in an email. π
Your Majesty too late:)
I do happen to like the way Lord Lynn roles off the tongue hahaha.
It just drives me crazy when people complain about situations they’ve created themselves, in this case Val and Janel about the showmance. They want to play all innocent and we have Val tweeting about how he doesn’t know what a showmance is and he’s in it to win yet this morning in an interview with People.com his brother is saying how Janel calms Val like Meryl did with him (sorry no, if anything she’s probably more emotional than Val) and that he can’t comment on their relationship. Then we have Janel tweeting about cologne, and them constantly playing it coy about their relationship. Sorry, you can’t play it both ways. Pick a side and stick to it. I hate it when these celebs think they are smarter than the audience.
Okay…I feel better.
I’m with DLT #63 on this. I kinda expected something from Alfonso, not only because he and Janeel had the same career trajectory, but because I could see little hints of it here and there in interviews.
Still, I love to watch him dance, and I think he’s got a good heart at his core. His love for his family and how he took care of Whitney show that. I too hope his diva moments don’t make it into his packages because that will sink him the same way it sunk Janeel.
LOLLL to John being a Diva. You crack me up!
So are the shippers still in that space where it is Val’s turn to win?
Early in the season did Val not state “to do whatever it takes to win?”
Surely by now those 2 realize they are out-danced every week by 2, if not 3 of the other celebs?
I don’t expand across lots of social meeting so I’m just curious if others are throwing out a negative vibe on Alfonso? He’s a good dancer and entertainer. He’s worth watching, I’m just not sure I want to see him win the old MBT.
“grubgate 2014’… I am cracking up at all of this while at the same time being even more disappointed. Anyways, just rewatched the tv clip wherein Bethany and Alfonso are picking the teams and it was apparent that Bethany was hemming and hawing while Alfonso was decisive in his picks. It made me think that Alfonso really did have this planned out and now to read that they were strategizing weeks prior??? Yikes! I don’t want Alfonso to become another Corbin but I guess he is in more ways than one with both having grown up in the business. Alfonso needs to let go and let loose. The bit about him knowing the rule book over the pros… Should I worry that Alfonso is not only angling for the mirrorball trophy but also a producing job on the show???? Now, I am curious how Witney is dealing with all of this.
DLT- I saw Val’s tweets and I was puzzled. I am a fan of Val and his choreography but even those tweets confused me since it seems that Janel didn’t get the same memo. I don’t think I could take anymore if she continues this for the rest of her time there… After every performance, I just want to scream “Focus on the dancing… Focus on improving your technique (footwork and hand placement)…” Why in the world is she tweeting about colognes and what not???
Team Itsy Bitsy is looking really good and it’s good to hear that everyone is getting along on that team.
Thanks again Courtney for sharing all these tidbits!!!
The problem, John, is when YOUR decision negatively impacts other people. Many people never put their actions in that context and that shows a lack of consideration for other people. Alfonso may very well be the top vote getter and could go on to win the whole show…but what about the others on his team? What if they don’t do as well because he missed some practice, they get a low score and it sends someone else home??
People are SO self centered any more and it’s a pet peeve of mine.
You’re right Heidi. It’s a huge balancing act when other people are involved and impacted. Like most things in life, it’s usually an issue of poor planning and/or poor communication.
I am not surprised to hear that Alfonzo is being divaish. I have thought this to be true over the last couple weeks as I thought I saw the ghost of Jaleel.He is thought of as Carlton who was always funny and pleasant and an “egotistical” Carlton will not be good on this show. Witney is such a great pro and choreographer but maybe he has the upper hand. I also found it interesting that at the end of the practice session we saw of Team Itsy Bitsy that Derek was behind Lea and Val behind Bethany….hmmm.
I am always so glad to come to the member’s site to get away from the drama.
Oh whoops I have one last thing to say about Alfonzo. Each one of the celebs probably had family who would have enjoyed their company. I am all about family time (I am a therapist you know…lol) but he had a responsibility to his team and even more-so as team leader. When they only meet a couple of times he should have been there period. A team leader or captain should set the example. And there my friends is my rant. There are seven days in the week and it is insulting to the rest of the team to not show up. Guess I wasn’t done with the rant after all…lol. Now I ma.
I agree with Heidi, Alfonso should consider his team a couple of the members need some great scores. Alfonso is the team leader and I think he should be on time and set the pace for his team. Courtney and her teasers got to me and I joined the private area!
Hmm…maybe Alfonso is acting Diva-ish because he thinks he has this competition in the bag? I dunno. Don’t count out Sadie & Bethany! Bethany is peaking at the right time IMHO. Sadie has the Conservative Christian fanbase behind her and could come out with a win. Bethany’s got her 7 million YouTube followers and Derek’s massive fanbase as well.
I’m just sad that I’m gonna miss the live show on Monday because I go to second shift next week π
I’m tellin’ ya, Derek likes Lea. π I’m not a shipper, but I do see him spending a lot of time with her. He also has a bit of a history with older women, not younger ones. I’m not saying he’s got the hots for her or anything – just that he clearly enjoys her company.
I’ve been thinking this all season. Lea looks amazing for 53. Seriously amazing.
@Kelly – I don’t know. But I am willing to give him the benefit of the doubt.
Think about this, Alfonso was a child star, short, somewhat pudgy, and always played second best on Silver Spoons and The Fresh Prince. Then for years into his adult life, he had to endure the wrath of “The Carlton (meaning typecast for a certain role)… All these things could play into the man that he has become. Somewhat insecure. Just saying.
I hope that this incident doesn’t get blown out of proportion. I don’t want the viewers to turn on Alfonso for something as silly as this. It was just a dinner.
I love Witney and Alfonso… Just as they are!
Thank you Sandy I totally agree.
Your welcome Lynn.
I guess what I was really saying is, Alphonso may finally feel like he is the star of a show…. And that’s okay.
Yes I agree and I don’t think he would hurt any of his cast mates intentionally.
I forgot that the site is mostly women. I need to recruit a few more men here so we can talk about Lea being hot π
#Sandy — But that’s just it, I don’t think he feels like he’s the star of the show. He will only be the star of the show if he wins. He is competing to be named the star of the show.
I think that Alfonso would have done better with Cheryl. I think his persona is too overwhelming for Witney (I think it would be overwhelming for me, and I’m a far sight from 21). Cheryl handled Alfonso in a way Witney can’t (only because she’s young and sweet, no other reason) and got an exceptional Flamenco out of him.
I was going to reply to you John but I disagree with your opinion. She looks like she was just dug up from the grave IMO π
I think the thing Lea probably needs most from her partner is constant encouragement, tons and tons of positive reinforcement, and I’m not sure Artem is doing that. He shouldn’t be going on about having to beat Alfonso. He should be going on about her being fabulous. I bet she will totally shine in the team dance because she’s going to be around Derek’s energy — and as PH has said, Derek seems to like her, enjoy her company, so I think the team dance will be the best thing that could happen for her.
There is a great instagram video of Lea and Derek dancing together at Witney’s birthday party. They both look like they are having fun. I think Lea looks amazing as well. I hope this isn’t her last week. She’s my favorite, and while I don’t think she has the fan votes to get past Michael’s NASCAR fanbase, she might get by Antonio. Fingers crossed!
@Courtney – Have you heard anything about how Witney is doing? Some articles are speculating that her back injury is causing her quite a bit of pain in practices for the upcoming Halloween week dances.
It’s bad enough worrying about Alfonso and his injury, now Witney too. Say it ain’t so.
@Sandy – Haven’t heard much about Alfonso & Wit – I’ll see what I can suss out.
Actually a video was just put up on this site and Alfonso and Witney are dicussing their injuries… Everyone is fine.
Some sites were reporting that Witney may be hurt. Thankfully that doesn’t appear to be the case.
Given the back bend she did with Derek on her 21st b-day, her back seemed fine. Although, maybe that’s reason why her back wouldn’t be fine. Glad to hear she seems to be doing ok.
Seriously though, how amazing are these dancers to be able to bend and twist their bodies the ways they do.
I have always been amazed at the power dancers have. Some of the best athletes in the world.
@ Susan I agree re Whitney’s age and relatively new pro status as contributing to Alfonso’s diva behavior. I have to wonder what would have happened, if he had told Cheryl or Karina he was going to dinner and would be late for rehearsal.
@ PH I so agree that people are so inconsiderate these days. I could prob preach a sermon re this topic it really gets my goat.
Lea reminds me a lot of Jen Grey, as far as being in need of reassurance from her pro.
Other than BttF and Caroline in the City, I don’t know much about Lea. So I did a little “networking.” Her husband is a highly awarded producer/director. Their 2 daughters are quite accomplished themselves.
We all know Derek’s a smart guy. As Kevin Hart so aptly put it, Derek respects those who have gone before him. He never misses a learning opportunity. Would not surprise me to find that Derek researches some of the celebs who do the DWTS run, then takes the time to connect with them, and learn from whatever they might have to offer.
We all know, it’s not WHAT YOU KNOW, it’s WHO YOU KNOW, and THEN you prove yourself by WHAT YOU KNOW! THEN you win and EMMY!
More spoiler niblets…
*While Team Itsey Bitsey is getting along and working well together, Team Creepy (TPTB apparently put the kibosh on Creep Du Soleil, for copyright reasons) is kinda on the struggle bus in more ways than one – first of all, people have a hard time getting to rehearsal on time…both Alfonso & Mark were late to their 2nd (and final) group rehearsal on Friday. Second problem? Most of the pros on Team Creepy are kinda passive when it comes to giving input – except for Mark, who has kinda taken command of the team by default since nobody else (except Alfonso) really offers up any suggestions. They’ve opted to forget Rocky Horror in favor of a circus theme, where each couple portrays a different circus act (i.e. Antonio is playing the Strong Man). Apparently Tommy leads everything off, and despite the issues they’re having, it’s overall a pretty cute routine. The tempo is a bit fast, though, and Deep Throat wonders if they’ll be able to pull off the choreo cleanly.
*I may not have been too far off when I asked about “Markney” on Twitter awhile back. Apparently lots of stolen glances & shared smiles in rehearsal, and Mark surprised her with a vanilla latte when he finally did show up to rehearsal yesterday.
I think Mark is still with his gf that he’s had for about 2 years now. He was talking about her on instagram not that long ago.
Wouldn’t blame him though – she’s a hottie. And he’s all for blonds in the way that Derek is all about brunettes. Would be kinda weird, though, as I think he was her teacher when she was much younger.
Mark does have a big fondness for anything that will put him in a funny costume, doesn’t he? π
Wow, Very interesting tibits of information.
So in taking away the Rocky Horror will that make the story seem odd? Time Warp = Circus Act? I hope they can pull this off.
So now 2 members of Team Creepy were late for their final practice? After all this, wouldn’t it be crazy if they won the Team Dance. π
Heck, I’d bring her a vanilla latte too!
Long time lurker and finally became a member a few days ago. I really appreciate all the little spoilers and especially the hard work you guys do with this site.
Courtney, i’m just curious…what about mark and witney did you ask on twitter a while back?
Welcome Leah! After seeing Mark & Witney’s pro dance to “My Girl”, I asked if there was something going on between them. Not sure if there truly is or not (and some of Mark’s fans were downright hostile in reminding me that he had a steady gf), but Mark sure seems to give her goo-goo eyes a lot.
Oh boy…got some doozies to drop on your guys tomorrow…
…but first, can anyone guess who showed up 2 hours late to team dance rehearsal today, extremely hungover and wearing smudged eyeliner? π―
I don’t think it was one of the pros. Can’t imagine Sadie, Bethany or Lea doing something like that, so by process of elimination I think it’s Janel. There were all those pix of her with Val at the Halloween party last night …
More goodies! Yay!!
And based off the Team ItsyBitsy rehearsal photo posted on DWTS’ Instagram today, I’m gonna guess the 2-hour late offender is Val who looks like someone shot him but forgot to kill him. Woof! Janel and Derek who also went to that Halloween party last night look fine and pretty well-rested. Cannot believe this man is walking around with smudged eyeliner in broad daylight. Get yourself together, Val.
Sorry I’ve been quiet on the members area LOL. I’ve been reading the spoilers and comments like a Stephen King novel. I can’t let it go, and I’m so tense and fearful of even looking away, π . Wow! Things are getting a bit crazy over in Mirror Ball Land. Come on Alfonso, please don’t pull off the mask and reveal Jaleel or Gilles. Get it together, Bruh! As for guessing who was late today….I’m guessing TOMMY. π I don’t know why I always think it’s him. Nah, honestly, I’m clueless.
I think Courtney is extrapolating the hungover part. A natural assumption, though, all things considered….
ahhh gotcha, that “my girl” dance was pretty amazing. you never know like you said courtney, especially because mark does have a girlfriend. but i think he definitely is protective over her and it seems like they have a really good friendship and i know from interviews he speaks very highly of her. cant remember what interview it was, but i remember him saying something along the lines of that he knew she was something special and gonna do big things when he used to train her back in the day. regardless, im a huge fan of both of theirs!
as far as the hungover/smudged eyeliner thing goes, if i had to guess it would be janel. i highly doubt it would be derek because he’s just too professional in my opinion to do something like that. even Val, i would think would be more responsible at least as far as showing up two hours late. but then again, i just assumee that courtney’s hint is directed toward one of the three cause they were all pictured out the night before. but for all i know, it could be someone completely unrelated to the three of them. cannot wait to hear this tomorrow!!
sorry, not trying to blow up the comments with all my posts, but forgot to ask this before… courtney, have you heard anything further about witney’s injury and also as far as alfonso’s (for lack of a better term) somewhat diva ways, does it seem to be of any bother to witney or does she kind of just let his intensity (that might be a better way of putting it) kind of slide off her back and not really think anything of it. thanx again!
If it was a pro they should be let go (even it is Derek) since it is inexcusable to show up two hours late for work when you have other people waiting on you and counting on you, especially if you had been partying the night before.
If they let go everyone who is really late to rehearsal – even once – there would be no one left on the show.
Get real. It’s show business. Your popularity (or lack thereof) is your job security. And if you are fired for being inconsiderate at times – again, no one left in show business.
true
Looking forward to your doozies tomorrow! Please don’t let it be Derek who was 2 hrs late – I know BEthany has said he’s been an hour late before. If I had to guess, i would say Val
Oh I bet the two hour late offender was totally Val. Boy looked ten sheets to the wind at that Halloween party. Alsoβ¦the way he and Janel were acting you would have thought they were banging. Sureβ¦they don’t contribute to the showmance rumors at all (insert eye roll).
Nope, not an extrapolation – confirmed by Deep Throat: VERY HUNGOVER. As in “tried to do a lift the he/she had done perfectly several times before and failed miserably because he/she felt so crummy.”
And sorry to burst everyone’s bubble, but it ain’t Val or Janel. Keep guessing.
Aw damn there goes my fun hahaha. Hmmmβ¦Derek maybe? I hate to think so but I’m just trying to think of people we know who were out Friday night and I think he might have been wearing eye-liner as part of his costume.
Derek was wearing guyliner. And he’s not god, as I’ve told a few of his fans recently.
Give some hints! Pro or celeb? Male or female? I would guess it has to be a celeb.
My guess is it’s Artem.
Dang, I was sure it was Val.
Process of elimination leaves Derek, Artem, and Lea (because I’m almost 100% sure it’s not Bethany or Emma). I’m gonna go with a 90% chance that it’s Derek and 10% chance it’s Artem. If Derek’s up to an hour late on normal days, 2 hours while being hungover sounds about right.
Wait, I wanna change my guess. Reading back the clue and the focus on lifts, I’m now gonna go with Artem. I feel like he would be doing lifts in the team dance out of all the males so that’s my final answer.
Lea posted a picture on Instagram last night of herself (looking gorgeous) with one of her horses. Apparently the horse had colic but (thankfully) it eventually got better.
I have no idea what you do for a horse with colic. If it involves staying up late to make sure they are ok, that could explain running late the next day, but it wouldn’t explain a hangover and smeared eyeliner.
These guesses are very telling. Very telling that someone rarely fucks up.
Lea is 53 – Really? Don’t think so.
Where on earth do you get the idea that Artem is the only one capable of doing lifts in a team dance?
Artem posted an emo-looking selfie on twitter thanking his UK fans for their support last night. Henry and Val immediately posted similar selfies making fun of him. I bet it was Artem.
That hint about the lift changes things. Now I’m going with Antonio because he’s the one I think is most likely to be doing a lift — he’s supposed to be the “strong man” right? So I’m guessing Antonio.
Michael deserves a bit of credit. Been travelling non stop and going long hours without sleep for a cause. Taking one for the team (pardon the pun.)
Surprise! It was Derek who was late to rehearsal and looking (and feeling) like hell yesterday. But let me Tarantino the story back to the beginning…
…it was Team Itsey Bitsey’s turn to be on the struggle bus yesterday. Mike was absent (probably due to a race) so Henry was standing in for him; for the first two hours of rehearsal, nobody could get ahold of Derek. Was not answering his phone at all. So Janel & Bethany were braiding each other’s hair, and Henry & Peta (who just popped in to hang out), were basically joking around like adolescent boys. Nobody seemed to be able to remember the choreography in D’s absence. He finally rolled in about 2 hours later, looking like hell and acting rather embarrassed at his tardiness and the state he was in. Still had on his smudged eyeliner from his Halloween costume the night before. Didn’t really offer any explanation other than “my alarm didn’t go off”. Heidi told me that he had been at the same H-ween party as Janel & Val the night before – and had been spotted leaving with Nina Dobrev. Sure, D, you didn’t hear your alarm go off – over all the moaning & groaning & bumping & grinding you and Miss Nina were doing. Oops, did I just say that out loud? π #sorrynotsorry
Anywho – once Team IB got down to business, Derek tried to do a lift with Emma that he had done flawlessly several times before…and flubbed it completely. To quote Emma: “I think I just sat in your face.” For John’s sake, I will refrain from cracking any more off-color jokes. π But yeah – D was definitely needing the hair of the dog that bit him. The whiskey-flavored dog.
Despite the comedy of errors that was Team IB’s rehearsal yesterday, though, DT thinks they’ll still win the team dance because their choreography is just better.
Discuss.
i take back what i said about janel and val then. i can admit when i’m wrong and maybe it was derek then? yeah he’s a professional but he’s still human and no one is perfect.
with that said however, who even says that it has to be a member of the team that derek is on as most of everyone’s guesses have focused on those people. Myself included in that.
so by process of elimination, it’s not val and janel, nor do i think that it would be lea bethany or sadie. correct me if i’m wrong, but i believe michael and emma weren’t even at the group dance rehearsal. so as far as members of team itsey bitsey, that leaves either derek or artem. and i don’t know why but i almost don’t feel like it was artem, so that just leaves derek. As far as the other team goes, like i said sadie is out. i don’t believe it would be tommy just because courtney did mention it was a lift and despite how amazing he is doing on the show for his age, i don’t think they would have him doing any lifts. which then would eliminate peta cause she is his partner, so if he isn’t doing any then she might not be unless someone else is lifting her but for the sake of my thought process i’m taking her out. i also dont think its antonio, he doesnt strike me as that kind of guy, seems relatively reserved. so your left with alfonso, witney, mark and cheryl. if it was someone from team creepy, my guess would be cheryl or mark, leaning more toward cheryl for some reason. even though courtney said the problem step was a lift, doesnt necessarily mean it was a guy as it takes two people to do one lift. so my final guess would be either derek or cheryl.
sorry this post was so long, just trying to think out loud and reason this all out.
Vodka. I believe he drinks Vodka.
And I can’t believe, after I practically TOLD you the answer, that you all refused to guess Derek – except for JB who then took it back. Derek ain’t god, people, and if the man wants to let it rip once in a blue moon – well, there you go. Bad boy. Since he lives VERY close to the rehearsal space (California close) why did no one go over there? Now THAT would have made for an interesting story! I was actually getting worried that something bad had happened to him!
But why on earth did they all just sit around waiting for him? The pros in the room can’t remember the choreo?? The hell? And I would have busted his ass once he got there. I don’t think that Emma sitting on his face is nearly punishment at all, all things considered. π
I am not saying that Derek did not end up with Nina, but he did not leave with her. She left with some other guy in a SUV after Derek had tried to get a SUV for her, but it wasn’t hers so she had to go back inside the restaurant area since the paparazzi would not leave her alone. There is another video of this out there (popcandiestv). He must have gone to some party after that because he wasn’t drunk leaving the party that he was at with Janel and Val at least not what I saw of him in the videos. Not that any of this matters. Just glad that Emma did not get hurt during the lift.
Er, Derek is VERY good at making it look like he didn’t leave with anyone. Just sayin’. And just because he wasn’t falling down, doesn’t mean he wasn’t lit. The fact that he pushed a photographers camera away from his face is enough to tell me he wasn’t sober.
So how would you characterize his relationship with Nina?
i agree with heidi, after watching that video he definitely didn’t seem sober. who knows, maybe he did go to another party after he left that one but when he left that one he was drunk. his demeanor was a little different than usual when you see him in paparazzi videos, and like heidi said, the fact that he pushed a camera away from his face is telling.
whatever the guy isn’t perfect and he’s not god. not that its okay to show up to rehearsal that late and hungover but that’s life and everyone does stuff at one point or another that might not be the best decision. yeah he should’ve been there on time but for arguments sake lets say he had a real emergency and couldn’t get there on time, why did no one else seem to know what was going on as far as choreography and such. maybe they didn’t finish fully choreographing everything until yesterday?
Hmm..maybe Val KNEW Derek left with Ms Nina after the party Friday night so decided not to go check on him but knew he’d be along sooner or later? Hey most of us have tied one on every now and again and showed up late, or not at all, for work π when PH said Derek aint God, I knew it was likely Derek π Good for him..even doubly so if he left with Nina. Derek is usually polite with the paps so pushing a photog out of his face is out of character for him. I know I’ve done things under the influence of alcohol, that I wouldn’t do when sober π π
Concerning that none of the other Pros could remember the choreography? Val didn’t know the routine?
That’s hysterical, Courtney about why Derek couldn’t hear the alarm go off – you’re probably correct! Yeah, had a feeling it was Mr. Guyliner but hoping it wasn’t. As long as they all get it together by tomorrow night, we’re all good.
So if DT’s hunch is correct, then that probably spells elimination for either Tommy or Antonio.
Might I add, I am so enjoying this Private Members area this season. Between our discussions amongst us and our added Mini-Spoilers it has been amazing to be a part of this. Thanks so much!!
Do the losers of the group dance get automatically put in jeopardy? Just wondering because I’m getting mixed answes?
No, Sandy, if you’re referring to the eliminated person coming from the losing team. It’s just not logical to expect it to work that way anymore. Until recently, the losing team lost a person because the team dance score plus their score actually went to determining who was eliminated (even still – coincidence). This season (and the last one or two) this has not been true. Who gets eliminated tomorrow has nothing to do with the Team dance outcome – that person has already been determined.
No, it’s not automatic. It’s like any other “jeopardy” – they’ve probably already decided how they want to play it.
What people are referring to with the Losing team losing a member in elimination as that has been the case a lot of the time (although NOT all of the time). But, like I just said, that is no guarantee because the eliminated person has already been determined. Winning or losing the team dance no longer figures into it.
One of the really fun parts of the team dances is seeing celebs who have consistently been towards the bottom of the leaderboard get a 9 or a 10. I will never forget how Andy Dick reacted to getting a 10. Great stuff.
What Derek did is inconsiderate and unprofessional. Making people wait that count on you is never an appropriate behavior. I have definitely partied hard, but never enough to where it interfered with obligations, safety, or courtesy. I do imagine it’s hard to keep up in the Hollywood life, though, and I’m sure he’ll make it up for it somehow. As others have said, he’s not a saint, nor should we expect him to be.
I’d feel that way if it was Val, or Tony, or Artem, that showed up late and hungover, but I also think that if it was one of these pros that did this, they’d be crucified. But then again, they haven’t earned the respect that Derek has, so when he does make a mistake, it is forgivable as a rare occurrence, rather than expected behavior.
I’m not trying to sound sanctimonious, I just find it interesting that you reap what you sow – minor indiscretions remain that – minor – when you overall live your life in a kind and conscientious manner. But when you repeatedly live a seemingly self-centered existence, these kind of incidents would be much more telling. No one should ever expect perfection out of anyone else, but it’s just nice when someone seems to at least to strive to live a good life, because little falters along the way don’t really mean anything.
Couldn’t have put it better, Fig.
Now if I could just get Derek’s fans to view him as an actual human being, I’d be doing good. π
i’m sure tomorrow the tptb will still try to play the angle of “someone from the losing team always goes home” regardless of the fact that its already determined
Oh wow… 50 new messages since I last checked this thread… Welcome to all the fellow new members!
Thanks Courtney for the new tidbits. Interesting bit about Derek though
Oh wow… I think my message cut off. My apologies folks, I don’t know what I did wrong.
Derek’s human – he ain’t a monk, a saint, a eunuch, or a teetotaler. Lord knows I can’t really scold him for drinking too much, getting his kicks, and being late for work. Was it unprofessional of him? Sure. But in the long and short run, I doubt it will matter a whole lot – sounds like Itsey Bitsey has had the upper hand from day 1.
Just today, my softball team’s pitcher didn’t show up on time for our playoff game because she was hungover and overslept. We still won (I pitched, eek!) but it made it a lot harder on us because we count on her to appear on time and ready to play.
BUT, she’s otherwise pretty reliable, a team player, and good at her job – not to mention being a good person. So we forgive her because we’ve been through a lot together, and all of us need a little understanding for our imperfections and mistakes.
The way Derek goes full bore on everything 200%, I think it’s healthy that he just let loose and enjoyed himself this weekend.
Yup, not a one of us is perfect. We’ve ALL made mistakes. It’s not like Derek does this on a regular basis, stuff happens. It’s good to know the guy likes to let ‘er rip every once in awhile. I’m sure he didn’t mean to be late for practice. I kinda wish he would’ve let the paps see him leave with Nina though, just for giggles.
Congrats on the softball win Fig!
No one’s saying to not let loose, btw. I did it myself last night – with a full-time job, going to school full-time, and my daughter and my boyfriend and my friends, three softball teams, and other projects – I deserved it, haha. But I made darn sure I didn’t jeopardize my commitment to others and was up bright and early. Of course, I happen to be extraordinarily lucky and never get hangovers, either π
Anyway, it was a mistake and I’m sure Derek probably feels terrible about it – he doesn’t seem to take these things lightly – I think of him and the hand-written cards back from the Shannon Elizabeth season. Hopefully he doesn’t beat himself up too badly because it’s not that big of a deal in the grand scheme of things.
Oh and thanks Kelly – we advanced and get to play again next week! Luckily I won’t be pitching again – I hope!
One thing that might have contributed to the situation is his “overnight” to Australia. I think all the time zones may have finally caught up with him and knocked him out harder than he otherwise would have.
Hi there! Iβve been a longtime, on-and-off watcher of DWTS (full seasons: S2-S5, S7-S8, S10, partial seasons: S9, S12, S15-16, S18). I found the high-quality website known as PureDWTS during S15 (All-Stars) after my LO was born and I was looking for recaps. Now Iβm excited to be here as a member.
Just finished watching the FULL Week 6 show On Demand, and I had a great time laughing at the non-dance parts and enjoying the dance routines.
A) My favorite dance moments:
1) Derek and Beth: While I usually prefer more traditional tango music (e.g. Derek & Jennieβs tango to Piazzollasβ βCite Tangoβ ), I loved this tango to the pop song βJealous.β From the opening synchronization with the lights and the movement, to the straight-line sequences, to the swift and graceful coverage around the floor, to Bethanyβs conviction, I was captivated. And Beth handled the slip with poise, and did not let it detract from the performance. Bravo.
2) Witney and Alfonso: I was transported back to the salsa clubs and classes that I used to go to. Loved their energy, side-by-side footwork, their partnering moves, and the mix of hip-hop and salsa choreo. Also that last move looked a bit odd, but it did not detract from the overall performance for me. Great job.
B) My favorite non-dance moments:
1) Tonyβs βBLOUSEβ made another appearance. I couldn’t stop laughing when I noticed that during the Samba demo with Sharna, Tony was wearing that black βblouseβ from his audition tape.
2) I am a huge fan of both Bill Hader’s and Derek Houghβs work; these guys are all kinds of adorable! So when Leah sort of mixed the two together by re-enacting Bill Haderβs SNL βHerb Welchβ character (i.e. the old TV reporter who smacks interviewees with the microphone, sometimes repeatedly) with Derek, I was on cloud nine !
3) Tom Bergeron is a national treasure in my eyes. Always love his wit, and this week, he quoted Billy Crystal at the top of the show. After Week 5βs Pro/Contestant Switch-Up, I thought Leah was a good counterpoint in providing comfort and humor to the contestants as a Switch-Up host.
4) During Julianne’s critique of Bethany, Julianne referenced one of my favorite DWTS rumbas (βCoolβ by Gwen Stefani) by one of my favorite DWTS couples (Apolo & Julianne) when she talked about not being able to use a chair as a prop when she was on the show! Ah, I went back and watched A&J’s rumba again. Itβs still magical to me, especially that split move to the lyric βcircles and triangles, and now weβre hanging out with your new girlfriend.β
I hope tomorrow’s show continues to have the same level of humor and entertainment.
I bet this kind of stuff has happened all the time in 19 seasons. It’s not something I understand (responsible and a teetotaler here), but I bet this kind of thing has happened a lot. We just never heard about it. The good part for us is that it won’t really matter. The performances on Monday will still be awesome I’m sure.
Fig, I couldn’t be late either, but, I bet you’re right for how Derek feels bad about it and he’s the type who will make it up to them all tenfold.
Well Derek’s actions make Alfonso’s going out to dinner with his family seem like nothing which is what it was all along.
Looking forward to tonight!!!!!
What Derek did is unacceptable, but it is not the same as Alfonso. Derek screwed up; Alfonso thought it was perfectly fine to announce that he would be late to rehearsal so he could eat with his family. Derek knows what he did is wrong; Alfonso sees no reason why he shouldn’t do exactly as he pleases, in my opinion.
Nah, I’m not making too much out of either scenario. I’m am sure over the many seasons of this show (and many other shows for that matter) this type of thing has happened quite a few times, but we were never made aware of it.
That’s show business.
I think we could probably go on and on about who screwed up worse between Derek & Alfonso – but at the end of the day, they both messed up, they both have likely learned their lesson, and neither situation is likely to cause a lasting impact. At this point, it’s really just conversation fodder for our members π
I agree Courtney.
Sorry to prolong the fodder-ing, but is there some indication that Alfonso “learned his lesson.”
Yeah it’s just fun to talk in the private members area, where I feel a little more comfortable chatting about personal stuff or little gossipy bits. Makes the time between shows pass a little faster – and gives me a needed distraction from my midterm paper π
THe amount of stuff that goes on behind the scenes on the show that we don’t even know about is i’m sure endless. But it is a TV show and it’s hollywood so its made to look perfect. I love finding out all the behind the scenes info but there isn’t anything that necessarily is so unbelievably surprising even if at first read i think to myself “wow i wouldn’t have thought that.” Because once you do sit back and think about certain things, they do make sense…. at the end of the day everyone on the show is human and have their own personalities, and people are going to perceive them in whatever way they please
@Susan – Why only the focus on Alfonso? That same question could be directed to either one of them. Just saying.
@Sandy. Because one of them was a mistake (Derek). and the other was on purpose (Alfonso). While that might not make a difference to some, it does to me. I’m certain that Derek knows he screwed up. Alfonso? Not so sure. That’s why I asked.
I’m just bummed that I won’t get to see ANY of the show live tonight because I’m on 2nd shift this week and next. No DVR here either :/ MAY have to call TWC and GET one set up! LOL
I guess we will never know the answer to that question. So I am willing to wipe the slate clean for them both.
Well, I certainly don’t agree, Lynn. Alfonso’s was premeditated, Derek’s was an accident. The amount of time lost was probably equal, actually.
Nothing? Hardly.
I agree, Sandy, I didn’t make that big a deal over either one – but saying Derek’s is worse is a crock. I agree with Susan.
PH are you saying Derek got drunk an had a hangover by accident?
Sandy, I think Susan was responding to Courtney saying that both men learned their lesson. Courtney also implied that Derek was very embarrassed by what happened. So it’s a natural question – was there any indication that Alfonso felt bad like Derek did. I followed her train of thought.
@Susan – I can’t speak to the frame of mind of either Derek or Alfonso, but I would venture a guess that a few strong words or even just a few dirty looks from their peers would be enough to convey the message that what they did was wrong. In all honesty, though, I could just see the argument of “Who was worse, Derek or Alfonso?” turning into a lengthy stalemate, with the Derek fans sticking up for him and chastising Alfonso, and the Alfonso fans sticking up for him and chastising Derek. Not trying to offend, but I just don’t think there’s really anywhere productive that argument can go. Was Derek the “better” one, because his snafu was accidental rather than intentional? Or was Alfonso the “better” one, for at least giving his teammates the courtesy of a heads-up that he was going to be late? Some could (and probably would) argue about it for hours. I guess I’d personally rather just assume that both men are human, and both were isolated incidents that aren’t likely to occur again (since there is only 1 team dance per season), and just look forward to tonight’s show. π
Of course not. But over sleeping was certainly an accident while Alfonso purposely let everyone wait while he went to dinner. He made a conscious decision.
And try not to be a bitch, please.
Courtney always makes sense to me.
PH I will try!!!!!!!!!!!!! and thank you for saying please. π
Try harder. You agreed with Courtney, say she makes sense – yet you’re the one who started this entire conversation by implying that Derek was far worse than Alfonso.
The ironic thing about all of this is if none of it makes it into the packages the general audience will be none the wiser and it will just be us lucky few! No point in harping on it too much because it could all be for moot once the teams perform.
While the team dances are always fun I’m always more interested to see how the celebs do on their individual dances. With two Pasos tonight I’m hoping for some good routines.
I never said that! I have been a Derek fan from day one.
Seriously, Lynn?? I quote you:
“Well Derekβs actions make Alfonsoβs going out to dinner with his family seem like nothing which is what it was all along.”
Really, am I supposed to read this another way? I think the implication is pretty freakin’ strong. How do you think we got on this topic when everyone else had pretty much written both incidences off and were letting it go?? Total accident??
ETA: Looking at your comment history is also a revelation. Only ever commented in the Private Members Area, to support Alfonso AND say that Lea looked like she had just been dug up from the grave. Veeeery interesting.
That Lea comment was a joke to John.
Supports messages were for Alfonso and Witney.
That was joke?? Nice.
Context – Posting this after reading up to about #150.
Derek is like a god out of Greek/Roman mythology – Full of power and Awesome (in the original sense of the word) but oh so subject to human failings… =D
Still a dancing god to me. Just showing some proverbial feet of clay, if you’ll pardon the expression.
I also “know” Derek a lot more than Alfonso. Aside from following all his projects, reading his book and his blogs, and seeing him perform live, his stated reason for returning this season was that so many fans asked him about it when he was on tour that he didn’t want to let anyone down. He had the same reaction during the Switch-Up, that he didn’t want to let Sadie (or Mark) down. A couple of years ago he was quite sick but was scheduled to perform I think BWAT in Virginia; he went because he didn’t want to let anyone down. It is a recurring theme in his life, so I KNOW that he is mortified about what he did. Alfonso I know only from when he began on DWTS. Never watched Fresh Prince, had never seen The Carlton before a couple of Mondays ago. From what I’ve observed he seems quite overbearing, extremely self-absorbed, and wound very very tight. My impression, right or wrong, of “Grub-gate” was arrogance along the lines of “Let them eat cake.” I would be surprised, but heartened, to find out he later realized that it was not the best move. And so I asked.
Going to try this again… Hopefully my message doesn’t get cut off (fingers crossed).
Had a little chuckle at the latest video released by ABC wherein Sasha sets out to scare members of the current cast. Some of the reactions from both the pros and dancers were priceless… Some overly long. I don’t know if you’re scared that you would be screaming for a long time and running down the hall flailing your hands (inserts eye roll emoji). Anywho, I was glad to see that it was all in good fun.
YAY! Tonight’s the night!!! Seeing all the bts pics from everyone, the set looks amazing.
Grubgate 2014 vs. Hangovergate 2014. Where do you stand? LMAO You guys are killing me.
Alfonso planned to eat out He told the producers.
Derek did not plan to get drunk. He did not tell the producers.
Back in the day–I wish I had known when I was going to have fun, get drunk and suffer the consequences. If I had planned ahead, it would not have happened. If I had planned ahead to get drunk, I would certainly have been more selective about where and with whom. And yeah, I’ve shown up late to work with a “sinus headache” on Monday that came from a weekend of overt happiness!
Gods are no fun at all, if you get my drift. π
Yeah, Susan, I’m fairly sure that the ONLY reason Derek is on this season is because of that damn (loved it tho) MOVE tour. Every single meet and greet that was the first question asked. That is his stated reason for coming back despite also straight up saying that he’s exhausted. Not wanting to let anyone down is his theme – and it’s not a good one, at times. I think he could stand a bit more selfishness, if only so he doesn’t totally burn himself out.
So here at the old home front in North Texas DWTS is not on, thanks to the F’n cowboys, the NFL etc etc. There’s no love lost in our home for the Cowboys, so go Redskins. The phone lines to our local station are jammed with complaints, the station’s server has been crashed. I am absolutely 100% pissed off.
Oh but hey I can watch the delayed show at 1 a.m. How’s that for screwing with the ratings?