Last week’s shocking result on Dancing with the Stars has excited passionate responses from all over. A man in Wisconsin was arrested after shooting his television in anger over Bristol Palin’s performance, for goodness’ sake.
Now there’s a major feud spilling over between Bristol and ousted dancer Maksim Chmerkovskiy.
Maks is upset because he and his partner Brandy were voted off last week despite having higher judges’ scores than Bristol.
There are many theories about Bristol’s continued success.
One theory is that Bristol is being rewarded for her improvement throughout the course of the season, especially since she’s not a professional performer like Brandy is.
Despite criticism of her weight and her dancing, Bristol says her confidence is higher than ever.
I wasn’t very confident going into it. I wasn’t sure I could do it. But now I’m like, “Oh, you want me to do a paso doble? I’ll get out there and do it!” I feel so confident knowing I can do whatever I want! … I guarantee I’m the most-improved dancer on the entire show. I really do work my butt off — I’m in the studio all the time, and I’m so committed to this thing.
[In Touch, print edition, November 29, 2010]
On his blog, Maks disagrees that Bristol is the most improved.
I think under the given circumstance, if we went home because Brandy had more performing experience or America liked someone who improved, then Kyle should win. Jennifer has been a phenomenon from the beginning and while Bristol has improved, she hasn’t improved as much as Kyle and is not as good a dancer as either of them. Kyle has the full package. He has drastically improved since the beginning of the season, is a blast to watch and knows how to put on a show-stopping performance. He is a true entertainer. Of course, it comes down to the votes in the end.
[From TVGuide.com]
Another theory is that the Tea Party’s votes are keeping Bristol on the show despite being the weakest dancer.
Maks criticizes the popular vote.
Is the voting system flawed? If it is, what exactly can I do? I do care a lot about the show — I want that to be clear. I want dancing on TV. As long as people are dancing, let viewers see them dance. I’m just happing that this platform is represented. I believe the majority of people out there knows good dancing from bad. If one person goes on the show and stays on because of an obscene amount of fans, that’s on their conscience. People know what they see and no amount of votes can change that.
[From TVGuide.com]
But the claws really came out when Bristol was asked if some of the dancers have been mean to her.
Brandy’s partner, Maksim Chmerkovskiy, does not like me! He thinks I don’t deserve to be here because I’m not the best dancer, but this is what the show is all about — taking someone who has never performed, never danced, never done anything like that and turning them into a dancer and showing that process.
[In Touch, print edition, November 29, 2010]
In response, Maks calls Bristol a liar.
I was very disappointed, shocked and hurt to hear that Bristol told a magazine that I don’t like her. It’s a complete and absolute lie what she said. I have no idea where she got that from. I never ever said I don’t like her — nevermind the fact that it’s not true that I don’t like her. The only thing I’ve said about her is that I think she should embrace the show more when she got homesick — which is something I would say to every celebrity who comes on the show and has a low point midseason. I have nothing against Bristol, the Palins, politics, the tea party and whatnot. I respect what she’s done on the show and her place in the final.
[From TVGuide.com]
Win or lose, Bristol hopes girls learn a positive lesson from her appearance.
I’m probably the only girl on the show who needs wardrobe to help pull dresses over my butt. But I’m thankful I have a butt! I’m a regular-size girl, and I accept that. I’m comfortable in my own skin….The process has shown me — and hopefully other young girls out there — that you don’t have to be the sexiest one or wear sleazy outfits to do well.
[In Touch, print edition, November 29, 2010]
The finals of Dancing with the Stars begins Monday on ABC.
Maksim is shown on 8/29/10. Credit: Glenn Harris / PR Photos. Bristol is shown on 10/16/10. Credit: Carla Van Wagoner / PR Photos
I don’t watch DWTS, but this seems to be an unfortunate byproduct of voter-based reality shows. It happens with Bristol Palin, it happens on multiple seasons of American Idol, etc. It sucks, and it’s inexplicable, but it’s not the end of the world. Hopefully she doesn’t win the whole thing, because that would be cause to be upset, but her getting farther than she deserves is just the nature of the beast sometimes.
I’m so tired of seeing the Palin’s, hearing about the Palin’s, etc. They seem to be EVERYWHERE and they just won’t go away. Not even on a political level, on a they irritate the sh*t out of me level.
sourgrape.. lets face it.. Brandy is disliked by many, no huge fan base to support her
This Is really no different than the phenomenon of performers with only mediocre talent becoming
hugely popular….like Justin Bieber & Taylor Swift.
When he talks about whether the voting system is flawed or not I wasn’t sure if he was talking about DWTS or political elections in general.
Anythevoteisalwaysrigged, in the case of the former the programmers are going to keep whoever the most viewers are tuning in to watch as it translates to more advertising dollars for them. A good accountant can make 1+1 equal whatever number you want.
IDK if Bristol just looks bigger in photos, as some women do, but she looks pudgy in all of her photos. I can imagine she has lost not gained weight from doing this show.
I think maks is a crybaby douch. His hotness doesn’t make up for his douchiness. I actually like Bristol. And, I hope her and her adorable dancing partner, mark, hook up “in real life”
You know.. EVERYONE has a little bit of wrong here that they’ve given to this situation.. but what makes me so furious with the Palins (and politics in general) is that they are so good at passing the blame and playing the victim.
Bristol’s statement that “Maks doesn’t like me” is classic manipulation 101. He gave his opinion on who was best improved, and never point blank said he didn’t like her.
This girl extracted what she wanted to hear from this statement, mashed it up, and came out with something similar, but ever slightly more sinister of Maks, and *bam*, we’ve got a cause to fight against.
It’s awful. For all the “improvement” she’s done, it still comes to this: we are still rewarding mediocre people for doing mediocre things and being at a subpar level. As any American Idol judge would say: She’s not performing at the level that justifies her being there.
god im so sick of this family. i watched palin defile my home town last night, and both these twits march around alaska like they havent seen a damn thing and dont know or care about anything in alaska other than tanning beds and strip malls in the mat-su valley. i couldnt believe how dumb they were about everything! they didnt even know how to hold a clam shovel.
on top of that, their kayak guide was a registered sex offender! the show doesnt do any background research i guess.
any time anyone questions a palin, they twist words and put people on the defensive, just like bristol did to maxim saying, oh he doesnt like me. no one said that! he was questioning your merits bristol. i dont know how many of you saw her and willow’s obscene facebook face-off with a couple of guys from wasilla talking about how her mom’s show sucked. they attacked and insulted and got so offended someone wouldnt like it, and he wasnt even directing his comments towards anyone in the family. what a bunch of charlatan stripmall rats the whole family is.
Perhaps if Brandy hadn’t acted like a brat all season & Maks wasn’t so much of a douche more people would have voted for them.
She considers herself the most improved on the show?
If you would call, being able to keep up with steps, and not forget steps, then yea..I guess she has improved. However, she has no musciality. She has no spark. She is just like a little robot. There is no emotion from her at all.
in addition, they had to cut their halibut fishing trip short because according to the owners of the boat (who had to sign a confidentiality agreement but didnt really give a crap about it) sarah was completely seasick and throwing up the whole time on the boat and they had to pack it in much earlier than expected. hah.
it just makes me mad to be watching the palins watching a beautiful whale breaching and jumping in the air and have them be awed by nature and then turn around and say global warming is a joke and do NOTHING in the name of environmental stewardship, conservation, etc. she passed aerial wolf hunting after all….its just so fake. i know she’d probably like to shoot that whale.
So she doesn’t want girls to think it’s ok to wear “sleazy outfits”? But clearly they can think it’s ok to get pregnant in their teens. You can tell she’s a politician’s daughter…
I really think Bristol has improved with each dance, it’s the acting part she lacks. With no acting or dance background she will not do as well as the others. Bristols partner is really nice to look at also.
Diva Brandy and Douche Maks, are the reason Maks and Brandy aren’t in the competition anymore; If the regular show had gone on for another week Crybaby Jennifer Grey would have gone home too. I have to say, I simply do not understand this Palin derangement syndrome. I don’t want Sarah Palin to be President, but I don’t loathe and despise her with a passion like some of you.
She is the most improved. I mean look at her in the beginning. Is she spectacular now. No. But I think people are responding to her being truly what dancing with the stars is about. Not taking people who have danced before and acting like it is a miracle they can dance.I am also getting sick of the attacks on the Palins. So childish. So over the top. Hatred for having views that don’t coincide with your own is sheer intolerance. Lighten up. And Maksim and Brandy had bad attitudes that they couldn’t hide. I knew they wouldn’t win. She acted like a diva and he is just rude. When he yelled at the judge I knew his days were numbered. He needs to understand that
All of these shows have that STUPID disclaimer, the outcome was decided on with the help or assistance of the producers.
In other words, if you vote off someone with no talent, yet makes the show more interesting to watch, then you vote off 1 more deserving player to let the loser stay.
Look at Project Runway this year. Enough Said.
“but what makes me so furious with the Palins (and politics in general) is that they are so good at passing the blame and playing the victim.”
yes, THIS, exactly.
they want to be out there in the public eye, they PUT themselves out there, and then cry victim when anyone has anything negative to say. IT’S PART OF BEING PUBLIC FIGURES, YOU DOLTS.
“both these twits march around alaska like they havent seen a damn thing”
bros, I noticed that too. it’s as if the “outdoorsy” Palin that she paraded around during the campaign was a fabricated persona to attract voters. (SHOCKER!)
@stronzilla…lol. ita.
I can understand Brandy & Maks being voted off…Maks is more of a diva than anyone on that show. Hate that it’s become a political issue, too.
Well Bristol was asked (please note **asked** which implies a direct question was involved so she didn’t volunteer miscellaneous information) which dancers were mean to her and she said Maksim. If she hemmed and hawed with an answer, she’d be slammed for avoiding the question. So if she answers it with her honest opinion, she’s complaining and manipulative. If she declines to answer it, she’s cowardly and hiding. So what do you want her to do? Tell the truth as she sees it or lie? Remember, she’s the one dancing and saw Maks probably everyday. Don’t you think she’d know how he treats her at practice and before and after the shows and base her opinion on more than just one statement he made in an interview?
I want Kyle to win. He is cute and funny and really improving, which is the point of this show yes? It should be a contest between him and Bristol. After all the idea is to improve your dance skills. Those that already can (looking at you Jen and Brandy) should not be on the show period. If it really is about who learns to dance best it should end with those 2, and Kyle should win. He has more presence, he is obviously enjoying himself immensely, and he smiles all the time unlike the lump that is Bristol. Her dancing reminds me of Kate Gosselin trying to dance. If she wins, the show is rigged. The preceding opinion has absolutely nothing to do with politics. I’m Canadian.
… and I’m comfy with the lipo Mommy Grizz bot for my fat waist.”
I wish this show would just go away. I thought it was a joke from the first season it aired and I couldn’t care less about the contestants. This is petty crap and I think the Palin sisters should be ashamed of themselves for that FB rant, however much they dude seemed to be egging them on.
But fat? Are we in a schoolyard or something? Why is that the first thing people have to say bad about a woman is that she is fat? If you don’t like, her, don’t like her. I am kind of meh on her myself but that “fat” bullshit has got to go.
wow, this show is about the person with NO skills in the dancing department and she IS the most improved in that respect. Can’t everyone just leave her alone, do you think that she LOVES the fact that Sarah a$$hole Palin is her mother? she probably cringes too when she hears her voice but she can’t change that. Give her a break and Max and Brandi were just DIVA’s the whole time they were on, like they were the best and screw everyone else. I mean, its not like Brandi was up there competing for her life and she had no words…why not DIVA…too good for words. Come on, its a friendly competition and she took it too far.
I bet they change the voting system in some way for next season. I haven’t really watched the show for the past 3 weeks or so- kinda lost interest. But, a finale of Kyle (don’t know his last name), Jennifer Gray, and Bristol Palin? Yikes, where’s the star power there?
The only one who is a good dancer is Jennifer Gray- and I DO believe people like to watch celebrities dance well by the end of the season. Bristol has almost zero personality, Kyle is cute and entertaining- but the dude cannot dance and I really don’t know who he is, and Jennifer Gray is pretty and a good dancer, but I don’t think she’s that exciting either.
I don’t think Bristol should win, but why are the men such crybabies this season.
First Michael Bolton, then Kurt Warner, now Maks…
call the whambulance…..
I watch DWTS rarely, b/c I can’t stand all the fake backstage drama (I got sick of Jennifer Grey crying after 3wks). But I watched alot of last season because I love Evan Lysacek. And Maks bugged the crap outta me–what a meathead with a massively inflated ego. I get how Bristol could feel like he doesn’t like her–he looks down his nose at everyone who isn’t him or dancing with him.
One thing I do know about DWTS is that the voting isn’t 100% based on the popular vote like American Idol. The Judges scores are a certain percentage, then votes from home are a percentage. You can also only call/text/etc a certain # of times. So, if Brandy & Maks were getting much higher judges scores than Bristol & Mark, then there’s an even bigger discrepancy in home voting (ie people at home hated Brandy & Maks).
@whatever, she DID forget steps during her jive, halfway through the season, not really an improvement.
I also caught the “sleazy outfits” comment. The problem with “healthy” sized girls (in the public eye) owning their size is the catty ones have to put down the skinny girls as part of it but they don’t get called out on it because that would be calling out the historically downtrodden! In Bristol’s case her own delusionals are on display.
As for Maks, he’s been a diva for 10 seasons, it’s part of his ‘charm’. But because of it sometimes people like Bristol take advantage. She knows he never said he disliked her but she’s betting that people will believe the teen advocate over the dancing diva with a big mouth. We’re not that stupid.
Sounds like M is a sore loser to me.
LOl oh my gosh it’s a TV SHOW PEOPLE! HAHAHAHAHAH
I’ve never missed a show of DWTS, it’s my favorite! I have seen Bristol improve although she is not great, I agree with Maks that Kyle does a better job than Bristol but Jennifer is the best dancer without a doubt. “Dirty Dancing” was 23 yrs ago, people should not consider that experience against her.
This is the biggest non-story. She feels like a fellow dancer doesn’t like her. SO WHAT? Perhaps he wasn’t friendly to her backstage and her comments had nothing to do the public comments he made. Who knows and who cares?? She has a right to state how she felt about her fellow dancers. He has to come out and call her a liar? This is all so stupid. I’m ready for the show to be over so people will stop talking about Bristol, the tea party, etc.
“they didn’t even know how to hold a clam shovel.”
@bros: LMAO at your entire post, but this line killed me. i have a friend from alaska and she’s always talking about how much alaskans dislike the palins, too. what a bunch of snowbilly grifters.
as for bristol and DWTS, i’ve never seen the show but her weight looks fine to me. there are many things to criticize her for, but her weight isn’t one of them.
He’s not targeting her at all and she seems to want to create the impression that everyone is hating on her because of her mother and not because she’s a horrid dancer. She is always going on about her right to be there because people identify with her because unlike some other people on the show, she’s real. Unlike everyone else on the show, she’s there not because of her accomplishments, fame, or notoriety but because of who her mother is as evidenced by her mother’s constant presence in her behind the scenes videos. It’s fine but just own it and she should stop talking about her struggles as a teen mother because she is not representative of the majority of teen mothers or their struggles.
The reality is that DWTS needs to decide if it’s a dancing show or a popularity contest because it’s become clear that it can’t be both.
I know what would get me to tune in to tv: how about a Palin vs. Kardashian clans cage fight! Two famewhores enter, one famewhore leaves. *runs off to pitch idea to major network*
Bristol lost weight doing this show, I’m sure of it.
She doesn’t look like a big girl at all.
“they don’t even know how to hold a clam shovel” -when I read your post, I had to show it out to my bf because when we’ve watched the show, I’ve pointed out how the Palins, well Sarah in particular, just don’t look relaxed or natural when they do these “outdoorsy” activities. She looked tense holding the fishing rod last week. I don’t know how to dig clams, either, but the stiffness in her body language and apparent ineptness is visible.
I wonder how many takes that target shot last night took!
i hate her and her fat face.
I believe Bristol over Maks and I’m not a Bristol fan. Maks has been known for douchey behavior then lying about it, like when he called Lacey fat then denied it. Hope he gets replaced next season.
“I have nothing against Bristol, the Palins, politics, the tea party and whatnot.”
Why bring up her mom, politics,etc.
I feel bad for Bristol b/c no one looks at her as a person, just insults her b/c she’s SPs daughter.
My dad is a racist, abusive, drunk, that doesn’t mean I am or I deserve to be judged by what he does.
“I feel bad for Bristol b/c no one looks at her as a person, just insults her b/c she’s SPs daughter.”
perhaps that’s because that’s also the ONLY reason she’s on the show? what has she done ON HER OWN MERIT that would entitle her to the classification of “star”? she’s only a “star” because she was the underage and pregnant daughter of a right-wing Prez candidate who preached abstinence.
While I got nothing against Bristol (except her hypocrisy in preaching abstinence), and do very much dislike her mother, I can still understand the mind set of disliking ANYthing “Palin”.
EDIT: for the record, I TOTALLY disagree with the “she’s fat” crowd. She is by NO means fat. heavier than most of young hollywood for sure, but then, she’s not a movie or TV actor. she looks fine.
Brandi should never have been allowed on the show because of her dance background. Neither should Nicole S who won last yr. or Jennifer Grey and there have been others. All these women have dance experience. People with dance experience are supposedly not allowed on the show but we know that obviously isnt the case.
I think maybe Brandy talking about how hard it was for her to deal with the accident she caused was the kiss of death for her. It made her seem shallow and unrepentant. I’m no fan of Bristol, either, and will be happy to see her go.
She’s a little tub of butter.
dwts the s stands for star what is she a star of ??????
I’m shocked by all the fat comments. I’m in no way a Palin fan, but I’ve always thought Bristol was a very pretty girl. She looks happy and healthy; that’s what counts.
#9 I find your local perspective really helpful. I think everyone assumes Alaska likes them. I’ve read really bad things about the 3 older kids. I hate everything about the mother. Someone once pointed out the so-called hockey mom couldn’t drop a puck correctly. Everything about them is fake – except the drunken shenanigans!
Go Kyle!! Suck it Bristol.
Anyone watch tonight? Mark really messed up with the song choice for Bristol in the freestyle. Why didn’t he choose a song she knew, like Kyle and Jennifer?
Dancing with the Nobodies marches on, rofl…how does this little twit even qualify for the show? Why do people watch this tripe?
It’s Dancing With the Stars, so why is she there? For being a teenager who didn’t use protection and got knocked up? Absurd!
It isn’t Dancing’s Most Improved. I used to watch the show because I enjoyed seeing the contestants attempt to emulate the professional dancers. I voted for those I thought were the best dancers – not the ones who had supposedly improved the most. If you weren’t good, you didn’t get my vote, and she’s not good.
Now the show is about how gimmicky they can get, and how much noteriety the contestants can bring. They should change the name and premise to something else and let another show get back to DWTS roots, like in the first two seasons.
While I don’t watch DTWS and don’t really keep up with the Palins that much and don’t know whether Bristol can dance or not, she is definitely a star. I mean look at all the posts she’s generating. If she was a true nobody, no one would be posting.
she has nice hair
Dancing with the stars really doesn’t fit as a description for the show (which I don’t watch, only read about). There only seem to be one or two B/C-listers the rest is D-list or completly obscure.
I don’t get why many are so opposed to “dancers”. In showbiz a lot of actors or singer also have to do dancing. And a iceskater is also sort of a dancer. So the normal contestants have a certain background. Seems normal to me. As for B. Palin: of course she has none. She has no legitimacy to be on the show either.
All you Palin haters are pathetic. If you don’t like her, then don’t watch the show, you bunch of crybaby idiots.
Maybe people just don’t like Brandy i don’t like her, I would never vote for her. Just accept it Brandy you are not that loved. I think a lot of people still hold her manslader where she killed the mom of a littleboy and wife speeding and slamming into her without even hitting the breaks. It was a sad sad story I think people still blaim Brandee for her accident for being wreckless.
Grandizer had it right.
All of these shows have that STUPID disclaimer, the outcome was decided on with the help or assistance of the producers.
In other words, if you vote off someone with no talent, yet makes the show more interesting to watch, then you vote off 1 more deserving player to let the loser stay.
Look at Project Runway this year. Enough Said.
And all those Tea Party Bristol Palin supporters are pathetic, supporting plain nold mediocrity and trying to claim that is what the show is all about!
Grow up for goodness sake.