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DWTS13 Casting Rumors – The Typecasting of Season 13, Part II

 So with each hour closer to the cast announcement that we get, we seem to be getting more and more leaks of who’s in – the next 24 hours will definitely be the time to stay tuned to PureDWTS, as we’ll be posting any potential last minute leaks as soon as we hear them! I dunno about you guys, but I’m getting excited…so let’s take a look at who else we might expect to see, based on casting patterns 😉

The Teen Idol

Previous examples: Joey McIntyre, Aaron Carter, Donny Osmond, Lance Bass, Mel B., Joey Fatone, Drew Lachey, Joey Lawrence, Ian Ziering, Cody Linley, Sabrina Bryan, Mario Lopez, Kyle Massey, Chelsea Kane, Romeo

Advantages: If sales of Tiger Beat are any indicator, the teenyboppers will come out in full force to support their favorite heartthrobs/idols.  Being young & good-lookin’ sure doesn’t hurt! Many also have the added advantage of having a decent dance background, especially if they were part of a musical act.

Disadvantages: Youth can also have its disadvantages – as in immaturity.  What some might call “youthful exuberance”, others might call “immaturity” or “attention deficit disorder” – poor Cody Linley had a hard time sitting still! Emotional immaturity (a la Aaron Carter’s post-rumba meltdown in the confessional) can be especially off-putting. They’ve also got to contend with the large middle-aged female contingent of viewers/voters – they far outnumber the young viewers likely to vote for them.

Possible candidates this season: Now that the Candace Cameron-Bure rumor seems to have died down, it looks like we’re going to be seeing former child starKim Richards, also of Real Housewives of Beverly Hills fame…maybe she’s doing double-duty as the reality star this season, too!

The Host

Previous examples: Jerry Springer, Brooke Burke, Leeza Gibbons, Mario Lopez, Kenny Mayne, Lisa Rinna, Tucker Carlson, Mark Dacascos, Rocco DiSpirito, Erin Andrews, Wendy Williams, Mike Catherwood

Advantages: Being that they’ve been at the helm of their own shows, these guys usually have the media savvy & charisma to appeal to the masses, as well as the previous exposure & recognizability.  Most (not all!) are also decently attractive, which never seems to hurt (unless, of course, you’re a model – see previous post for explanation).

Disadvantages: Many hosts are only used to hosting – as in just sitting down & talking (or dodging the occasional punch, if you’re Springer), so the lack of movement experience problem seems to come into play. 

Possible candidates this season: I’ve started preparing myself to watch Nancy Grace try to hoof it this season, though I can’t say I’m even the tiniest bit excited about it.  Someone hosts I’d rather see? Craig Ferguson or Ricki Lake – the former is just hilarious, and the latter might actually be pretty good due to her Broadway background.

The Actor

Previous examples: John O’Hurley, Melissa Joan Hart, Steve Guttenburg, John Ratzenberger, Debi Mazar, Denise Richards, Ted McGinley, Shannon Elizabeth, Jennie Garth, Vivica Fox, Marissa Jaret Winokur, Shannen Doherty, Jennifer Grey, David Hasselhoff, Ralph Macchio, Kirstie Alley

Advantages: Being that their bread & butter is acting, most can usually nail the emotions of the dances. Bonus points if they’ve done any Broadway (like Winokur) because they have likely had dance experience.

Disadvantages: For lack of a better term, many of them seem to be “has-beens” – actors that haven’t been particularly active in the mainstream in the past several years – or were never that big to begin with (can anyone else think of anything John O’Hurley has been in BESIDES Seinfeld?), making it harder for them to garner votes from a public who may not remember them. 

Possible candidates this season: I think it’s safe to say David Arquette is a lock.  There’s been a couple of murmurs about Henry Winkler as well, and I’m still wondering if Lorenzo Lamas is gonna crop up, after all the talking he did last season.

The Reality Star

Previous examples: Kim Kardashian, Kelly Osbourne, Melissa Rycroft, Steve-O, Holly Madison, Trista Sutter, Shanna Moakler, Kate Gosselin, Jake Pavelka, Audrina Patridge, The Situation

Advantages: Many have achieved pop culture icon status on their respective reality outlets, making them fairly recognizable.

Disadvantages: They may be memorable for the wrong reasons – people tended to remember things like Kim Kardashian’s sex tape more than her reality show when she was on DWTS, and people seemed more focused on Holly Madison’s split from Hef than her antics on The Girls Next Door.  Many can also come across as attention-hungry & talentless(*cough*JakePavelka*cough*) – reality TV is often looked down upon as a way to get famous without having any talent whatsoever. 

Possible candidates this season: We had the great Snooki scare of 2011 (which I doubt is going to amount to anything), but Rob Kardashian & Kristen Cavallari’s names are still being tossed around. 

The Singer:

Previous examples: Mya, Billy Ray Cyrus, Mario, Belinda Carlisle, Master P, Chuck Wicks, Sara Evans, Willa Ford, Monique Coleman, Toni Braxton, Macy Gray, Nicole Scherzinger

Advantages: As with the teen idols, many have had dance experience concurrent with their music careers. 

Disadvantages: Most seem to be committed solely to one genre of music (often R&B or country), making it hard to appeal to a wide fanbase.

Possible candidates this season: Christina Milian’s name has been said quite a bit, but we haven’t had any confirmation. But rumor has it Chynna Philips is definitely in. 

The Wild Card

Previous examples: Heather Mills, Tom DeLay, Mark Cuban, Steve Wozniak, Priscilla Presley, Buzz Aldrin, Bristol Palin

Advantages: The sheer novelty of having someone with such an off-the-beaten-path claim to fame (famous divorcee/widow, entrepreneur, disgraced politician, etc.) may be enough to have the public voting them – just to see what happens.  Being the “underdog” is a powerful thing…as we saw with Bristol last season!

Disadvantages: Due to their often dubious fame, people just may not have any clue who they are – I personally had to Google Mark Cuban’s name. There’s also the risk of backlash from some viewers who don’t think they’re “stars” per se, and shouldn’t even be on the show in the first place.

Possible candidates this season: I’d say our best bet is Chaz Bono

So we’re mere hours away from the official announcement, gang – who do you think is in and who do you think is just wishful thinking? Be sure to check back here for Heidi’s Casting Announcement Live Blog starting at 8 PM EST tomorrow night …she (and the rest of us) suffer through Bachelor Pad so you don’t have to! And make sure you’re following @puredwts & @tvblog on Twitter for up-to-the-minute updates on who’s in!

August 28, 2011 I Written By

Ultrasound sales specialist by day, semi-knowledgeable DWTS fan by night...with a smattering of hair & makeup enthusiast, occasional model, baker, and crazy cat lady peppered in to make things REALLY interesting ;-) I might pee my pants in happiness if Donnie Wahlberg ever does DWTS - or if they ever use "Sunglasses at Night" as a paso doble.

Will Dancing With The Stars Have More A-Lister Celebrities For Season 13?

Wow, what a coup this would be! Today, TMZ (which has been a good source for information for the the show in the past which ends up coming true) is reporting producers are on the hunt for more “high profile” celebrities for next season instead of “gimmicky” d-list stars they’ve booked in the past. Here is a take from the link for how they plan on doing it.

In order to lock down the BIG names, we’re told producers are offering A-listers complete control over their rehearsal schedule — telling them there’s NO minimum rehearsal requirements … and they can practice as little or as much as they want.

Celebs will also have final say on music selections and costume design … including colors, cuts and styles.

So far, no word if producers have signed any of the “high profile” people in their crosshairs.

So, what do you think? Will giving celebrities final say on certain things help in getting them signed? I think it might somewhat, but, in the end “money” talks the most I would think? I hope they can get some A-listers, but, I’ve liked some of the d-listers in the past and how the show has revived some of their careers or popularity. Even if it didn’t, it was great seeing them again. (IE: Jennifer Grey, Kirstie Alley, and Ralph Macchio to list a few).

July 24, 2011 I Written By

"Dance is the hidden language of the soul" ~ Martha Graham. That's what DWTS makes me think of every Monday night. To read more about me and my other interests, see Lisa Kay Photography. You can also follow me at Voguerista Twitter & Voguerista Soundcloud.

DWTS12 End of Season Award Winners – Which Dance Was the Worst?

John: To be honest, I didn’t really enjoy any of Wendy’s or Kirstie’s dances really. I enjoyed their humor and their one liners. I just wasn’t a fan of their dancing at all. Even Kendra was a disappointment (we should have had an award for that). However, Wendy definitely takes the cake for worst dancer this season. Can you say awkward?

Vogue: Yeah, I picked Wendy too. She was not very good. Plus, her attitude was poor and egotistical. Poor Tony. I really felt sorry for him. Wendy wasn’t as bad as Kate Gosselin, but, at times I had to kind of wonder?

Courtney: The fact that Wendy thought she was hot sh*t, coupled with some very (IMO) kindergarten choreography is what made this dance so bad. She was barely moving, yet with all the bravado she was throwing around both before & after the dance, you would have thought she danced like Nicole Scherzinger. The hair, the makeup, the dress, the choreo, the attitude – blech.  No wonder Wendy ran away with more than half the vote! Mike & Lacey’s foxtrot – ok, pretty bad, but it had a bit of a trainwreck appeal to it…and Mike was pretty damn lovable.  Kirstie & Maks’ jive wasn’t the strongest technically, but it did have a pretty strong entertainment quality.  I’m honestly surprised Kendra & Louis’ Viennese waltz didn’t get more votes – that was the dance that Kendra managed to somehow contort into some bizarre Mafia tribute, and she looked like a lost puppy the whole time.  Oh – and it’s also the week she said she didn’t care about elegance 😛 I can’t really fault Ralph & Karina for their samba being tacky – what the hell are you supposed to do when you get “Sweet Home Alabama” as your music? But of course, the judges raked them across the coals for it – just like they did everything else this season. *sigh* I actually kinda liked Chelsea & Mark’s jive, but I agree that it was maybe a bit too “out there” to please the judges, and wasn’t proper jive technique; Romeo & Chelsie’s rumba was just a non-event. Perhaps the most interesting response in the write-in category: Chelsea & Mark’s freestyle.  It’s interesting because the freestyles are almost universally popular with fans – but I have to agree that this one was a dud, and will probably go down in DWTS history as one of the worst…it just felt like such a cop-out to me.  Just some routine that was thrown together, without any sort of connection to Chelsea.  Some other responses: Ralph & Karina’s salsa (ok, not their best, but I don’t think it was worse than a lot of the dances above!), “Hinds” freestyle (I’m gonna assume you mean “Hines” :-)), Wendy & Tony’s quickstep (I actually thought this one was the most tolerable of their 3 bad dances…), and “anything by Chelsea (OVERRATED)” lol.  While I think Chelsea was blatantly overscored more often than not, I did enjoy a few of her dances – namely her foxtrot & jive.  Overall, I think the right dance won this category – it was the combination of bad costuming, bad choreo, bad execution, and bad attitude that made this one a champion.  But are there REALLY any winners in this category? 😉

Marianya: Do we REALLY have to pick? I mean, I would have thought it be pretty obvious. Wendy! Since the other bloggers have already said everything that needed to be said in regards to this celeb… all I’m going to say to TPTB is this: please be nicer next time, someone like her is an easy way to turn off the TV.

Heidi: Wendy…worst dancer, biggest diva. And that’s just cray-cray.  I quickly got to the point where I never wanted to see her face or hear her voice EVER again.  That bit on the finale – I almost had turn the channel. 🙂 I would have, if it weren’t for the cheesecake awards.  All for you people. 😉

July 21, 2011 I Written By

Ultrasound sales specialist by day, semi-knowledgeable DWTS fan by night...with a smattering of hair & makeup enthusiast, occasional model, baker, and crazy cat lady peppered in to make things REALLY interesting ;-) I might pee my pants in happiness if Donnie Wahlberg ever does DWTS - or if they ever use "Sunglasses at Night" as a paso doble.

DWTS 12 End of Season Award Winners – Which Couple Was the Best Dressed?

John: Impossible to decide between Kym, the blonde bombshell with the awesome accent, or the super model with the amazing accent. Does it really matter what they wear or who their partner is? Correct Answer: No.

Vogue: This was a toss up between Hines and Kim or Petra and Dimitry. Both couples always took my breath away. In the end, Kym and Hines got my vote. Not only does Kym have a knack for dancing and teaching, she knows just the right costumes to pull out and when for the most part. They aren’t too gawdy or in your face. They are never ugly or tasteless. They always match the dance which is really important in my opinion. Totally classy all the way.

Courtney: I’d like to say a little prayer of thanks & praise to Our Lady of the Awesome Boobage, because she easily ran away with this title, IMO 😀 Seriously – Kym’s hair, makeup, and costumes were picture-perfect this season, and I think she did a great job of styling Hines well, too.  My favorites had to be her quickstep dress (quite possibly my favorite ballgown in the history of the show) and Argentine tango dress (who would have thought thousands of pearls could make a bigger statement than the cliched rhinestones?).  I think Kym’s biggest strength in styling both her & her partners is that she knows when to keep it simple – most of her popular costumes are very uncomplicated silhouttes, in flattering colors and textures that compliment the moves of the dances.  Wish some more of the female pros would take a page out of her book…you listening, Lacey & Karina? 😉 Petra was a vision in all of her costumes this season – but how couldn’t she be, when she’s such a vision on her own? And a sweetheart to boot…I have to admit, I really liked she & Dmitry together this season, despite thinking I would find them boring.  While I don’t think all of Kirstie’s costumes were terribly flattering (still trying to figure out her jive & waltz costumes…), I do think they were memorable and fit the dances well.  Thought some of Romeo & Chelsie’s costumes were just lovely – god I loved both their Fred & Ginger-inspired foxtrot costumes, and their Titanic-inspired waltz costumes! Rounding out the write-in category: Ralph & Karina (12), Chelsea & Mark (7), Chris & Cheryl (1), and “No one” (1). Ralph & Karina were kinda hit-or-miss for me – loved their foxtrot costumes, hated their salsa costumes, loved their rumba & waltz costumes, hated their paso doble & quickstep costumes.  Karina’s kinda all over the place for me, costume-wise.  Looks like Chelsea & Mark are a polarizing couple – people seemed to either really love or hate both their dancing & their costumes! She had a few good ones (foxtrot, cha-cha), but I’m afraid she was overshadowed by the ridiculous ones (paso doble, samba, freestyle). As for Chris & Cheryl – I didn’t really LOVE any of their costumes this season, but I didn’t really hate them, either.  They were just…there.

Marianya: Instead of saying “best dressed” I’ll instead say who I think didn’t annoy me with their costumes. In this case it would have to be Petra and Dmitry. However, if we’re measuring the entire course of the show, then of course Hines and Kym. 😀

Heidi: In re-watching the various seasons, I’m continually in awe of the hot blond with the awesome boobage – and I ain’t talkin’ Derek. 🙂  What I can’t figure is why Kym is so under the radar – I guess she’s second only to Derek in the lack of self promotion.  It’s like she goes into hiding between seasons…but this girl is just gorgeous!!  Inside and out. It’s safe to say I have a straight gurl crush. 🙂  Seriously – two trophies, great record with her partners, gorgeous…and the best dance-face around.  Best example is her Team Paso with Warren – fierce.  Speaking of Paso Doble’s with Warren – that pleather ensemble and the Matrix tribute dance?? Awesome.  This season, I have to go with the quickstep dress -fantastic.   She’s my new favorite girl, easily.

July 19, 2011 I Written By

Ultrasound sales specialist by day, semi-knowledgeable DWTS fan by night...with a smattering of hair & makeup enthusiast, occasional model, baker, and crazy cat lady peppered in to make things REALLY interesting ;-) I might pee my pants in happiness if Donnie Wahlberg ever does DWTS - or if they ever use "Sunglasses at Night" as a paso doble.

DWTS 12 End of Season Award Winners – Which Couple’s Elimination Was the Most Disappointing?

John: I had an odd season with no real emotional favorite (although, I did like Chelsea). However, Ralph was just a class act. Plus, I’m afraid Mr. Miyagi might come and kick my trash if I said otherwise.

Vogue: LOL JOHN!! Seriously, Ralph for me too!!! The judges finally had their way. I’ll never understand why they picked on him so? A total shame. He belonged in the Finals! I really enjoyed him and I was the happiest when he and Karina brought in an Oriental influence to some of their dances. Beautiful!!

Courtney: With the exception of maybe Kendra & Louis (who I still must applaud for a very classy exit), I was disappointed to see all of the above couples eliminated – but the sting was definitely the greatest with Ralph 🙁 Echoing Vogue’s sentiments, it was the last straw – the judges had finally gotten away with manipulating the outcome of the show.  And Ralph looked so heartbroken, even though I think he knew it was coming.  I think Ralph’s unceremonious ousting (and season-long abuse by the judges) will go down in DWTS history as the most unfair cut…even moreseo than Brandy, because this time around – only the judges are to blame.  I also got a little sad when Romeo was cut, just because he had grown so much in the duration of the season & seemed so humbled and thankful for the experience.  Chris was just so funny & charming (and he got dealt a crappy dance the week he was sent packing) that it hurt to see him go too; and Petra was just an absolute angel and seemed truly humbled by the experience.  Really and truly, with the exception of Wendy – I think all of this season’s eliminated contestants were very classy & gracious when they were eliminated.  Very impressive 🙂 Some write-ins: Kirstie & Maks (7), Mark & Chelsea (2), None (2), Mike & Lacey (1).  I never really count those who make it to the finale but don’t win as “eliminations”, but I could see how those could sting just as bad.  I liked Kirstie & I was glad to see her beat Chelsea, but I think deep down I know that there was no way she could bridge the points gap between her & Hines, thanks to the judges.  I felt bad for Chelsea (who I think was a bit of a pawn this season), but I can’t say I was disappointed to see her go – her very presence in the finale seemed unfair, and had she won – it would have been a very hollow win.  I didn’t hate the player – I hated the game.

Heidi: I don’t think the judges realize that manipulating someone into the finals doesn’t mean people are suddenly going to start voting for her. By that stage of the game, the voting is pretty set (for those doing the serious voting especially).  And if you’re not getting votes, it might be for a good reason, not an accident. Most have learned from Sabrina by now. For that reason alone, it was a shame that Ralph got the boot. But I agree with Courtney in that I was sad to see a lot of them go for a variety of reasons. But Ralph’s ouster just pissed me off. I have to think that the judges get in their heads the “good dancer” and “bad dancer” labels for each contestant and they can’t seem to bridge that when someone starts to improve and do well.

Marianya: Really? Really?! REALLY?!?! How do you choose? There were so many (ok, really only two in my book) disappointing eliminations, but one that I was definitely screaming and pouting about was Ralph and Karina the judges proverbial punching bag. I mean COME ON! The moment that TPTB allow people to call in and pick which dances they liked you have to expect the popularity vote, there’s no ifs, ands, or buts about it. **Sighs**

July 15, 2011 I Written By

Ultrasound sales specialist by day, semi-knowledgeable DWTS fan by night...with a smattering of hair & makeup enthusiast, occasional model, baker, and crazy cat lady peppered in to make things REALLY interesting ;-) I might pee my pants in happiness if Donnie Wahlberg ever does DWTS - or if they ever use "Sunglasses at Night" as a paso doble.

DWTS12 End of Season Award Winners – Which Dance Was the Best?

John: I think I’m with the other 49 people that voted for other on this one. I just have a really hard time choosing a favorite dance. Too hard for me to compare a Cha Cha to a Quickstep to a Waltz to a Rumba. They’re all so different. I just love dance.

Courtney: It’s really interesting to me that what you guys voted as the best dance this season wasn’t one with particularly stunning choreography or flawless execution – granted, Kirstie was great in it, but I think the appeal was more in the entertainment value than anything else.  Compared to very technically impressive dances like Derek & Jennifer’s Argentine tango or Kyle & Lacey’s jive, Kirstie’s just sticks out as a fun, carefree, easygoing little ditty – which is totally fine with me 🙂 Kind of a nice change of pace.  Obviously it was well-received, since Kirstie & Maks have performed it at least a dozen times both on DWTS and on other shows! Haha.  I think Hines’ samba was probably stronger technically, but didn’t have quite as much sass as Kirstie’s cha-cha; I think Ralph’s quickstep & Romeo’s waltz were likely the strongest of the smooth dances, but still can’t trump the memorability of Kirstie’s dance.  Chelsea & Mark’s rumba – meh, it was dramatic, but I didn’t see anything that was insanely well-executed, and I think they were overscored; Kendra & Louis’ samba was just pure fun – little to no technique, but a lot of jiggle 🙂 Onto the other category – again, many of you answered with one name, like “Kendra”, “Chelsea”, or “Hines”, which tells me NOTHING about which dance was best, so your votes get thrown out; looks like Hines & Kym’s Argentine tango (3), Ralph & Karina’s foxtrot (2), Chelsea & Mark’s Viennese waltz (2), Ralph & Karina’s waltz (1), Chelsea & Mark’s slow waltz (1), Kirstie & Maks’ Argentine tango (1), Romeo & Chelsie’s paso doble (1), and Hines & Kym’s paso doble (1).  I agree that some of these are good, but compared to other dances, they seemed to get lost in the shuffle a bit.  Someone else just voted “MEEEEEE!!!!”, so I’m assuming either Mark or Lacey found their way here and are trying to pad their vote percentages ;-); and for whoever voted “there were no really good dances” – I agree with you to some degree.  The caliber of dancing this season was just not up to par with what we’ve seen in seasons past.  There’s something to be said for having ringers, kids…

Marianya: Can I plead the fifth? I’m afraid I can’t answer this one truthfully. I mean I understand why Kirstie & Maks’ first ChaCha is voted towards the top, but it wasn’t the best dance, it’s definitely one of the more memorable ones. Courtney does a great job explaining it. But the best? I don’t think there really was one, I mean I liked Chelsea & Mark Viennese Waltz to Harry Potter’s Hedwig Theme, but I’m a Harry Potter fan so meh. Yeah… memorable I could choose, but I don’t think there is anything that I could define as “the best”.

Vogue: Kirstie and Mak’s Cha Cha!! I don’t think I’ll ever forget that first night she danced and how she lit us all up. As much as many of us liked her, we weren’t expecting her to come out and dance the way she did. She was light on her feet. She was cheeky, flirtatious, and fun. Maks was clearly having a blast and we saw a change in him right from the get go. We knew we were in for something really special all Season with this dance and they didn’t fail us. It made the perfect statement in more ways than one. I loved almost all of Karina and Ralph’s dances as well. Romeo and Petra grew on me. As much as I could appreciate the creativity in Mark’s choreography, I was equally or more annoyed with his antics and ego.

Heidi: My initial response was “Meh”.  Just “meh”. I think this past season overall was not one that had any dancing that made me sit up and go “Wow, that was awesome” – but I can’t say that I didn’t enjoy it because I did. I enjoyed watching Hines, Kirstie, Ralph, Romeo – even Kendra provided limited entertainment value.  And Petra always made me go “Oh, she’s so pretty and nice.”  But I don’t think the dancing was up to par of, say, Season 10, where we had Nicole, Evan and Erin – the last two would have won this season handily, absent Nicole. There certainly is something to be said for ringers – better to have 3 like Season 10 than none at all.

July 14, 2011 I Written By

Ultrasound sales specialist by day, semi-knowledgeable DWTS fan by night...with a smattering of hair & makeup enthusiast, occasional model, baker, and crazy cat lady peppered in to make things REALLY interesting ;-) I might pee my pants in happiness if Donnie Wahlberg ever does DWTS - or if they ever use "Sunglasses at Night" as a paso doble.

DWTS12 End of Season Award Winners – Which Celebrity Improved the Most Throughout the Season?

John: After seeing Master P, I wasn’t sure that Romeo would ever turn the corner and let himself go. I think he definitely deserves this award in my book.

Heidi: I also have to give it to Romeo, easily. Kirstie was more of an inverted bell curve – started out good, faltered a good bit, and then got better

Marianya: Romeo… I really grew to like him over the course of the season, I could have gotten used to him being around a bit longer…

Vogue: Yep, Romeo for me too! During the pre-show period and in the beginning, he seemed a little full of himself and I was beginning to get really annoyed when he didn’t want to wear the dance shoes or seemed too cool to get into it all. I didn’t think he’d last long even though you could feel and see a tiny spark there. Then suddenly, he started surprising us all. I loved how he bloomed in so many ways. It was pure joy and even magical watching him when he put the coolness aside and became a class act…..now that was COOL!

Courtney: No disagreement here! I loved watching Romeo really grow throughout the season.  I think the turning point was his foxtrot – that was the first time he seemed to really enjoy himself and took the quality of his dancing to a whole new level.  By the time he was eliminated, I daresay he was giving Chelsea, Kirstie, Hines & Ralph all a decent run for their money, technique-wise.  He also seemed to really grow as a person – he started off the cool cat that thought wearing dance shoes was lame; as the weeks went by, he shed the bravado and the facade and showed a vulnerability I don’t think anyone could’ve expected from him when the season started – except for my mom, who loved him from day 1…she’s got good intuition ;-).  Definitely a bright spot of this season for me! As for Kirstie – I kinda agree with Heidi that it wasn’t so much that she improved, but she started off good, kinda fell into a slump, and then recovered and was good again at the end.  Chris would probably be my 2nd place on this one – he started off pretty darn bad, then slowly improved before getting dealt a crappy hand (or rather, song & dance) the week he was eliminated.  Kendra improved a little bit the last 2 weeks or so that she was in the competition, but I don’t think it was a vast improvement; Petra stayed about the same for me the short time she was around.  Write-in responses: Ralph (6), Hines (5), Chelsea (3).  I don’t think Hines improved at all – he started off good and remained consistent the entire season.  Kinda the same deal with Chelsea – I think she was a good dancer the whole season through, but the ups & downs she had with the judges due to bad choreography choices on Mark’s part probably gave the false impression that she was improving. Big difference between getting good scores w/the judges (which are often skewed to fit their biases) and actually improving 😉 As for Ralph – I feel like it’s a bit of the same phenomenon: Ralph really started off good and ended pretty good with the smooth dances, and consistently did bad at the Latin dances…but the way the judges were all over the place with the scores, it often made it seem like he was doing far better (or worse) than he really was.

July 13, 2011 I Written By

Ultrasound sales specialist by day, semi-knowledgeable DWTS fan by night...with a smattering of hair & makeup enthusiast, occasional model, baker, and crazy cat lady peppered in to make things REALLY interesting ;-) I might pee my pants in happiness if Donnie Wahlberg ever does DWTS - or if they ever use "Sunglasses at Night" as a paso doble.

DWTS 12 End of Season Award Winners – Which Couple Was the Worst Dressed?

John: I’m surprised that Wendy didn’t take all of the cake on this one. I think it was my wife that said she looked like a Drag Queen. I couldn’t stop laughing, because she was right.

Courtney: Thank 8 lb 10 oz baby Jesus I wasn’t alone – I was referring to Wendy as “RuPaul’s long-lost twin” all season long 🙂 And apparently we weren’t the only ones thinking that, John – the guys in my office swore up & down she was a man.  Everything about Wendy was just too much – the huge wig, the 4 sets of false eyelashes (yes kids, according to Melanie Mills, the head DWTS makeup artist, Wendy would wear FOUR sets at a time!), and those monster boobs…they always looked so angry.  I almost think it wasn’t the costumes themselves (ok, maybe the cha-cha one was really & truly BAD) that were so terrible, but just the way she wore them.  Just…no.  Interestingly enough, I was originally not going to include Mark & Chelsea as nominees for the worst dressed couple…but a certain other blogger convinced me they were contenders 😉 And contenders they were…guess the skulls & chains & weird workout gear & fringe just overshadowed some of Chelsea’s prettier outfits, such as her foxtrot gown (loved it), and cha-cha costume.  Rounding out the “other” category: looks like a bunch of you answered with just one name (“Kirstie”, “Hines”, “Maks”), which doesn’t count because I asked which COUPLE was the worst dressed *tosses out those votes*; looks like Kirstie & Maks (5), Hines & Kym (2), Chris & Cheryl (1), none (1), and…hehe…Tom & Brooke (1).  Now while I agree that “Broke Burke” had some questionable ensembles this season, The Berg is never anything short of perfection for moi 😉

Marianya: You know what? I don’t remember what Wendy wore… maybe it was so bad that I blocked it out of memory. I just remember that all I saw were boobs, boobs and more boobs… and you know I have big boobs too, but I try to be more subtle about them and use them when absolutely necessary… Wendy’s were just flying all over the place, without any control. I think that’s why I can’t remember what she wore because her assets just trumped them… dressing sexy is good… looking like a drag queen ain’t.

Heidi: Personally, I think Wendy’s attitude made her look worse than she was probably actually dressed. That air of superiority. You know when you meet a hot guy and find out he’s a total jerk and suddenly he doesn’t look that hot to you anymore?? Like that. 🙂

Vogue: The worst dressed? Mark and Chelsea for me. Yes, I was the “certain blogger” (I’m innocent, I’m innocent! lol) who told Courtney to add them to this Poll!! Although I have no issues with Guy Liner, Mark over killed it. I was annoyed with Mark’s hats and black and white SHOES all Season too. The beat all was the work out outfits that didn’t match their dance and TOTALLY GAWDY lights on their shoes, etc. at the end! What the ??? I still can’t get over that. 😯

July 12, 2011 I Written By

Ultrasound sales specialist by day, semi-knowledgeable DWTS fan by night...with a smattering of hair & makeup enthusiast, occasional model, baker, and crazy cat lady peppered in to make things REALLY interesting ;-) I might pee my pants in happiness if Donnie Wahlberg ever does DWTS - or if they ever use "Sunglasses at Night" as a paso doble.

Pure DWTS End-of-Season Awards – Season 12

We know you all love the comedy of the Cheesecake Awards, but we here at PureDWTS do know how to be serious, as well 🙂 So it’s time to vote in our end-of-season awards – we started this last year as a way to look back at the season and see what the bests and worsts were, and see how our readers really felt about the season as a whole.

The voting categories are below – please vote on each one.  We will reveal the results in a series of posts in the upcoming weeks, as well as our commentary on the results.  Vote away and enjoy!!!

NOTE: There is an “other” box, if you really & truly don’t agree with any of the options listed for a particular category. We did our best to compile a list of good nominees for each category, but not everyone is going to agree. C’est la vie.  So if you want to vote “other” – simply click on that option and type in your answer.  However, a word of caution – if I cannot understand what you typed, I won’t count it in the vote totals.  I’m afraid some went a little crazy with the “other” box last season, and I was left to muddle through some badly misspelled, grammatically confusing, and downright incoherent answers…as well as answers that were already listed as nominees.  *facepalm* So for the sake of my sanity, kids, please – at least try to spell things correctly, and make sure the thing you are voting for isn’t already listed a nominee 😉

June 15, 2011 I Written By

Ultrasound sales specialist by day, semi-knowledgeable DWTS fan by night...with a smattering of hair & makeup enthusiast, occasional model, baker, and crazy cat lady peppered in to make things REALLY interesting ;-) I might pee my pants in happiness if Donnie Wahlberg ever does DWTS - or if they ever use "Sunglasses at Night" as a paso doble.

DWTS Search Engine Round-Up – Week of June 3, 2011

Buckle in, kids – we’ve got a lot of interesting stuff to chat about today 😉 

Maks & Cheryl in Vegas/Maks & Cheryl kissing

Oh boy – I think I was secretly wishing that no one would ask about this, because I feel kind of odd giving any more attention to what has become a Twitter firestorm.  But no such luck…*sigh* The basic gist: some pictures surfaced of Maks apparently kissing (I say apparently because his rep insists he was “whispering in a fan’s ear”) a dark-haired chick in a black, backless dress over the weekend in a club in Vegas.  Cheryl has long, dark hair and was wearing a black backless dress that night.  The two have been good friends for quite some time, and I vaguely remember some questions about a possible romance between the two in season 7.  So for me, it wouldn’t be a total stretch if these two suddenly became amorous – if even for one night after a few too many drinks (lord knows I had a few nights in my younger, wilder days where a guy friend started looking like more than just a friend after I got a few gin & tonics in me – ooh wee, that required some damage control the next day!).  Not that I care enough to really debate it – so what if Maks & Cheryl are getting cozy??? More power to ’em – they both have had a rough go of it in the relationship department the past few years…maybe dating someone they’ve been friends with for a long time will be good for both of them. The only thing I will contest is this: if they weren’t kissing (as his rep insists), then I’ve been doing it wrong all these years – as well as whispering in peoples’ ears.  Apparently that’s done via mouth-to-mouth contact.  Glad Maks’ rep could clear that one up for me 😉 Hahahaha…I IZ NOT STOOPID, Maks’ rep. Oh, and to those who intend to scold me for posting a link to the pix – spare me.  People came here wanting to know about it; I’m gonna give them full disclosure.  If they do a basic google search, they’re gonna find ’em anyway. Plus there’s some other hella funny pix in that gallery – including a few of a very intoxicated-looking Teddy V. wearing a cardigan that’s about 3 sizes too small and some dorky glasses.  Bahahahahaha!

Total votes for DWTS finale/How many votes did Hines get?

HA.  If you think this info is readily available to the public – keep dreaming 🙂 I can’t recall if they’ve ever revealed the grand total of all the votes cast for a finale – they’ve hinted at percentages and margins (much like Heidi does in her By the Numbers posts) and made vague statements such as “the most votes we’ve ever had cast for a finale!”, but I don’t think they’ve ever said “x number of votes were cast last night”.  The votes are tabulated by an independent audit firm (don’t ask me which one) and I’m guessing they’re paid handsomely for their confidentiality. Really, guys – revealing the vote totals is kind of like insider trading…it provides the viewer with information that allows them to further manipulate the outcome of the show.  If you know that Hines needs x% of votes to pass Ralph, and that there are x votes being cast – that basically tells you exactly what needs to be done to ensure Hines sticks around.  It takes away some of the element of surprise, and also tends to benefit those at the bottom of the leaderboard – they then have a pretty good idea of how hard they need to vote to keep Joe-Schmoe-Sucky-Dancer around another week.  On top of that, I’m fairly certain that ABC gets revenue for every vote cast…and if the viewers know that they only have to cast a finite number of votes to save their favorite, they’re less inclined to “vote like crazy” – and hence, less $$$ in the pockets of TPTB. I know that a lot of Kirstie fans who were upset at the outcome of the finale were petitioning to get the vote totals released to the public – it’s not going to happen, but if it did, then it would just give disgruntled fans more fodder for complaint.  We’d have people demanding recounts, debates over the elderly not voting properly due to impaired vision, hanging chads, etc…oh wait, wrong election 🙂 Anywho – don’t hold your breath for ABC to fold and announce the vote totals.  Just accept that the show will never be 100% fair, or will even be a “full disclosure” type of show. 

When does DWTS season 13 start?

September 19, 2011 🙂 Which makes me think that the cast announcement will happen roughly 3 weeks before the premiere, likely during the finale of The Bachelorette…I’m guessing August 29 (don’t quote me on that).  If that’s the case…we can probably expect the official annoucement of the couples on August 31, and the official cast pictures on August 2.  The show itself may be unpredictable, but at least the timetable for it is pretty finite 🙂

DWTS gifting suites

Oh, what I wouldn’t give to be on the receiving end of some of the free stuff that gets lavished upon the pros, celebs, and crew at DWTS 😀 From what I’ve heard, it’s right up my alley – lots of fun girlie stuff, like skincare products, makeup, jewelry, etc.  Perhaps the most exciting item gifted to the cast this season was jewelry from Anne Koplik Designs, the official jewelry designer to the show.  Some of the jewelry I’ve seen from them has been absolutely EXQUISITE – check it out for yourself here. Wish you could nab some fab free stuff from them? WELL YOU’RE IN LUCK!!! Stay tuned, kids, because a little birdie (John) told me that we’re going to be doing another jewelry giveaway sometime soon, courtesy of the lovely folks at AKD (follow them on Twitter @AKoplikDesigns!).  Word on the street is that this time, we’re going to be giving away a ring 😉 I’ve seen it, and it’s every bit as gorgeous as the earrings from Kym’s samba and the earrings from Chelsea’s Argentine tango that we gave away earlier this season. Among the other items I’ve heard given away in these suites are Boscia skincare products (yet another thing Anna & I have in common, besides our red hair, asthma, & dance skills – a love of Boscia!) & Gleam by Melanie Mills – a shimmery body makeup created by the head makeup artist at the show, which makes everyone’s skin look FLAWLESS.  I was fortunate enough to get a sample of it (shout out to Candy at Gleam for hooking me up!) and let me tell you – it’s UH-MAY-ZING.  Smells delish (very light coconut/vanilla fragrance), makes skin smooth & even-looking (even if you don’t have a tan!) and best of all – it doesn’t rub off on your clothes/furniture/boyfriend/etc. Yes, I am in full-on Romeo Miller plug mode right now 😉 Some of the celebs & pros have also gotten in on the gifting action – I believe I heard Cheryl gave out copies of her book, and according to Rick Fox, The Situation was a “walking gifting suite”, doling out samples of his jewelry, vodka, & iPhone app to anyone & everyone involved in season 11 😛

Brooke Burke has a crush on Ralph

This probably stems from Brooke’s appearance on the Rachael Ray show on May 24, where she admitted that Ralph was her “childhood crush” and she had pictures of him plastered all over her bedroom.  Wonder how Ralph reacted when she shared that gem 😛

Will Derek/Mark/Maks be back next season?

Our best answer: time will tell.  When it was announced back in January that Derek would be sitting out this season to film Cobu 3D, both Derek & Conrad seemed to state with certainty that Derek would be back for season 13.  However, Julianne has said the same thing in the past about “definitely” coming back to DWTS – and we have not seen her for 4 seasons now, due to her music & blossoming movie career.  I think it’s safe to say that, barring some catastrophic scandal that blackballs her from both Hollywood & Nashville…she’s never coming back to DWTS. Sorry kids. Now Derek may have every intention of coming back (or maybe not, after the fiasco of this season), but if offered another movie role – what’s to say he won’t take it? As for Maks – I could have sworn Vogue did a post where Maks says in an interview that he’s unsure of whether he’s coming back, but of course – I cannot find it.  Hopefully I didn’t hallucinate that…feel free to hop in & link to it, Vogue! However, Tom seemed to allude in a recent interview with EW that Maks might not be back, since the famed “Tom Bergeron ass pinch” is being retired. I can’t say I wouldn’t blame Maks for either sitting out a season or calling it quits at the show – I can imagine the past 3 seasons have been rather frustrating for him (3rd place w/Erin, getting axed before the finale with Brandy, & runner-up this season), and he’s also got his hands full with opening a new dance studio in CA that he’s going to be co-owning with Tony – not to mention several other successful studios on the east coast.  Maybe now’s a good time for him take a break and recharge.  And then there’s Mark.  *sigh* I have heard nothing of any merit that suggests he won’t be back next season – however, judging from the reaction of a lot of fans both here and on Twitter, it seems like a widely-held opinion that Mark could benefit from some time away from the show.  His choreography (and behavior) the past few seasons seems to have deteriorated, and he seems to be investing more and more time & effort into his music…and hence, less effort into the show & his partners.  Perhaps he too could use a break.  Unfortunately, though he probably SHOULD take a break – I don’t think he will.  He seems to crave the attention it brings him.  As for all 3 – we’ll only know their plans for sure come mid-August, in the week or so preceding the cast announcement.  That’s when the pros usually start announcing whether or not they’re going to be on the fall season.  And Heidi does a SUPERB job of keeping up with all the Twitter madness during that period 🙂 So stay tuned!

Dancing with the Stars camel toe

*facepalm* Is this yet another one of you kids’ freaky fetishes??? LOL.  I mean, y’all have a D-Hough foot fixation, a Shirley Ballas boob obsession, and you wanna see Mike buck nekkid? Those 3 I can understand.  But CAMEL TOE???!! Oy vey.  I daresay it’s only been mentioned once at PureDWTS – in an edition of Who Wore it Better – and I believe Heidi chastised me for even mentioning it.  Now I know why. 🙂 

June 4, 2011 I Written By

Ultrasound sales specialist by day, semi-knowledgeable DWTS fan by night...with a smattering of hair & makeup enthusiast, occasional model, baker, and crazy cat lady peppered in to make things REALLY interesting ;-) I might pee my pants in happiness if Donnie Wahlberg ever does DWTS - or if they ever use "Sunglasses at Night" as a paso doble.