3 Reasons Why I'm Shutting Down DWTS Ringer Talk

We are less than a week away from the Season 18 premiere of Dancing With the Stars and the ringer talk has begun. My Twitter feed exploded with questions after PureDWTS wrote an insightful article about Danica McKellar's past ballroom experience. They took the time to dig up extensive evidence of her training where she looks good out on that dance floor. Danica is also seen in her latest ABC video acting a little naive when it comes to being led around the ballroom.

Remember, we are in Season 18 of the show and even Conrad Green, producer of DWTS, has admitted it's harder to cast the show at this point. So fair or not regarding Danica's very specific ballroom training, I go back to these three reasons why I'm just shutting down the ringer talk.

1. It's Exhausting: We've discussed it ad nauseum some seasons on AfterBuzz TV.  I think we wind up talking circles around the topic and we get nowhere. If you look back at Season 16 and the whole Zendaya debate, the argument reached a fever pitch with everyone taking sides. In the end, Zendaya didn't win.

2. It's a TV show: ABC is trying to deliver an entertaining show each week. They bring on celebrities with many different levels of dance training to draw an audience. Last season, we had a mix of trained dancers like Corbin Bleu, natural movers like Jack Osbourne and Amber Riley and lovable personalities like Bill Engvall in the Final Four. Again, the best-trained dancer did not win.

3. It Comes Down to that Freestyle Dance: When it comes to final votes for the average audience member, they vote on the Freestyle Dance. The best dancer may have worked hard all season and been at the top of the leaderboard most weeks, but if that Freestyle Dance doesn't deliver…they don't go home with the Mirror Ball Trophy.

I know you won't all agree with me on this, so help me see the flip side of the coin. Feel free to comment below. I will respond to all comments here, but I won't be able to respond to comments on Twitter. There are so many of you on Twitter and it's impossible to do without annoying my other followers who aren't DWTS fans. As always, please be respectful of others and their opinions. Thanks!

The Best of 2013: DWTS, SYTYCD & The Oscars

It's that time of year when I look back to see what you were clicking on this year. It was no surprise that  my top post was related to Dancing With the Stars, but my top photo on Twitter was related to the Oscars. It's fascinating to see what you retweet, comment and like on social media.

Here are some of my Best Of Photos & Articles of 2013:

This photo has made the rounds several times on Twitter thanks to Kristen Stewart and Jennifer Lawrence at the Oscars.

Top Posts:

1. It's Time to End the Zendaya Debate:  Fans argued that she was a ringer on DWTS. Guess what? She didn't win the show, Kellie Pickler did. The most trained dancer usually doesn't win…just ask Corbin Bleu.

2. AfterBuzz TV: Chehon Wespi-Tschopp: I love that So You Think You Can Dance snuck in here. Fans of the Fox show tend to be a lot less vocal than the DWTS fans, but the dancers on this show are phenomenal. Chehon is a fan favorite and I know many of you came here to see who he was dating. I'll never tell…

3. VIDEO: 2013 Emmy Nominees: Outstanding Choreography: This post obviously did well in September. I posted all of the videos of the nominees in the choreography category. It was a tough category, but the right person won. Congrats, Derek Hough!

4. SPOILER ALERT: DWT Season 17 Updated Pro List: I honestly thought this would wind up as the top post of the year, but the other Top 3 held strong. I want to thank my source for slipping me the information and for being accurate. That is really important to me. The biggest surprise for Season 17 was the addition of Tyne Stecklein whom we interviewed on AfterBuzz TV this season. She's a doll…count me as a fan.

Mollee Grey at the Dizzy Feet Foundation red carpet. This is was the second most popular photo on my Twitter feed this year. 

Top Searched Celebs:

1. Zendaya

2. Megan Fox

3. Susan Lucci

Most popular photo on my Facebook page was from the 1st Annual Geekie Awards of me interviewing  Stan Lee and Seth Green. The Geeks shall inherit the Earth.

DWTS Season 17: The End of the Ringer Debate

Don't ever count out athletes like Keyshawn Johnson in this competition.

Since we are only eight days away from the Season 17 launch of Dancing With the Stars. I'd like this to the last time we talk about ringers this season. Last season was filled with talk about the lovely Zendaya and her "ringer" status. It's just a waste of time talking about this since the alleged ringer doesn't always win. Let's talk about dance and choreography and personality--things that matter to the show. There will always be some producer manipulation behind the scenes, but arguing about it is just exhausting.

Yep, that's Snooki during her gymnastic and cheerleading days.

Here's a sample of a few of the contestants who have had dance or movement training prior to joining the cast.

Start by watching the incredible Valerie Harper in this production number. It isn't available for embedding, but it's definitely worth watching.

Elizabeth Berkley:


Amber Riley:


Christina Milian:


Bill Nye, The Science Guy:


Corbin Bleu:


DWTS on AfterBuzz TV premieres on Tuesday, Sept. 17 with me, Anna Trebunskaya, Suri Serano and Jake DuPree at 8 p.m. PT. Watch here. 

SYTYCD: Did a contestant buy Twitter followers?

With so much focus from the fans about Twitter on last season's Dancing with the Stars, I decided to take a look at So You Think You Can Dance.  Fox has each contestant create a new account with the season and their name.  It is a level-playing field and the audience can decide who to follow during the season.  I think this is incredibly fair way to handle everything if the producers decide to do any Twitter voting. Fans spent half the season of DWTS arguing over the number of Twitter followers for Disney star Zendaya and how unfair any Twitter voting was for the celebs. While the SYTYCD contestants are in a different situation, I like the way the network handles the social media aspect of the show.

On Thursday, I created a Twitter list for the contestants so I could follow them without cluttering my already over-cluttered feed.  I wrote down how many followers each contestant had as of Thursday, June 20, thinking it would be fascinating experiment to see who is the fan favorite early on.

Last Thursday's Twitter count.

If you can read my chicken scratch in the photo above, notice that Malece Miller topped the Top 10 girls while Brittany Cherry was at the bottom. For the Top 10 boys, Nico Greetham was at the top with 2,410 followers and Carlos Garland had only 661 followers. If you checked their numbers today, you would see an increase for all of the contestants by now.

However, over the weekend, I noticed one contestant's numbers jump astronomically: Paul.  He went from 729 followers to over 5,000 within two days.  Really?  It made me think that only one thing happened: He bought followers. You can buy about 5,000 followers for about $75 via several internet sites. It's a deceiving way to make people think you have more followers than you actually do. Many of the accounts following you are fake or inactive when you buy them off of the internet.

What many people do not know is that there is a site that will track the percentages of fake followers. I did a little sleuthing and this is what I came up with for Paul's account.

His account is showing that over half of his followers are inactive on Twitter. Let's compare his account to Nico who had the most followers last week:

Nico, who is now up to 3,131 followers as of Monday, only has 13% of inactive followers. That is a a pretty typical number. Every Twitter account has some fake and/or inactive followers because of spam accounts or people who only open an account to follow celebs, but are inactive tweeters. The real number to focus in on is how many of the accounts that are following you are "good." This is where I raise eyebrows.  Nico has 84% and Paul has only 44%. Also, remember that Paul's follower count jumped from Thursday to Saturday...not on a show night after the audience watched him dance.

I am suspicious. I'm pretty sure that Paul bought followers because the pressure is on to be "America's Favorite Dancer."  Maybe he feels even more stressed to perform since he won SYTYCD Armenia? We all know how important social media is to connecting to the fans. I just think it's a really sneaky way to do it.

Chime in! Let me know what you think about social media, buying followers, and SYTYCD. Am I wrong? Is Paul wrong to do this?  I look forward to your feedback. 

AfterBuzz TV DWTS: Sharna Burgess & Lindsay Arnold

Ahhh, what a season! I cannot believe it's over.  It's been a wild ride over the last 10 weeks. My wish for next season is that we are all good to each other...no matter who we are rooting for. We are so lucky to live in a world where we can have our own opinions and thoughts, but it is important to be respectful of the opposing side.  Kellie and Zendaya are both beautiful dancers and women. While they each brought different things to the table, we watched because we love dance.  While Kellie went home with that mirror ball trophy, I think we are all going to watch Zendaya become a superstar in Hollywood...way beyond the confines of Disney/ABC. Whether she hits the music scene or takes on the film world, mark my words, she will be wildly successful.

My SheKnows.com article about the DWTS finale >>

I know many of you aren't satisfied with the voting explanation. ABC should have done a better job with explaining what happened much like NBC did with The Voice when they had a similar issue in early May. Legally, they did the right thing by throwing out the ABC.com votes. It leveled the playing field for both coasts.  While viewers were left with phone, text, and Facebook votes, I know some of you will argue it isn't fair.  Well, I can never text since I'm not an AT&T customer.....so that's not fair. I also only have a public FB page, so I cannot vote via social media. I have to pick up the phone. We could go in circles about this over and over. Remember, all networks have to abide by FCC regulations and Broadcast Standards and Practices. Here are ABC's guidelines for their entire network. What ABC failed to do is explain the situation to the viewers...that is a PR misstep.

Our pre-show Vine video >>

I also think Lindsay and Sharna addressed the footwear issue very well.  There are so many other issues to deal with when you are trying to teach a celebrity to dance.  While it may not be the preferable choice for viewers with a dance background, the pros chose what they felt was best for their celebs. I prefer the line of a heel, but once I heard Lindsay and Sharna's explanations, I feel like I understand the reasoning a bit better...even if I prefer true ballroom footwear.

One crazy photo post-show >>

Thank you all for such a great season. We really cannot do it without you. Your input, comments, questions and artful debate have been so much fun. Even when we don't agree, I love discussing the show with you.  For those of you that are fans of SYTYCD, I hope you join me, Jake, AJ Gibson, and Chloe West for a fun season. Next week, we will slide into DWTS' old time slot on AfterBuzz TV at 9pm PT, so you know where to find us. We will also be bringing in some DWTS and SYTYCD guests to join us once the Top 20 is announced.



The podcast is available to listen to here. 

Now feel free to comment away about the season, but be respectful of others and their opinions. Thank you! 

AfterBuzz TV's DWTS: Henry Byalikov

This was such a fun show. I'm so glad we had Henry Byalikov back on this season for a second time so he was able to give us the inside scoop on his work with Baz Lurhmann on Gatsby.  He's always a great guest and we all know his fans are legendary.

Catch our pre-show Vine video here.

It was our last show with Anna Trebunskaya and we are going to miss her next week. She's been a great addition to the show this season on AfterBuzz TV. However, we do have two pros currently confirmed for next week's show. Be sure to come back here on Tuesday to find out who it is. I am really excited to end the season in a big way. It will be an awesome finish to a fascinating season.

I wanted to list everyone's Top 4 predictions for next week. I think our answers shocked a few of you and none of us had the same answer. Do you agree or disagree? Let me know in the comments below. See you all next week!

Predictions:

Suri                        Anna
1st: Jacoby              1st/2nd: Kellie/Jacoby (She couldn't decide.)
2nd:  Kellie              3rd: Aly
3rd: Zendaya           4th: Zendaya
4th: Aly

Henry                     Jake:
1st: Kellie                1st: Kellie
2nd: Jacoby            2nd: Zendaya
3rd:  Aly                  3rd: Jacoby
4th: Zendaya           4th: Aly

Kristyn
1st: Kellie
2nd: Jacoby
3rd: Zendaya
4th: Aly

If you missed the show, you can watch below.

Media Mondays

 I hit the drive-in this weekend to see Alien! This is clearly a preview for All About Eve...unless aliens suddenly started wearing tuxes to fool us all.

After a whirlwind of a week, I had such a nice relaxing weekend.  I hope yours was just as fun as we head into the new week.

Here are my media appearances from last week:

SheKnows:
Nick Lachey & Jessica Simpson: Haven't spoken in 6 years--Nick went on Bravo TV and dished some good gossip on their marriage.
Pete Wentz's pill addiction post-Ashlee Simpson divorce--Let's go 2-for-2 on the Simpson girls and dish about Ashlee's marriage, too.
Penn Badgley on Blake Lively: "I didn't send a wedding gift"--What the heck? Let's dish on Blake Lively's marriage as well!

Press Pass LA:
TCM Film Fest kicks off with Funny Girl--If you are a classic film fan, be sure to join the awesome #TCMParty on Twitter. You will meet a lot of great people. 

The Prince and Princess of Norway visited during my Houston gig.

DWTS: I was in the chat room for the show since I was working in Houston on another gig. However,  I did write an article about the Zendaya debate that stirred up a bit of controversy. You can read it here.

The Radio Dish: This week we chatted about the American Idol judges' table and what a hot mess that has become and Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert's marriage...is it over? Listen in at the 17:45 mark.


By the way, I am cleaning out my closet and I am selling a few items. Make sure to check my Twitter and Facebook page for updates. I just sold a cute dress and these sunglasses are up for grabs. 

Also, listen later today to start your entertainment news week:
1:30pm PT Metro News Hotline with Dave Weekley

DWTS: It's Time To End The Zendaya Debate

Enough with Zendaya.

She's not a ringer, she's a girl who has had Hip Hop classes. I might take this debate more seriously if she were a trained ballet dancer or ballroom dancer, but it's time to stop.  Here are my reasons for ending the Zendaya discussion on DWTS:

1. It's a TV show: Having great dancers and bad dancers all lumped into one variety show is fun. I cheered on Andy Dick as much as I have cheered Zendaya and Kellie Pickler this season.  I did make fun of Sean Lowe's dancing a bit, but it made for some interesting topics of discussion on our AfterBuzz TV show.
    And guess what? By constantly debating that "Zendaya is a ringer" and "Kellie is being underscored"(Although the "7" from Len was ridiculous, it also made for good TV.) topics, you are playing into exactly what ABC wants...controversy.  It makes for good television and it gets us all watching each week.
    One other argument is that ABC wants to promote its own network stars. If you look at the statistics, this is a bad argument.  Let's look at the ABC stars who have won DWTS:  Season 1 Kelly Monaco, General Hospital. That's it, kids.  You could argue Melissa Rycroft from Season 15 as she is a former ABC employee with The Bachelor franchise/former GMA & Bachelor Pad host, but ABC has not used her in that capacity since April 2012. If there were a series of ABC winners, I would agree with you. 1 winner out of 15 does not make for an ABC push for a winner.
 
Supplemental reading: Carrie Ann Inaba talks Kellie Pickler 

2.  Zendaya Hears You:  If you think this 16-year-old doesn't hear your criticism, she does...and she takes it personally.  If you read her Access Hollywood blog, she knows exactly what is going on in the forums.  I feel badly for her because I remember being 16 and we don't need to help anyone's teen insecurities along.

Supplemental reading: Zendaya's blog

Even with dance training, Zendaya doesn't have lines like Kellie does. Beautiful!

3.  Twitter followers:  Yep, Zendaya has more followers than anyone, but she's also of a generation that is more tuned into social media than say...Wynonna's fans.  Different generations, different demographics, different use of social media.
      I know many of you are upset that Zendaya got Hip Hop this week. She asked for it, the fans gave it to her. Aly asked for Afro-Jazz, Kellie asked for Flamenco, everyone got the exact dance they wanted. While Flamenco might be harder for Kellie than Hip Hop is for Zendaya, it is Derek who wanted this dance. He has something in mind choreographically just the same way Mark wanted to try Afro-Jazz on Aly.  They know their partner's strengths.
      Also, ABC is trying to keep up with the times and keep this show as interactive as possible for all of the fans.  Twitter is social media site that keeps growing while Facebook's growth has stagnated over the last two years, that's why they are using it for voting.  While not every experiment on DWTS works, I like that they are trying to keep current and relevant.

Supplemental reading: Carrie Ann Inaba names best DWTS dancer ever

Honestly, I would rather talk about the great dancing we are seeing from Zendaya and Kellie this season and how much I've enjoyed watching them each week.  Val and Derek have both stepped up their game choreographically and it's been a treat for the viewers.  With two weeks left, let's end the debate and see who's going to come out on top.  Remember last year, we all thought Shawn Johnson was going to win.

Let's end the debate. You are missing some good dancing.

Okay, your turn to comment. Please post in the comments below...

UPDATE:  Thanks for all of your responses so far. While some of you agree with me, I want to address those that don't agree with me...of course, I respect your opinion. However, hurling insults my way weakens your case. Instead, why don't you comment below and give me some facts to back up your argument.  I am totally up for rational discussions. It's refreshing to hear a different perspective when it's done with respect.  

The other thing you must remember is that I compliment both Zendaya and Kellie in this post. I like them both. I haven't chosen sides.  

I also want to disclose I have interviewed Zendaya many times, so I was very familiar with her work pre-DWTS. If you want to see some of that coverage, go here and here. 

Anyway, thanks for all of your feedback. I appreciate it!   

DWTS on AfterBuzzTV, Week 7: Shirley Ballas, Yegor Novikov

How great of a guest was Shirley Ballas? She offered up some awesome insight and she talked about the fact that there is politics on the show. However, she showed that they are fair and balanced when it comes to moving the top leaders around on that scoreboard. It's boring if Kellie or Zendaya win every week and no one should discount Jacoby for the top spot in the end. I also love that Shirley confirmed the Maks/Val/Derek feud...it's true, it exists.

As for Yegor, he was so sweet and he gave the best critique of the night when it came to Sharna and Andy's journey. He showcased what Sharna did as a choreographer for her celeb who was a great performer, but not a great dancer.  It was fantastic to hear his opinions on them.

If you missed the show, you can watch it below or download it on iTunes. Thank you for making the show #10 this week of Top Podcasts on AfterBuzz TV.  We love you guys!

I also want to thank JC Rubio and Jackie Miranne for taking your questions to the red carpet. It's awesome to have their clips and your questions featured on our show.

I can't believe we only have 3 more shows left. Sniff...I'm going to miss you all until next season...or come join me as I co-host Season 10 of SYTYCD on AfterBuzz TV beginning May 14.

Finally, you are all so sweet for sending my mother lovely birthday wishes! xoxoxo kb

AfterBuzz TV DWTS, Week 6: The Twitter Controversy

Even at Disneyland, there is no escape from DWTS!

I think this is our most hotly debated show of the season.  Team Zendaya thinks we hate Zendaya. If you have followed our shows over the last month and a half, you know that isn't true. I'm a big fan of the 16-year-old as a celeb and as great role model. I personally don't care how many Twitter followers she has and I don't think she is a ringer for ABC. I just want to see the girl dance! I think we all know where I stand and I believe my co-hosts are in the same boat on that. Any other interpretation of our opinions is erroneous.

Phew! Okay, I think we are good on that...until the next controversy. You guys like to keep me on my toes!

Don't forget to send in your red carpet questions on Mondays and Tuesdays to JC Rubio and Jackie Miranne. We are featuring one question each week on the Wednesday show. (Click on their names to tweet your questions.)

As a fan of SYTYCD, I am super excited that tWitch and Allison Holker will be performing together on Tuesday's show. Their dancing is amazing and they are a cute couple.  It's a great reminder that Season 10 is just around the corner....

If you missed this week's episode, you can watch it below:

AfterBuzz TV's DWTS, Week 5: Witney Carson

I personally had more fun on this show versus any other episode we have done so far. Anna and our awesome guest, Witney Carson, did a great job of giving us more inside information than we have ever seen. From learning about Anna's time spent with Zendaya to get her ready for the Tango to Aly's mindset after hearing about the tragic Boston events earlier in the day, Witney and Anna both delivered.

The other thing that has been fun guessing is where Witney will turn up this summer. Most of you seem to think she will be a SYTYCD All-Star on Fox. It's a great guess and it makes a lot of sense.

Finally, we addressed the Zendaya "ringer" comment that has been coming up so much. We discussed it at length. You are welcome to add your thoughts in the comments below and I will definitely respond if you have more to add to the discussion.  Otherwise, I think we have exhausted the topic on the show, but let me know if you think we missed something during our debate.

Thank you all for your fan questions. We are trying to incorporate them as much as possible into the show whether it is on the red carpet, via a phone call, or from my blog, I think you all have added so much to our show.  It's really amazing!

If you missed the show, you can download it here on iTunes or watch it below.

See you next week!

Disney Channel's 'Let It Shine' Premiere

On Tuesday night, I covered the red carpet for the premiere of Disney Channel's new original movie, Let It Shine.  The film stars Coco Jones, Tyler James Williams, and Trevor Jackson and it focuses on the message of staying true to yourself and following your dreams.  You are in for a treat as this film has a powerhouse cast with loads of talent.  Mark your calendars for the June 15th premiere on the Disney Channel.  Now, sit back and enjoy the photos and video interviews from the night....

This girl is a star: Coco Jones

 Ariel Winter of Modern Family is becoming one of my favorite young actresses to interview.  We saw her last at the Gracie Awards being her usual fashionable self.  

 Did you know I worked with Booboo and Fivel Stewart back in 2006 on a series called Blue Dolphin Kids?  Take a look, they were both so little. 

 The entire Simpson Family dressed in black and white in support of sister, Alli's, big hosting debut with Radio Disney.  It was nice to catch up with Cody since I haven't seen him since he mentored the N.B.T. semi-finalists last August.

 Zendaya looked beautiful in her orange dress on the red carpet. (She looks like she's ready to claw someone though....giggle.)  

 Oh, my niece loves Bradley Steven Perry from Good Luck, Charlie.  She got a shout out from him that I sent off to her yesterday. 

 Adam Irigoyen from Shake It Up had a fun little rivalry with Bradley Steven Perry going on during the premiere.  See the interview here. 

 One of my favorite Disney stars, Olivia Holt, from Kickin' It.  She is so sweet and lovely. Next to her is Kerris Dorsey from Moneyball.  If you haven't seen this film, add it to your Netflix queue now.  

To see more videos from the Let It Shine premiere from other Disney Channel stars like Zendaya, Alli Simpson, Trevor Jackson, and more, click here.  


As a reminder, these are all of my personal photos.  You are welcome to use them, but please give credit and link back to Red Carpet Closet.  Thank you!

No Words, Just Photos: 2011

Photos may not be used without permission from Kristyn Burtt