Non-Fiction TV: I Reject Your Reality and Substitute My Own
This thread is for non-fiction TV, including but not limited to reality television (So You Think You Can Dance, Top Chef: Masters, Project Runway), documentaries (The History Channel, The Discovery Channel), and sundry (Expedition Africa, Mythbusters), et al. [NAFDA]
I confess to being a skippy skipper who skips. Sorry, Vortex. I should've known the Buffistae would be up on Peanut's show.
bon, you and bob bob should come watch SYTYCD with me one night. I will provide the wine and snappy commentary.
Vegas! But only one night in the bright light city? That's unpossible. Why, in the good old days, we used to get basically one night per choreography round. And for what? To watch Cat cast her pearls before swine on that twirly chair, D-list celeb dating show? Feh.
Where to begin? Let me explain. No, there is too much. Let me sum up.
Peanut, Twitch and Comfort choreographing routines for the Vegas audition rounds made me so, so happy. Awww, look at our SYTYCD babies. All grown up! And since we can barely get two hours to cover the several days the kids and judges spend in Vegas, we didn't get to see all that much of any one routine, but on the real? That hip hop routine looked like . . . real hip hop. I think I need to sit down. I caught the vapors. I will put up with almost any ridiculous changes to the show's format this year if we can rid ourselves of the NappyTab regime. Long live Twitchfort . . .ummm, Comfitch? Long live Twitch and Comfort! Death to the celebrity portmanteau!
Miss Debbie Allen also makes me so, so happy. I was even kinda glad to see ol' Tasty (although if he really doesn't want to come off like a bitch, well, that train has already left the station) Lil' C looked passing strange without his glasses. Much like CeeLo, he is a man who should always be bespectacled. I was so pleased to see the return of Jason Gilikson, more even than Sonya, who is becoming increasingly self referential.
Most excited to see? Cat Deeley. Always. Y'all, Cat is such an amazing host. Did you see her with Cyrus after he made it through the ballroom round? And really anything with Cyrus and Cat was delightful. Well, that's in large part because Cyrus is delightful. I mean, this kid! So talented and still humble, hungry to learn and grow, thankful for the opportunity, soaking it all in and just radiating joy. And you can tell that all the other dancers adore him. Kids, Cyrus is love!I would vote for him a million, million times, you know, if I voted.
I feel like I didn't even catch all of what happened tonight. There seriously was just way too much going on, so my highly impressionistic take on tonight's show starting with who got the boot:
Booted and I was sad about it
Hampton Williams/Exorcist - Technically, he didn't get booted, he left. But I was still sad to see him go. Still, I had to respect that he recognized that the choreography was too much for him and he was incredibly respectul and classy going in front of the judges to withdraw. And they were great with him. Y'all, picking up choreography is really, really hard. Some really great dancers could just never be pros because it takes them too long to get choreography. It really doesn't have a ton to do with how talented you are (once you are at a certain level, at least). Here's what happens when a truly untrained dancer tries to pick up advanced choreography (even in his own style) . . . so that puts the lie even further to Nigel's whole untrained dancer storylines for the likes of Russell and Joshua. It just will not happen for you on a show like this if you are truly just a "street dancer" (witness what happened to Shafeek during the jazz round). I hope this kid spends the next year getting into classes and then comes back to the show because he is crazy talented.
Danielle Dominguez - And here's where the show teaches us a valuable life lesson - never help anyone when your ass is on the line. Thanks, Danielle! But seriously, what a tough, tough break. She was doing really well. I don't know that she'd have made the show, but to go out because another dancer injured you while you were doing him a favor by partnering him in a round which you'd already gotten passed through and then as a result of that to lose valuable rehearsal time on group (continued...)
( continues...) night, not know the dance or be able to get in synch with your group memebers, and then to get cut? Ouch. That's gotta sting. Another one who I hope comes back.
Dres - I don't remember him at all from last year's Green Mile but he was turning it out in Tasty's Broadway routine (which was much less repetitive than some of his past work - so pat on the back, Tyce. It only looked like you were aping Twyla Tharp about half the time) Wish he would've made it further.
Brandon Dumlao - This kid's journey on the show has been Job-like. Get cut pre-Top 20. Get called back because a contestant has to drop out and thus actually make Top 20. Get cut first out of the gate during the Top 20 round with the promise that you can come back because basically you got screwed and then get cut in Vegas not even making it to the Green Mile.
Adrian Lee/Kenickie - Dude, it's like 90% the hair and the look. Lose the Grease hair and the slightly goofy guy clothes and carriage and he'd have a much better chance to make the show. I feel badly for him because he clearly wanted it a lot, but I don't think he's, as Shankdaddy would say, "soooo So You Think You Can Dance".
Aubrey/Pink Haired Ballerina - She was so good in that group dance and I really did not think there was anything wrong with her Cha Cha. The only thing that came to mind in looking at her was that she looked a little bit long in the tooth and thick in the middle when standing next to some of the blonde hair flingers and we all know how Nigel and 19E are. Such a shame. Maybe she can come back and choreograph.
Boris (I think it was - blue haired Dragon House kid) - Picking up choreography. It's a bitch, y'all. But this kid had the right attitude. He gave it the old college try. He stayed positive. He tried to convince his housemate to be professional. He did everything right and I'd love to see him come back, like Hampton, with a little more experience and training under his belt. He needs to just get into as many classes as he can and hang in, learn how to dance to counts, learn how to follow along with the teacher, learn about spacing in a crowded studio, learn when to go full out and when to mark (although if you are in Sonya's class, there is apparently no marking allowed which is just crazy hard core!). That's what these trained contempo kids have all over the street dancers and why they looked 1000 times better doing that hip hop combination than Boris did even though he has way more talent and flow in this dance style.
Shafeek - He broke my heart, family, because he went out looking like an ass but you could totally tell it was a front. He was trying to be so hard and so I don't care but you could tell he was crushed when he couldn't pick up that jazz choreo. My heart was breaking for him as I saw him just straight up stop trying. And he quit on his partner, which is never cool. At the same time, I'm sure he felt he had to save face. He couldn't show vulnerability or real self doubt. But sweetie, don't be that dude. Don't be the dude that barks about how he's better than hip hop/b-boy kids of the past if you can't back it up. He's young and I hope he's appropriately mortified by how he represented himself here. I still liked him and wish he could've done better because he's a hell of a dancer.
Booted and I didn't mind it one bit
Frikkin' Teddy Tedholme - I am so pleased to hear that he and his serial killer facial hair will not be back. Catch a clue, kid. Nobody wants you on this show.
Other Dragon House Kid - Don't remember his name and don't care. Way to go out like a sucker.
Tim Conkle - Should've never even been there. Buh-bye.
Big Country/Asher - Props to him for making it as far as he did. I thought he'd be out round one. Still, like Tim there, he never should've been sent through to Vegas, so no big surprise or big loss that he got sent packing.
Gene/Praying Mantis - Yeah, I told y'all he would crash and burn with hip (continued...)
( continues...) hop.
Bree/Adorable babies - She was a decent dancer, but the story was always more about the kids than about her.
Rachel Applehans - Can I get a hearty "Hell yeah!" As Miss Debbie Allen advised, "Next time, put on more clothes and dance." Amen! Though sadly, she's not equipped. And no, dear, you are most definitely not a star. See you at the Players Club.
Of all the others sent home, I don't really remember them, so I'm probably gonna say they all fall into this category.
Of the 35 still in contention for a spot in the S9 Top 20, I just can't call it. I honestly feel like half of them we didn't even get the chance to see enough to form an impression. But god forbid I would let that stop me from making random comments about the ones I can recall, so here goes:
God, I hope they get it
Cheon/Eurotrash Danny - Magnificent. Gorgeous. And he displayed emotion which already puts him ahead of American style Danny. They'd be crazy not to take him, although there is also that other ballet kid, Daniel, still hanging around and I cannot imagine them putting two ballet boys in the Top 20, so depending on how Nigel and Co are feeling this could go either way. That said, the judges were losing their minds over this kid (and rightfully so) and Miss Debbie Allen was even blowing him kisses, and he seemed to be handling his business in that Cha Cha, so all my fingers and toes are crossed because damn this fool brings the pretty. Plus he can straight up kill it on the dance floor.
Daniel/Ballet Spare - Britain can have an heir and a spare so why can't I? It would warm the cockles of my blackened reality TV heart if they put both ballet boys through. Never happen.
Janelle Isis - In her gold Wonder Woman cape. Work! Loving all over this little one. She's sassy.
Cyrus - Must make it on the show. That's all.
Whitney Carlson - Got the braces off, but she's still a cutiehead and the girl is a firecracker. She was smoldering in that Tyce Broadway. Superstar. She could be another Chelsie Hightower easily.
Amelia Lowe - She is still entirely adorable. How is she managing to do that? I was sure the pixie sprite thing would feel annoying and kind of like a put on by now, but she's a true delight and kind of magic as a dancer. She sparkles.
Joshua of the Black Dress Socks - The moral of the story is never try to pull a standing back tuck for the first time ever 30 minutes before the biggest audition of your life. Sigh. No. Hope that doesn't wind up biting you in the ass.
Black girl with the sassy blonde hair - They won't tell me who you are and yet? You set my entire world on fire. Every single glimpse of you they gave us you were shutting it down. I think I love you a really lot.
Karate/Contempo Asian Kid - I don't remember your name, but I saw you out there shaking it, boo. You rocked.
Mr. Bad Feet - They can't hide this kid from me because he's fabulous and I saw him quietly making his way through the rounds like a silent assasin. Go on with your bad feet self.
Really there are only two people I can say I'm sad are still alive and kicking at this stage:
Will you please go now?
Lindsey Arnold - This girl is the anti-Whitney. Here's hoping they pit the two of them against each other for the one ballroom dance girl slot and Whitney murders her. I would be OK if that were literal and not figurative.
Alexa - The show can keep pushing and this girl will keep being a big old pile of meh. There's no there there. She's a fine technician but she has no heart and she knows it and the judges know it and everyone knows it which I'm sure is why she didn't make the show when she went up against horse face Ryan and which is why I'm hoping she won't make the show again. I suppose every season needs its cannon fodder, but I cannot see anyone being inspired to pick up the phone and vote for this fool.
And that's it. Vegas week is apparently done in one fell swoop. Boo. Hiss. But I think they're going to come out with a yummy top 20. On to the Green Mile.
Thank goodness for kat coming through with the run down! And now, a gift: Highlights of Miss Debbie Allen: [link]
OMG.
I am screaming with laughter. I love "you handled your big woman, child"
Touchdown! Jesse, that was amaaaazzziing.
Why is Miss Debbie Allen so fabulous? And when will Fox give her her own show? I don't even really care what it's about. I would watch her buying groceries at Kroeger.
bon, you and bob bob should come watch SYTYCD with me one night. I will provide the wine and snappy commentary.
We are so in!
I now exclusively refer to her as Miss Debbie Allen and got a very strange look from my neighbor when I did so.
As you should. Those neighbors don't know what's up. She's too fabulous for anything less than the full name.
Yay, SYTYCYD night with bon bon and bob bob. Bonus if it happens to fall on an evening when either Miss Debbie Allen or Jesse Tyler Ferguson are guests on the judges panel.