Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Call For Papers II: So You Think You Can Dance

Part two, to my lovely respondents: After your most hated contestant was eliminated, what did you feel? Gratified, relieved, etc.? (Season 4 examples would be the most helpful, but I won't dismiss examples from other seasons.)

Indie rating: Ellen Allien & Apparat – "Leave Me Alone"

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I felt both gratified and relieved when Kherington was gone! However, it was short lived since she also had a huge rabid fan base. Having to listen to the judges and her fans lament her absence for the next couple of weeks almost ruined the joy of her getting kicked off.

She wasn't the best, she was overhyped and she deserved to go.

momo said...

Hmm. While Kherrington was the constestant I most actively disliked of this past season, for her self-entitled and ungracious comportment, I expected her to go, so when she was eliminated I didn't get to0 excited about it. But when Will got eliminated, even though I had liked his audition, and didn't actively dislike him really, I was so sick and tired of the Will boosting=bashing other contestants, that I was distinctly pleased in a nasty way of which I am somewhat ashamed. Although I also thought Twitch was way overpraised, I didn't feel the same surge of rancor toward his fans because although Twitch didn't do the couples dancing very well, but his solos were always great. I also knew Mark wouldn't win, even though he was my favorite.
All in all, I'd say my responses involved my investment in the contestant as a dancer, then as a personality, then the interfan dynamics. Who the judges favored or dissed was a distant factor because for the most part these judges actually know dance although they communicate it poorly sometimes.

Anonymous said...

I was gratified and relieved when Kherrington left but it felt overdue. Those thoughts are fading now. I think when it is someone like Kherrington who you just know is a poor sport that I watch carefully for behaviors that make you feel vindicated in your dislike. Like pouting, blaming others for her mistakes.

I'd like to think that a great dancer might be a great person but it isn't always the case. In Kherrington's case, she was okay as a dancer but her personality set my teeth on edge. I couldn't separate the two because watching and appreciating dance is partly about the emotions they evoke in me.