DWTS, Season 11, Week 5 – More News Bits, Blogs, & Media
It’s already Friday and another dance week is fastly approaching. I can’t believe the dancers can put together a performance together so quickly let alone TWO dances for this upcoming Monday night!! 😮
Up first today, we have a new 8 minute interview with Maks and Brandy on Fox “Good Day LA“. They try to stomp out rumors that the two don’t get along and how much they’ve grown as a dance couple and as friends. Check out how one of the interviewers calls Maks an “ass” and how he addresses it. lol
Brandy also wrote about their dance last week in her new blog on Access Hollywood. She describes the intensity and how sad she was to see Florence go.
So, we’re at the halfway mark now and while Monday was a great night for both Maks and I, Tuesday was filled with both joy and sadness. After a rough week of intensive rehearsals, I felt nothing but calm going into Monday’s night performance. All day I felt prepared and ready and very confident that I knew the routine and could hold up my frame. Practicing for the quickstep was almost as tiring as the jive, because while my arms and neck are stiffly positioned, there is a lot of footwork that goes into the dance.
We had pulled the theme song from the TV show “Friends” and I knew that it would strike a chord with the audience. While I knew the song, I had never seen the show. I definitely believed that we pulled that song for a reason, as Maks and I have a burgeoning friendship that I’m certain will go beyond this show. He brought in some useful tools to help me keep my upper body in frame during rehearsals. We went over each portion of our routine, bit by bit, and put together what I thought was a great way to incorporate the audience into our dance. So, all of Monday, I felt completely calm and ready for the show.
I admit that my nerves flared up just a bit before we went on, but once the spotlight hit we were off and I felt confident that I had managed to keep everything together and pull off a good performance. When we heard the judges’ scores of three 9’s, I was ecstatic! It’s one thing to be confident about your performance and another thing to have the judges validate it. I definitely wasn’t perfect, but I had incorporated the judges’ previous points and my confidence was at an all-time high when we returned to the booth.
Needless to say, when it came down to the final two, I was saddened to hear Florence’s name called as the one being eliminated. And yes, before you ask, I did get a bit teary-eyed but I’m hoping the camera didn’t catch that! From day one, Florence has been really wonderful to me. I was just so excited to meet such an icon, but she truly is an inspirational woman and always had a smile whenever we were together. We would sit in the make-up trailer and chat and compare aches and pains. She would share with me part of her life’s journey at times and I laughed at some of the great stories she told. Maks became a complete cuddly bear whenever she was around. She was so protective of him that I would giggle! Imagine….Maks needing protection!
When we knew she was going home, everyone got emotional and I made sure to rush down the press line so that I had a chance to say goodbye. It really does get harder, knowing that you will have to say bye to someone who has been such a huge presence in your life each week. No matter what anyone says, when you work the long hours that we do and spend so much time together, there is a bond built and you do become a sort-of family. And now half of that family is gone. It is a sober reminder of the weeks to come. As I grow more and more confident in myself and in my abilities, I continue to strive to get better each day of each week. It’s not just about the dance. It’s also not just about the people. It’s about the memories that we’re all making together.
Thanks to Heidi and Pure Derek Hough for this video showing the awesome support the celebrities have this year. Note the special appearance by Michael J Fox and his wife in support Jennifer Grey. Is he just not the coolest or what? Same with Jamie Lee Curtis.
Speaking of Team Jenougher, I’ve got to post this. Look at this picture Rick Fox took of Derek yesterday funning around in Rick’s suit. The size difference is remarkable, isn’t it? Special thanks to Cheryl for posting this on Twitter. Heidi’s Note: He so looks 12. 🙂
Anyone else having a “Thriller” flashback moment? 🙂
So, is it The Tea Party keeping Bristol in this competiton? I hate to say it, but I think that is exactly the case for what Joy Behar said on “The View” this week. It’s a “right wing conspiracy”, simple as because I don’t see what else it could be (some of you are going to kill me for saying that, lol). If that’s the case, she and Mark could be around for a very long time yet despite talent and who are the better dancers. Watch this and see which lady from “The View” you agree with.
Can you believe DWTS is to air their 200th episode come Nov. 2nd? Time flies when we are having fun. In honor of this special event, The Examiner is reporting that Taylor Swift has been one act booked to perform. Most likely she will perform something from her new album. This will be her second time to perform on the show.
For some TV Alerts, Rick and Cheryl guessed on “The Talk” on CBS today. We hope to have a video of that soon. Also, don’t miss seeing Audrina and Tony on “The Ellen Show” on Monday on ABC before the show.
Ok, more later and don’t forget to do a Tango in your living room tonight with one of your family members or better yet, by yourself with a broom. It is fun. Try it sometime. 🙂
Brandy’s blogs are great! Regarding that GDLA interview one of the interviewers, Dorothy, she apologized to Maks on twitter for that interview. I think some BranDMC fans got on touch with her, not happy with the questions or the way that they where put.
I think Bristol being on DWTS is a political statement, while trying hard not to appear like it is. It’s an innoculous way for a certain political party to be ingratiated on prime time television. It’s target marketing at it’s sly best.
Andie, I think so too and I remember you saying as much when we first heard Bristol was going to dance too.
Yeah, it’s brilliant marketing really. At first remember there’s all this pretense that Sarah Pallin wasn’t approving of Bristol doing this, even to the point of the cha cha music being “Mama Told Me Not To Come” and then when the overnight ratings come in and Bristol’s appearance made the numbers spike, then it’s time to bring in the artillery and Sarah sits in the audience proud as punch not once but twice now in 5 episodes, all cleverly timed to be respectfully a few weeks shy of the mid-terms.
Actually, the ratings didn’t spike. They were up by less than 20% over Season 9 (the previous fall season), but down from last spring’s premiere of season 10. Now they are doing their usual slow, slight decline that they always do at this point in the season. I wrote a post about it here: https://www.puredwts.com/2010/09/26/dancing-with-the-stars-season-11-week-1-ratings-win/
The fluctuations from season to season seem to coincide with the fall versus spring seasons, which makes sense since there is more competition in the fall, hence the FALL in the ratings. Well, “fall” is a bad choice of words because the difference is only slight. It appears to be down this season by about 2 million viewers. I couldn’t find S10 premiere numbers on this site, but I did find early season 10 number which are higher than this seasons to date. https://www.puredwts.com/2010/04/02/dwts-season-10-ratings-dwts-beats-american-idol/
I’m talking about the hour by hour ratings. The first week she comes out as middle of the pack dancer with her Cha cha…nothing outstanding at all, as we know Jennifer and Derek stole the show with their VWaltz.
And yet, the second week Bristol and Mark are put in the pimp spot the last of the night. So that means that when the network analysed the minute to minute ratings, from the week previous, Bristol had a huge spike in the viewership. It’s how Kate Gosselin was also close or very close to the pimp spot when she was on camera. It didn’t matter how she danced, it was ratings, which translates into adverstising dollars for the network..
I’ve never seen those published, Andie – and I’ve never heard of minute to minute. You’re going to have to provide a link to convince me that she caused a ratings spike when the overall numbers are DOWN for this season from last.
How would viewers know when to turn it on to provide the spike?? And most ratings are still measured by Nielsen, which is paperwork filled out by the viewers and or boxes. Now, if you have a link to Tivo and DVR numbers which MIGHT measure when the channel gets changed, I would definitely want to see that.
I’m not saying that you and Vogue’s premise is wrong – that the Palin’s are on the show in order to garner attention for the midterms – I’m just saying that from what I’ve seen, this bit of evidence to your theory isn’t supported. I need more.
Edited to Add – if such numbers really exist I would actually really, REALLY want to see them. I am a GEEK. In case that wasn’t very apparent already. 🙂
Oh man… Vogue is so right about doing the Tango with your family. 🙂 I do it all the time with my dad. Usually when it’s time for us to turn, he throws my arm really hard so I turn abruptly. I usually do it with my head straight and arms raised, but my dad just walks and does whatever with his head and arm. Last night, though, he relt like running
WHOOPS, accidentally submitted my comment before I was done. Anyways, he FELT like running, so we were running all over the place without breaking hold, and I couldn’t help but think “This is what it’s like doing a Quickstep.” :O
LOL LOLA! So cute!!!
Heidi, it’s ok. We love Geeks!!
I don’t watch Good Day LA anymore b/c of Dorothy. She is obnoxious. Maks and Brandy handled themselves perfectly. I saw video weeks ago of paps filming the stars unknowingly b4 a show and Brandy and Maks were holding hands. Hardly a team that hates themselves. The producers know how to start drama. Now Derek and Jennifer are their new target and the rumors are flying over the web of how they hate each other and how she or he will quite the show. Love ABC production.
Jean, I thought they were trying desperately to get something stirred up too. Fox is notorious for that. If I was any of the dancers, I’d refuse to go on their shows. Who needs that kind of promotion? I’m glad Maks and Brandy are experienced enough in the press to see right through it.
Btw, is it me or does Maks’ hair look like Count Dracula? lol I like it though. I wonder if that’s how he will wear it for Tuesday night?
I really doubt it’s a conservative bloc, namely because as a devout liberal who believes the only real use for Sarah Palin and her ilk is to give Stewart and Colbert comedy material, I’ve voted for Bristol. I admit that a sample size of one is poor evidence, and that she is certainly not the sole person I vote for (Team Jenougher all the way, baby!) but allow me to explain my rationale for voting for her:
She’s not a performer; she’s a twenty year old kid from Alaska with a monster for a mother (sorry, Sarah fans! Nothing personal against you, just who you support) who was thrown into the spotlight. Admittedly you could argue she worsened the situation by getting pregnant, but that’s neither here nor there. From the get-go, she seemed nervous to me, when I had been expecting an arrogant brat; that endeared her to me. While bringing Mark to meet her mom in AL definitely screamed “publicity stunt” to me, as did the clip of her speaking out in favor of abstinence, she has basically since come off as an honest candid person trying to get used to a spotlight of her own. Major points for that.
I also have to admire her for her willingness to let Mark do RIDICULOUS things where she is involved (Come on, gorilla suits? Clown school?) and to go along with gusto.
Is she a great dancer? No, but do I find her more likable and easily rooted for than some of the better dancers? Yep. And that’s exactly why I will continue to vote for her, politics aside. Once she’s kicked off, the “you’re likable” vote for me will likely be split between Kurt and Rick, both of whom just seem like complete gentlemen to me.
Yep, Sami, I think a lot of people are voting for Bristol for just those reasons you stated. People love an underdog, an endearing underdog. (Kate was not endearing on the show!)
I think it was the other woman on GDLA that nailed Derek to the wall about CC – he wasn’t prepared for the question and as a result we all found out that he’s not very good at sudden deflection. They then kept after him about Julianne and Ryan – really not much about Dancing at all, if I recall. The only thing that interview was really good for was for confirming that he was and/or is dating CC.
I think like any other person on the show, Bristol likely has a variety of people voting for her – people like Sami, conservatives, Vote for the Worst people, and so on. I don’t think it’s one stereotypical group. I also think that what happened on Tuesday night is what OFTEN happens when a person with a fanbase (regardless of the size) get in trouble with the judges or dance like crap (or both) – that fan group votes like maniacs to protect their favorite. I don’t think there is anything different or odd about it.
The quarter hourly ratings are insider ratings that producers look at when determining the dance line up for the following days and weeks. It’s used to get the most viewership within the quarter hour and to compete with other shows that are starting on other networks at half hour intervals. So, somebody who is popular would be put on at 8 pm, 8:30, 9:00, 9:30 and the most popular is held to the end so viewers watch to end.
A poster on the ABC board goes by the handle donkeypoofed who is also a television producer told us about this tracking last season when peeps were so upset about Gosselin getting the pimp spot every week. Normally I put little stock in posters and what they say, but this one knows a lot about the networks, the industry in general and this show in specific. I don’t know where to find a link because it’s probably a service Neilsen offers the networks, and I doubt if it’s the kind of thing the networks want to share with the public, especially if it’s a used as a strategy to get higher ratings.
Heidi,
The reason that people that are popular are placed near the end of the show is not so people can tune in at that time but so that people STAY tuned in in order to see them. Regardless of the time that they tune in, they stay to see Bristol…at least in theory and probably in reality (TV).
Also, there are people who tune in every few minutes while watching another show and then may stay if they see something interesting.
Finally, even if the viewership overall is down, it does change from minute to minute and I’ve been told more then once that it is measured…not sure how that is done or if it is on the web though. So, at least until someone verifies it, you can put that in the category of theory.
I checked the glossary of terms over at Neilsen Research Media, and there’s a measurement that is interesting, and it’s the part of the measurement that television programmers want when they are casting for the next week’s show. It’s called:
Average Quarter Hour (AQH) – The number of persons or households estimated to be tuned to a specific channel or program for at least five minutes during an average fifteen minute period.
It’s this measurement that determines where people like Bristol, not necessarily because she’s likable, but because she’s a curiosity are put last or the pimp spot week 2 of the competition.
Link
http://www.nielsenmedia.com/glossary/terms/A/index.htm#Automated%20Measurement%20of%20Lineups
Okay, time to show my cluelessness (not a word, I know) for the first time on this blog: Who is CC?
CC is Cheryl Cole the beautiful British chanteuse who is reportedly Derek’s lover.
OOo, interesting… thanks, Andie!
I just googled Jonathan Roberts’ Twitter and went to his favourites. Very insightful what his 4 favourite tweets are – all about DWTS. Take a peek!
Yeah, Andie, I’ve known all that info for a long time, about how they set up the show within the hour, etc. But you made a definitive statement saying that Bristol caused a ratings spike which made them put her in a certain spot. That’s the part that I need to see proof for, otherwise it’s just conjecture. I doubt very much there was a “spike” of any kind – but they are smart enough that they always put train wrecks at the end of the show. Anyone can guess (without posing as a producer) after reading industry publications for a while that that would be the case. You put the people with the buzz at the beginning, the top of the second hour and the end to hold on to viewers. That’s been a point of discussion here for a long time.
This is where a lot of people posting here and on other message boards get in trouble – they state things very confidently as a fact and then they can’t back it up. Good rule of thumb is to use key words like “I think” or “I believe” or “it seems like” or “I’ve heard” – that softens your OPINIONS and you won’t get nearly as many people going “how do you know?” or “I need to see a link to that”. So many discussions would be so less rocky if people would just recognize that their choice of words is pretty critical in this medium.
CC is a very popular, female British pop star who I won’t call by name because I don’t want to attract her crazy ass fans. 🙂
Doh!! Andie!! You will bring the hounds of hell!!!! 😀 Ah well – I’ll prepare to delete wacko posts.
Conjecture. It’s a STRONG probability that Bristol caused a ratings spike and thats precisely why she got the pimp spot the second week. That doesn’t mean to say she caused it every week, but she did the first week of the competition. ABC put these celebrities in certain spots for a reason, and that reason is ratings. Otherwise you would never have had someone like Kate Gosselin going last for weeks on end. There was no possible reason to see someone who can’t dance at the end of the show unless we’re all twisted and love to see trainwrecks. And that’s exactly what the show was banking on for their great ratings.
Bristol Pallin doesn’t get the ratings of Kate Gosselin. That doesn’t surprise me. She’s far less interesting, but she’s this year’s curiosity.
And Heidi, you said that you didn’t believe the minute by minute ratings, and I gave you a link to the quarter hour ratiings, and within that terminology minute ratings as well. I didn’t know that, you didn’t either. It’s not just a guess from someone, they know what they are talking about. It’s really unfair to downplay good information.
Fact: watch for the person who starts the show and is the feature at the half hour and hourly intervals, as well as the second to last and last dancer of the night. These dancers have been getting the votes.
After learning of this, I tracked where my favorite who had to sadly leave with a major injury, Alex Wong was in the dance order on So You Think You Can Dance, and sure enough he went at the top of the show first night, on the half hour his second night, and on the final night of his tenure on the show his solo went at the top of the 9:00 hour and then his final amazing hip hop dance with Twitch was the finale of the night. This is not coincidence. This guy was SYTYCD for the season, and the ratings took a nose dive after he left.
The problem with your argument Heidi, is there was a huge buzz about Bristol on the show before she stepped on the dance floor, eg. can she dance? what does Levi think? will her mother be in the audience? her mother doesn’t approve? etc. etc. etc. And yet the first night she was not in the pimp spot, Jennifer was. It’s after they get the overnight ratings in that they start to juggle the names for the second night of competition. Obviously Bristol got some sort of spike to be given the pimp spot. Just like Kate Gosselin the season previously.
Now you’re catching on, Andie – I would never argue with the words “strong probability”. I’d probably never even question it unless I thought you were wrong.
And I didn’t believe your minute to minute ratings AS APPLIED TO BRISTOL and I still am not sure about it because you didn’t give me actual numbers. You gave me a link to the DEFINITION of quarter hour ratings and that was never really the issue now was it?? Unless you can show me actual numbers as applied to DWTS, I will still take it with a grain of salt. And still use words like probably, possibly, etc.
I will say, some of you guys really are good at arguing about things that were never part of the original argument. Why is that?? Is it intentional or just defensiveness?? I’m seriously curious. For example, Andie, the only part I was arguing about was Bristol causing a ratings spike – you don’t have numbers for that so we can’t actually be positive if there was a “spike” or if the buzz caused them to put Bristol toward the end every week – she doesn’t need to be dead last to have the same impact. You don’t have NUMBERS- and you know what? I DON’T CARE. Just making a point here. The existence of actual quarter hour ratings (which yes, I have known about for years since this isn’t my first go round), or minute to minute or why they put Bristol at the end (or whether Maks crap was longer than Derek’s crap at the beginning of their dances) – NONE of this was at issue. And I just checked my comments on this post to make sure that I hadn’t mis-remembered what I said. If you guys would choose your words more carefully and then READ what is said in response – well we probably would have nothing to talk about. 🙂
I BELIEVE it would be nothing more nothing less than a ratings SPIKE to put Bristol last. That is the plum position of any week of the competition. It is only good business to do so. To argue otherwise given how much television shows rely on ratings to get the highest advertising dollars is ridiculous. That’s a given, and your arguing about semantics only hides your inabiltiy to realize you were wrong in your first retort back to me.
LOL Andie – whatever you say. Nice try.
I just wanna respond to Heidi in post 16. YOU ARE RIGHT ON!! Last monday i went into ” Oh crap i gotta vote for her!!! ” mode and used almost all mah votes on her. But then again im crushing on her so……..:P
Oh and Andie, David and Kym got the pimp spot the first week. Not Jen and Derek. Get your facts straight.
Oh, well excuse me all to hell. I forgot about Hasselhof, the producers thought he was going to be around for awhile, but nobody voted for him. Even more reason to note why on earth would Bristol be in the pimp spot the following week? All the producers can do is go on their best guest the first week, but the second week is when the overnights make all the difference and why Bristol got the pimp spot. For anybody watching you would have thought Jennifer should have had the pimp spot the following week, but Bristol obviously spiked the ratings.