'Dancing With the Stars': Will Marissa Jaret Winokur's fans rally again?

I am not joking when I tell you that last night I had an extended anxiety dream in which I was a contestant on season seven of “Dancing With the Stars.”  In this dream, we were getting close to the first performance, and it suddenly dawned on me that everyone I knew would see me humiliated on television, and I stood at the craft-services table, picking at deli meat and trying to figure out if I could somehow bow out, such as by dying.  Fortunately, the dream then devolved into the classic anxiety dream of not being able to get where you’re going while taking an exam that you aren’t prepared for naked. 

Now, regarding the week nine performances, I’m going to speak to you frankly, America.  I’m going to be very disappointed in you if you keep Marissa Jaret Winokur in the race.  Yes, I realize that the parenting zeitgeist of the last 20 years does not permit me to criticize you, but we’re adults now, and a little tough love is in order.  Sure, she’s improved more than, say, Kristi Yamaguchi, but that’s because Kristi was already really good.  And, you know, Kristi deserves some credit for that.  Although the judges will no longer give a score lower than an eight, thereby causing the contestants’ scores to end up all stacked together, that doesn’t mean there aren’t big differences.  Most Improved is not the same as MVP.  I know this because I got the Most Improved trophy in eighth-grade basketball, and, trust me, it wasn’t a compliment.

So where are we after tonight, when each couple drew one ballroom and one Latin dance out of a hat?  In first place were Kristi and Mark with 57/60.  Just behind them at 56/60 were Cristián de la Fuente and Cheryl, and just behind them were Cristián’s new BFF Jason Taylor and Edyta with 55/60.  So, you see, the fact that Marissa and Tony earned 52/60 is significant.  Sure, it’s just five points behind Kristi and Mark, but those five points should have a multiplier attached to them, like dog years.

For kicks, let’s go in chronological order.  Jason and Edyta led off each round tonight: first, the foxtrot, and then the paso doble.  In rehearsals, we see Edyta trying to speak to Jason in terms that he’ll understand: football terms.  She tells Jason there’s no room for friendship with Cristián, whom Jason lovingly calls “my boy.”  Dan Marino weighs in via testosterone-laced video that Jason cannot let himself be beaten by two actors and an ice skater.  If Jason doesn’t bring back the mirrored-ball trophy, then he shouldn’t bother coming home.  Jason and Edyta’s foxtrot is very elegant and also very pleasing in that it is performed to traditional music.  Jason does that insouciant, heel-clicking move that I associate with “Singin' in the Rain,” whether or not it actually occurred there.  I swear I saw some debris sweeping across the floor near the end, but no one commented upon it.  Score: 28/30.  Their second dance, the paso doble, really did call to mind a bullfight, or perhaps fencing.  It was also pleasingly performed to traditional music.  The judges compliment the fact that they upped the degree of difficulty, and co-host Samantha Harris asks Jason why people should vote for them.  Jason responds that he’ll lower the price of gas, lower taxes, give free healthcare to everyone and end the war.  Panderer!  Score: 27/30, for a total of 55/60.

Marissa and Tony were next in tonight’s lineup, and they drew the rumba and the quickstep.  During rehearsals, Marissa’s new BFF Stacy Keibler comes to help out, and Stacy and Marissa bond over the fact that Tony is totally not sexy to either one of them.  Poor Tony!   Their quickstep has a little choo-choo conceit at the beginning and end, and while the dance overall was enjoyable (really, I just love the quickstep; it looks so fun!), there was one clear mistake that turns out to have been a missed jété.  When judge Bruno pointed that out, the fans booed.  Oh, fans.  They still get a 26/30.  Their second dance, the rumba, was dull.  Rumbas are just dull, I think, so that was bad luck.  Carrie Ann and Len get into a spat as to whether rumbas are just inherently dull or something.  In the end, it’s another 26/30, for a total of 52/60.

Cristián and Cheryl danced third in each round tonight, and they drew the Viennese waltz and –- gasp! -– the samba, which injured Cristián two weeks ago.  As insurance, Cristián puts on a sandwich board, and they troll Venice Beach for votes.  Their Viennese waltz is, as usual on this show, performed to nauseatingly adapted modern music (in this case, “Satellite” by the Dave Matthews Band).  Cristián’s wounded arm looked better this week, but I still felt that he seemed as if he were doing a lot of walking around while Cheryl did the spins.  As an aside, does anyone else think that the wardrobe people don’t do Cheryl any favors?  I mean, she’s totally ripped, but she has kind of a wide back, and they’re always putting her in those weird mostly backless numbers.  Anyway, the judges adored Cristián’s movement, and they give him a 27/30.  I thought the dreaded samba was livelier but still not, like, transcendent, but judge Len called it “hotter than a chili pepper,” and judge Carrie Ann likened Cristián to Twinkle Toes himself, Emmitt Smith.  They get a 29/30, bringing them to 56/60 for the night.

Kristi and Mark were placed in fourth position tonight, presumably for maximum drama.  That worked.  They drew the tango and the jive, which had gotten them a perfect score a few weeks ago.  To prepare for the tango, they go to a high-level tango class of professional dancers, who give Kristi advice by touching her all over, sort of like the grandmother in “Sixteen Candles.”  There was some weird camera work during the performance, but I could still tell it was solid.  Len criticized it for being a “little bit hectic.”  Bruno and Carrie Ann liked.  Score: 29/30.  Their jive featured Kristi in a cute bubblegum-pink number, but unfortunately a piece of her hair got stuck to her face for most of the routine.  I didn’t love the song – -at all –- but, as usual, the choreography was simply much more challenging than that performed by other pairs.  Bruno loved it; Carrie Ann said they were “a hair” out of sync; Len called it “a little stiff.”  Um, okay.  That was harsher criticism than Marissa got.  They do still get a 28/30, for a total of 57/60.

There was a little bit of filler tonight in which Len goes to each couple to give them some advice and a move that they have to use in their routines.  It was mildly amusing, mostly to see Len being good-natured.

Tuesday night, there really will be a dance choreographed in tribute to “Thriller.”  And the dancing kids will be back and a champion crowned.  See you after the show.

-- Sarah Rogers 

Comments

[Joanne Aren a]

HI I would just to express my opinion. Kristi is doing good on the show. My concern is that she is a Olympic Ice Skater and has aln advantage over all of the other candiates because of all of her spins, and jumps and all that go along with a ice skater. Where on the other hand you have a football player that does none of those things. I think this year between the contestants is not fair at all. Kristi should not have been able to go this far.
Thanks Joan

[Lynn]

Come on already. It's way past time for Marissa to go!!! She is so out of place on this program. Get her off! And Kristi, although very good, is extremely too calculated and stiff - she appears to think she already has this contest won. Let's give credit where it is due - Jason is THE ONE!

[Fred]

I have to disagree. I thought that Marisa danced better than Jason. She flowed more, looked more at ease and played better to the music and the audience. The choreography that she danced to was also better than Jasons.

Marisa should stay and Jason should go but I do not think that that is in the plans. ABC does not want a "FAT" girl to go on.

As to the eventual winner, if I was to pick the best dancer as of now, Cristián de la Fuente is it hands down.

[Eddie Barker]

I actually had VIP tickets to see this show. VIP means you get to sit up in the balcony with an "obstructed view". You barely get to see the dancing. I think you have to know someone really famous to sit downstairs where you can actually see the dancing. Anyways, I felt totally used by the show. Well, here was one thing that was cool about where I sat. I was able to see Jason Taylor's wife, Cristian's wife, and Kristi's husband. You can tell that they support their spouses with the dancing, but I think I can see that they are sometimes a little uncomfortable when their spouses dance close with those hot professional dancers. I mean, Edyta is the hottest! I know that Jason Taylor's wife is pretty too, but she can't be too happy about having her husband's hands all over Edyta all the time. Poor Jason, what a dilemma to be in! :) But you're totally right, get rid of Marissa already!

[q]

I'm pretty tired of everyone saying how wonderful Kristi is. It's been stacked in her favor from day one. ...the girl had YEARS of dance training when she was a skater. All skaters do. If they're going to bring people on this show to "learn" from the pro's then for goodness sake they should at least start with a somewhat even field. Sure some people have more natural talent than others but to have someone who obviously has had training really isn't fair. Oh yeah....she was a bit of a snot back when she was a skater so I've never really cared for her anyway, but if she started out like everyone else I wouldn't begrudge her a win.

[Anne]

I totally agree with the previous commenter. It's all out of whack with a professional and multi-Olympic winner in the mix at all. The judges criticize everyone for different things that they let slide for the people they like. It's horrendous.

[jtbwriter]

Geez-the mean girls are here-what's with the Kristi bashing? Skating is not ballroom dancing-folks-please show some intel here! Kristi and Mark have had to learn chemistry and how to dance together so it's one smooth motion-and they have! They should go into the finals with Christian and Cheryl. Much as I admire Marissa and Tony-she's gone as far as she can go-but what a great job she's done! I would want Jason and Edyta to go to the finals instead of Christian and Cheryl only to stick it to Bill Parcells for being a bully about Jason missing the "voluntary" workouts!

[mimi]

If you know something about skating and ballroom dancing, especially Latin dancing, you would know that skating experience actually created a disadvantage for Kristi. In skating, body allignment is important to maintain balance on ice, while in Latin dancing, isolation between upper body and lower body to create fluid hip motion is critical. So I'd expected her hip motion would be stiff like Elizabeth Shannon's. However, Kristi managed to swing her hip beautifully. That's in itself is an incredible improvement. It's true that she has learned music rhythm and arm styling from her skating experience. However, the same can be said about Marissa. She has broadway experience and dancing experience in Hairspray. No one seems to "complain" about that.

[CL]

Ice skaters don't have an inherent edge over everyone else. They are much like Marissa - you learn choreography. Kristi was always more of a technical skater - with powerful jumps - than an artist, a la Michelle Kwan. You can see the technical side coming out in Kristi, as she hits all her poses and does extremely difficult choreography and remembers all the parts of her routines (cough Marissa missed jete. I was watching and saw Tony jump, and went "Hey! They're supposed to do that together!")

Kristi's edge is that she's a competitor. It's part of the reason why athletes always seem to go so much further on this show. The judges nitpick with her incessantly, and lavishing praise on Marissa? What??

If you want to accuse the show of stacking... it would be to finally have a female champion again after four straight seasons of male champions.

[japantownBAY]

If you people want to talk about being a 'ringer'-that's basically what your saying about Kristi-how about the fake arm injury? Now THAT"S a ringer.....are you people too blinded by other things than to see he can pump that arm up and down when he got his scores? If Kristi doesn't win it won't be because she's not talented OR that she did not have the votes....that's bull, It will be due to the fact that ABC/dwts needs to LET the right one to win to bring MORE ratings for next season. You see, everything is about MONEY not integrity.....

[Roxanne]

I agree with the comment about Kristi. I like her, and LOVE her skating, but I think there can be no doubt that her place in this show was an advantage. SURE this is dancing with her feet and not on skates and SURE she has to work as hard as everyone else, but the grace, balance, and general "flow" of many of the moves are the same, and none of the other candidates had any advantages with those. As for Marissa, I love the gal!! IF she could come close to Jason's grace and elegance she'd have a chance, but sadly I just don't think she's been improving enough the past few weeks to make it to finals (but I still voted for her, go figure).

[Silver Dee]

I think Marissa should be in the finals. Anyone really paying attention to Marissa since the beginning has seen her grow and blossom week after week. Last night, every second of her romantic latin dance with Tony was sensuous. She was in character from beginning to end and I'll bet if you told her she was going to be that open and vulnerable 10 weeks ago she would never have believed it. She's shown the audience sides of her that she never even knew she had. I was not a fan of hers in the beginning. I never would have believed her to be here this long, or for me to vote for her, but I did. Note that I also voted for another contestant, but NOT for Kristy because she was the best from day one and didn't have far to go.

[cm]

I went and saw the show taped last night. While waiting in line, Kristi and Mark were the only dancers to come out and greet the crowd. They signed autographs until they ran out of the postcards with their pictures on them. They were very nice and we appreciated them taking the time to acknowledge the fans.

[kristiasians]

CM- that is the way Kristi has always been, cared about the people that cared about coming to see her and wanting her to do good. We are glad you got to know the Kristi that we have always known. She's a good, decent human being. Thanks for noticing her compassion and taking the time to post it.....East Bay,South Bay and L.A. japantown