Yes, it's true, I've been sucked in by a reality TV show. But it's ballroom dancing! I have to watch it for the good of the sport! Right?
The premise is that a bunch of C-list celebrities have been training for the last six weeks with professional ballroom dancers (including my former coach, Charlotte Jorgensen). Performances have ranged from appalling (Evander Holyfield) to exceptional (John O'Hurley, aka J. Peterman from Seinfeld).
It's particularly amusing to me to see what non-ballroom people are saying about the show. One of the "stars" is a soap opera actress, whose dancing was pretty bad (although not as bad as Evander's, at least this week - I missed the first episode). She has hundreds of loyal fans, though, who are sure that the judges are just jealous of her. Right.
Some great comments from various message boards and blogs:
I should just add that Charlotte was also my dance coach. She is one of the best coaches, if not the best coach, I ever had. She's warm and friendly and supportive, and can communicate ideas about dance extremely well.
Posted by: Tom Nugent at June 10, 2005 02:56 PMYou know, while I was working out, I was actually forced to watch this, and I couldn't help but think....this is exactly what Tom and Elizabeth would watch if they actually watched TV.
As I understand it, when they get to the final four, there will be opportunities to become immune from getting voted off if they can dance across the backs of floating crocodiles. THAT would be worth seeing!
Posted by: Tom at June 13, 2005 07:00 AMThe head judge kind of makes me feel embarrassed for ballroom dancing. On the first week, his description of what we're looking for in the Cha Cha (Cha) was three things, one of which was "lots of shaking of the bum." Ah, the British.
O'Hurley was amazing in the first week doing his Cha Cha. Makes me think that there's hope for Latin dancers after 35. :)
Holyfield wasn't that good, but I'm still impressed that a man that massive was even trying the Quickstep.
Oh, I never watched any of the Bachelor(ette) shows, but supposedly Trista was a former dancer, so she should've been doing the best of any of the amateurs.
-Dan, blushing as he admits he got through the phone lines to make a vote for O'Hurley and Charlotta
Posted by: Dan at June 14, 2005 03:16 PMI think the show's a hoot, though I have to wonder what the
judges are smoking sometimes.
I couldn't help but wonder at the start who the heck would watch
such a show. Now it appears that everybody's watching it. My
dental hygenist started talking about the show with me the other
day. She said she thought John and Charlotte would surely win,
just based on the first show :-)
Personally, I wish the Italian judge would shut up...