How to Fix DWTS – An Open Letter to Producers (Part 1)
ETA: Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends of all those in Newtown, Connecticut tonight.
How to “Fix” DWTS – An Open Letter to the Producers. This is going to be a rather long series, judging by the length of part 1 by itself. 🙂 I tried to do it all in one post but my Word version is already five pages long and I’m less than half way done. The below is the first two and a half pages. 🙂 Oh, and I give a LOT of examples that are just that – examples with names inserted. They may or may not be accurate. The point is likely in bold – this isn’t about individual dancers but about judge’s and producer’s behavior in a more general sense.
Dear DWTS Producers,
You need lots of help, because a lot of people can now see the man behind the curtain. And he’s just a man, he ain’t no wizard. So, I’m going to try to help you. You may not like what I have to say and you certainly don’t have to listen to what I say. But I AM the average viewer (sort of) and I’m pretty sure I’m not alone in my growing disgust with parts of how you run your show. Disgust seems like too strong a word, but it was the first one that popped into my head, so we’re going with it. So…read on.
NUMBER ONE THING TO REMEMBER: Your viewers aren’t stupid. Except when they ARE. 🙂
Most of the viewers of DWTS have been watching it long enough that they know a good Cha Cha from a stinky Cha Cha or a boring Cha Cha. So, when you give crap to someone like Shawn and Derek for a tractor and a cow, then rave over Kirstie Alley or (worse) Bristol Palin, a good chunk of your audience is rolling their eyes. And you lose a bit of credibility. They aren’t that stupid – trust me. Even the super Maks fans recognize that Kirstie isn’t at the same level as Shawn – just one example of dozens, of course. And for obvious reasons, not the least of which is age. But I skip ahead…
These very same viewers are sometimes easily manipulated by someone with a subtle (or even not so subtle) hand – especially when some of them are pre-disposed to buy into certain manipulations. And most people are, in some respect. “Too much frippery” or “not enough content” or “not enough in hold” or “always breaking the rules” or “no chemistry” – all things that have been true and NOT true (often within the same SHOW) and often used against one dancer but not another – again, within the same show. But you make these claims often enough (true or not) and people start to believe it. Why do you think politicians continually say things that are easily disproven if one were to look them up?? Because they know that the average person is inclined to believe what a person who they feel is in a position of authority says, especially if they hear it a lot. Like LEN, for example. People constantly regurgitate what they hear Len say, as if he’s never wrong. Of course, they think he’s wrong when he’s talking about THEIR favorite…but not everyone else’s. Then he’s spot on. Go figure. Odds are, if you think he’s wrong once he’s actually wrong when you think he’s right too.
But Len and the judges are just part of the problem. I’ve outlined several issues that I see with the show and how I think you could easily fix them.
Scoring – Dancers against each other or against themselves? Here at PureDWTS, we’ve raged over this issue season after season after season. There’s been a bit of arguing about it as well. Say you have two dancers…we’ll call them Bristol and Apolo. Bristol is a young woman with a questionable fanbase (and even more questionable work ethic) but definitely an attention getter, and she’s not a great dancer but not horrendous either. Apolo is very popular athlete, handsome, hard worker and a really good dancer. Now, our esteemed judges, on week 1, give Bristol all 6.5’s while they give Apolo all 7.0’s – for the same dance style. Um…okay. Anyone’s who’s seen them dance likely does not agree AT ALL with only a half point separation per judge, but okay. Let’s say it’s a fluke. Week 2 rolls around and Bristol gets an 18, while Apolo gets a 24.5 – AWESOME. Life is how it should be, to anyone who has watched this show for any length of time. But uh oh – Week 3. Bristol dances Paso to Living on Video (an iconic dance to all viewers) and gets 7.5’s across the board for a 22.5. Apolo does a foxtrot and gets a 25.5. Hum. A 3-point difference between a guy like Apolo and Bristol in week 3. That’s it??It gets worse – it’s only 2.5 points in week 4. Now, this isn’t even the most egregious example of this – I just picked those two because they were on last season. Luckily, Bristol got the boot in week 4. But in the past, better dancers have been eliminated because of the judges’ tendency to say “Oh, you’ve improved so much from your first week!!” to people who really aren’t that good to begin with. And since you started with 7’s (a ridiculous first week score – or it should be – for many or most couples) you’ve got no place to go but up. Of course, since you picked someone like Bristol for the all-star season in the first place is a whole other problem – ya kinda have to give her good scores to justify her presence on the season, eh? Anyway, the judges have a real problem with scoring someone based on how they’ve improved. Now, by itself, this might not seem like a huge problem. But you throw in a great dancer with a great fanbase who doesn’t live up to (likely too) high expectations?? They get scored MUCH harsher and you end up with a tiny spread between a great dancer and a mediocre/bad dancer. How is that the viewers are the only ones who see how ridiculous this is?
The fix?? STOP IT. Stop ragging on the Shawns and Apolos of the cast, while praising the Bristols and perhaps your audience will start to take you seriously once again. Sure, it’s a light, fluffy dance show – but if your audience thinks you have NO credibility?? Yer still screwed. You become as respected as Honey Boo Boo. Can’t help yourself?? Think it’s only fair to give the less fortunate a fighting chance?? Make a judge’s rule. Once you are past Week 4, the gloves come OFF and you judge the dancers against each other. Of course, you’ll have to have real criteria that’s PUBLISHED so the fans can follow along…but we’ll get to that in a later part. 🙂 It would also help if you started LOWER. Hand out 4s and 5s…and even 3s. Then you have a place to go with the scores for the not great dancers who improve without making it look like you are punishing the good dancers for BETTER dancing.
Bottom Line: When you set the bar extremely high for dancers like Nicole, Mya, Shawn, Apolo, Brandy, Jennifer…the list goes on…just because you expect more from them, it is patently unfair. When the bar is lower for the bad dancers and result is a very small spread between the mediocre/bad and the good/great?? Shocking eliminations abound. AND your audience believes you might be rigging the show.
To be continued in Part 2….
Two ways to fix the show, well actually, two names…Neil DeGrasse Tyson and Levar Burton. Nuff said!!
I actually fist-pumped as I read your post. Can’t wait to read Part 2. 🙂
Well said PH!
PH, you not only have a way with words, you have a way with TRUTH. Yep, we can see the man behind the curtain…but will he listen & stand tall, or try desperately to cover up? ‘Course that remains to be seen, but somebody’s got to get his attention — GREAT JOB at trying!
Absolutely agree with everything you have said, and I might add much more kindly than I may have.
There is only a Part 2….
I can guarantee there are more than two parts, Sandy. 🙂
Thanks for the kind words, everyone.
My wish is that TPTB would read this and it’s future counterparts and take it all into consideration. They are ruining this show for me. I don’t like being told who to like or who to vote for. I have a brain and I can see who dances well and who doesn’t. This whole season just made me angry and TPTB only have one more season to fix it and if they don’t, then I’m gone. Thanks PH for putting this all out there for us!
This is so well written and I agree with everything. I am looking forward to part two.
Thank you PH! Now we can only hope that TPTB read it! Looking forward to the next parts! Too bad it’s too late for Derek, though, no matter what changes they make.
AMEN! +1 +1!!!!! I SO AGREE!!!! I wish they’d stop thinking that we are so stupid!! I so hope producers read this. WELL SAID!! Can’t wait for Part 2!!!!
Loved it Heidi. Agreed.
I agree 100%, and bringing Bristol back for the all stars ,really a bad choice
With regard to judging the fix is simple. #1 – Set the expectations at the beginning of the show. Here are the rules. Follow the rules, get high marks. Break the rules, no matter how creative you think you are and we will take off points. You want to break the rules for your own egocentric nonsense, fine. But you will loose points. #2) Judge everyone to the same standard. If you do a good dance, you get high marks. You don’t, the marks are low. #3) Stop booking political people during political voting periods. Bristol is the perfect example. In her first season the tea party did whatever they could do to keep her on the show so they could get Sara on GMA. Thank God the tea party couldn’t keep her alive in the All Star season, even though she did last two weeks longer than she should have.
Paula, they DID take off points for breaking the rules – That’s not a fix that needs to be made. The problem is with the stuff that is NOT a rule, but a preference – and then they dock some people but not others. People who think they didn’t penalize for breaking rules have been brainwashed by other web sites or other fans.
Frankly, Derek’s dances were some of the best ever seen on this show – and only one of them broke the rules. This show NEEDS more dancing and creativity like that to keep the show exciting. But what they need to have is a syllabus so that you can be creative but not be subject to Len’s whims.
I totally agree with PUBLISHING the rules and spelling out what it takes to get a 10. I am more familiar with competitive gymnastics. There are very specific “rules” and moves that must be done. Every competitor and coach knows exactly what needs to be done to get the desired score.
I think Heidi hit the nail on the head about the man behind the curtain. It may not have been as noticeable if Shawn and Derek hadn’t run circles around the other couples, but the fact is they did.
I’m pretty okay with disparate scoring if the rules would be set beforehand. I’m totally okay with Emmitt outlasting a technically better performer because of the other elements he brought to the table that in my opinion the technically superior person didn’t, but I also understand why others would be upset about it.
Part of me thinks the show has run its course and it may not matter at this point what they do, but it’ll be fun watching them try.
I also agree. As to the “starting the scores lower”, I totally>/i> agree. Opening night 7s and 8s? Really? I saw a clip of the Australian DWTS, where some guy got a “1” from each of the 4 judges. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a “1” on the US version…
EXACTLY how I feel and well done!!!! I hope they listen.
I think in future no one should be permitted to wear speedos, or any other tight fitting undergarments as outawear. Just tacky and, to be honest quite distressing. (JMO)
The judges score are a disgrace for sure. I just realize that Len gave Shawn flawless mambo, probably the most difficult latin dance (ever in terms of technique and content) a 9,5, and He gave Gilles and Emmit’s salsas 10’s, makes no sense. Melissa terrible finale samba got the same score that Shawn mambo, and her not so great final samba got a 10. None of this dances are remotely in the same Level as Shaw’s mambo, and still got better scores (and there were no rules breaking or anything illegal in that mambo).
Thanks, Heidi: great job! Since Team Shawnough, being the best of the best of all seasons, imo, were robbed of their deserved MBT, imo, I’ve lost my naivete and now firmly believe the show is fixed. I don’t believe our votes really matter, and that was part of the fun of the show for me: believing that our votes could offset some of the judges poor and often ridiculous assessments. I am an unhappy viewer at this point, and hope TPTB take Heidi’s comments under consideration and make some changes for the better.
Heidi: You are spot on about the bar being set high for some. I remember in season 11 C.A said Bristol’s 8 is not the same as Jennifer’s 8. The fact is being overlooked by the judges that when it comes to votes it all boils down to the same thing. Mediocre dancers stay and good dancers go home.
The issue isn’t about taking points off…it’s about doing it in a fair manner…you can’t lower one couple by two points and another by a half a point. That is blatantly unfair. These judges have to remain impartial and not drool over one contestant while tearing down another.
I love your post and agree with everthing in it. Cannot wait for part two!!
“better to give than receive” Give ’em he** PH. However, they won’t “receive” the message in good faith.
The judges believe what their egos are telling them–(this show is all about YOU!) The producers believe they know what the fans of DWTS want.
The fans aren’t too hard to please—just keep it honest and don’t insult our intelligence.
In the early days of DWTS there were people within the dance industry who watched this show, and posted across many boards. I don’t see so much of that anymore. They know b.s. when they see it. They need to re-boot DWTS before the sh** gets too deep!
Agree with everything, PH. And I feel certain that someone in TPTB’s posse checks in on this site from time to time, let’s just hope they take note. There is bound to be a subjective element to the scoring, no way to avoid that, really. I think Figure Skating and Gymnastics grappled with this same issue and were finally forced to tweak their scoring system to minimize outrageous favoritism. While still possible to show the love to your favorites, you’re limited as to how unfairly you can spread that love. Scoring guidelines for the judges are a definite must. And it’s really time to dust off those lower paddles. I can usually tell how wonky the judging is going to be by how early they whip out those 8’s. There is absolutely no reason we don’t see 4’s, 5’s and 6’s the first week of competition without everyone going into a boo-ing tizzy. The whole charm of this show is the journey – i know that sounds corny as hell, but yeah, that’s how i feel 🙂
I kinda have to disagree a bit. Its a bit difficult because this isn’t strictly about the dancing ( or else they would just show dances & scores every week) its also about the journey.
So I don’t think judging against the competition would help/ fix the situation. Because when u have someone like Nicole or Shawn on when they get 10s everyone else should get 4s no matter how much they improved…and that’s no fun to watch and would kill the incentive of the other stars.
So I think their should be a balanced mix on judging personal potential and vs. The rest of the competition.
The problem with the judging is that their is no consistency within the show. In the same night u can’t judge 3 dances in pure entertainment value, 2 on amount of content, 1 on execution , 3 on themes, 1 on the amount of props, 1 on how great the lighting was, 2 on how much skin was showing..etc
That’s the bigger judges problem
You do realize this was only part 1, right yo??
yea, thats why i was only disagreeing with your points in this post…u might say something i wholeheartedly agree with in your next post.
Or I might say exactly what you said in your comments in the next post. Which is why disagreeing may be seen as premature.