So apparently I might be onto something with my typecasting theories, because it seems like a lot of you are also trying to deduce from the absolutely CRAZY amount of rumors flying around who might be fulfilling each type…and honestly, at this point, I have no clue what to believe But that’s the fun of DWTS, right?

If the majority of what’s being reported is true (doubtful), then it looks to me like they might actually skip some types this season (haven’t heard any major reports about soap stars or hosts);  but if they’re leaking only a few actual celeb participants and the rest are red herrings, then we might get few suprises thrown in and have a more “well-rounded” cast.  But enough general speculation – on with the rest of the types!

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

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.

Possible candidates this season: Looks like Brandy is our best guess. 

The Host

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

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:  Chris Jericho also hosts some show on NBC, so I guess he could do double-duty and fulfill the role of both the athlete and the host. 

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

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: This one has blown up big within the last few days – we’ve got David Hasselhoff, Jennifer Grey, & Florence Henderson (who could also be considered a “legend”) now on our radar. There’s been a campaign for Bern Nadette Stanis, as well as one for Leslie Jordan that he himself is heading up.  Also a minor campaign for Melissa Peterman.

The Reality Star

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

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, 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 – reality TV is often looked down upon as a way to get famous without having any talent whatsoever. 

Possible candidates this season: Oy vey – this is the subtype that has had, by far, the greatest amount of casting rumors…everyone from The Situation to Teresa Giudice to both Ali Fedotowsky & fiancée Roberto Martinez, to Audrina Patridge, but it’s hard to tell who’s got a legit chance and who’s bluffing.  Personally, I’m still holding out for Sig Hansen

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: Most obvious choice? Michael Bolton.  But in the same token, you could also have Brandy and/or David Hasselhoff fulfilling this role if they’re trying to kill 2 birds with one stone. The Xzibit rumor is still lingering slightly, and Pete Wentz fans are still holding out hope.

The Wild Card

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

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!

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.

Possible candidates this season: Can it get much wild card-ier than Bristol Palin?! Good grief…still trying to wrap my brain around how they’re going to try and spin her claim to fame…

Did you miss part I of my typecasting of season 11? Check it out here.  Feeling nostalgic? Check out parts I & II of my typecasting of season 10, and see how everything stacked up ;-)

Season after season, celeb after celeb, it’s always interesting to see what kind of mixed bag each cast turns out to be.  Athletes, actors, comedians, models…it’s the variety of stars the show pulls in that makes things really interesting!

 But, as amazing an opportunity as the show might be for the celebs, with certain individuals, we have to kinda wonder what exactly their motivations were to do the show…are they really there for the opportunity, or is it something else entirely?

 So it got me thinking…what might be some other reasons certain stars do the show, besides “just for fun”? Read on…

 Reason #1: They’re broke.

I’m sure they’d never say it publicly, but over time it’s become a bit obvious that certain celebs probably do the show to offset some cashflow problems they’ve encountered as of late.  I can’t fault them – the $200K base pay for doing the show is nothing to sneeze at, and the possibility of getting another $100K on top of that if they win is just icing on the cake – especially if you’re like season 9’s Aaron Carter, who owed over a million bucks in backed taxes.  No wonder the kid was crying after a mediocre rumba – he couldn’t afford to get sent home! Or maybe you’re season 10’s Kate Gosselin, who claimed that she was “just trying to support her family” by doing the show (although I don’t think she was motivated entirely by the money – there was some definitely attention whoring going on there).  It’s also likely the primary reason that Real Housewives of New Jersey cast member Terese Giudice is trying so hard to get on the show – she & her husband filed for bankruptcy last year after racking up over $11 million worth of debt.  Granted, the pay from doing the show probably is probably a small fraction of what these stars are used to pulling in, but it’s still more than enough for we common folk to live quite comfortably off of for a year or two…beggars can’t be choosers

 Reason #2: They’re doing reputation damage control.

Another less-than-savory motivation for doing the show, it’s a good idea nonetheless – what better way to distract from a recent brush with the law or sex tape scandal than to show America how charming and talented you can be on DWTS? Take Lil Kim – she was fresh out of a year-long stint in prison for perjury.  And she became one of the most popular contestants on season 8! She even took it a step further and managed to speak freely about her incarceration and even poke fun at it.  Season 4’s Heather Mills was likely trying to undo some the damage done during her long, messy divorce from Paul McCartney, which seemed to give her a rather nasty reputation as a vindictive gold digger. Or there was Mel B., who had just had a baby out of wedlock with Eddie Murphy.  And of course, Kim Kardashian was still trying to live down her famous sex tape with Ray-J.  Did the show help erase these indiscretions? Eh, some better than others.  But if nothing else, it gave America something else to remember them by.

 Reason #3: They’re trying to breathe life into a dead career/jump start a new career.

You know those celebs whose names you have to google at first because you have absolutely no clue who they are? They likely fall into this category: they’ve either been inactive for so long that you can’t remember them (or maybe they weren’t that famous in the first place), or they’re so new on the scene that you’ve never heard of them.  Be honest: how many of you actually remembered who John O’Hurley was, without having to google him? Aside from his role as J. Peterman on Seinfeld, he really hadn’t done anything else prior to DWTS – but after the show? His career blew up.  Suddenly he was being offered hosting positions, roles in musicals, voice acting opportunities – all because he did some dancing show that ended up being a hit.  Ted McGinley, another actor with a waning career, tried to do the same on season 7 – albeit unsuccessfully.  On the other hand, those with new careers might be inclined to do the show just to get some exposure…take Gilles Marini.  Most people didn’t know his name, but they sure knew his face-er, body: he was just the “hot naked guy” in the Sex in the City movie.  After a wildly successful run on DWTS, though, he was suddenly popping up everywhere – Brothers & Sisters, Nip/Tuck, Ugly Betty, Criminal Minds, you name it! Proof that if you play your cards right while on the show, the payoff will be far greater than just the money you make for doing it

 Reason #4: They’re generating publicity for their next big project.

Ok, so maybe they’re still famous, but they’ve been in the background for a bit and are getting ready for a “comeback” of sorts – maybe a new album, movie, TV show, etc.  Getting their name out there by doing DWTS is almost a sort of “primer” – it gets their names on the lips of the American public again, so that when their latest labor of love drops, it’s just that much more well-received.  Ever wonder why Macy Gray was on season 9? Well, judging from her completely apathetic attitude, I think we can all agree it wasn’t because she really wanted to learn to dance (hehe).  However, she did have a new album due to come out not long after season 9 wrapped.  Coincidence? Doubt it – sounds like some smart legwork by a savvy publicist.  Louie Vito was only months away from competing in the winter Olympics (his first appearance there) when he did DWTS…probably didn’t hurt getting his name out there early, to help separate him from the hoards of other famous snowboarders.  Even Nicole probably did DWTS to generate some hype for the upcoming PCD album (and new lineup).  Again, it’s a savvy move – with DWTS’ ratings reigning supreme, the contestants become household names, which helps generate interest when they do other projects after the show.

 Reason #5: They’ve got a score to settle.

Sometimes, it’s just all about sticking it to a former rival/family member/group member/etc…a sort of “bet I can make it farther than you can!” challenge.  Almost all of the NFL stars that have done the show have had a sort of friendly rivalry with other former players that had done the show previously…the most well-known of these probably being the Jerry Rice vs. Michael Irvin challenge, which culminated in a face-off during the season 9 finale.  Warren Sapp also sparred with ESPN commentator (and early season 2 castoff) Kenny Mayne on Sports Center.  Joey Fatone also issued a challenge to fellow NSYNC group member Lance Bass to do better than he did – considering his reputation as the “worst dancer in NSYNC”, I think Lance finishing 3^rd (to Joey’s 2^nd) was pretty admirable! And then there’s the family rivalries – Marie Osmond vs. Donny Osmond, George Hamilton vs. Ashley Hamilton, and Lisa Rinna vs. Harry Hamlin.  Nothing like a little sibling/father-son/husband-wife competition to strengthen familial bonds Aside from the friendly challenge of sticking it to a family member, there’s also the added security of getting advice from someone close who’s done the show before. 

 So what do you guys think? Know of any other motivations some of the celebs might have to do the show, besides “just for fun”?

I read this a while back and I thought it was so funny I had to share it. Here’s an excerpt of a blogger’s take on Dancing with the Stars:

That is why I have some sad news for you fans out there. It pains me to say that will be the last season of “Dancing With The Stars.” Hey, it’s been a nice run.

So what inside information do I have that this is the final season? None. Did I go to a fortuneteller? Nope. But I do know TV. And I do know about proven theories and guaranteed certainties. The curtain will fall on the show because of the following two words:

Ted McGinley.

I can’t say how wrong I think this blogger is. Dancing with the Stars isn’t going anywhere. Part of the appeal of the show is getting to know new stars and bringing old stars back from the grave so we can laugh at them.

Dancing with the Stars isn’t being canceled any time soon. Although, I do wish that they’d mix the show up just a little bit and allow the professional dancers a little more freedom with their choreography. Only problem is that Len’s heart might not be able to handle that change.

After being kicked off Dancing with the Stars, Jeff Ross and Ted McGinley were on Jimmy Kimmel with their partners Edyta and Inna. Jeff Ross pretty much stole the show. That guy is absolutely hilarious.

Enjoy the video of Jeff Ross and Ted McGinley on Jimmy Kimmel

I wonder if every star booted off Dancing with the Stars will be on Jimmy Kimmel. I expect the ritual burning of the dance shoes by Guillermo will happen each time.

Below you’ll find the list of Dancing with the Stars music for September 23, 2008. I’m missing a few songs, but I’ll be updating them as I figure them out. Also, if you want to see the music from the previous weeks, here’s a list of all of the Dancing with the Stars music

Lance & Lacey danced a Quickstep to the song Close to Me sung by The Cure

Misty & Maksim danced a Mambo to the song Black Mambo sung by Angel and The Mambokats

Maurice & Cheryl danced a Mambo to the song I Do the Jerk sung by Ryan Shaw

Brooke & Derek danced a Quickstep to the song Lover, Come Back to Me! sung by Nat King Cole

Cloris & Corky danced a Mambo to the song Coconut Woman sung by Harry Belafonte

Toni & Alec danced a Quickstep to the song Blue Skies sung by Irving Berlin

Warren & Kim danced a Quickstep to the song Ding Dong Daddy of the D-Car Line sung by Cherry Poppin’ Daddies

Ted & Inna danced a Mambo to the song “Mambo Gozon” sung by Tito Puente

Cody & Julianne danced a Quickstep to the song I Want You To Want Me sung by Cheap Trick

Rocco & Karina danced a Mambo to the song “La Comay” sung by Sonora Carrulseles

Susan & Tony danced a Quickstep to the song “Bei Mir Bist Du Schon” (Means That You’re Grand) by the The Arthur Murray Orchestra

Kim & Mark danced a Mambo to the song Baby Got Back sung by Sir-Mix-A-Lot

Jeffrey Ross and Edyta Śliwińska were elimnated from Dancing with the Stars before they were even able to perform their quickstep. That has to suck for Jeffrey Ross to practice so much and not get the chance to perform it. I think I can also speak for all men when I say that I’m sad we won’t get to see much of Edyta this season. Jeffrey also made me laugh so I’m sad to see him go too.

For those dancers that remain, check out the videos of their Quickstep and Mambo dances:

I’m missing Lance and Kim‘s videos, but I’ll update it if I’m able to find it.

An exciting marathon of dancing on the Dancing with the Stars Season 7 premier episode. ABC really is lucky to have this show. It’s such an interesting mix of talent. Here’s a link to find a tonight’s list of all the songs and music from Dancing with the Stars.

Who were your favorite dancers? I’m not sure I have a rock solid favorite. One thing is happening for me. The professional dancers are becoming stars in their own right. I think I’m voting as much for the professional dancer as I am the stars.

As in previous seasons of Dancing with the Stars, I’ll be doing my best to list all of the music from Dancing with the Stars. You can see from the list below that this season should bring an amazing list of music and expose people to a bunch of music they may not have heard before too.

Below is the list of all the music from the September 22, 2008 episode of Dancing with the Stars Season 7:

Cody & Julianne danced a Cha-Cha-Cha to the song Tilt Ya Head Back sung by Christina Aguilera and Nelly

– Original Music Video
Rocco & Karina danced a Foxtrot to the song Stray Cat Strut sung by Stray Cats


Toni & Alec danced a Cha-Cha-Cha to the song Smooth sung by Carlos Santana ft. Rob Thomas

Maurice & Cheryl danced a Foxtrot to the song Gonna Have a Funky Good Time sung by James Brown

Brooke & Derek danced a Cha-Cha-Cha to the song Are You My Woman (Tell Me So) sung by The Chi-Lites

Ted & Inna danced a Foxtrot to the song God Only Knows sung by The Beach Boys

Lance & Lacey danced a Cha-Cha-Cha to the song Jumpin’ Jack Flash sung by The Rolling Stones

Cloris & Corky danced a Foxtrot to the song I Wish I Were In Love Again sung by Frank Sinatra

Jeffrey & Edyta danced a Cha-Cha-Cha to the song Play That Funky Music sung by Wild Cherry

Kim & Mark danced a Foxtrot to the song The Pink Panther Theme sung by Henry Mancini

Susan & Tony danced a Cha-Cha-Cha to the song I Heard It Through the Grapevine sung by Marvin Gaye

Misty & Maksim danced a Foxtrot to the song This Will Be (An Everlasting Love) sung by Natalie Cole

Warren & Kym danced a Cha-Cha-Cha to the song Do I Do sung by Stevie Wonder

UPDATE: Vote for your favorite Dancing with the Stars Couple
UPDATE 2: ABC has announced the official Dancing with the Stars Season 8 Cast.

The official cast announcement was made this morning on Good Morning America. This is the third season to have its cast announced on GMA. Some interesting stars and some interesting partnerships. Plus, I’m really intrigued by some of the new professional dancers including Lacey Schwimmer of So You Think You Can Dance fame and Corky Ballas which is the father of Mark Ballas and also trained Julianne and Derek Hough.

Lance Bass, Singer, will be partnered with Lacey Schwimmer
Toni Braxton, Grammy Award Winning Singer, will be partnered with Alec Mazo
Brooke Burke, Model/TV Host, will be partnered with Derek Hough
Rocco DiSpirito, TV Chef, will be partnered with Karina Smirnoff
Maurice Greene, Olympic Champion Sprinter, will be partnered with Cheryl Burke
Kim Kardashian, Model, Stylist And Reality TV Star, will be partnered with Mark Ballas
Cloris Leachman, Oscar Award Winning Actress, will be partnered with Corky Ballas
Cody Linley, Hannah Montana Star, will be partnered with Julianne Hough
Susan Lucci, Daytime Emmy Award Winning Actress, will be partnered with Tony Dovolani
Misty May-Treanor, Olympic Beach Volleyball Professional, will be partnered with Maksim Chmerkovskiy
Ted McGinley, Actor, will be partnered with Inna Brayer
Jeffrey Ross, Comedian, will be partnered with Edyta Śliwińska
Warren Sapp, Former NFL Player, will be partnered with Kym Johnson

The show will continue to be hosted by Tom Bergeron as well as Samantha Harris. Len Goodman, Bruno Tonioli, and Carrie Ann Inaba will continue to be judges this season.

Gossip Sauce posted a list of Dancing with the Stars cast members on August 21st. This prompted at least 5 other sites to use the Gossip Sauce list of Dancing with the Stars contestants for their own website. Here’s the list provided by Gossip Sauce.
Kim Kardashian
Lance Bass
Toni Braxton
Brooke Burke
Maurice Greene
Cody Linley
Susan Lucci
Warren Sapp
Misty May-Treanor
Ted McGinley
Mark McGrath
Cloris Leachman
Jeff Ross

There’s only one major problem with this list of Dancing with the Stars Contestants. I know for sure that one of these people on the list isn’t going to be here this year. They were going to be on the show, but something happened and that’s changed.

My guess is that a number of people on this list are going to be on the show, but my sources are telling me that it’s definitely not an entirely accurate list.

Of course, guessing who is on the list is great fodder for discussion. So, here’s some of the other rumors I’ve seen floating around the internet.

There’s been a number of rumors about George Lopez being on the show. My guess is that George Lopez would be a horrible dancer, but entertaining regardless of his dance skills.

This site called Reality TV Spoilers posted their Dancing with the Stars spoilers.

N*SYNC member Lance Bass, “Keeping Up with the Kardashians” Kim Kardashian, singer Toni Braxton, rodeo star and Jewel’s husband Ty Murray, “The Brady Bunch” mom Florence Henderson and original Batman Adam West who, at 79, would be the oldest participant ever. Former Miami Dolphin Dan Marino was approached, but he declined.

Warren Sapp has also been listed as a potential contestant on Dancing with the Stars. Can you imagine big bad Warren Sapp doing a quickstep? At least he could lift any of the girls, but he might also snap them in half on accident.

Misty May-Treanor and Ted Mcginley were also offered on Twitter as possible Dancing with the Stars cast members. I bet those twitters came from the original Dancing with the Stars spoiler at the top.

The good part about all this is that we’re going to find out who it really is tomorrow.