Actually, this is a thing I like about the show's honesty -- it is never set up as the best dancer, but America's Favorite. To win, you need both.

I like that the producers and the judges are honest about the fact that they are casting a show and that they are looking for America's Favorite Dancer, too. I just disagree that appealing to the audience and getting them to vote for you equates with approaching the show like it's a Miss Congeniality contest and shucking and jiving for votes (which I think is what Nigel likes, but that's just my opinion). Be yourself, dance your ass off and see what happens. I haven't seen any lack of personality in Vitolio. In all of the behind the scenes clips so far, he has been personality plus - cute as a button with a compelling backstory. We hardly saw any of his dancing during Vegas week thanks to the show's editing. And his solo was lovely and full of passion and emotion. As for that Broadway piece, nobody could've saved it, I don't care if Jesus was dancing. So for me, that wasn't a failure of personality, it was a failure of choreography. Sadly, Nigel has his script and he's sticking to it, even though it doesn't fit this kid at all. Not everyone needs to or wants to clown. Just because he's not Tony, constantly mugging for the camera, doesn't mean he doesn't have a personality. And Nigel saying it doesn't make it any more true or any less annoying. But he's been pulling this on dancers since the beginning. He always likes the "big" personalities, Lauren and Neil and Dominic or the perky, cute types like Sabra and Nick. Whatever. It's his world, I just live in it. But his narrow definition of what constitutes "personality" or likeability just chaps my ass and I don't think his preferred personality type is the only type that appeals to voters. If it were, someone as quiet and unassuming as Kris would've never won Idol this season. I just think he really needs to fall back a little bit with the whole "no personality" angle and Vitolio. It's annoying and it doesn't even fit with what their showing on the screen each week. Boo, Nigel. But overall yay SYTYCD for being honest about the manipulative nature of reality show competitions.

Nick gave her an awesome new haircut and all she's done is whine. "It's not my hair!" No and it's not supposed to be.

OMG, I can't believe she actually went and got a weave after. (Or whatever she did -- my recording cut out right as she was going to "get her old hair back.")

But his narrow definition of what constitutes "personality" or likeability just chaps my ass and I don't think his preferred personality type is the only type that appeals to voters.

Oh, absolutely.

Gah! There's a woman on WNTW that I just want to bitch slap! Nick gave her an awesome new haircut and all she's done is whine. "It's not my hair!" No and it's not supposed to be. It's supposed to be modern, attractive and flattering--everything your old haircut wasn't. Don't come on this show if you're not going to commit to the full effect.

I know I'm already on record as not getting the women that cling to their hair, but she really took the cake with all her whining, especially her conviction that men wouldn't like it. Not her husband whose tastes she knows (which I almost get), but all men.

And, unlike some women, hers was really a great change. Since she is older, it really had impact. I thought it made her look years younger.

OMG, I can't believe she actually went and got a weave after. (Or whatever she did -- my recording cut out right as she was going to "get her old hair back.")

I missed that, I was really hoping random compliments might get her to keep it in the days to follow.

She let it go a month and then went back and got a ratty weave. OMGFUGLY!

kat,

I'm in total agreement with your post. total.

So, I just saw The Wiz, and guess who was the leader of the flying monkeys? One William Wingfield!

Sweet! I'll bet he was amazing. Was he shirtless?

Wait, do the flying monkeys sing in The Wiz? I don't recall. If so, can he sing, too, because that would be what we call an embarassment of riches?

No singing. And he was sometimes shirtless, although not as a monkey, IIRC. It was a cool production -- minimal staging and a lot of dancing, some of which made up for the lack of scenery -- they danced the yellow brick road in addition to the tornado and stuff. Good times.

Is this the production with Ashanti in it?

God, I love The Wiz. I even love the Diana Ross movie version in all its wrongness. I have Be a Lion on my ipod. I think I shall listen to it now.

Yep -- Ashanti, Orlando Jones, Tichina Arnold, Dawnn Lewis... and other people who haven't been on TV so much.