Carrie Ann Inaba Blogs On Dancing With The Stars 18 Week 7
Judge Carrie Ann Inaba reviews this week’s dances in her new blog at Parade. I agree with her on everything except I wish she’d switch what she wrote on Meryl and Charlie. Charlie is the one who is producing the most content and improving (imo). This last dance was his best yet. On a positive note, I love what she wrote about Amy!
Meryl Davis gave us yet another full-throttle performance. She has impressed and surprised me over and over again. What she does so well is push beyond what we expect of her, which is no easy task. She has earned herself some pretty high expectations because she has delivered some great performances. The first two steps of her salsa were a bit timid and then suddenly, she unleashed the beast and let her primal passion lead her in the movements. It blew me away! It’s so great to see someone go there. There’s a lot of trust in that partnership and Maks Chmerkovskiy and Meryl are the team to beat right now.
Charlie White , who is dying to get a 10, needs to take a moment and realize that a 10 is earned on this show. I think he has the potential to get a perfect score for sure! His artistry on the dance floor, the way he knows how to maneuver his partner , and use his weight and create warm soft shapes makes him a contender. However, he’s in the tough spot of being the performer who started the competition at the top. He started out great, so where does he go? What he needs to realize is that this show is about growth and great dancing. He’s great, but we haven’t seen much improvement anywhere. He’s got to bring out something we haven’t seen yet, show us that he’s also growing as a performer. I think he’s a bit too smooth and easygoing in his dances. I could watch him all day — so don’t take that the wrong way — he’s a beautiful dancer, but he’s a bit too lyrical. I’d like to see sharper edges in some of his movements. I want to see him be able to stop a movement once in a while instead of having all the movements continue as one movement. I want to see more light and shade, not all a beautiful shade of gray. I also hope his knee is going to be okay. When an athlete feels a strange tingle in the knee, it’s a scary thing. Let’s hope it was just a small moment of pain, we need our Charlie to be in his best shape. He’s got the Stars on Ice show as well as DWTS right now…so take care, Charlie!
More at Parade. Let us know what you think. Also, Carrie Ann has a new boyfriend. You can read about him at Life & Style.
I find this piece she wrote to be completely condescending to Charlie. Wtf, as Sharna said. Don’t see any improvement in any of the ringers tbh so why pick on him. This is just another example of how Sharna and Charlie are being hosed. I am not impressed by Carrie Ann at all.
Well where does one start with this steaming pile of excrement?
How many times have we seen Carrie Ann handing out 10’s like they were M&M’s? When has she ever been discriminate in handing out a 10? I’ve seen her give a 10 to dance that barely deserved an 8 many, many times.
To imply that Charlie hasn’t earned his 10 is ludicrous.
If, according to her, Charlie started out the competition at the top, then where exactly did Meryl start it out at?
The double standard at work here is simply unreal.
Couldn’t agree more with you both!
The producers sure trained her well
This is the most disgusting piece of —-. Like you said, she has given 10’s to guys who danced shirtless or she has a crush on. Give me a break.
Charlie’s contemporary deserved a 10. I understand they can not give it
then because it was a first show. His jive to me deserved 10s but of course they can not give it to him because they already gave it to Meryl who danced a non-fox trot and they do not want people to think
that they are favoring the ice dancers oh no.
His jazz deserved 10s even though he dropped the cane. The difficulty in that dance was twice what the other dancers did not even counting that they danced with props which nobody did.
They are hosing him because they already decided that Meryl and Maks are getting the MBT. At this point I’m just give it to them already before I whack their heads with it.
WTAF? One week she is absolutely raving in her comments to Charlie about his ability to connect each movement to the next and the next week she’s saying how she thinks he needs to find a way to STOP a movement before moving on to the next. Again I say, WTAF?
And as for Meryl always surprising them? Yeah, right. *insert eye roll here*
Did Charlie hurt one of the producers or something? This blog entry is like revealing the show’s agenda. Meryl and Maks can do no wrong. So amazing and believe it. It is like the judges overpraising Melissa and putting into the mind of viewers that ?Shawn and Derek were always breaking rules or something.
Carrie Ann can take this condescending, self-righteous piece of garbage and shove where the sun don’t shine – I’m sure Sharna would gladly lend a head in making sure it got pretty far up there. So tens “must be earned”, huh Carrie Ann? You know what else does? Respect…and after 17 seasons of your childish giggling, nonsensical analogies, and blatant favoritism, you still haven’t earned mine. Go back to baring your bewbs on a pole for Madonna…or hope and pray that they make another Austin Powers movie so you can reprise your minuscule role as Fook Mi…or was it Fook Yu? I forget and I just don’t care enough to look it up.
New boyfriend, huh? Does he take AA or AAA batteries?
I hope to god Sharna & Charlie don’t read this, because they’ve taken enough of a beating this week. This is just Carrie Ann being completely self-indulgent and kicking them they’re already down. And I would hereby like to amend my previous season 14 analogy – Charlie isn’t Donald Driver anymore; at this rate, he’s headed down the same road as Ralph Macchio. And it just makes me sad.
OMG, Courtney that post is literally GOLD!!! “Sharna giving her a hand in making sure it gets up her ass” LOL!!! Love you!
The worst part – “Charlie dying to get a 10”. Considering every other couple has (not sure about Candace tho), why shouldn’t he. Carrie Ann is a sanctimonious bitch who needs to get off her platform of stupid and inconsistent opinions. Still pissed about this article.
OK, I told myself *not* to read this, but I wasn’t strong enough, and I did. Now I’m back to being absolutely furious.
How dare this piece of third-rate rubbish, who’s only claim to fame as far as I know is that she was one of Madonna’s backup dancers (like anyone knows or remembers them), take this condescending attitude toward an Olympic gold medalist? And as for the “10s have to be earned” bullshit, does she even know how to spell “hypocrite” because her picture should be in the dictionary next to that word.
I’m sure some idiot will bring this piece of crap to Charlie and Sharna’s attention, and all I can hope is that Charlie (who strikes me as a very intelligent guy) realizes exactly what he’s dealing with here and has the mental and emotional strength to shrug it off and enough ego to silently give CAI the middle finger. After this season is over, I hope Sharna walks up to CAI and gives her the bitch-slap she deserves.
I agree that Charlie’s Paso Doble should have gotten at least 3 10’s. And I agree that Carrie Ann’s wording is just plain odd. That said, I would like to say something in Meryl’s defense as being the “favorite from the start over Charlie.” Week 1, she received all 8’s, and Charlie all 9’s, I believe. Week 2, Meryl had one 9 and 3 8’s. I can’t remember what Charlie got, but it wasn’t any lower. Week 3 and 4, Meryl received 3 10’s and one 9. Week 5(Disney Night) Charlie received 3 10’s and one 9. Meryl received all 9’s. My pt is that Meryl only received a perfect 40 week 6, for her tango. So, as far as I can recall, Charlie was scored higher than Meryl twice. Does anyone know if CA was the judge who gave him the 9? If she gave a 10, then this is really weird.
I think that Meryl personally would be delighted to see Charlie get all 10’s. I really think that both of them support each other 100%
I don’t know what TPTB want, but Meryl doesn’t deserve hatred aimed at Carrie Ann. All Meryl has done is work hard and given her best effort like the other contestants. If you dislike her, dislike her on the basis of what she herself says or does, not Carrie Ann. Does that make sense?
Charlie and Meryl have faced a lot of hardship when they first started ice dancing-they were told they were too small for the sport which was populated with tall, long limbed dancers. They were not lyrical(which is a hoot since CAI is now saying Charlie is TOO lyrical when he dances). Meryl esp. got sneered at for her looks(one Canadian sport journalist/blogger called her The Human Fly and Charlie The Cherub).
So I don’t think CAI’s comments will dent his ego or self-esteem. Goodness, he got on top of his sport regardless of his asthma which makes him breathless sometimes when he finishes his routine on the ice. You think a fifth-rate so-called backup dancer will get him down.
If competing for the Olympics did not get him down I doubt that this will.
Sheri, who are you even talking to? I don’t think anyone is aiming “hatred” at Meryl – and by the way, that’s a pretty strong word and I think you should re-familiarize yourself with the definition of it. And even if they were – it’s not your place to tell them how to think, feel, or act. I approved your comment, but please keep your comments limited to your own opinions, instead of lecturing others about how they feel.
Edited to add that I made a mistake on week 5 – Charlie got one 10 and 3 9’s. Sorry about that.
Ria, I would agree with you about Charlie, but unfortunately, I’ve heard from our source that both Charlie & Sharna were visibly upset backstage on Monday, and were still feeling really hurt & disappointed by their scores in rehearsal yesterday. Olympian mentality or not, it is getting to them, and I am not gonna sit here and pretend that Charlie’s bulletproof – he’s human, he has feelings, and they’ve been hurt.
If that is true then I am now really, really mad. At Len, particularly,
since his comment was just cruel. He seems to have had it for Charlie since the start when he got those high marks. I almost wish that he gets eliminated this week so he does not have to go thru this again.
And when he goes, I don’t think I will watch this show again which really depresses me because this is the only show that I have watched for years.
I actually prefer Len to CAI because he did give Charlie a 10 for the Jazz and called out on Meryl’s salsa. I hope Charlie pays more attention to the support his fans are showing than CAI’s blog. I know I shouldn’t direct my anger for CAI towards Meryl, but I get the sense she’s going along with the fix that’s in for Maks and that just disgusts me .
Court, you’re breaking my heart telling us these things about Charlie and Sharna. I want to make it better for them, and I know I can’t. It makes me feel helpless, and that makes me mad.
Why is it that TPTB always take the best celeb lineups and then ruin the season with this type of nasty, ugly, unking, manipulative garbage? I was so looking forward to this season, and it’s turning out like the All-Stars season all over again for me.
And then here’s another drive-by waltzing in to tell me not to “hate Meryl”. I don’t hate Meryl and I’m sure she’s upset that her ice-dance partner and friend of 17 years is being treated like this while she’s getting bathed in praise and practically coronated as this season’s giddy delight. However, there’s going to be some spillover onto her of the frustration viewers are feeling at the horribly inequitable treatment Charlie’s been receiving from the judges. It’s human nature that people won’t feel as kindly disposed to her even though this isn’t her fault. That doesn’t mean I “hate” her, and to suggest that I do shows a lack of sophistication and maturity on the part of anyone who would suggest it.
I’m just so disappointed. I love D&W when I saw their Olympic performance. I used to watch ice dancing years and years ago but it was
all Russians and Europeans and I was so glad when I heard that an American dancing duo won the Olympics. I read articles about them and watched everything they had on youtube and fell more in love.
I watched Dancing this year mainly for them. I hate to say it but I liked Charlie more as his personality came out in this show but started disliking Meryl because of all the pawing and snuggling around with Maks. I don’t know but I just find it so icky and it made me like her less.
I am flying to San Diego in May so my sister and I can see their Stars on Ice show because I want to see them perform live. Now, I am just hoping I will still enjoy the show the fullest even though my feelings for Meryl has changed.
Ananya, I’m mad too, but I don’t think Meryl’s going along with the fix. What’s she supposed to do about it? Come out and say the show is rigged? Tell everyone Maks’s choreography is a walk in the park compared to Sharna’s? Deliberately screw up a dance? This is her first exposure to the ultra-fake, ultra-manipulated world of “reality tv”. She has no experience from which to draw that would help her respond to a situation like this.
Ria, don’t let this season permanently ruin your good opinion of Meryl. I think it would hurt Charlie to know you felt that way. They’re both good people, I’m sure, and they’re both out of their element and coping the best they can. Go to San Diego, soak up every wonderful moment, and send the Mods here at Pure review of the show and Charlie/Meryl’s performance — it might make a nice piece for them to use in the off-season when news is slow.
I agree with all the sentiments expressed. CAI infuriates me with her self-serving b.s. Charlie has more than earned 10’s. Meryl & Maks are indeed the chosen couple this year and as someone else mentioned it reminds me of All Star Season.
The judges are doing their typical routine of over praising one couple while nitpicking Charlie and making it seem like he’s not working hard enough or he “hasn’t earned a 10.” I’m really looking forward to his Quickstep.
Cidra #21, of course I don’t expect Meryl to do that. But Maks and Meryl are always in close embrace and nibbling on each other, even through interviews. It seems so over the top. It seems like a ploy to rile up the shippers. I’m at a point where I’ll have to keep a barf bag handy to sit through their rumba. CAI is just adding fuel to the fire for the “chosen one”
Cidra, you are a bigger person than I am. I know it is illogical and I know it is not Meryl’s fault but watching her on DWTS I don’t think I will feel the same for her as I did before the show.
I still like the two of them and I sincerely hope they go on to have more success, they deserve it.
However, I don’t even know if I will continue to watch the show now. I don’t enjoy it anymore with all these blatant maneuverings and backstage manipulation. I was hoping that if Charlie can not win it Amy will but with her health problems I just don’t know.
Thanks, Ananya, “(M&M) are always…nibbling on each other” 😛 and the barf bag reference forced a chuckle out of me which is a good thing. As annoying as this season is, I really need to try to find and keep my sense of humor.
I grant you, the cuddling does seem over the top; but I’m trying hard not to judge Meryl since I don’t have much experience with her. Now CAI, I have *no* problem judging since I’ve been watching her hypocrisy and vajayjay fueled behavior for what seems like forever. 🙄
Nooo, it breaks my heart to read that Charlie is hurt by the judging. He and Meryl came on the show because they just wanted to have fun and learn new dance skills and share the ride with their fans. Isn’t that exactly the kind of attitude the show should be celebrating and promoting? Instead they’ve chosen to try and beat the joy out of one the sweetest guy in the world, and for what?
If they wanted to smooth the path for Maks and Meryl, they didn’t have to do it this way. Charlie’s a world class competitor – he’d have taken lower scores in stride if they’d given him consistent or constructive criticism. But no, they just dismiss his work as “meh, not special.” No contestant deserves such disrespect, especially one who throws himself so completely into the show.
You callin’ me fat, Ria? Just kidding!!!! Thanks for the compliment. I know it’s hard when someone you thought was great behaves in a way that’s not consistent with your expectations.
As for DWTS, like I said above, TPTB have ruined this season for me too. I won’t give up on Charlie and Sharna, but hanging around to watch them get kicked around is going to be very hard. I can only imagine how Sharna must feel. She was so psyched to get Charlie. This is just one season for Charlie and he’s got an Olympic gold medal, but this is Sharna’s profession, and what a professionally validating season it could have been for her if she and Charlie were being treated fairly.
Yes, that is the sad part. They came just to have fun and they are such good fans of the show. And they managed to crush his spirit instead.
Thanks a lot guys.
The fact that I previously commented on one of your blogs (if that’s the right term) still has me a bit surprised at myself. But dance is one of my obsessions & my grandchildren the other…it was they who opened the world of ice dance to me. Now I find myself commenting on the Parade blog of Ms Inaba and back here again. 2 of my granddaughter were in tears this past Monday – 1 going so far as to saying they were warned in school about “bullying” and that Ms Inaba and Mr Goodman were just bullies and plain mean. They were so upset and though we tried to use it as a learning experience have decided we no longer will watch the show. How can an entertainment show go so wrong or perhaps it”s me; is rude, offensive, shallow rhetoric showered on individuals who have to stand there in front of a live audience & a viewing audience of millions week after week be considered entertainment. I find Mr White an extremely talented, articulate and positive young man. Scripted or not their treatment (not exclusively him but he seems to be their main repetitive target) had my family wincing. Her reference to his knee may be ominous, I was afraid that this could be a serious problem; seeing his knee brace on during rehearsal,and then his admitting to a catch in his knee while performing and his rather over enthusiastic team performance (possible indication of pain medication) and then when he vaulted over his partner not as elegant as we’ve seen before (favoring his knee would create off balance). Wishing him the best. What we had anticipated as entertaining creative Mondays with the family has turned out to be a frustrating, disillusioning experience (other than having found a superior inspiration for my hockey obsessed grandsons). **Message from my 11 yr old granddaughter- she says Mr White has received 2 10’s – 1 from Mr Goodman & 1 from Mr Ricky Martin; also Meryl looked very upset when the judges were scoring and that the funny man on the end (Bruno?) clasped his hands and looked like he was asking Charlie White to “forgive” him. I shall continue following you, and maybe somewhere down the line depending on what I find here I may check out the show again. But for now it’s DVD Monday nights for the family.
I am sorry that CAI’s blog upset so many of us who appreciate Charlie and how hard he has been working and two of the judges seems negative toward’s him. But, I’m not going to under estimate Charlie nor Sharna’s pro dancer talent. While I agree that he should have gotten at least one or two 10’s this week, I started calculating all the remaining couple’s total scores for weeks 1 through 7. As is stands right now (according to my records) Charlie is tied in 2nd place along with Amy and Danica. I hope he realized this, cause he’s still in the game and has a chance yet to “W O W I E…W O W …W O W …W O W…us! I think Sharna is going to choreograph a great Quickstep that just might do that, and since Charlie is good at this kind of dance (Disney dance was one) he just might surprise us and cause CAI to fall out of her seat and even loose her boobs out over her dress. As Tom’s once said (S16) “it wouldn’t be the first time!” 🙂
I hope this is ok to post my calculations. If anyone has something different feel free to correct me. OK
DWTS Weeks 1 – 7 Totals 300/300
Meryle & Maks ….. 281/300 … 1st place
Charlie & Sharna .. 269/300 … 2nd tie
Amy & Derek ……. 269/300 … tie
Danica & Val …… 269/300 … tie
James & Peta …… 263/300 … 3rd place
Candace & Mark …. 261/300 … 4th place
I also had a thought that could benefit Charlie a great deal. What if Sharna could grab Derek for little bit to give Charlie some pointers and work with him as he is used to the male’s part in the dance and it might help Charlie to see maneuvers done by a male. I know Sharna is a good teacher, but a man do dance moves just might be what Charles needs to get that edge. It would be worth a try, and who better that the champ, Derek to show him. I know Derek likes them both and knowing him, he would do if asked. I don’t do twitter and don’t know how to get the idea forwarded to Sharna. Maybe someone on here could contact her. I know pros have done this in the past.
Yes KreativeKat, I wish that Derek would have a private talk with Charlie about how things work and to not take things to heart. I have been very discouraged by the fact that Charlie, who brings so much laughter and charm to the show, is having his spirit crushed. I guess I should after all these DWTS years that I should be used to the passive/aggressive bullying that comes from the judges table.
Balanchine thank you for posting on CAI’s blog. I read your comments there. I wanted to comment too on that site but found out I have to register or open an account and I did not want to do that.
I hope she gets more unfavorable comments on her blog and they get rid of her next season. I don’t even understand why she is a judge.
I still have faith that once Charlie does more ballroom dances, he will get those 10s. I think it’s part of the storyboarding for him, but I agree that it’s taking a toll on his spirit. I think Meryl and Charlie are more used to the behind the scenes manipulation than some might think. Ice dancing is full of it, and more often than not, the winners are determined before they even skate. It’s kind of like DWTS without the voting aspect.
The only reason I can see for TPTB to get rid of Charlie is so the Meryl/Charlie fans don’t split their votes and Maks does indeed get that promised mirror ball. They wouldn’t go THAT far, would they???
Balanchine, I love your name! I’ve loved George Balanchine and NYCB since the early 80’s.
Courtney #8, as Latrice Royale would say “Oh, the shade of it all!”, and I love it.
I was dividing my vote between Meryl and Charlie. No more. Charlie gets everything.
I hope Sharna and Charlie can overcome this sort of crap and just stay focused. One of the things the DWTS powers to me do season after season is underestimate their viewers. We’ve demonstrated over and over again that we can see through their bullshit methods of promoting their agenda. That gives me hope.
editing because “to me” is not the same as “that be”.
We had better have the barf bags on hand because Maks has already tweeted to the shippers, I mean fans, that next week’s dance will be very special. I do not understand the need for his strategy given he has a first class dancer and a very popular one at that. Do we think totb are dictating it? I am puzzled.
A note to the “drive-by morality police” that seem to have descended on this post to try and force us all to share their views: if you’re a first-time poster and you’re telling our readers how to think, feel, and act, or getting up on your high horse and lecturing everyone on why they should like/dislike someone, you’ve earned yourself a one-way ticket to the garbage. I’m guessing one of the Meryl & Maks’ sites is currently losing their minds over the fact that not everyone shares their opinion, and have deployed the flying monkeys to try and force us to comply – because there has been an unusually high number of new posters spouting pro-Meryl & Maks sentiments (and scoldings for those already commenting here) popping up in my moderation queue in the past 12 hours. Since our policies are apparently not clear (or these individuals are just too disrespectful to heed them), allow me to elucidate: if you’re posting rude, insulting, bossy, arrogant, intentionally inflammatory, incoherent, or illegible things in your comments, we reserve the right to delete them. And yes, telling everyone they should “be nice to Meryl” falls into that category – I don’t appreciate people coming into my house and telling my guests what to do. Whether or not you agree with the opinions here, it’s not your job to dismiss any of them – you’re welcome to talk about how YOU love Meryl, and want her to win; but you don’t get to sit there and tell me and my friends that we’re wrong for not particularly caring for her. Hopefully we’re clear now…
…and even though I don’t feel any obligation whatsoever to explain myself to any of you, I’ll say this: I don’t “hate” Meryl (and if you’re using that word to describe the sentiments here regarding Meryl, you’re a drama queen) – I’m annoyed with the situation that has been created around her and what it’s doing to some of the other couples (namely Charlie & Sharna). My beef is not with Meryl herself – it’s with the pimping she’s getting from the judges & PTB. Exactly the same thing I said 2 years ago about William Levy – no personal beef with the guy, just hate the situation around him. And of course, the William fans (just like the Meryl fans) were either illiterate or too lazy to read what we wrote and went automatically went into “You aren’t allowed to hate William…you’re such a HATER!!!” mode and felt the need to defend his honor whenever anyone spoke less than over-the-top praise about him. So learn the difference, angry Meryl fans – and quit trying to silence the opposition. Do you really feel that threatened by us? 🙂
Between CAI and Abbey Miller the Mute button will get plenty of action this Monday, and the dog will def have to go out during M&M’s rumba. I am still in hope that Charlie & Amy can overcome their injuries, (& the BS) and make it to the end.
+1 Court. Couldn’t have said it better on Meryl, Charlie, and Sharna!!
@Rose – The thing is, the song that Meryl & Maks got for their rumba SOUNDS romantic, but if you actually listen to the lyrics, the song is actually about finding your voice and speaking out against injustice. It’s not a love song at all – even the artist confirmed it during an interview. So unless Meryl & Maks are going to be protesting the war in Syria during their rumba…I sincerely doubt it’s going to be that “special”.
As for Maks pandering to the shippers – I think that’s ALL him doing it, perhaps with Lounge Lizard Grubman whispering words of encouragement in his ear. He probably loves the extra attention, and sees all those goo-goo-eyed shippers as extra votes.
LOL Courtney ” protesting the war in Syria during their rumba.” Now that might be something worth watching.
Being shipped with Maks is a bit like being Hannibal Lechter’s dinner companion, dicey at best. He has a kind of scorched earth relationship history and if I were professing my love for Meryl, I certainly wouldn’t also be wishing Maks on her. Comes under the category of with friends like these …
All the blatant pushing of Meryl is making me want her gone …All my votes will go to Charlie now as I prefer his dancing and much prefer Sharnas choreography. In the past the producers pushing for someone has back fired and tbh I hope it does here which is sad as I started out really rooting for Meryl.
I’m pretty sure it’s all Maks’ decision to play up this showmance. He knows what he’s doing, he’s probably desperate to win, and he knows there are people out there that love a showmance – and especially one with him involved. So he hugs and kisses Meryl when the cameras are on him.
My take on Meryl is she’s a devoted student and partner, and sincerely likes and respects Maks. I don’t really see signs of her playing along with the showmance – I mean she doesn’t look that comfortable when he’s constantly hugging her, but I also don’t see her as the kind of person to say “cut the crap, you’re making me uncomfortable.” She’s just trying to be nice to him.
I agree, Buttercup – Meryl seems like the type that just wants everyone to get along and everything to go smoothly…doesn’t seem like the type that likes to rock the boat a whole lot.
Yes. Courtney #39 comment, the paragraph regarding Meryl. My feeling too. For about 60 seconds a couple of weeks ago I was thinking, wow, maybe CAI has had an epiphany, she’s not going to just “go with the plan”, or whatever is whispered in her ear…. WRONG, and I should have known better. It’s exactly why I am the cynic I am most of the time.
It is very clear to me that they are going to keep shovelling this sh$t in hopes enuf will buy it to get Maks his precious MBT. Facts, superior performances, viewers votes and anything else somewhat rational, be damned. If I had sat with CAI through these performances and she proceeded to make the above statements, I would ask her if she has vision problems and then I would call her a liar to her face. I’ll just say here tptb have an agenda, and she is definitly going along with it. I think Meryl and others are as well, if only by their silence. Meryl hasn’t been improving each week and she’s not even working to about 50% of her capacity if she had a capable partner.But the judges saying it is so is good enough to sway some peoples votes and that IS the mission after all.
It is one thing to hear these judges throw around some of the most ridiculous, inaccurate things on live tv but then to actually see it “written” is mind-blowing
But why is it worth to manipulate and stir so much and put all this efort towards making maks and meryl get the mirrorball? For who is it worth that much? i think for meryl making it till the final would be perfectly enough and I think from like the second week its clear to everyone she could manage that based only on her dancing. Maybe Maks finally wants one… for his ego, but does he truly have tptb warpped around his little finger so tightly that all the strings are being pulled(as some suggest) for this to happen? I would be very surprised if Maks wish would have such a power.
Maks has always been the type to drape himself over his partners like a human cape. It would drive me nuts.
This blog really made me cringe – CAI is so annoying and so inconsistent. What is most annoying imo is that she seems to be thinking that she is the queen of justice. She has got zero self-knowledge.
Unless they are going to start praising Charlie now and upping his scores for W8-10, making redemption and improvement in the end his ‘storyboard’, it does seem like they are setting it up for Meryl to be the ‘undisputed best’ and eventual winner.
To me, scoring them more evenly, as they should be, would have made a more interesting season story…a ‘who is going to be on top in the end, they are both so good’ story.
I really dislike that they are pushing so hard that the M&M partnership is so great. it is great, but I think C&S are great together too.
With all of that considered, it seems like the point is not about Meryl….but about Maks. Even their video packages are more about Maks then Meryl. This season is the get Maks his first win story line. Sharna hasn’t paid her dues yet. Ugh.
But it might be good for Charlie in the end if they keep it up….producers plan could backfire a la Zendaya. But, even if this works out for Charlie, I hate to see he and Sharna baffled about what they need to do more each week. I hope they just take the Derek route and create awesome, memorable dances for the fans and enjoy the rest of the show and it just might work out for them in the end.
What’s also galling about this is that the producers are likely the ones who asked Charlie and Sharna about their frustrations at not getting 10s, and then edited a package that was all about how they were desperate to get 10s. So, then for CAI and the others to take this condescending tone about him wanting 10s, when the whole reason it was in the package was no doubt producer-induced, is really irritating. Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure they want 10s, and they are frustrated, but C & S aren’t giving the producers any gossip or scandal to use for the packages, so they created this “10” issue with the judges. Gross.
I wonder if TPTB are trying to create conflict–or at least a sense of conflict–between Davis and White.
If they were really trying to promote Meryl, this is a pretty ham-fisted way of doing it, since all that it’s doing is generating a ton of sympathy votes for Charlie. TV executives can be stupid, but I don’t think they’re that stupid.
And why would TPTB care about who wins in the end, as long as they get a good show? And to get a good show, they need rivalry and drama. D/W’s constant “we’re in this together” doesn’t make for much drama or controversy. But treating them differently? That does generate drama and buzz, and a lot of it.
As for where I’m coming from: I’m a huge Davis/White fan; been watching them on TV for years. I want them to be first and second–doesn’t matter to me which one of those two is on top as long as both are. So I’m really upset that Charlie is getting screwed, but I’m also upset that, in doing so, they are manufacturing Charlie-vs-Meryl tension among the fans.
I say too… WTF? Charlie is a world class athlete. He knows a 10 has to be earned. What he does not need is to be kicked to the curb without any explanation. And stop criticizing him for something the producers most likely forced on him. Even the pros know Charlie is getting screwed.
You don’t get to Charlie’s level of athleticism by negative thinking. Sharna tweeted that he and she are just more motivated by the judges’ negativity.
I have super-high hopes for his Quickstep, but am worried because Abbie Lee Miller is the guest judge. *shudders*
I don’t think that TPTB get that nothing they can do will change the great Davis/White relationship. You can bet that D/W are having some interesting conversations while warming up and skating with Stars on Ice. They have been having ups and downs with each other their entire career – just think – Meryl sat out a whole Ice Dancing season because Charlie broke his ankle or something helping his high school win the State Hockey Championships. They have personal depth as a team.
[Note to mod: Sorry for another comment just after I commented, but I went back and read some more comments, and would like to add a couple things. If you approve the first comment, feel free to combine this one with it.]
I think the knew injury is a chronic thing. Charlie is often seen wearing a knee brace in rehearsals.
It breaks my heart to read that Charlie and Sharna so disappointed it’s affecting their rehearsals. 🙁
This Charlie vs. Meryl thing is just stupid! They are each others biggest supporters. Yes, they’re competing against each other, but you can tell by their reactions to each other’s performances & critiques, they are there for each other.
In response to “Even the pros know Charlie is getting screwed.”:
I’ll add that even Maks looked unhappy with the scoring. He was shaking his head when CAI gave her 9. Then he cheered when Ricky gave his 10. And he booed when Len gave his 8. (In case someone says that maybe he was faking it, I want to note that the four of them–D/W and their partners–have been spending weeks together–flying together, taking road trips together, dining together, etc.–that I think he really does care about Charlie getting screwed and that his reactions at the outrageous scores were genuine.)
In response to “I have super-high hopes for his Quickstep, but am worried because Abbie Lee Miller is the guest judge.”:
I think if he gets 10’s from the three permanent judges, that’ll be what matters, regardless of what the guest judge says. I think it might also depend on who comments first; I wonder if the judges would’ve been as harsh on Charlie if Len hadn’t opened with his snark and set the tone for everyone else (except Ricky).
Even Lindsay Arnold(one of the troupe dancers)said Charlie’s Paso was one of the best ones she has seen on the show and she can not understand
the judges scores at all. Which is what Val also said.
And Cynthia Dagnal-Myron, an award winning journalist who now blogs at the Huffington Post who is a big admirer of Charlie just posted to CAI blog:
“How much sharper did you want Charlie White in his Paso? Are we watching a different show from you guys?”
Even she can’t stand the uneven scoring of these 3 clowns.
Thanks, Ria (#60), that made me smile. 😀
I can’t believe how condescending CAI is towards Charlie, and I’m thinking that she must be watching a different show than I am, because I think that most of the comments she’s made about Charlie should be applied to Maks & Meryl. And I agree that the whole “tens” drama was producer scripted (or at least elicited).
What’s even more frustrating are the people who *believe* the judges’ comments, and think that Meryl is really killing it, and that Charlie is turning in average performances. It’s an illusion, manufactured by TPTB and judges – Charlie is dancing brilliantly (certainly at *least* as well as Meryl, and IMO better).
Your site has come highly recommended. I hope I follow proper protocol. When time permits I have tuned into dwts. the dance aspect & the progression of the participants & of course all the hoopla surrounding the productions has brought me much relaxing enjoyment. All reality shows (as do most competitions) are geared to getting their audiences emotionally invested. This season they have engaged some rather unique individuals with compelling backstories (Amy, Meryl, Charlie) which have added fuel to the fire so to speak in already established emotion driven chapters (Derek, Maks, the bros, the judges etc). I will confine my Opinions to the subject at hand – Charlie.
1) He began the season with across the board 9’s – as mentioned by the judges this was a very high bar & in order to show progression he must surpass it. In other words he must be perfect to go higher (they were telling by him by implication that he would be scored against himself & it didn’t matter what other participants scored or how less challenging their programs & how they executed them) -considering it was a cookie cutter genre for him with serious challenging genre’s to come later it was basically setting him up for failure. If there were a requirement of no scores above an 8 for the first 3 shows it would allow for growth for even the most gifted participant.
Now ice dancers in particular have what can be classified as a symbiotic relationship
1+1=1. Together they make a whole. We are talking regarding their professional not personal relationship. Using a tree as reference – Charlie is the trunk & branches. His lower body (hips down) support him, all movements of his upper body, all of his partner Meryl and her movement. His upper body (above the hips) are used for expression and stability of his partner. Simultaneously their innovative side by side synchro technical versatility & speed has allowed him to develop & perfect his innate fluid graceful movement & timing. Meryl is the graft on the tree, that which flowers & enhances the tree – her free movement (other than ankles & feet) allows her to perform the lifts & lyrical positions. This free movement allows her to transition more easily to dance on solid surface. Charlie’s training and conditioning from childhood was solidity and now he is asking his lower body to do movements never actually attempted before,therefore his learning curve is more steep. This can definitely contribute to the discrepancy between their transition to dance.
Olympians are a totally different animal then any others – totally goal oriented they will push themselves to reach that goal – more effort more time anything and everything – they will never give up. Now they have new partnerships and they bring these traits with them. I’m certain they are/were quite aware of storyboarding, the drama etc this venture involved. They’ve been critically evaluated in front of audiences, falling in national/international competitions in front of discerning audiences, being castigated by coaches for their failure to perform elements was/is all a part of achieving a goal & they would take these critiques and work to overcome their failures; so the dwts judging is accepted with perfect equanimity. I am starting to wonder if they took into consideration that this symbiotic relationship isn’t just physical but also mental. What they do or don’t do doesn’t just effect them but also their partner. So Charlie now has a new partner/instructor and he will automatically associate his failure to achieve a goal not just to himself but to his partner & that he is failing her and affecting her adversely. He doesn’t even have to be doing this consciously because it is an innate part of who he is. Week after week he has come & done everything Sharna asked & failed in the eyes of the judges.
So if he is getting worn down in all probability it is the fact that he feels he is failing her; he admittedly mentioned I am in it for “fun: but he is aware this is her profession his success or failure will reflect on her since she is not just a partner but his instructor.
He wants to succeed to reach his goal of perfection not just for himself but also for her…she can support him, she can reassure him but she can’t change his intrinsic association that his success or failure involves her. Finally he is being given precise information from the judges as to what specifically is expected of him, he finally has a goal to work towards & for each acknowledged achievement from these judges he will feel he is on the right track towards his goal and he is not adversely affecting his partner. Mind games are hell. So Ms Inaba & the other judge by giving him specific direction may have not alleviated frustration with himself but at least has not left him blowing in the wind trying to figure out for himself what he was or wasn’t doing and what he needed to do (it was evident from Sharna’s demeanor that he was doing everything she demanded of him) The judges needed to be open, specific and honest with what they wanted (the fact that he is so accomplished was probably a factor in the judges themselves wondering exactly what to tell him what he must do). But this is their field of expertise and they have a precocious contender who is a challenge to them & who is entitled to specifics. Finally they are doing that & so actually he is finally getting fair treatment. Maybe the tide has turned & there are better weeks ahead for Charlie & Sharna. As a side note – he now is asking his body to do things that he has spent most of his life preventing it from doing – it does make him prone to injury especially those vulnerable knees.
Personally I love that blond happy piece of sunshine, he seems to be totally overflowing with empathy and people respond to him like honey to a bee and he is very very talented.
Yes Carrie Ann. William Levy totally deserved a 10 for his freestyle where he literally did a few lifts, walked to a different part of the stage, lifted Cheryl around again and bared his chest.
TOTALLY deserving of tens.
ABC, seriously get rid of her.
Oops. Forgot to add some stuff.
If William (and others that don’t come to mind at the moment) can get for 10s for the dances he did, then Charlie deserves 12 paddles for the dances he’s done.
If you watch figure skating, there will be times when someone who does a clean, flawless skate gets a lower score than someone who does fell a couple of times, but made up for it with a more technically difficult routine.
The problem here is that judging on DWTS isn’t like figure skating judging, because it doesn’t really take technical difficulty into account. I mean, if they fully account for difficulty, Meryl and Charlie would be straight 10’s from day one. Instead, it seems like the judges, when judging those two, start at 10 and then dock points off for mistakes.
And, let’s face it, Charlie’s dance was not clean. There were times when he had to correct his footing and a couple of brief hesitations when he lost his timing. I agree with what Chelsie said on the AfterBuzz ep: it would be better to have a slightly simpler routine if comes out clean, than to have a harder routine, if that means having these little errors.
(I’m not saying that this is fair or anything–I want D/W to both get straight 10’s–I just think that their strategy should be to put clean execution first so as to not give the judges any ammunition.)
I hope I am not cluttering up your board…there is the possibility that the judges who I must believe are under contract are following orders by their employer – that there is storyboarding for Charlie to forestall the faction of the audience that feel the ice dancers are totally unbeatable and to deflect adverse attn away from Meryl’s superlative performance (which already to a certain extent has been muted because of her partner’s large popular fan base). Also if he manages to achieve the higher scores & can draw on a stable growing voting base he will make the finale very interesting – and it is totally within his range ( his partner/instructor has done admirably by him thus far) the judges scores are a must but it is the voting audience that makes the win – and all remaining contenders are within range…low score plus minimal votes and your gone..moderate to high scores still must have moderate to high voting & the necessity for both to go higher & higher as the weeks progress is a must.
Cynthia Dagnal-Myron, the journalist that I mentioned before cleanly summarized what I have always thought about why Charlie is getting nitpicked by the judges.
She is a fan of D/W and is wondering why Charlie is not getting the same treatment as Meryl. He has done 4 amazing routines that should have garnered him some 10’s but have not so far.
She said that this TV show almost always has an agenda and has already the idea that Meryl should win this season or at least be shown better than Charlie which coincides with many people predicting a Meryl-Amy finale at the end. They let Charlie shine in the first dances but is now trying to rein in the momentum by letting the judges nitpick him so Meryl’s win appears legit. He is the only one to seriously challenge
Meryl(aside from Amy who still could and hope does if Charlie does not)
and they can not let him do that.
I really hate that they are doing this to Charlie and part of me wishes
he can just go home and enjoy his rest instead of going thru this frustration every week but I feel that he feels he owes it to Sharna as
one poster said although I personally feel that it is a losing proposition.
I will just say I hate the producers of this show for putting him and Sharna thru this and I really hope it backfires on them.