So you know me, right?
Well, the chances are high, that if you read this blog, you indeed know me personally, or have spent a significant enough amount time with me to know I have no problem with stating my opinions on things. Usually, being vocal on issues doesn’t present a problem, I get loud during political seasons, I criticize the design of websites, judge people on their e-mail addresses, and never shut up about how much I hate comic sans. I don’t think of myself as being judgmental, but in action, I very much am. Put me in a room with Windows Vista, (on a Dell) an American car or nu-metal, and you’re going to witness a suicide out of anger.
So in a move that I consider to be very uncharacteristic of my judgmental attitude I have this year, as for the last four seasons, tuned in to the FOX show So You Think You Can Dance. You would think for somebody who absolutely hates to dance, hates lyrical dancing styles, and has no tolerance for hipsters and drama, it would would be a paper-and-fire type relationship.
You would think.
But for some reason, despite the fact that so many things in that series drive me nuts, I watch every new episode with an almost fanatical devotion. I know the judges, the storylines, the typical plot twists, and the whole structure of the show, stuff about dance I never knew, and names for things I probably shouldn’t.
I realized a few seasons ago, that that’s the exact reason I watch So You Think You Can Dance, it’s something uncharacteristic.
So the whole thing started with season one, when my sister first started watching, out of the interest in seeing different styles of dance, and maybe watching something a little more popular, and something that wasn’t our steady diet of Arrested Development, Deadwood and Woody Allen films. After a few weeks of her trying to get me to watch it with her, I finally gave it, thinking I’d watch one and hate it: and I did. Well I didn’t really have anything to do that next week, so I figured I might as well see who got voted off. From then on, it was a constant stream of “might as well”, which carried on into the next season, and now we’re here, and with DVR.
So by now, we have a long list of reasons I like show, the main being that it really brings me out of “comfort zone” in terms of what it is that I watch, and since I know nothing about dance, it’s actually pretty educational. I don’t think it ever hurts to learn something new, even if it’s not applicable to your immediate interests. I’ve learned about some different styles, what the major details of those styles are, and really how to do a lot of things wrong. Plus, and this is rare, but a gem will come along, and I’ll actual like one of the dances, which seems to help justify why I watch the show.
But still, usually their lines aren’t pronounced enough, I don’t like their smile, they didn’t bring enough personality, and they weren’t low enough to the earth. Oh yeah, and if they’re crumpin’, they never lock hard enough, and freeze sharp enough. Did I say that all right, crumping?
As an added bonus, knowing nothing about dance, means the contestants can never ruin a favorite dance of mine: as I have none. With American Idol (which, I hate) I would have to constantly subject myself to bad covers of classic Who and Queen songs, whereas SYTYCD makes new dances every week, and plays music I’m not in to. The *worst that could happen is they ruin a showtune I like, which is again, a rare occasion. Plus the show is ultimately entertaining. You can’t spend that much money on something and have at least a basic level of entertainment value. They’re their to entertain at the end of the day, and the show does just that.
*(in the first draft of this post, I wrote “The most worst thing”)
And you know, when I think about it, the judges and choreographers are pretty cool in the show too. I love some of ‘em, and I certainly hate some of them, but the show does a pretty good job of rotating them out to get a variety. It kind of seems unfair at times, however, but like I said earlier, the show is about entertainment value, not actually finding the “best” dancer. Mia Michaels, for instance, is just an awesome woman, she’s very inspired and very creative (even though I hate lyrical dancing) and always speakers her mind. The same with Sonya Tayeh, who’s personality just puts me in awe.
Then, however, you get to some of the choreographers like Adam Shankman, who just pull the same shit every week, and leave you holding down the fast forward button. Every episode is the same formula, he drops the name of something mildly topical (last week’s was Twitter), he purposely acts like a dick in order to give the illusion he speaks his mind, and tops the whole thing off with making sure we know he’s gay. The gay isn’t a problem for me, it’s that it never fucking ends with this guy, it’s just one American’s Next Top Model buzzword after another, and never anything constructive.
But finally, you get the c-graphers (I don’t call them that) like Tabitha and Napoleon, ‘Lil C and the main two judges/execs, who are just “meh” for me, and really have little sway for good or for bad with me. They do their routines, and make their comments, but nothing really awful or amazing comes from them. Nigel has his obligations to fill, and Mary, though annoying most of the time, seems to knows her stuff, which keeps a pretty solid balance to the show’s mechanics.
Let’s face it, Cat Deeley’s the
real reason I watch the show
As a side note: thankfully we haven’t seen much Dan Karaty either, because directing your high school production of Movin’ Out (or whatever the fuck his one thing was) he drives me nuts, but I’m sad to see a lack of Tyce routines and I’m still wondering whatever happened to Doriana Sanchez. (oh man, Doriana Sanchez….)
Plus, the icing on the cake is the host of the show, Cat Deeley. (pictured) I had never heard of her before she entered in on the show in what I think was the end of the first season: but apparently she tests well in England because she built a pretty big career across the pond. And not only is she the sweetest, nicest, most adorable and sincere person ev-ar, she’s also like, the hottest woman ever. Like, seriously, a lot of women on that show are very athletic and attractive, but Cat has them beat everywhere, both in personality and looks. One could say she’s just TOO amazing. I wouldn’t, but someone could theoretically say that.
But of course, the show is still a show at the core of it, which means it even with all the flash and bang they can squeeze into two hours, it falls victim to the same problems a lot of reality shows. The beginning auditions always feed on those crazy personalities that make people watch, and for the first few episodes, it’s all jump-style ninjas, serious mental deficiencies, falling on faces and maybe ONE occasional good audition. Plus, having a show means it has to earn ratings, further precipitating those strange personalities because they appeal to the general public. Add in the pop music that I hate, the token retard blonde and the general fact it’s a FOX reality show, and you’ve just taken what could be a very good thing for me, and turned it into a mediocre suck-fest, that I still end up watching. Also, Cat Deeley’s really hot, did I mention that?
But hey, it’s at least something my sister and I can do together, and I like that.
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Tags: Cat Deeley, choreographers, competition, crumpin', dance, FOX, host, reality show, So You Think You Can Dance, SYTYCD, tv
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