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Worst Question: Who SHOULD Win DWTS?

I think probably the worst question people like to ask is “Who SHOULD win DWTS?” I’m totally fine with the questions, Who will win?, Who do you want to win?, Who deserves to win?, Who’s the best dancer?, Who’s the most improved? etc. I just think the question of SHOULD just doesn’t work.

At the end of the day, the judges scores end up basically not mattering at all. All of them score nearly the same (with a few rare exceptions) and so it’s just up to the public voting. Who America votes for is a crazy and often unpredictable.

Here’s the perfect example. I was driving home today and the guy on the radio listed off the DWTS finalists. Then, he said that he thought Rob should win because he has to put up with his sister. What kind of reasoning is that?

I don’t have anything against Rob. To be quite honest, I’m fine if any of the final 3 win. I’d love for Karina finally won a mirror ball and how could someone complain about a guy as classy as JR? Derek and Ricki have done great throughout the season. I think almost everyone is pretty much shocked that Rob is in the finals. I live in Vegas and I’m pretty sure the casinos would have taken all the money they could have taken for bets that Rob would have made the finals.

My point is that those voting don’t make rational decisions. America’s not consistent with who they vote for. One season they might vote for most improved. One season they might vote for best story. One season they might vote for best dancer. One season they might vote for the cutest. It’s not who should win, cause there’s no should when America starts voting.

What should happen is we should enjoy the finale, be amazed and impressed by the performances and just enjoy the spectacle that is DWTS. At least that’s what I plan to do.

November 21, 2011 I Written By

Better known as Charlie.

Sizing Up The Three Remaining Couples For The Dancing With The Stars 13 Finale

TV Guide has written up a cool commentary sizing up the three couples for the Dancing With The Stars Finale. They dissect their advantages, disadvantages, what to look out for, and why each could win. Here are some takes for each….

Rob:

Why he might win: Who doesn’t love an underdog? The unlikeliest finalist of the trio, Kardashian, like most people, never pictured himself in the final. “The fact that we’re in the position that we’re in? I shocked myself,” he says. Many pre-season predictions had him going out early, like Kim did, but he’s proved them wrong with his ability and commitment, so who’s to say he can’t top it off with a victory?

Keep an eye out for: More booty-shaking. Kardashian’s big bum has been both an asset and his own worst enemy, but he used his gluteus maximus to the, uh, max in the samba last week — and look at that! There’s going to be an Instant samba in the finals. “He’s learned to work with his butt, so we’re going to use that to our advantage,” Burke says.

Ricki:

Why she might win: Lake has reclaimed the momentum after relinquishing it midseason to Martinez. After Martinez hurt his ankle last week, Lake emphatically stamped herself as the current one to beat with her first 30 and the highest score of the evening. Plus, she has Hough as her partner, and he obviously knows what it takes to win. Did we mention that he’s also been perfect in finals? Lake can make that record 4-0, but don’t remind him of that. “I try not to think about it,” he says.

Keep an eye out for: Another trademark Hough, crowd-pleasing freestyle. Freestyles are Hough’s bread and butter, and he says if theirs — an idea he’s been kicking around for a bit — goes according to plan, it could be “really cool.” And we all know that freestyles are the make-it-or-break-it dance.

J.R.:

Why he might win: He’s got the complete package: technique, talent, charm and sizzling chemistry with Smirnoff. Cynics might suggest his story will garner sympathy votes, but Martinez has proven week in and week out that he has the goods, and has undoubtedly won over more fans with his performance and fun-loving personality. “I think anybody would be a fool not to root for J.R. given who he represents and how great he is,” Maksim Chmerkovskiy writes in his TVGuide.com blog. “Everything about him screams Dancing winner.”

Keep an eye out for: Not to be a downer, but any effects from his ankle injury. It would be a shame if he can’t put his best foot forward (no pun intended) in the finals. “I hope his ankle’s all right,” Hough says. “He’s overcome so much as it is. He’s a fighter and a competitor, so I’m sure he will tough this out.”

Interesting read! Each are so special in their own way! Be sure to read more of TV Guide’s thoughts in full here before the show tonight!!

I Written By

I'm a fashion and music nut....and I have always loved dancing too of any kind. Dancing With The Stars seems to have this way of bringing all of those things together. Derek Hough (one of my favorite dancers) said at a recent Get Healthy event that ‘dancing’ is an outward expression of what is going on inside you. He says that in some ways, everyone dances and it's so true. To TPTB, how about this song for next season's theme song? Robin G Ft. Wilunleashed - A Good Time (Original) // Download High Quality

DWTS 13 Derek Hough On His Freestyle Finale Plans, New Judges, and More

What a great new interview with Derek! He answers questions on the finale, being a judges favorite, if the show needs new judges, Ricki, his favorite moment of the season, and much more. Note how Derek will be co-hosting ‘Live!’ with Kelly Ripa after he’s finished with the season.

She definitely has that never-say-never attitude, so what has been her biggest struggle?

Just the stamina, I think, just trying to get through everything. It takes a lot of energy.

I know that she had a hard time with her shoulders, which is actually something I never even noticed. It was such a technical critique.

It’s definitely been a common problem within our routines. We’ve been trying to keep her shoulders down. I think she’s got it down now. I really feel good about our routine this week, and hopefully we do a good job. I think the result is out of our hands. All I really care about is going out there and doing a good job. I want us to end on a high note.

What’s been your most memorable moment from this season?

I think the ‘Psycho’ tango was a fun one, and I think Ricki executed the shadow dancing really well. It was a good one. I also enjoyed our quickstep and the paso doble was really fun, where she was Little Red Riding Hood. I think that each routine was thought out. There was never a routine where I thought we phoned it in. There was a lot of thought in every routine this season.

After Tuesday night, it’s a wrap for Season 13, so what are your post-season plans?

I’m going on a vacation, which I’m really excited about. That should be fun. I’m actually co-hosting ‘Live!’ with Kelly Ripa, which should be a lot of fun. Regis has always been a huge supporter of mine, and I always have a good time on the show.

Be sure to read the full interview at AOL. Thanks to PureDWTS reader @ElmariL for the link.

I Written By

I'm a fashion and music nut....and I have always loved dancing too of any kind. Dancing With The Stars seems to have this way of bringing all of those things together. Derek Hough (one of my favorite dancers) said at a recent Get Healthy event that ‘dancing’ is an outward expression of what is going on inside you. He says that in some ways, everyone dances and it's so true. To TPTB, how about this song for next season's theme song? Robin G Ft. Wilunleashed - A Good Time (Original) // Download High Quality

Dancing With The Stars 13: “It’s Going To Be A Happy Finale” (Rehearsal Video)

ET interviewed the three remaining couples!!! They are all looking soooo good. Check them out!!

I Written By

I'm a fashion and music nut....and I have always loved dancing too of any kind. Dancing With The Stars seems to have this way of bringing all of those things together. Derek Hough (one of my favorite dancers) said at a recent Get Healthy event that ‘dancing’ is an outward expression of what is going on inside you. He says that in some ways, everyone dances and it's so true. To TPTB, how about this song for next season's theme song? Robin G Ft. Wilunleashed - A Good Time (Original) // Download High Quality

Going Into The Last Minute Rehearsals For The Dancing With The Stars Season 13 Finale

Cameron Mathison of Good Morning America goes inside the three couples last rehearsals on stage gearing us up for tonight!! This is fun and they are all looking so fantastic!!!

I Written By

I'm a fashion and music nut....and I have always loved dancing too of any kind. Dancing With The Stars seems to have this way of bringing all of those things together. Derek Hough (one of my favorite dancers) said at a recent Get Healthy event that ‘dancing’ is an outward expression of what is going on inside you. He says that in some ways, everyone dances and it's so true. To TPTB, how about this song for next season's theme song? Robin G Ft. Wilunleashed - A Good Time (Original) // Download High Quality

DWTS Derek Hough On Winning, What Really Matters, And More!

Below is a new interview I missed posting this past week With Derek and OMG Yahoo. Derek dishes on his and Ricki’s chances to win Dancing With The Stars (I love what he said to Ricki about it and it’s so true, isn’t it?). He also talks of their biggest competition and the judges critiques. Be sure to read the full interview at the link because he talks on the dating rumors with Lauren Conrad (so, not true), writing music, and more.

Do you think you have a good chance of winning this season?
“I don’t want to be honest cause if I’m honest then it’s gonna sound like I’m defeated. I don’t know if it’s our season to win, but it’s not [about that]. I tell Ricki, ‘Listen, who was your favorite last season?’ She goes ‘Kirstie Alley.’ ‘Do you remember her scores?’ She went, ‘No, I have no idea what her scores were.’ ‘Did she win?’ ‘No.’ That’s what matters. What matters is being memorable.”

Who is your biggest competition?
“I feel that J.R. [Martinez] is definitely the frontrunner and has been from day one. It’s in his blood — the rhythm and the timing and things like that — and [pro dancer] Karina [Smirnoff] is doing a great job with him. If I had to guess who would make the final, it’s gonna be tough. I think Rob [Kardashian's] been doing such a great job. He’s really improved a lot, so I think that he has a chance to make that final. As a person, he’s really evolved. It’s really great to see him — in a very sort of non-patronizing way. He’s kind of blossomed into a man.”

I think the toughest part of being on “Dancing” is standing there and getting critiqued by the judges. Do you think they’re fair?
“[Some seasons] I’ve become very sort of protective with my partners, and I lashed out at the judges. But after a couple of seasons I realized the best way to approach it. What I do now is I prepare my partners. I prepare them so, for instance, if they’ve got a dance, even if I think she deserves a 10 or a nine or whatever, we don’t talk about scores ever. It never comes into our vocabulary. But if I think she might deserve better I still tell her before I go out there, ‘Okay, even if you nail this dance, even if you’re gonna kill it, the judges might pick you on small things and mark you down so just be prepared for that.”

In a new interview with On The Red Carpet, Ricki and Derek speak about their freestyle, what she’s most terrified of, and more….

Lots more at Pure Derek Hough including the new People Magazine “Sexiext Man Alive” VIDEO, new Paparazzi photos, videos, and more!

November 20, 2011 I Written By

I'm a fashion and music nut....and I have always loved dancing too of any kind. Dancing With The Stars seems to have this way of bringing all of those things together. Derek Hough (one of my favorite dancers) said at a recent Get Healthy event that ‘dancing’ is an outward expression of what is going on inside you. He says that in some ways, everyone dances and it's so true. To TPTB, how about this song for next season's theme song? Robin G Ft. Wilunleashed - A Good Time (Original) // Download High Quality

DWTS Season 13, The FINALE – Who’s Dancing What…and When?

Well, I think this will be the closest finale that we’ve had in a very long time – and also the first in a very long time that I will be happy regardless of who wins. :-)  Seriously, these three contestants all seem happy as clams to be there, satisfied with however it shakes out and really friendly with each other.  As a result, I expect/hope/pray to see some great dancing on Monday night!!   I’ll just be happy to have a happy show once again. :-)

Who has the advantage??  Beats me. :-)  I think JR is the odds on favorite to win, but I don’t know that he has a particular advantage over the other two when it comes to dances and songs.  They all have advantages – and weaknesses.  A lot will depend on what the judges do – if they decide they want JR to win or if they decide to throw it to the viewers.  I wouldn’t be surprised if they throw it to the viewers, since Ricki is only 0.4 percentage points ahead of JR in average score.  Now, throwing it to the viewers doesn’t necessarily mean that they make a faux tie. I can also easily see all three of these dancers getting similar scores because they danced at close to the same level. I would expect Ricki and JR to be at about the same level, Rob maybe a bit lower.  But it’s possible that he could really up his game.  Just saying now – if the scores end really, really close, it’s not necessarily that the judges copped out – that will be up for debate after the show. :-)

Not shown below is the Instant Samba that the final two will do after third place is announced. Also, the “Favorite Dance” will be ranked, not scored – first place gets a 30, second 28 and third 26. At that point it is unlikely to have a true impact on the outcome unless someone is way behind and they take first place. Even then, it’s unlikely to have an impact.

Rob/Cheryl
Unlearned Dance – Waltz
Freestyle – Song: “Minnie the Moocher” by Cab Calloway
Favorite Dance (Tues) – Foxtrot to “Fly Me To The Moon” by Frank Sinatra
Phone: 1-800-868-3402

JR/Karina
Unlearned Dance: Cha Cha Cha – Song: “Let’s Get Loud” by Jennifer Lopez (???*)
Freestyle – Song: “Whine Up” by Kat Deluna
Favorite Dance (Tues) – 1st Jive to “Jump, Jive, and Wail” by Brian Setzer Orchestra
Phone: 1-800-868-3410

Ricki/Derek
Unlearned Dance – Cha Cha Cha
Freestyle – Song: “Can’t Touch It” by Ricki Lee
Favorite Dance (Tues.) – Psycho Tango
Phone: 1-800-868-3411

Note: Ask Courtney and I our opinions on JR’s favorite dance. :-) Clue – it starts with “bad idea”. :-)
*Another Note: We know either JR or Ricki has “Let’s Get Loud” – just not sure which. This is our best guess. And yes, both JR & Ricki’s freestyle songs have been used before: JR’s was both Cody & Julianne AND Rick & Cheryl’s samba song, and Ricki’s was the season 11 finale opening dance.

I Written By

I'm a nerd and proud of it. Two degrees in geology also means I love BEER. :-) I'm also a Derek lover - proud of that too. So don't scream at those of us on this site and call us a bunch of "biased Derek-lovers" - it's just ME. :-) It may sound like I hate DWTS at times, but really, I'm just a snarky nitpicker from way back. And I'm cynical and jaded too. But I do love DWTS. :-)

Slight Changes & Differences In Las Vegas Odds For The DWTS Season 13 Finale

The Las Vegas Odds have had some slight changes since our last post on Thursday. At that time, OLBG was showing this outcome from the odds makers;

J.R. Martinez 1.47

Rob Kardashian 4

Ricki Lake 5.5

Now here are the figures OLBG is showing as of today, Sunday, Nov. 20th. They still have Ricki placed at 3rd, but, the numbers are a little tighter.

J.R. Martinez 1.5

Rob Kardashian 4.33

Ricki Lake 5

Also, SportsboDog has their odds calculations posted. Below is how their figures stand as of today, Sunday Nov. 20th. Note how they have Ricki coming in 2nd place;

J.R. Martinez 1/2

Ricki Lake 3/1

Robert Kardashian 4/1

Interesting, hmmm? Ready for tomorrow night yet?

I Written By

I'm a fashion and music nut....and I have always loved dancing too of any kind. Dancing With The Stars seems to have this way of bringing all of those things together. Derek Hough (one of my favorite dancers) said at a recent Get Healthy event that ‘dancing’ is an outward expression of what is going on inside you. He says that in some ways, everyone dances and it's so true. To TPTB, how about this song for next season's theme song? Robin G Ft. Wilunleashed - A Good Time (Original) // Download High Quality

Pure DWTS Season 13 – How Does Or Will The Zodiac Effect Our Dancing Couples For Finals?

Hi All! So, last season we did a an Astrology study on the remaining three couples before the finale. As you know, Kym Johnson, a striking, entertaining, and leading Leo, and Hines Ward, an athletic, deep, and imaginative Pisces, ended up winning Season 12 at no surprise really to any of us. So, what does the Zodiac this season tell us about the teams of Derek Hough and Ricki Lake, J.R. Martinez and Karina Smirnoff, Cheryl Burke and Rob Kardashian and their unions? As said in last season’s Zodiac post, remember this isn’t a forecast post (I’ll leave that to one of you who is more of an expert in that area). Instead, I like to use Astrology as a ‘tool’ in getting to know people or to better understand them and life’s circumstances which in this case are these six people who took on a dance competition. Ok, let’s get started…

J.R. And Karina:

Now this union is interesting. Karina was born on January 2. She is a Capricorn (like Kirstie Alley and her former boyfriend and pro dancer, Maks). J.R. was born on June 14th making him a Gemini (like Mark Ballas). Capricorns take their life and work ethics very seriously. In fact, they are known in the Zodiac to be “hard working” and business minded. Even while on a vacation, they are “working” in some way or thinking about it. Unless Capricorns have other influences working in their chart, they are very intense and serious about their goals 24-7. Geminis, on the other hand, are very adventurous and highly energetic. They are known to have many or several layers to their personalities making one think they have dual personalities. It’s funny because if you know or have known a Gemni like I have in my brother-in-law and several friends (our Heidi being one), you know they can have many projects going on all at the same time (as well as having a busy social life to boot). You wonder how in the world can they juggle everything and yet, they get every single one of their projects finished and on time. I once knew a Gemini friend in school who took on every activity and sport out there and she wouldn’t get serious (or so I thought) about school projects and her studies until the very last minute and she prevailed at the top of her game every time. Leave it only to a Gemini to accomplish such a feat with what would appear to have no organization what so ever, but, this is naturally how a Gemni’s mind and spirit work. These behaviors in a Gemni would be hard for a Capricorn to accept which we’ve seen in some of J.R.and Karina’s packages and rehearsals all season when J.R. wants things light and fun and Karina wants everything more serious. Though if a two like this can be successfully brought together to accomplish the same goal without too much of their personality traits conflicting, just think of the final outcome? Facts are, both Capricorns and Gemnis can get the job done even though their approaches are quite opposite from each other.

Derek and Ricki:

Derek was born on May 17th. He is a Taurus. Ricki was born September 21st. She is a Virgo (like Chelsea Kane last season). Let’s start out by saying the Taurus isn’t called “The Bull” for nothing. They are one of the most determined of the Zodiac. They might not know what they want in life or relationships, but, once they’ve decided, WATCH OUT! They are “finishers” and they are “closures”. Derek’s 3 Mirror Ball trophies are just a mere example of what a “bull” can do when challenged to the end. It’s no wonder Derek is where he is at in life since he made up his mind long ago at a very young age to dance and even left his family and life in Utah to do it. Note too how Taurus are very intelligent and are also “slow thinkers” which we see in all of Derek’s choreography and teaching. They will take their time and go the distance wanting to do everything with extreme perfection where most anyone else would have given up long ago. Being a Virgo, Ricki understands this need to be a perfectionist as well as we’ve seen all season getting to know her. Virgos like to analyze everything and they have a great desire to do things “right” and for everyone around them to do things “right”. If this doesn’t happen, they can get moody and critical of themselves (does this sound familiar of some of Ricki’s reactions after she’s danced?). But, teamed up with Taurus, a Virgo excites them because they can push them to be even more perfect which they don’t mind. The stronger, the better. A Virgo’s love and caring way also has a way of taming and calming “the bull” just at the right times. This is definitely a strong and tight union to watch out for as we’ve seen on the show and them thus far.

Rob and Cheryl:

Cheryl is a Taurus as well. She was born on May 3rd. Just like Derek, she is focused to the bitter end on her prize for whatever she takes on. Her two Mirror Ball trophies also speak for themselves. Rob was born Mar. 17th. He’s a Pisces like Hines Ward (last season’s champ). Pisces feel like they are fish in an infinite ocean of thought and feeling always seeking the purest waters. You’ll see them jumping out of the water happy with life and willing to take risks. At other times they pull back into lower, murkier depths. This ability to tune into deep or higher thoughts inspires a Pisces artistically, creatively, and even musically. This is what we’ve seen of Rob since the season began. He wasn’t sure where the water was right or where he’d fit in the beginning, but, with the “bull’s” protection, strength, focus, and perseverance, Rob is like a shark out of water now. They are a very powerful union indeed as we’ve all found out. They have proven ‘anything is possible’ with the right focus and determination.

So, what do you think? If you were to base the finals on these three couples Zodiac, what would be the outcome and who would be the dominant pair? I honestly can’t decide. 8O

Sources used for this post: Horoscopes Love Eu, Horoscopes Within, Linda Goodman’s “Sunsigns”

November 19, 2011 I Written By

I'm a fashion and music nut....and I have always loved dancing too of any kind. Dancing With The Stars seems to have this way of bringing all of those things together. Derek Hough (one of my favorite dancers) said at a recent Get Healthy event that ‘dancing’ is an outward expression of what is going on inside you. He says that in some ways, everyone dances and it's so true. To TPTB, how about this song for next season's theme song? Robin G Ft. Wilunleashed - A Good Time (Original) // Download High Quality

Mark Ballas Gears Us Up For The Dancing With The Stars Season 13 Finale

In his new blog with USA Today, Mark Ballas writes that he’s planning to show us what we might have missed with him and Kristin Cavallari’s dance on Tuesday night. In gearing up us further for the finals, he gives us his thoughts on the final three as well. Details below and there is more at the link. I agree how this upcoming week of Dancing With The Stars is equivalent to the World Series, the NBA Finals, and the Super Bowl. Do you?

At our first shoot where we filmed the introductions to the show, I can remember Rob not even wanting to get up and dance in front of everyone. Now look at him — you can’t get the guy off the dance floor. Rob definitely wins the most-improved award this season. He has always been decent but it wasn’t until these last couple of weeks he has really started to shine. If his partner Cheryl (Burke) can put together an amazing freestyle —which I have no doubt she will — these two have a really great shot at that trophy.

Ricki (Lake) seems to make dancing with Derek (Hough) look so easy. Derek is very serious when it comes to his job. He loves to win and will push his partner to the extreme and Ricki has done a perfect job keeping up with him. It’s surprising that Ricki doesn’t come from a dancing background as she seems to excel at a level that many contestants aren’t able to reach. I expect nothing less than 10s from these two on Monday night. They seem to be unstoppable this season, always landing on top of the leader board every week.

J.R. (Martinez) and Karina (Smirnoff) are another superb duo. One thing that I’m worried about is J.R.’s ankle. It seemed to put him in a lot of pain during last Monday’s show. I hope he has been able to have a productive week of rehearsal because if he can’t dance 100%, one of the other two couples might just sneak up on him and snatch the trophy right out from underneath him. But if he can perform like he has all season, I think the mirror ball trophy is J.R.’s.

I Written By

I'm a fashion and music nut....and I have always loved dancing too of any kind. Dancing With The Stars seems to have this way of bringing all of those things together. Derek Hough (one of my favorite dancers) said at a recent Get Healthy event that ‘dancing’ is an outward expression of what is going on inside you. He says that in some ways, everyone dances and it's so true. To TPTB, how about this song for next season's theme song? Robin G Ft. Wilunleashed - A Good Time (Original) // Download High Quality