“Dancing With the Stars”: Let’s let Marie get back to taking care of those eight kids

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For those of you who do vote after watching “Dancing With the Stars,” please take into serious consideration what you may be undertaking next week if you choose Marie Osmond as your champion.

You will be taking a show that already relies heavily on cheese factor and possibly encourage the producers to make it more schlocky.

Unless that’s what you want, America. Is it?

Were you a little too scandalized last night when Tom Bergeron used the D-word when mentioning Avril Lavigne’s latest album?

Were you impressed last night by the “Meet the Press” segment involving such heavies as Nancy O’Dell and Kimberly Caldwell?

Did the uncontrollable screaming and whistling during Michael Flatley’s routine seem not just realistic but well-deserved to you?

Because if so, then it makes sense that you select Marie as your queen.

To her credit, Marie has worked hard throughout the competition and that can’t be taken away from her. But she just doesn’t make it look as easy at Mel B or Helio Castroneves do.

Moreover, it seems that if Marie wins, “DWTS” will have undone some of the strides it’s made this season toward making the show a little more relevant and fresh. It’s brought in bigger singers for the results show, switched up the skits a bit and showcased more varieties of dance — including, gasp, break dancing.

All this was seemingly meant to appeal to a wider audience that included younger viewers who might have been switching over after “So You Think You Can Dance” ended on Fox. If Marie wins, however, the producers might say, “OK, our target demographic prefers baby boomers over younger, more talented dancers, and is definitely a little bit more country than rock ‘n’ roll.”

Marie has certainly proved herself in the competition, but she must be stopped. Now.

-- Claire Zulkey

(Photo courtesy ABC)