DWTS Season 11, Week 9 – Controversial Media Continues, A New Poll, & More

So, for starters, I’m curious. If you were mainly a “Maks and Brandy” fan and/or voting for them a lot before (like I was. I also threw some votes every week to others like Audrina and Jennifer), who will you support now?

Me?>>> all the way may to Jennifer and Derek!! All bets are off.lol

Speaking of Maks, he gave E Online an interview. In this interview, he quotes how “rediculous” the show is this Season. He also brought up a quote from Bristol where she said he “hated her” which, he said, isn’t true. You have to wonder how much a comment like that played into the votes this week? Here’s a take. Be sure to read more at the link. Special thanks to PureDWTS fan Carlie for this news.

Are you mad at all about it?I felt really disappointed with Bristol. On Monday night, I found out that she went on record saying that I said something about her along the lines of, “I don’t like her because she’s still here and she’s not a good enough dancer.” Every time I’ve opened my mouth about Bristol, I’ve been nothing but supportive…For her to come out on Monday night and totally smear my name the way she did, that’s just completely uncalled for…I have no idea where she got it from, but wherever she got it from, shame on her and shame on whoever told her that.

What about the alleged right-wing conspiracy theory keeping Bristol on the show? Are you starting to believe it?I definitely think that the system is flawed. I think there are a lot of problems with it. I have a lot of friends in the Philadelphia area who couldn’t call at all. People here, in front of me, picked up the phone, dialed one time and it said, “Thank you for voting. You are over your limit.” Anybody crazy would think, “This is a conspiracy theory. Everybody’s out there and wants Bristol to win.” Not at all. I think it’s just a flawed system.

Do you think Bristol could win?I really don’t care. I think at this point I’m rooting for Kyle [Massey] because this kid has come on with no fan base, with not a known name, not someone who is in incredible shape or had a phenomenal dance background…Kyle does have the same resilience as Bristol, same dance ability as Jennifer [Grey], but he’s just that kid next door…I think he’s amazing.

Maks also discussed the elimination to People. He also addressed the Bristol quote again.

As Chmerkovskiy comforted his teary-eyed partner backstage, the pro dancer admitted to facing some hurdles during the season.

“Most recently, Bristol said I don’t like her,” Chmerkovskiy said. “I never said it. I just want to make sure that people understand that I’m just a dancer. That’s all I am, and I don’t aspire to be a politician at all. I express my opinion when it comes to only dancing. This season, I’ve been so focused on Brandy that I really didn’t look at anybody else.”

Here is the exact original quote from what Bristol said to In Touch Weekly.

Some viewers are criticizing Bristol Palin’s longevity on this season’s Dancing With the Stars, and according to the Alaskan beauty, certain fellow dancers are giving her the cold shoulder, as well! “Maks (Chmerkovskiy) does not like me. He thinks I don’t deserve to be here because I’m not the best dancer,” Bristol tells In Touch about contestant Brandy’s professional partner. The reality star, who remains amongst the final four pairs on the ABC hit dancing competition series, thinks she even has a chance to win the mirror ball trophy. “The show is all about taking someone who has never performed, never danced and turning them into a dancer,” she explains. “I guarantee I am the most improved. I really do work my butt off!”

I’m with Maks. It was totally uncool that she smeared his name like that before the show for something that wasn’t true and that he never said.

Erin Andrews also spoke on the elimination at Movie Line. She also remarked how a bunch of Maks fans were sending her tweets blaming her for the elimination. Huh?? Crazy…this is so out of control.

Before we descend into a real discussion about Brandy and Maks’s elimination, let’s talk about their dances. How’d you feel they did? You’ll remember they scored a perfect 30 once.
I thought they did great. As always, they were very, very solid. The paso she did, she just showed that aggression and attitude. The paso is very angry, and I thought it was perfect. I just really, really enjoyed her paso a lot. With the Argentine Tango, I actually thought they had great luck because those are Maks’s strongest dances that he choreographs. Those were my two favorite dances that I did with him. They also obviously got the encore, which was wonderful. I thought the judges did a great job scoring them. And she was really good. One thing she did great with this week was her emotions. She chilled out a bit, and she even referenced it when she was getting her scores. Now, I will tell you a little side note, my friend. Our little Movieline chat last week caused a big, big stir with Brandy’s fans. I got some not-so-nice tweets about that.

Oh, God.Oh, you have no idea! Brandy had to call off the hounds and tell everyone to just relax. It’s kind of funny, because if you watched the show last night, Mark Ballas said the same exact thing I said in that pre-produced package. You can just tell how bad she wants it. Then they showed all these shots of her closing her eyes and being really intense. I never said that as a bad thing! That’s too bad that people misinterpreted it. My whole thing is — and I’m sure I’ll get criticized again — is I wanted her to enjoy the experience for what it is. It doesn’t matter if you win the mirror ball trophy or not. It’s about having the best experience and making the most out of the journey. But oh my goodness, I didn’t know that was such a terrible thing to say. And now I’m getting blamed for her losing as well! I appreciated her performance this week. I thought she did a very good job and was really relatable to fans at home. I thought this was probably the most real we saw her throughout the entire season.

Well, people would have to be idiots to blame you for Brandy’s elimination. It’s pretty obvious that Bristol has a big voting machine behind her, Kyle’s become an underdog favorite, and that means a consistently solid competitor like Brandy is bound to fall through the cracks at the last moment.
And also, don’t blame it on me — I put my votes in! Give me a break! I saw Brandy and Maks on Good Morning America this morning and on Jimmy Kimmel last night, and they were saying, “People say ‘I don’t want that person to win,’ and then they don’t vote for the person they want to win.’” I went on Good Morning America on Tuesday morning and talked about Bristol, and they asked me, “Is there a conspiracy?” And I said, “No! She’s just getting more votes! People are flooding the phone lines to vote for her!” At this point, all the negative publicity that she’s getting — all the Tea Party, Sarah Palin, “She shouldn’t be there!”, Rick and Kurt and Brandy were robbed! — I think this has helped her. From my standpoint, I felt like after she did her first dance on Monday, she got some of the loudest applause in the ballroom. I feel like now, people just feel bad. Is it her fault that she’s gone out there and done the best she can do? No. She knows she’s not the best dancer. She said that. It’s pretty obvious. But is it her fault that people are flooding the phone lines for her? No! In the end, what is she supposed to do? “I can’t take all this negative criticism. I’m going to quit.” No! What has she done wrong? I think there are a lot of people who feel bad for her, and they think, “You know what, I’m going to vote for her.” I feel bad!

Your beloved Maks was eliminated. He has still never won the mirror ball trophy. How would you describe your feelings about what happened with him?I’m heartbroken for Maks. Despite what Brandy’s fans feel about me, I clearly thought they were going to win the whole thing. I said that the first time he had her. I even texted him that. “You’ve got it. You’re going to win.” As much as we say, “It’s a TV show!” it’s also part of his profession. You always want to be considered the best at your profession. I feel personally bad that I wasn’t able to get him the mirror ball. You feel a little regret there as well. I’m very sad for Maks. He works so hard and does nothing but try to make his stars feel so comfortable and beautiful. He makes sure they feel prepared. Many times, these pro dancers do so much more than teach you a routine. They are your friend, and really, your best friend throughout the whole thing. For me, because I didn’t know LA, Maks helped me get adjusted to a new area. He helped me with so much more than on the dance floor, and it sounds like from everything Brandy has said, like “I have a friend for life” — he was the same way with her. In that respect, you know the work he put into this season. You just love that he’s in it to win it. He has a lot of pride. I feel so bad.

Erin also discusses all the dances plus what she hopes for the upcoming dances. Will Jennifer and Derek do a dance to “(I’ve Had The)Time Of My Life”? I’m with Erin. I hope so. Be sure to read the link for more.

So, here are some things we didn’t see on the Results show reported by People.

• Mark Ballas explained the black nail polish he displayed on his fingers during Tuesday night’s show, telling PEOPLE that it wasn’t Palin who gave him the manicure, and for the finals, he is “thinking hot pink with rhinestones. I’m trying to get a nail endorsement.”

• Enrique Iglesias received one of the warmest welcomes of any of the guest performers this season. When cameras weren’t rolling and he hopped on the stage, a group of girls chanted, “Hi Enrique!” The crowd then screamed as Iglesias gave several friendly waves. But when he asked everyone to sing the lyrics to his hit single, “I Like It,” he told them their attempt “sucked,” adding, “That was bad. Let’s try again.”

• The two couples deemed safe right away during elimination – Grey and Hough along with Massey and Schwimmer – came out during commercial break to hug and kiss the two couples in jeopardy. But the couples up for elimination didn’t interact at all. Standing right next to each other and not saying a word, Chmerkovskiy looked slightly nervous, swaying back and forth with his hands in his pockets, while Palin flipped her hair and giggled.

And this will make Heidi’s day complete. lol Here is Tom on the elimination from Zap2it.

“You get down to this point, and it’s always going to be hard, but I was surprised,” Bergeron tells Zap2it. “I would have thought she was going to the finals.”

Bergeron generally knows about the eliminations beforehand — other than during the finale, when he wants to be surprised — and this was no exception. But that didn’t prepare him for how the news was received in the studio.

“I don’t think I’ve ever done this at the end of the show,” says Bergeron. “I just said ‘I need a hug.’ Everyone was just standing around. No one knew what to do.”

Contributing a bit to the awkward quotient was the judges’ offer for Brandy to return to the finals to perform her freestyle… for fun.

“That kind of landed with a thud,” says Bergeron. “I suppose it was meant with all good intention, but if I had just been stunned and found out I wasn’t going to make it to the final, the prospect of busting my butt to do a freestyle wouldn’t have much appeal. I would fully understand if they politely decline.”

Brandy didn’t comment on whether or not she was interested in returning with a freestyle, but it was clear during the broadcast that she was still digesting the news.

“I thought Brandy wanted it more than anything, quite frankly” says Bergeron, “which made it very hard.”

Here is Carrie Ann with her thoughts on the show this week too on “Lopez Tonight“.

Lastly, The Examiner is reporting that Christina Aguilera will be performing on next week’s Results Show. Christina is promoting her first major motion picture (movie) starring role in ‘Burlesque,’ opposite Cher. ‘Burlesque’ opens in theaters November 24. (Heidi Note: Another blog is saying that the four dances over two nights will be done BEFORE anyone is eliminated, unlike last season where the 3 couples danced 3 times, someone was eliminated, and then the remaining couples danced again. The dances are:the “redemption dance” and the freestyle on Monday, followed on tuesday by the couples favorite dance of the season and by an “insta-dance” Cha Cha Cha where they don’t get the music till the show starts. I’m looking for an actual source from ABC – when I find it Vogue or I will post it. The ramifications of them moving the all the dances to before anyone is eliminated is quite interesting.)

Ok, that is all for you for now. Have a great Thursday, Dancettes!!xx 😉

DWTS Season 11, Week 9 – Media After The Results

Well, it was a disappointing elimination for many of us last night including myself. If I feel the way I do, I can’t imagine how Brandy and Maks must feel? But, here they are in good spirits and making the best of it on The Jimmy Kimmel Show last night after the show. I love how Jimmy starts off this interview saying they were “unfortunate victims” of “Hurricane Bristol” and a little later “The Tea Party Voting Block”.lol I like how Brandy holds Maks’ leg for most of the interview and he holds her hand.

And here they are on “Good Morning America” this morning very emotional in places.

Here is recap of the night from ABC and some reaction across twitter on the elimination and many people blaming politics for what happened. Brandy and Maks are also interviewed by ABC.

Access Hollywood interviewing them as well. Maks takes responsibility and also says the elimination is due to the “nature of the show” and “not everything is about dancing”. I love what he keeps saying about what this Country is about and the power and freedom to vote which his Country didn’t have.

Brandy breaks down with Niecy Nash on ET. The other couples are interviewed as well on the elimintation.

Monday there was a great interview with Tom Bergeron (Heidi’s second love, lol) posted at Movie Line. Special thanks to PureDWTS fan Sheri for letting us know on this one. Tom discusses the show this year, his favorite funny people, hosting nightmares, and his impatience with Bristol Palin conspiracy theorists. Here are a couple takes. Be sure to read much more at the link.

Which couples on Dancing with the Stars have you felt compelled to defend this season or in past seasons?Nobody in particular, but in general it’ll be at any point where I think the judges are going after them and being either unfair or inconsistent in what they’re saying to one couple versus another. Sometimes I get it completely wrong. Last week was a case in point where Carrie Ann [Inaba] justly criticized Maksim [Chmerkovskiy], and Brandy and Maks got indignant. They went back and forth, and then Len said, “Your dance was full of this, full of that, full of this,” and he was being complimentary. And I said, “But what did you think Carrie Ann was full of?” It was a straight line to swing at, but he used it as an opportunity to defend what Carrie Ann had said, and he kind of put us all in our place. “You two may have had words,” meaning Maks and Carrie Ann, “but in fact she had a valid point.” That’s one of the things the judges know that I’ll go at them for if I feel like they’re being unfair. They, in turn, have reasons for what they’re saying. They’re happy to defend themselves.

Let’s talk about this season of Dancing with the Stars. Can you gauge audience reaction during the taping? Is there noticeable commotion when Bristol Palin gets the lowest scores but isn’t eliminated? Or when—Here’s the thing. Let’s address the Bristol thing. That’s the thing I get the biggest kick out of on the show. I’m going to put on my political hat. I’m a liberal Democrat, and I state that proudly. But I have no patience with my friends who believe there is a conspiracy keeping Bristol on the show. They’ll say, and they’re friends of a similar political persuasion though I have friends across the spectrum, “Oh, well! She’s still on the show! She’s obviously not the best dancer! She gets the lowest scores!” My response to that is similar to my response to the midterm elections. I’ll say, “OK, right. So who did you vote for instead of Bristol?” “Uh, well, I don’t vote!” “Well, then, f*ck you.” I mean, basically! You can clean that up. I have no patience for that! If you don’t participate to create a different outcome — and this can be true in national politics or a TV reality show — then don’t piss and moan if you don’t like the way it’s playing out. You know, I’m sorry! I think Bristol is clearly not the best dancer here, but she’s a charming young woman who’s shown an incredible growth from week one to this week. If she happens to get more votes for whatever reason, more power to her. If you don’t like it, vote for someone else. But that’s been the part of the show that’s amused me, how quickly people are to seize on conspiracy theories when people aren’t involved in the process.

I have to disagree with Tom about the political conspiracies surrounding the show this year. Although I think Bristol showed much improvement this week and I was impressed by her dances (and costumes, lol), I very much suspect (as others have commented) that the Tea Party has influenced this show this year. It’s debatable for sure. Here is something from E Online I found on this.

“I would assume that many people who follow Sarah Palin would also be supportive of Bristol Palin,” Dale Robertson of TeaParty.org told us via email.

Wait… So, there really is an organized, get-out-the-phone-vote effort on behalf of the somewhat-coordinated daughter of the Mama Grizzly in Chief?! Former DWTS competitor Marissa Jaret Winokur was dead-on in the New York Post?! (“I think Bristol is going to keep advancing because the Republicans are going to keep voting for her,” Winokur said.)

Er, no, not exactly.

“Bristol has done a great job,” Robertson said, “but I trust people to be objective in their decision-making rather than subjective.”

And so it went with the handful of Tea Partiers we talked to today—including the guy who all but hung up on us on account of he was kinda ticked we were asking him about DWTS.

Bristol also responds to people who say that politics give her a dancing advantage on the show which she doesn’t agree with.

More of the same here after the Results addressing criticisms and more.

Mark has posted a new blog on USA Today. Here is take from it. Be sure to read the link for more. (Heidi’s Note: I can hear the screams of laughter now as people read that Mark thinks Shawn was an underdog. LOL!!)

I’m so very grateful to our fans! Thanks to our supporters, we’re able to continue on. We’ve been working hard and are happy to be here. Aside from doing the best we can it truly is out of our hands. That’s why it’s such an honor to have the opportunity to make a run at the mirror ball trophy. And once you get to the final, all bets are off. I’ve been there with Shawn (Johnson, who won Season Eight) as the underdog. It’s anyone’s game!

As you can imagine, it’s been somewhat tense backstage. These past few days, I’ve pretty much turned on my iPod on and chilled out. The goal is to stay upbeat and loose. All of the couples deal with the pressure differently, but most of us zone out. If you don’t try to distract your mind, you’ll go crazy!

Take last week, for example. Before the Results Show. After I went to makeup, I returned to my trailer to change into my show wardrobe. I opened the trailer door and found a crowd: my managers, Bill and Steve; my mom Shirley; Bristol, her parents Sarah and Todd and her cousins Brandy and Greg. They were all hanging out, talking out their nerves and recounting all the fun moments from the season. (Plus, Mama P told me she loves reading the journal, so I have to give her a shoutout!) I’ve definitely enjoyed getting to know Bristol’s large family and they’ve been so warm, sweet, and kind to me, and I’m going to miss seeing them every week.

Remember last week when I was freaking out about having two dances? Well this week — the finale! — we have four dances! That’s four dances to choreograph, learn, rehearse, tweak, and perfect in five days. One of our dances is a freestyle dance. I’ve always had an idea in my head of what our freestyle dance would be, and I’m really excited that we get to perform it.

This is my seventh season and I’ve been fortunate enough to win the mirror ball trophy twice. But I’m proudest to have done what I believe is the true testament of this show: taking a non-performer and turning her into a dancer. And despite my previous successes, this is my most rewarding season. It feels great that all the hard work we’ve put in is paying off, and Bristol and I will do everything we can this week to give you our best dances!

I don’t know about you, but, I can’t even begin to picture Bristol being able to do FOUR DANCES??! 😮

Lastly, here is Jennifer and Derek discussion the elimination lastnight, the “odd mixture of feelings” and more.

Kyle and Lacey being interviewed as well on the elimination and their upcoming dances.

Ok, that is all for you for now. Have a great Hump Day! 😉 xx