Carrie Ann Inaba And Julianne Hough Blog On DWTS Season 21 week 2
What a week it’s been! I REALLY hope the producers kick this idea to the curb, and NEVER re-visit the thought again! Giving the couples TWO dances in only week 2 of the competition really was cruel and unusual punishment that not one of the pairs on the show deserve! And if I heard Witney correctly in her After Buzz interview, it was a complete surprise. Not fair, I think, to dump something like that on them at the last moment. And while I’m complaining, why does it seem that some of the couples were allowed to go rehearse Monday night, and others weren’t? I’m just going by Julianne’s question to Tamar and Val, when she asked if they went to practice, because what she’d commented on Monday seems to have been fixed. I know from Carlos and Alexa’s blog posts, both wanted and asked to go rehearse after the show Monday, and were told the rehearsal spaces were all closed. So, did anyone get to practice?
Moving on…..
Julianne’s style blog has moved from People to InStyle, which seems to be a better fit, since it’s a blog about FASHION! She’s got a blog up for Monday, and another one for Tuesday, so go and check both of them out! There’s behind the scenes photos with her dogs, too. It’s amazing how different she looked both nights. Which night do you prefer? I loved her look on Monday, it felt soft, and romantic, while Tuesday seemed a lot more edgy, and while I like when her team plays up her eyes to make them “pop,” there was something I just didn’t like about the look on Tuesday.
And Carrie Ann wrote her weekly blog post over on Parade. It’s definitely an interesting read, so go check it out. She has a very definite error in it that somehow got passed the editors, if they’ve got any. Or, did they just do a spell check? She decided “to comment on the top three male performers and the top three male performers.” No, not my typo.
Her top 3 female performers are:
- Tamar and Val
- Bindi and Derek
- Alexa and Mark
Her top 3 male performers are:
- Nick and Sharna
- Hayes and Emma
- Andy and Allison
She discussed the “lift issue” when she talks about Bindi and Derek, but I won’t go into it here, but if you’re interested, there’s a conversation started over on PDH. I don’t think Carrie Ann is ever going to realize that people are not upset that she’s deemed herself as the “Lift Police” as they are upset that she cannot be completely consistent in applying that rule. When she overlooks obvious lifts choreographed into dances that aren’t supposed to have lifts, but docks someone who accidentally had both feet a couple inches off the floor, there’s a big problem, but she seems to be more concerned with proving she’s in the right.
So…. Any thoughts on Carrie Ann’s blog? Did she get her top 3 lists correct? What would YOUR lists be?
I truly believe the only reason CAI feels the need to be the lift police is the attention it garners for her. What really grinds my grits is the blatant inconsistency of her judging. Two dances later Alek lifts Lindsey from the stairs to the stage and there is no mention of a lift.
Don’t get me wrong I don’t want to penalize Alek & Lindsey, just be fair to all couples.
What is really troubling is how such a beautiful dance is being over shadowed by a accidental “lift”.
Oh and Erin shut up. When Derek needs you to read the rules to him it will be a cold day in h*ll.
@ PJ, I don’t think Erin was telling that to Derek, but rather explaining it for the viewers at home…
Was that move in Alek and Lindsay’s Quickstep considered a lift though? I’ve seen that move in previous Quicksteps and Paso Dobles – except this one was over the stairs. I think it’s called a fan kick or something?
And I agree with you PJ – I thought Bindi and Derek’s Waltz was beautiful and moving and was frustrated that CAI spent her entire critique on some stupid “lift”.
@Jane – Carrie Ann’s lift policing is totally arbitrary and subjective, but from what I’ve heard as the definition of a “lift” before, it’s “a movement where both feet of one partner are off the ground, that they wouldn’t otherwise be able to do without the assistance of their partner”. So that’s why one partner, jumping up in the air unassisted, doesn’t count as a lift – they aren’t using their partner for it. But if Alek hoisted Lindsay up and swung her around – lift, because she wouldn’t be able to do it on her own.
Thanks for explaining Courtney. This whole “lift” thing is so confusing to me. When I see a move that’s repeatedly done on the show (like the one Alek and Lindsay did in their Quickstep) and it doesn’t get called out by CAI (or any of the other judges), I think to myself that that particular move is not considered a lift.
The major takeaway: CAI aka “the lift police” = totally irrelevant. 🙂
I’m wondering if CAI is leaving Carlos out of the top 3 men because he isn’t pulling in the votes.
I have to comment on Carrie Anne and Julianne’s dresses. Monday night’s dresses were my favorite. In fact, I think Julianne’s deep burgundy colored dress is my favorite of all time. The plush silk chiffon with the floral black embellishments sewn on the front is soooo pretty and she wore it so perfectly. The heels were perfect too! Stunning!
@Vogue, that was my favorite also!
I loved Julianne’s aqua strapless number and the deep burgundy chiffon: she was absolutely stunning. She looked like a movie star, with glitz and glamour. I wasn’t wowed by the white number from Tuesday of week two, and especially didn’t think the harsh eye makeup did her any favors. To me, she looks best in something elegant, with soft make-up and hair. Anything that hints of edgy or harsh is a fail, imo.
What bugged me most about CAI’s critique is that the way she put it made everyone think that Derek had broken the rules on purpose and thereby doing Bindi a disservice. Instead she could have asked Derek if it was intended as a drag (which Derek later said it was) and explained to Bindi and the audience that for a drag at least one foot has to stay on the floor and since that didn’t happen she has to consider it a lift. (I think Sabrina and Louis’ Cindarella Waltz is a good example of a drag but even for Sabrina it looked really hard to keep her foot down)
So sooo pretty!
Yeah, pretty sure if Derek meant it as a lift it would have been worth the point deduction. He always owns it when he’s chosen to go outside the box, clearly that was an accidental not being able to hold her foot down mistake by a novice dancer. An insignificant mistake, plenty of other examples of novice mistakes through out the whole night, thus no one earned a 10.
A few seasons I remember CAI stating clearly that the reason for the lift rule is to be fair to all the various fitness/age levels of the celebs…if young partner could do a lift in the rumba but older could not, young partner would unfairly be allowed to do a more flashy dance…blah blah blah. So OK, sounds fair enough EXCEPT that now they throw in those other styles that allow lifts mixed into every show starting first or second show, so there is no logic to her former argument. Am I wrong, don’t “show” dances in the ballroom world include lifts? I’m picturing Karina and Slavic rumba having quite a few stunning lifts. So I’m thinking it’s not some ballroom rule. Maybe Court can weigh in?
It’s an asinine enforcement of the rule and always has been, regardless of who it’s against. The rule was understandable in its original form – to keep a level playing field between the celebs and to prevent a pro with a young partner from doing a ton of lifts. But when it’s not choreographed and clearly accidental and CAI deducts? That’s an abuse of the rule as well. Power hungry. Worst of all, she’s so horrendously uneven at calling it that she looks incredibly biased. Which of Val’s partners got the “there was a lift but I don’t care!” She’s an idiot.
The rule almost seems scripted for when they need a leaderboard shake up.
Besides the lift police crap, CAI deducts for really dumb other things as well. Like last season when she deducted a point from Noah and Sharna’s AT because his prosthetic came down a fraction of a second later than Sharna’s leg so they didn’t step completely together.
It makes her look dumber, not smarter. Not sure she gets that or just doesn’t care.
When they need a leaderboard shake up…or when they need to be really subtle in their manipulation to make sure a certain pro doesn’t win again. It’s effective because people don’t engage their brains. “Derek always breaks the rules.” So, it will be interesting to see if the judges and Erin continue to go after Derek…since they really can’t go after Bindi without alienating their audience.
@PH Was that Rumer and Val’s Rumba where Carrie-Ann admitted to ignoring a lift? It’s astonishing to me that looking at YouTube everyone still seems to think Derek is the judges/producers’ favourite. These are people who haven’t watched since Season 17 I assume.
@Geri (#10), the way you phrased it would be the right way for CAI to explain why she was deducting a mark for the lift. However, that doesn’t further TPTB’s ongoing agenda of making Derek the rebel who breaks the rules when it suits him which feeds the viewers misconception that Derek is the arrogant 5-time MBT winner who doesn’t “deserve” to win anymore over all those other wonderful rule-abiding pros who haven’t won or their oh-so-perfect reigning champ. They have to continually reinforce the brainwashing they’ve done on the sheeple because without it their sheeple would be falling in love with Derek all over again. Can’t have that, now, can we?
Everyone in this thread is spot-on. It’s CAI’s “power play” and she fucking LOVES it when she gets to throw that card out there – especially against Derek.
I daresay that the producers would NEVER go after Bindi the way they did Nastia – the public would cry out, and Derek may rightfully walk away forever. But he’s an easy target with subtle manipulation. DEREK BREAKS THE RULES GUYZ. *eyeroll*
Additionally, I don’t mind the rule when it comes to choreographed lifts for those dances – it keeps them more focused on the traditional steps. But an accidental foot coming up on a drag is ridiculous – and they definitely don’t enforce it equally.
Oh well, it’s the same shit every season with this issue. : /
Also – agreed on the burgundy dress – WOW that is amazing. Me want.
I agree, but I would consider deducting a point for an accidental lift myself, because it represents a very obvious mistake in the dance, but I would treat it like any other mistake I saw and use my best judgement. It’s certainly a discretion thing, but sadly Carrie-Ann seems to lack both discretion and consistency.
Not really, Mr A, because if they enforced the rule correctly the couple wouldn’t be required to pull a freakin muscle to keep a foot on the floor. It wouldn’t BE a mistake, just another part of the dance.
“People” are morons, especially those who watch this show and believe every word the judges say.
I have a question. Everyone is saying that a lift shouldn’t be penalized if it was accidental. However, if it were accidental, wouldn’t that mean they made a mistake in their dance and there for should be penalized for it?
Don’t get me wrong, I liked Bindi and Derek’s waltz. I actually liked it better than their tango which I thought was a bit heavy footed, but if they made a mistake… they should get called out on it by the judges. I guess I’m just having a hard time understanding why people are so upset about it. It’s not like the one 7 she was given this week is going to get her booted next week. It’s going to be quite irrelevant soon actually.
Please read all the comments, Gina. I already addressed this.
Getting really tired of the “it’s not like it matters because (insert irrelevant comment here)”. There’s a principle involved here.