Was Sarah Palin booed on 'Dancing With the Stars'? [Updated]

Was Sarah Palin booed at "Dancing With the Stars"?

The former Alaska governor visited the show during Monday night's episode to cheer on her 19-year-old daughter, Bristol, who is appearing as a contestant. Just before host Tom Bergeron sat down to chat with the elder Palin on-camera, the studio audience was heard erupting into a loud chorus of boos. The timing led many viewers on Twitter and elsewhere to conclude that the hostile reception was directed at Palin, a conservative leader and polarizing force in American politics.

But ABC says the booing wasn't directed at Palin. Instead, the network said, the crowd was upset that Jennifer Grey, the former "Dirty Dancing" star who performed immediately before Bristol Palin, got only a trio of 8s from the judges, even though the routine she did with partner Derek Hough was a clear audience favorite. (They might have spared themselves the trouble, as Grey and Hough emerged with the evening's top score anyway.)

[For the record at 7:04 a.m.: An earlier version of this post stated that Jennifer Grey's partner is Mark Ballas. It is Derek Hough.]

"They were just expressing their feelings about a really, really good dance," a network spokeswoman said. "It's not at all unusual."

Judge for yourself by looking at the video here.

-- Scott Collins

Photo: Mark Ballas, Bristol Palin and Brooke Burke on "Dancing With the Stars" Credit: Adam Larkey / ABC

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Comments

[Kenny]

Jennifer Grey DID NOT perform directly before Bristol Palin, Kurt Warner, Kyle Massey and The Situation performed before Palin, I think even Margaret Cho performed after Grey too, Palin performed LAST and at least Warner, Massey and The Situation performed before. So they need to come up with a new story.

[Steve]

Liberals really are a sad and pathetic bunch.

[Anjuli]

Why did everyone think their "boo" was for Palin? It was so obviously not...the camera was still on Derek and Jennifer and they did have a really good dance which should have done better than 3 8's. The audience booed because the judges were a little harsher than usual last night. Even Carrie Ann noticed their boo for the judges. When Tom then talked to Sarah Palin, the audience clapped for her.

[dma]

That's because the media are nothing but a bunch of liberals.

[Linda]

ABC is trying to say the audience booed the scores…yeah, right. The audience booed the highest scores of the evening *after* the dancers said how happy they were with the scores. There was too long a delay between the score announcement and the booing to be about the scores. Lame. Obvious Palin was booed. And what’s with ABC promoting Palin so much? Since when is Bristol a *star?* Why isn’t Bristol criticized for ‘abandoning’ her child, the way Kate was? Where’s Todd? Doesn’t her father have an interest in his daughter? All this is just promotion for Sarah. Nothing more.

[Rob]

If it wasn't for her, it should have been, she should be booed 1st thing every morning for everything she is going to say and do, she is a disgrace to women and our country.

[Gary]

I guess Scott Must be a member of the corrupt Journolist.

The audience was booing the judges all night to ignorant ass.

Every time Sarah was mentioned there were either cheers, or nothing. As for Bristol, she was loudly cheered as she gave a command performance, which was reflected in her high score.

[uncleebbie]

hasnt anybody asked actual audience members? all i keep seeing is the 'official' clip, with captions like 'you decide'. this is not a matter of public opinion to be voted on, nor is it a matter for the producers with a vested interest to tell us what they 'thought' was happening. Either they were booing her or they were not. Is there even one journalist left in the world that will actually go out, do some interviews of eyewitnesses, check the B rolls and report back the actual facts?

[Canada Forever]

I happened to be at the taping and the boos were definitely directed at Sarah Palin. The scores had already been shown and there was no negative reaction. When Palin was introduced that's when the boos occurred before the production flacks told the audience it was time to start cheering.

[Jay]

They were definitely booing her. I have seen the rank-and-file audience members (the ones who sit in the upper deck, not necessarily the ones within camera view) lining up outside the studio, and I must say they are a motley looking crew. They are similar to the "seat fillers" you see at awards show: people who have nothing else to do in their lives, and who LIVE to attend these types of shows because their own lives are so empty, many living off the nanny state eating bon-bons in front of the boob tube from the couch.

Because they are such losers, their main form of entertainment is to critique and boo others based off the biased and liberal news consumption they get from the likes of Jon Stewart and David Letterman who have successfully brainwashed them. These people are a disgrace. They knew Palin would be attending, and they were prepared to just boo a mother who was there to support her daughter. These losers can't give it a rest. Even when Tiger Woods made his first comeback after all his scandals, you didn't even hear the people in the gallery boo him -- they just didn't clap. That's what these people should have done -- done nothing out of respect for being a human being. But they are such vial human beings, they border on being savages. If Michelle Obama appeared in front of a conservative crowed, they wouldn't have booed her. They have to much class to do something like that.

I actually think subliminally these people -- in addition to being brainwashed -- are jealous of an attractive woman who came from modest beginnings and rose to be a VP candidate, something these people don't have either (attractiveness or accomplishments).

[jj]

I believe the audience booed because they wanted Derek and Jennifer to get a higher score from the judges. The booing came right after the results. I do not believe the booing had anything to do with Sarah Palin.

[prisca]

It amazes me that some people say Sarah Palin is a disgrace to women [Why? Because she wouldn't kill her unborn baby? Because she's the only woman on the face of the earth who's teenage daughter got pregnant? Because she dared to run for political office while not being a liberal?], when the foul mouthed would-be comedian Margaret Cho is among the women in the room.

Personally, I've stopped watching what used to be my favorite show because of their choice of "celebrity" contestants. Either they're manufactured, like "The Situation," or has-beens [like most of the others], or they're athletes.

[Ross]

I am furious that Bristol Palin was even one of the participants. She is not a "star". The show is suppose to be for entertainment and it appears it is being used as a political platform. I tried to call ABC Television Network three times to voice my comment and was disconected each time. I will watch the show tonight for the purpose of taking note of the sponsors so that I will be sure not to buy their products and I will never watch it again. How disappointing as I always enjoyed the dancing and Tom Bergeron.

[Steve=O]

I was there and it was meant for Obama. see I can lie like a liberal too!

[SERICM]

Ross,
I suppose in your eyes Steve Jobs, was a celebrity also Buzz Aldrin, and what exactly has The Situation done or how about that Train Wreck of a woman Kate Goselin, what exactly makes her a celebrity. You liberals really make me sick, to hate like you do must make you a very lonely and miserable person.
Sarah Palin is admired by most Americans who have values, not like you racist hating liberals with your phony agenda's.

[Rita]

Sarah and her daughter, who does a strip tease dance, want us all to be celebates, anti-abortion conservatives because that's what the Tea Party is all about...telling us all how to live our lives and blame everything on the Democrats....sorry but that thought is NOT working on intelligent, hard working people anymore...I am voting Democrat just because I don't like her!

[BobOso]

Admittedly biased, I am rather fond of Sarah Palin. But you have to admit, the boos were undeniably meant for Sarah Palin. To try to convince, rationalize or otherwise redirect their intent is simply absurd. It's a shame that the audience would detract from the show and exhibit such rude behavior. But then again, this isn't a Broadway production.

[Thomas Geary]

Palin was booed . The scores were top scores of the night . The booing occurred well after the scores but right before Palin was introduced .

[michael g]

Sarah Palin a "polarizing figure"?? To whom? Apparently, your paper has never been to ANY event where Ms. Palin appears. She draws huge crowds; very positive response from all in attendance. The Libs/Dems have NO ONE - including our illustrious President - who draws anywhere near the numbers Palin does.