Nigel is a dick and a huge homophobe and he could go in there and dance better than some Cortez/Thomas/Baryshnikov/Nuryev hybrid super-dancer and he still wouldn't get on the show.

I couldn't agree more. Nigel's homophobia and heteronormativity keeps getting more blatant.

Apparently you could agree more after all.

I found hidden reserves of agreement at the last minute.

Nigel's homophobia and heteronormativity keeps getting more blatant.

Hell yes. I mean, I keep thinking about a friend of mine from DC. She auditioned for some Missy Elliot show where they were trying to do some kind of "you can sing and dance and be the next star" thing. And she got past a certain amount of the audition rounds...but she's gay. And butch. And they couldn't figure out what to do with her.

She can dance like nobody's business. (And god knows ehe's got stage presence) And I imagine her auditioning for this show, and she'd knock the socks off some of these poplocking boys. But she couldn't be on the show. Because in her style she'd be fine...and she's a good enough dancer (I've seen her do choreography for shows in hip hop styles and stuff) that she could definitely do a lot of the stuff just like some of the untrained other dancers have....but not as a GIRL. I can't see her in a dress. Following. And I can't see them letting her lead. :)

Is it just me, or are we not seeing hardly any ballroom people this year? And hardly any GOOD hip hop people??

On the one hand I feel a little tiny bit sad for the Julliard kid because yes, he is good and all but, but...sweetie, if you really are going to be a dancer, you need to get used to rejection. And unexplained rejection. Though I supposed normally you won't have cameras following you around after. But still.

Oddly, what I'd really like to see is a montage of mediocre dancers. Like, a bunch of contemporary dancers who were just OK. Or ballroom people who didn't get to go on to choreography. Etc. Etc.

I agree that the Juilliard kid needs to develop a tougher skin, but it felt (to me) like a lot of his reaction to the rejection was frustration and anger that he was being rejected precisely because he was gay, and he didn't feel safe saying that on camera. But yeah, he needs to grow up.

I wonder how Nigel would have reacted to your friend? Probably told her that she looked "frumpy" and that she needed to put on a nice dress.

You're right! No ballroom! Weird. It always seemed like the three things you could count on were 1) Russian ballroom dancers, 2) Mormons, and 3) students taught by Denise Wall.

Is it just me, or are we not seeing hardly any ballroom people this year? And hardly any GOOD hip hop people??

Yeah, I noticed that too.

SYTYCD - I missed about the first 45 minutes of the show (working late, snarl), but I did get to see Brandon (?) who was phenomenal. Poor Anthony - I'd mentioned his earlier appearance to someone, and here he is back. I hope he finds his niche - this isn't going to be it.

TC thoughts:

Lisa really doesn't care, does she? The only challenge she really put her heart into that I can remember was when she got to cook for Ming Tsai. (It was Ming Tsai, right?)

Spike, whatever. So long you ginormous douchenozzle you.

I think my favorite thing about the top 3 right now (I'm assuming Lisa will go next unless one of the others chokes) is how decent they all are. I can't remember the last time I've liked almost all of the finalists this much just as people.

I think my favorite thing about the top 3 right now (I'm assuming Lisa will go next unless one of the others chokes) is how decent they all are. I can't remember the last time I've liked almost all of the finalists this much just as people.

I very much agree (as whiny as SOOOO many of the others were). Granted, I don't have other seasons of TC to go on, but it's definitely true for the few other reality shows I've watched.

Richard's calm self-assurance sometimes borders on smug, but that seems more to do with his opinion of his abilities; as a person he seems really nice (splitting that prize with Stephanie really won me over). Plus, he seems to know when he's out of his depth on something.