Dancing does a three-way: Everybody gets a 30
11/07/06 08:32 PM
By ED BARK
Ok, let's do the equivalent of a minuet at a barn dance in predicting a shocking development on ABC's Dancing with the Stars.
As predicted two weeks ago, Emmitt Smith and Cheryl Burke (above doing the fox trot and rumba last week) will win the show's ridiculous but treasured mirror ball trophy. But they'll defeat Joey Lawrence and Edyta Sliwinska in next week's finale, not the favored Mario Lopez and Karina Smirnoff. Follow my lead if you would. I'll try not to step on your toes.
All three couples scored a combined 59 out of 60 Tuesday night, with each recording a perfect 30 for the first time. That renders the judges' scores inoperative and leaves it up to viewers' phone-in and online votes. That's where Mario may have made his big mistake while pal Joey played to the show's older crowd.
Look at it this way. More than one-quarter of the audience for Dancing is over 65 years of age, according to Nielsen Media Research. Which of these two performances do you think they might have preferred?
Joey dedicated the quick step to his World War II veteran grandfather. He wore a tricked-up U.S Navy outfit with SS Shaw on his sailor hat while dancing to "42nd Street." After a closing salute, he told co-host Samantha Harris that his uncle had died in WWII.
Mario on the other hand did a cha cha cha to Michael Jackson's "Bad." Let's just say that's not a particularly good association down the homestretch. Nor was it wise for Mario to then tell Harris, "I grew up loving Michael Jackson. I think every kid in my generation did." We pause now to ponder the ick factor.
The great unknown is whether the show's pivotal older viewer bloc is voting with the same zeal and dexterity as younger viewers. Maybe not. But I'm betting that Joey's golly gee demeanor and WWII gambit launched a groundswell for him. He says "awesome" too much, but you just know that he'd also walk your grandma across the street. Plus, Joey also had the line of the night, describing the semi-finals as a matchup of "two bald heads and a pair of dimples."
Meanwhile, Emmitt rose to two occasions --- the waltz and the cha cha cha. For the latter, he joined Cheryl in singing "Ride Sally Ride" while they both twirled their right arms overhead. It was the night's signature moment, with growingly tiresome judge Carrie Ann Inaba trilling and twirling "Ride, Emmitt, ride!" before joining the other judges in awarding a perfect 10.
Their waltz had judge Bruno Tonioli up on his hind legs. "You're turning into an American wonder! It's like the Grand Canyon!" he blurted.
Emmitt and Cheryl earlier "campaigned" for votes (the show had an election night motif) by visiting the Texas Motor Speedway over the weekend.
"We ask that you continue to vote for us," he urged the large crowd before commanding the drivers to "Start your engines."
He's in overdrive, too.
"This is like the NFC championship game," Emmitt said. "I don't like to lose. I don't like to lose."
He smiled when he said that. That's another part of his appeal.