10 Most Annoying Things About 'Dancing'
Millions of people (including us) may watch <A HREF='http://television.aol.com/show/dancing-with-the-stars/419134/main' target='_blank'>'Dancing With the Stars,'</a> but admit it -- sometimes the show gets on your nerves. From blinding costumes and false hook-up rumors to the incomprehensible voting system, here are our top 10 'Dancing' pet peeves. -- <i>By Kelly Woo</i>
1. Just When One Season Ends, Another Begins
Hey, 'Dancing,' it's time to follow "The Rules" of TV show-viewer relationships. And Rule No. 1 (with a bullet): Play hard to get. It's kind of hard to miss you when you're always around, sweetie. Just remember our last breakup, with <A HREF='http://television.aol.com/show/who-wants-to-be-a-millionaire/55778/main' target='_blank'>'Who Wants to Be a Millionaire.'</a>
2. Everyone Hooks Up With Their Partner (Not)
It's tough to keep track of all the wrong hook-up rumors: <A HREF='http://television.aol.com/celebrity/julianne-hough/507219' target='_blank'>Julianne</a> and <A HREF='http://television.aol.com/celebrity/apolo-anton-ohno/505176' target='_blank'>Apolo</a>; Julianne and <A HREF='http://television.aol.com/celebrity/helio-castroneves/527853' target='_blank'>Helio</a>; <A HREF='http://television.aol.com/celebrity/cheryl-burke/507214' target='_blank'>Cheryl</a> and <A HREF='http://television.aol.com/celebrity/drew-lachey/507293' target='_blank'>Drew</a>; <A HREF='http://television.aol.com/celebrity/mario-lopez/126132' target='_blank'>Mario Lopez</a> and <A HREF='http://television.aol.com/celebrity/karina-smirnoff/507224' target='_blank'>Karina</a>. (Well, that last one was true.) Enough, already! Can't we just enjoy two dancers doing the tango without having to speculate if they're, you know, doing the tango?
3. <A HREF='http://television.aol.com/celebrity/marie-osmond/54364' target='_blank'>Marie Osmond</a> Made the Finals
Some celebs get votes because they're "entertaining" -- even if they have two left feet. As lovable as Marie was, she couldn't hold her own against far superior dancers Helio and <A HREF='http://television.aol.com/celebrity/melanie-brown/242242/main' target='_blank'>Mel B</a>. And she dressed up like a doll, for the love of <A HREF='http://television.aol.com/celebrity/donny-osmond/54360/main' target='_blank'>Donny</a>. On the other hand, if there's a Barbie reality show, Marie's a shoo-in.
4. <A HREF='http://television.aol.com/celebrity/samantha-harris/305376' target='_blank'>Samantha Harris</a> Can't Read
She can't seem to say her lines without fumbling over the words, and all hell breaks loose when the pressure's on: Remember the "wrong scoring paddle" incident of Season 4? This year, she kept holding up the mic to deaf <A HREF='http://television.aol.com/celebrity/marlee-matlin/46423' target='_blank'>Marlee Matlin</a> -- instead of her interpreter. It pains us to say it, but Sammy, you're no <A HREF='http://television.aol.com/celebrity/ryan-seacrest/329869' target='_blank'>Ryan Seacrest</a>.
5. The "Celebrities" Get Career Boosts
Some stars only go on 'Dancing' to promote themselves -- and to our horror, they succeed, going from Nowheresville to solidly on the B-list. Stop the madness! Before 'Dancing,' <A HREF='http://television.aol.com/celebrity/joey-fatone/296921' target='_blank'>Joey Fatone</a> was listening to his old <A HREF='http://music.aol.com/artist/nsync/1260959' target='_blank'>*NSYNC</a> records; now he's hosting his own show. If only we could <A HREF='http://television.aol.com/show/dont-forget-the-lyrics/1342167/main' target='_blank'>'Forget the Lyrics.'</a>
6. We Can't Understand a Word <A HREF='http://television.aol.com/celebrity/bruno-tonioli/154965' target='_blank'>Bruno</a> or <A HREF='http://television.aol.com/celebrity/len-goodman/508986' target='_blank'>Len</a> Are Saying
<A HREF='http://television.aol.com/celebrity/steve-guttenberg/29352' target='_blank'>Steve Guttenberg</a>'s dancing was like "baking a spotted dick"? OK, Len. And Bruno told <A HREF='http://television.aol.com/celebrity/paulina-porizkova/57374' target='_blank'>Paulina Porizkova</a>, "You kind of lost your way to Havana but you got down to Puerto Rico." Huh? Between their accents and allusions, we're lost, too. Whatever Bruno's saying, though, we'll bet it's dirty. Shield your ears, <A HREF='http://television.aol.com/celebrity/tom-bergeron/508984' target='_blank'>Tom Bergeron</a>!
7. Wardrobe's Gone Wild With the Bedazzler
The 'Dancing' stage often looks like something threw up sequins everywhere -- we often wonder if Cheryl or <A HREF='http://television.aol.com/celebrity/edyta-sliwinska/507223' target='_blank'>Edyta</a>'s outfits even have any fabric on them. <A HREF='http://television.aol.com/show/what-not-to-wear/77143/main' target='_blank'>'What Not to Wear'</a> would have a field day. Maybe, when designing the costumes, the wardrobe folks should think, "What would <A HREF='http://television.aol.com/celebrity/tim-gunn/525600' target='_blank'>Tim Gunn</a> do?"
8. It's Dancing With <A HREF='http://television.aol.com/show/the-bachelor-london-calling/78483/main' target='_blank'>'The Bachelor,'</a> <A HREF='http://television.aol.com/celebrity/jimmy-kimmel/301957' target='_blank'>Jimmy Kimmel</a>, <A HREF='http://television.aol.com/show/cavemen/1342104/main' target='_blank'>'Cavemen,'</a> etc., etc.
Helping out sister programs is part of the game, we get it: That other reality juggernaut, <A HREF='http://television.aol.com/show/american-idol/65307/main' target='_blank'>'American Idol,'</a> is probably the worst offender. 'Dancing' also rabidly promotes the network's shows. But if you're going to trot out other stars, can't we at least get us some McDreamy?
9. The Voting System Still Befuddles Us After Six Seasons
So sometimes the final two aren't the bottom two? And how are the judges' scores are added to the viewer votes? 'Dancing's' system is so complicated, there's an entire page on their Web site to explain it (and it still doesn't make sense). Math makes our heads hurt.
10. Yet We Still Can't Stop Watching
OK, so despite all that, we've seen every episode of all six seasons. It's an illness, what can we say?
