Jennifer Grey wins: moral order restored to nation

Although accusations of "tea party" rigging briefly sent “Dancing With the Stars” onto the front pages of the national media, Tuesday’s inevitably drawn-out and often tedious finale put it all into proper perspective. When it comes right down to it, how politically significant can any show that features the song stylings and slow-motion shirtless charms of David Hasselhoff honestly be?  

Not so much, as it turns out -- Bristol Palin and her partner, Mark Ballas, came in third, Kyle Massey and his partner Lacey Schwimmer came in second, and consistent high scorers Jennifer Grey and Derek Hough took the trophy.

So everyone can just settle the heck down and start watching some TV that actually matters. Like “The Middle” or “The Good Wife.”

As anticipated when her name was first announced as a contestant, Palin not only drove up ratings for the already unbelievably popular show, she also brought a whole new level of scrutiny and Internet-driven weirdness to this season’s proceedings. When the clearly accomplished and high-scoring Brandy got the boot last week instead of the slower-footed and less-polished Palin, many viewers and, more important, bloggers, lifted their heads from their tweets and texts to howl in fury. One man shot his TV set and more than a few others called for, if not a Supreme Court-settled, chad-challenging recount, then an overhaul of the system that seemed to give the supporters of Palin mere the power to control the fate of Palin fille.

Whether or not fans of the former vice-presidential candidate saw “Dancing With the Stars” as a straw poll, we’ll never know, though in other Palin-related reality TV news, “Sarah Palin’s Alaska” saw a 40% viewership drop for its second episode. Make of this what you will.

For all the sudden strange socio-political cred, Tuesday’s episode was just as fabulously ridiculous as the show itself. Not only did Hasselhoff make not one but two return performances (like the Palins, the Hasselhoffs will soon be the subject of their own reality show) but we got to spend a little more time with The Situation, some of it shirtless, which is always a treat.

The high points of the show were provided by Christina Aguilera, showing everyone how it’s really done and, of course, shilling for her upcoming film “Burlesque.” (Forget “the next 'American Idol,' ” with all these publicity-driven appearances, “Dancing With the Stars” is in danger of becoming the next “Ellen DeGeneres Show.”)

Meanwhile, poor old Jennifer Grey, who danced her way through physical breakdowns and memories of Patrick Swayze, will inevitably take a back seat to Bristol — the news being, of course, not that Grey won, but that Palin didn’t. Sad, but also fitting — Grey is not only a very talented dancer, she is a trouper, in the old and best sense of the word. A performer whose career did not sustain the lift-off of “Dirty Dancing,” she has, nonetheless, stuck with it. And if she seemed the most well-trained and naturally gifted of all the contestants this season, she also seemed the most joyful. People go on this show for all sorts of reasons but Grey actually seemed less interested in winning than in just dancing. And that, as much as the light grace and undeniable nostalgia, was what made her worth watching.

-- Mary McNamara

Comments

[Betty]

Another anti-Palin article.

[andie]

So glade, ahe deserved it!

[lola]

Why would you post this before the finale finished airing? Unreal. The spoiler link was on the front page.

[Alec Rawls]

Yes, there were "accusations of 'tea party' rigging" of the pro-Bristol vote, but the accusations were false. The actual effort to game the voting software was perpetrated by a network of FLAMING HOMOSEXUAL PRANKSTERS, and Lisa de Moraes at the Washington Post damn well knew it when she called the HillBuzz flamers "conservatives." Details at my link.

At least the homosexual pranksters had the decency to expose the WAPO fraud:

"I also love that HB is now considered a leading conservative site.

Literally written by a gay dude, standing next to a gaysian, who is next to a stripper, who is chatting with a feisty Whitney-in-her-prime black woman while I keep trying to get the lame VJ Otho to play Twisted Sister or anything else kickass.

Hilarious.

Welcome to the new, more fabulous face of conservatism."

Now your newspaper is also trying to attribute the homosexual cabal to the Tea Party. If you have any integrity, you'll issue a correction.

[nijode]

How dare you yuck it up as the very balance of western civilization hung in the balance? Yes it is easy now to make fun of those of us who rung the clarion bell warning of this imminent sign of the apocalypse. But if not for us and the many millions who heeded our warning and crashed both the DWTS website and switchboard(Do they still exist?) how well would you have rested tonight? Don't bother to thank me!

[brazillady48]

Thank God Palin girl figured out that she was not a good dancer and the only reason she was still in it was because people were mixing up politics with real dancing talents that she doesn't have at all.

[Middle Finger]

Im glad bp did not WIN!!! Know see how you like that middle finger. Jennifer and Kyle great job. The best won and the loser lost.

[Lizzie]

What's funny is how all the Bristol fans are enraged that someone with talent who worked and trained really, really hard all her life, can win over someone who never made any serious effort. Just as in politics.

[Jodi C]

Jennifer Grey 'seemed the most joyful'? No, that was Kyle Massey. That was the judges' and fellow contestants' opinion all through the show.

[k]

It is typical for shows' ratings to drop significantly with their second episode. That's particularly true of ones that people tune into mostly out of curiosity in the first place, which I'd say is clearly the case with Sarah Palin's Alaska. You don't mention that the ratings for the second episode were still huge for its network.

Grey deserved the win. She was by far the best this season.

[Stringer X]

Yeah right..WHO THE HELL CARES???

[W.]

Will someone tell all the Palin lovers and Lizzie to put a SOCK IN IT! The only reason Bristol was on the show was because of her mother. If Sarah was not in the position she was in would Bristol have een been at DWTS - Nooooooooo. They all just need to go back to Alaska and make up with Levi

[Liberals Suck]

Liberal much? You guys in CA need to be more worried about your bankrupt economy than a young lady you never met. I really wish you guys would just succeed from the rest of the nation. If you need any help or assistance let me know, I'd be glad to do my part.

[Amy]

Actually Jennifer was the LEAST joyful person on the show - she wanted to win in the worst way... moan, complain, whine. The person who made me smile every time was Kyle Massey - what a joy. He was so fun, polite and respectful. I also admired Kyle's brother-great support. It was fun to watch Bristol progress- amazing for someone with no performance experience. Can't wait for next season- though I wish they would get away from the negative aspect (Maks vs Carrie Ann, for example) I watch the show as a happy escape. I'm probably in the minority-seems most others like controversy... maybe they could tune into cage fighting.

[Robert Ailman]

Hilarious - this article has just the right angst for me! It's seriously funny how a self-congratulating Disney/ABC blockbuster, DWTS Season 11, could mix 'socio-political wunderkinds' with bona-fide 'stars-with-talent' and come up with an outcome almost as controversial as a National election. Dancing fans lost, of course because they never saw a head-to-head battle between Brandy and Jennifer [not to mention Audrina and Rick who both had promise}. It's broadcast media like this that makes "media-whores" of us all!

[Ron Artest]

How much weight did Bristol gain? She must've eaten the other contestants. May the Palin family return to Alaska and disappear in a meth lab explosion.

[ken]

It was a pleasure reading your article about Bristol Palin. It was a joy to be able to put aside the bipartisan and balanced reporting from Fox News and be able to read a one sided narrow minded article for a change.
Thanks.

[Kat S.]

to Liberals Suck: Why are you reading the LA Times if you hate Cali so much? Sounds like you're a bit jealous.

[Mark]

If Bristoal Palin is of no talent, then why they won? It’s no business with others to judge her that way.