Bristol Palin, 'the fighter,' takes third on 'Dancing With the Stars'

The haters rested easy and the world was safe again for televised dance competitions Tuesday as Bristol Palin finished third on "Dancing With the Stars," heading off dire predictions by the likes of Joy Behar and bajillions of hysterical online commenters about what might happen if Sarah Palin's daughter dared to succeed.

Did we mention it's just a TV show?

"Congrats Jen, Kyle, Bristol, et al, for proving competition is GOOD!," Sarah Palin said Tuesday night on Twitter. "Remember: 'They're going to criticize anyway, so you might as well dance!'" (See Mom's reaction at a book signing in Arizona, below.)

Bristol's "DWTS" stint started with the challenge of a five-day drive down from Alaska and finished with reports of a man shooting his TV when she held on to make the final three, and a death threat now being investigated by the FBI. Fan votes for weeks had been mighty enough to bump her and partner Mark Ballas past the pairs with the second-lowest judges' scores. Hostility over results found Ballas taking a break from Twitter during the season's final week.

Judge Bruno Tonioli worked with Bristol and Mark during a final-week rehearsal, leading to some comical moments coming from his over-the-top personality juxtaposed with Palin's more shy demeanor. Tonioli said of the couple's "favorite dance" on Tuesday, "This is the dance that showed us Bristol the fighter, more focused, more confident.

"You found your footing in this competition and you earned your place in the finale I think through this," he said. "Because you've always been a clean dancer, but your performance level started to develop with the tango, and it's still here to be seen." The studio audience seemed to agree, giving a standing ovation that included fellow competitor Kyle Massey pumping his hands over his head in support.

Judge Carrie Ann Inaba had a theory about "Bristol the Pistol's" fan appeal.

"[S]he represents the everyday girl, and the interesting part of the show is that you've got this girl next door who's obviously not a celebrity and not a performer out here running neck and neck with an R&B singer, a guy who's got his own TV show and Jennifer Grey, and I feel that people are living vicariously through her," she told the Wall Street Journal. "They're like, 'I get it, she's like me.' "

Non-celebrity Palin's casting on the show was a chatter-starter from the beginning. "I’ve talked to Bristol a lot, and she's lovely. She's this sweet girl-woman," head of casting Deena Katz told Show Tracker in August. "She’s very mature for her age. A lot has clearly happened to her in just a few years."

Katz continued: "She's totally self-sufficient. She's not scared. ... She’s a great addition to the cast. I don't think you've heard her talk that much. She's a great 19-year-old girl with her head totally on her shoulders."

By the end of the season, Bristol was indeed talking more, saying in preshow comments Tuesday, "Going out there and winning this would mean a lot. It would be like a big middle finger out there to all the people out there who hate my mom and hate me."

Well played.

RELATED:

Bristol Palin, the Situation have a frank chat about sex

'Dancing With the Stars': A threat, a lift, an endorsement and a poll!

Brandy vs. Bristol: How does the elimination math work on 'Dancing With the Stars'?

-- Christie D'Zurilla

 

 

Comments

[connie]

You call that last comment 'mature'???? I don't think so!!

[Robert Aiello]

The integrity of Dancing with the Stars has been compromised by Bristol Palin and her mother's Tea Party friends, one of whom boasted that she voted 300 times. Bristol Palin proved to have little or no talent by her performance and by the judges scores, yet she lasted until the end with much better dancers being eliminated. Unfortunately, the Tea Party used the show to advance its own political agenda for Sarah Palin. That made the show fixed and therefore no longer worth watching.

[ajda]

bristol was used as a pawn to have her mothers name & face in the lime lite & for no other reason
she didn't show any talent & should have been voted off in the 1st few weeks as reflected by her scores from the judges
the tea party made sure she stayed on for political purpose of keeping sarahs name on tv & in the news

[DAE]

If her name wasn't Palin, she would have been long, long gone.

[ChaChaheels]

Bristol shouldn't have made this far...and everyone you ask on earth knows it! Depending on who is in the line up next season, I'll watch DWTS for the crappy entertainment it provides...If it's not interesting to watch then there's always "Chuck". This season I stopped watching when Kurt Warner baby was eliminated as well as other worthier dancers were being eliminated over Bristol. I hope more viewers tuned in to some other program last night instead of watching the finale. This season's contest was riddle with political bias and soooo fixed...it was disgusting to watch...sigh!..well til next season...dance on...

[RLF]

Robert Aiello, your comment is on the money. I think Bristol is wrong to think there are "haters" it is her lack of talent and her advancing to the finals that is maddening. She showed her lack of maturity when on national television she said she gave a huge middle finger to the haters. But why, was she there to begin with, she is not a celebrity. Shame on ABC...I have been an avid fan and may no longer watch the show.

[Patty Lower]

Bristol is an amazing young woman and mother. Why do so many people have to voice and put into print such nasty hatred for someone who put herself outside her comfort zone at 20, endured horrific comments and put-downs, because she wanted to learn how to dance and was willing to do so on national TV? Applaud the fact she put her heart and energies into improving week after week. Applaud the fact Mark is a very talented and kindhearted dance instructor. Don't criticize the fact that many in America enjoyed watching her transformation week after week, and voted accordingly. Don't criticize what 99.5 percent of us could never do. Instead, celebrate her and Mark's accomplishment. I'm so proud of both of them!

[Jane]

Bristol was at the same level as Kelly Osborne who also made the finals. And Bristol didn't make as many mistakes as Kelly did in her final dances. People like to see an average looking girl turn into a "princess". And people vote for chemistry in the couple. Mark certainly showed a lot of affection for Bristol and that was charming to watch. Not always the best dancer wins. Remember when Sabrina the 'Cheetah girl" was voted off early.

[Nicole Martine]

Oh please.....the author of this ridiculous piece is clearly a right winger with a penchant for kissing.

Brisket has zero class, and her enormous derriere aside, she is not worth a second look.

[Michm]

The haters? You can't be serious. People were simply offended by the obvious lack of integrity behind the votes in support of Bristol Palin. If she actually deserved to survive the competition week after week, I'm sure that very few viewers would have been troubled by her success. I for one would have been pleased to see her do well. I don't hold her accountable for her mother's actions or politics and I don't like to see any politician's children belittled because of their parents. But the votes for Bristol were very clearly driven by childish politics rather than honest opinion of her dancing abilities. IMO it was all rather condescendingly insulting to Ms. Palin, an implicit admission that she needed a competitive handicap to stay in the competition. I'm sure she even knew what was up and was probably more than a little embarrassed about it.

I completely oppose knocking Bristol personally because it's not her fault that her mother's supporters show such a graceless lack of personal integrity. But there is nothing wrong with honestly appraising her performance in an adult competition that she chose to enter. She's a 20 year old woman who has reached the age of majority and she entered the competition for the same reasons that most do. She wants to make hay while the sun shines. Again, I can't fault her for that, but by the same token there is no reason to treat her differently from the other performers by pretending not to notice that far better dancers were eliminated before she was. The whole point of the competition is that it is a competition. When viewers think that other voters are being dishonest, they're going to object... loudly.

[zoica]

Bristol's comments about "haters" and "middle fingers" were NOT "well played"! They were a glaring breach of "stage etiquette". Bristol had my sympathies until she made those comments. Badly done, Bristol...badly done.

[Sue F]

It's true, I don't think Bristol should have been chosen for the show. But, obviously, ABC knows something about how to get ratings. I really resent being called a "hater" because I didn't think Bristol deserved to come in third-maybe 5th or 6th-but I respect the voting process. But calling me a hater put an even greater distance between me and the tea party/sarah palin camp.

[skoksvalley]

haters?
How old is the author of this post? Why do adults insist on speaking like high schoolers?

Young Ms Palin, Bristol, really lives an extremely different life than most unwed mothers. She is very blessed to have a family that is able to achieve financial security during such rough times. It would be nice if the Palin family would learn to turn their cheek and think before speaking in public.

[Mark]

Bristol Palin is of no talent, others said. How come it happened? For me, their just judgemental. Let others exceed what they can and do your own business to.

[Peigi Religa]

I agree with most everyone. Bristol Palin should never have been on the show, in the first place. It's called "Dancing with the Stars", what makes her a star? I never heard of her before the show. There are a lot of 16 year old, unwed mothers out there, but they weren't on the show. Added to that, she was by far one of the worst dancers on the show and should have been gone by week 4. Her name, & her mom's supporters, are what kept her on the show Then, when people spoke up about her lack of dancing talent, she calls them haters. I don't hate her, she is just a bad dancer.

[Sals]

One more thing...conservative web sites were there to "stick it to the democrats" in this vote for bristol....I didn't like the way bristol played victim like her mom...."max doesn't like me....he doesn't think I am good enough to be here"....and wouldn't tell who said so....Max who is a profession said it was not true and wanted to know....but that is not how the palins work....she also talked about how others there were too stressed out....and crying and complaining....yet near the end...she breaks down and cries because she is "stressed out" and etc....this is an act....and that at the end..."sticking a big middle finger to the haters of her mom and her" come on now...this is the bristol we know....

[Dee]

I especially like the comment about the author of this article being "a right-winger". Listen people we have had all to endure vile and hateful things said about Bristol during the competition, and yes listen up, by those liberal (and there are a lot) reporters who think they know journalism. I have to say that this article is the most partisan one I have seen telling it the way it happened. This girl endured more than what any person should have to throughout this competition. I know there are those of you who say well if she can't take it she should not have done the show. That is lame, no one, I repeat, no one no matter who they are or what they do deserves to be treated as she was. Her last comment was probably did not need to be said, but in my eyes she restrained throughout the show she she deserves one snafu. She deserves where credit is due and she did great on the show improving every week. That is all that needs to be said. No slurs of her or her family, None of us know them so keep quiet. Not our place to judge anyone unless your closet is completely clean!