Unfinished Dad

Praise For Yo Gabba Gabba!

Yesterday, as I watched Tilda attempt Biz's Beat of The Day, I thought it was time to sing Yo Gabba Gabba's praises.  Little did I know, someone already did this for me.  A couple of weeks ago Bret Asbury wrote in this Slate article that Yo Gabba Gabba should supplant Sesame Street as the go-to show for preshcoolers.  He makes one particular point that resonates - Sesame Street is kind of boring.  It's what I put on when the kids wake up before 7:00 and I want them to sleep on the couch with me.  DJ Lance would never let that happen.

Old School Kermit

The DVD player in our car is taking over my life.  What started out as a way to get through a long trip to Surfside Beach has become a crutch for driving five minutes to the grocery store.  I try and keep to the basics so that I don't go completely mad.  

Lately Sesame Street Old School has been on heavy rotation.  I can't get enough of the way the show used to be.  The DVD's even come with a disclaimer that the material may not be appropriate for today's children, as evidenced by an early clip in which the characters wonder weather or not the show should just be called "Hey, Stupid" because its intended audience won't be able to read.  But, by far, my favorite thing about the DVD's is Kermit the Frog.  He's a little subversive, a little New York (listen to that accent), and yet totally endearing to children.  Poor Don Music never stood a chance.

Homemade Yo Gabba Gabba Halloween

Halloween was a special treat (sorry) this year, what with all the candy, and baked pumpkin seeds, and super sweet homemade costumes courtesy of my wife.  I'm not foolish enough to get into the technical aspects of how all this went down, so let's just say it took equal parts hours, patience, and skill.  For the uninitiated, here's the original cast of Yo Gabba Gabba followed by the cute, the skilled, and the overweight one.

DJ Lance Rock, Foofa, Muno, Plex, Brobee, and Toodee

DJ Joe Rock, Brobee, Muno, and Foofa

This picture is only casually related to Halloween in that it was taken right after we carved pumpkins.  But c'mon, really?  Could Tilda be any cuter?

So You Think You Can Dance, Vegas Day 2

Dear Emily,

I have a new theory about this whole back to back seasons five and six schedule.  Based on what I saw last night, I think season five may have been a throw away for FOX.  They knew the ratings would matter more in the fall so they held back the better dancers (excluding Brandon, Janette, etc.) in order to wow new viewers.  In short, the dancers in last night's top 77 looked incredibly skilled.

We started the show with two married couples still in the competition.  They broke one of them up early and all I could do was give a hearty Nelson Muntz Ha Ha.  It seemed like a cheap way to entice us and I didn't want to see it come down to the two of them for the last spot.  But wait, by the end of the show we still have the stronger married couple of Ashleigh and Ryan intact.  You can bet that they will be this season's Kaytee and Natalie.

The rest of the night was highlighted by ankle injuries and most of my top 20 sailing through.  Both Mollee Gray and Pauline Mata (season five) twisted their ankles, with Pauline's looking like someone fit an apple under her skin.  Mollee danced the rest of the night, but Pauline is out for the duration, though the judges haven't told her to go home yet.  I'm guessing she's in.  Sadly, I lost Iveta last night.  There must be another ballroom dancer waiting in the wings.  Damn.

I noticed something last night that sets this season apart.  We are getting a streamlined version of the audition process and it makes everything a bit tighter.  There were no two hour city shows and the whole of Vegas will only encompass three hours, including next week's selection of the Top 20.  They are forced to give us the best dancers and none of the silliness.  Oh wait, there was a gratuitous pool scene last night with some of the female contestants.  But, you know, other than that.

So my top 12 now looks like this: Mollee Gray, Bianca Tapdancer, Jonathan Litzler, Paula Van Oppen, Sasha Mallory, Russell Ferguson, Billy Bell (Adam cried [a lot] during his admittedly fabulous solo last night), Jamal Jackson, Victor Smalley, Diana Drexler (though I think she's out and I didn't know) Nathan, Iveta Lukosiute.  

I would also like to add a note that Jacob Karr is an absolute shoo in for the final 20.  He looked superb last night and somehow managed a Broadway routine in skinny jeans.

Looking forward to re-watching it all on DVR,

Joe

So You Think You Can Dance, Vegas

Dear Emily,

Like an overweight football player at the end of double sessions, I’m tired.  The city to city audition process is finally over and I couldn’t be more relieved.  It’s time to get down to business and select our top 20.  There are some familiar faces amongst the 150 some odd contestants and others that are noticeably absent.  Before we get to Vegas though, I need to update my top 20.  Salt Lake City was a good, not great, audition town, so I’m only putting one dancer through to the big show.  Her name is Iveta Lukosiute, and despite her woefully whorish makeup, she can freaking dance.  Every season needs a great female ballroom dancer and she is it.

So let’s put her in the mix with…

Mollee Gray, Bianca Tapdancer, Paula Pixie Hair, Sasha Mallory, Russell Ferguson, Billy Bell, Jamal Jackson, Victor Smalley, Jonathan Litzler, Diana Drexler, Nathan (the 17 year old from season five).

I know that is only 12 people, but as we have seen, the producers often miss some great dancers (like Ade) early on and then they spring them on us during Vegas week.

Speaking of Vegas, this is a two part post so...on we go.  Okay, I keep hoping that Natalie’s face is going to pop up from the crowd and that she will fulfill her destiny by making the top 20.  It isn’t going to happen though, they broke her heart.  Or more likely, she just wasn’t ever that good.  We saw a bit of this with Evan Kasprzak’s brother Ryan last night.  He barely made the first round of cuts and then got the axe in the second.  He was never as well rounded as Evan.  They only kept the two around for drama’s sake, all the while convincing Ryan that his bald dome would actually work in HD.  Not happening.

Most of the night went according to form, with the favorites sailing through the first two days of auditions.  One notable exception was Jonathan Litzler who was this season’s recipient of the strangely hyper-critical judging moment.  Nigel was all over him and said, “The lights are on, but nobody’s home.” Ouch.  We also finally got rid of that creepy little golem Teddy Tedholm.  I never understand the fascination.

Em, let me reiterate my biggest issue with our favorite show, while simultaneously patting myself on the back.  There are too many dancers who got cut from this summer’s season that are now headed directly for the Top 20.  You know I have been all about Paula (telegenic, pixie haircut girl) and she seems to be a judge favorite.  Like my pick of Evan (fucking brilliant, no?) two years ago, I expect big things from Paula.  We also saw terrible Caitlin’s little sister Megan.  However, they never mentioned her time dancing on season five, strange.

Let’s end on a complaint via a question.  Do you think that the dance pairings for Vegas are random?  There were a couple of duos last night in which a so-so male really benefited from having a stellar female partner, especially during Pasha’s ballroom routine.  

Talk to you next week, and if you didn’t notice, I only lost one dancer from my Top 20.  I think the kids say Booyah!

Joe

SYTYCD Season Six, Atlanta, New Orleans

Dear Emily,

So You Think You Can Dance surprised me with a double dose of cities this week.  If not for DVR I would have completely missed Tuesday night's Atlanta auditions, which may not have been the worst thing.  Even for devoted fan(s), the process is becoming stale this year.

Something about both nights set these two cities apart though.  We didn't get any long pieces about crazy dancers who had no shot a la blue tights guy from Boston.  Instead we were treated to a nice combination of the good and the great.  Consequently, the shows were tighter and easier to watch.  Because the cities were so strong, I'm going to cut to the chase.  Every dancer I mention tonight will make the top 20, bam!

Atlanta started off with Billy Bell, a ballet dancer, who wore his kooky codpiece to the audition.  Despite this, he was very good.  Nigel made sure to critique a very nuanced back position so I think he's in good shape for the future.

Jamal Jackson's contemporary audition looked great.  He was very graceful.  I will have to look back at how many contemporary people I'm stuffing into this Top 20, but I think Jamal is a shoo in.  

Victor Smalley put together a great audition that was a little different than some of the other contemporary dancers out there.  It was very Sonya Tayeh.  I think he's well set up for Vegas, other than the crazy lines he has shaved into the side of his mohawk.  We'll see if they get all Kupono on him and tell him to get a haircut.

Em, I know I said I would stick to the best dancers, but a woman with one hand tried out tonight!  She was inspirational in that she couldn't give a shit about me gaping at her hand and cracking wholly inappropriate jokes, but she wasn't such a great dancer.  She went to choreography and had obvious problems with the partner thing, a key part of dancing.

The New Orleans' talent pool may have been even deeper than Atlanta's.  The show kicked off with a man named "Skip"  who did a frenetic New Orleans Bounce routine (not top 20, just thought his originality was worth mentioning) that the judges had never seen before.  Somehow he made it through to Vegas, despite having never heard of the show prior to the audition. 

There was an oddly placed montage of three dancers tonight in which they all went right to Vegas.  All three looked solid, and on a whim I'm going to pull one out of the air and say, Calvin Turner, Jr., you are in the Top 20!

Jonathan Litzler put together the strongest audition of the season.  His combination of off-the-charts leaping ability and grace place him firmly in my Top 20.  The judges loved him and he's handsome, which we know counts for almost as much as his ability to dance.

My last entrant into the Top 20 is really a stretch on the producers and my part.  Diana Drexler got herself a video segment by sharing with us the death of her grandfather.  We spent a few minutes with her crying and then she danced reasonably well for a 29 year-old.  I think she is this season's Melissa.

One last note.  Emily, have you heard about this whole no panties controversy?  A dancer in Atlanta fell to the ground in, ahem, ecstasy, and opened her legs to show us that she wasn't wearing underwear.  Yes, this made it onto national television.  I didn't notice it the first go around, but went back to check the tape for scientific purposes.  Oh, and for the record, FOX says that she had on flesh toned dance gear.  Ha.

'Til Next Week,

Joe

So You Think You Can Dance Season Six, Boston

Dear Emily,

Your folks just landed in Spain--hopefully carrying a pirated VHS tape containing SYTYCD Season Six--so provided that you have a VCR in your room and the requisite adapter for, what I'm sure is an eleven pronged outlet, you should be all caught up.

The judges went to Boston last night, land of bar fights, shoulders with chips on them, and girls with poofy bangs.  I didn't have much hope for them finding the next Neil or Kaytee amongst the masses and for the most part I was right.  All in all there were four people worth mentioning, but if any of them make it through to the top 20 it will be Channing Cooke, and this will be based almost solely on her looks.  In my notes (yes, I do) I wrote "very, very pretty/good not great."  However, you could see Nigel doing the Jeanine leer at her, so she has a shot.

A fella named Jean Lloret is worth mentioning if only for the fact that he had a whole routine constructed on his ability to balance on his head.  I don't think he can dance.

Russell Ferguson was my favorite contestant of the night.  He was a crumper who had serious moves and an attitude to match.  He went through to choreography and looked better performing Pasha's ballroom routine than most of the people up there.

Let's close it out with Teddy Tedholm.  Really?  Two things Emily, he's the cooky kid from the season six previews who looks like Whitey from Me Myself and Irene, and he's from Rockaway, NJ.  The judges loved him, but I thought the whole thing was a joke.  He's definitely crazy.  I think he fell at one point and covered it up by appearing  "whimsical."

Stop the presses, TT actually won some weird online competition called Show YouTube You Can Dance (why didn't we know about this?).  It looks like he used the same routine for his audition last night.  I can't wait for you to see this kid.  I hate him.

Disappointedly,

Joe

Top 20 Bound: Russell Ferguson (I changed my mind)

So You Think You Can Dance Season Six, Phoenix

Long Lost Emily,

For once, I endeavor to be brief.  I am worried about our favorite show.  I know you are half a world away and only receive snippets of news about SYTYCD, but I will complain to you anyway.  I mean, let's be honest, no one is reading this post anyway.  My worry stems from the lack of talent this year.  We can't be more than six months removed from the season five auditions and the dilution of dancers is obvious.  You and I may have really made it this year kid.

I'm not sure the producers realize that the contestants travel for the auditions.  They were in phoenix for the first time last night and they kept talking about discovering new talent, but only the crazy people were from Phoenix, there was no new talent.  One dancer of note auditioned last night and she was an early contestant from season four.  I will put her in my Top 20, because the judges cried when she danced (some sob story about loving her family, which didn't really hold up in the weeping dept. because a deaf girl made it through to Vegas) and because she was, you know, a really good dancer.

That's it, one girl all the way through in Unfinished Dad's Top 20, a deaf girl, and,oh yeah, we had another same sex couple try out last night.  Unlike the couple from last year who fell mid-dance in a heap of crashing meat, this couple was graceful and smart enough to designate a traditional male and female role.  They went to the choreography round and then on to Vegas with Nigel quasi apologizing for making the season five male/male team dance with girls.  He said he got into some hot water for the way he disparaged them.

Emily, my only question for you is should I be keeping these episodes on DVR for you to watch when you return from your boring trip of historic sightseeing, drinking, eating, bullfighting, and studying (in that order) so that you can sit on the couch with us and watch them all over again?

Skeptically, 

Joe

Top 20 Bound: Sasha Mallory

So You Think You Can Dance, Season Six

Dear Emily,

Stop reading.

Dear All Other Readers,

My apologies that SYTYCD is back so soon.  Emily is in Spain for the semester so it's just me.  And listen, I was picking up on your vibes during season five, I am not planning on inundating you with posts about this.  Frankly, I think it's a shame that the show is back less than two months after season five ended.  The producers know this.  Normally the audition shows are two hours long and last night was one city, one hour.  Fall primetime is not the place to show a new viewer two straight hours of inside jokes and random dancers.  Hell, the show's own announcer sounded tired and maybe a bit bored.  Sorry Cat.

For season six we are going to do things a bit differently.  No crazy chats—although to be fair, I wouldn’t be able to resist this if Emily wasn’t abroad—and only one post a week.  You will have to get by without an individual dance recap until after the dancers are voted off.  If you can't live with this setup, do let me know, I'll send you a personalized email.

Also, I'm going to lay it out on the line for you this season.  After each audition I will predict which dancers will make it all the way through to the Top 20.  The only caveat is that I reserve the right to drop a few off, as there is no way to know how many from each city will make it.  We could end up with the first ever Top 24.  I promise not to go back and add any.

The season opener was a decent show after you got over the hangover of season five.  Ultimately four dancers stood out.  Mollee Gray, who looks like she is 12, stood out somewhat for her dancing and mostly for her personality.  Ryan Kasprzak (yes, Evan's brother) stood out if only because he looks like he's Nigel's age.  He can dance, but a la Natalie v. Kaytee, I don't think he's going all the way through.  Bianca Revels, another tap dancer, came back for more and went through to Vegas without an audition.  It really pays on this show to have some name/face recognition.  Lastly, Paula, the spritely girl from season five tryouts who I loved.  She didn't get a full segment in the show, however she looks good and made it deep into last season's tryouts so I believe in her.  Remember, I predicted Evan would be a big part of last season.

Okay, three dancers from the opener will go all the way, and sadly Ryan isn't one of them.  I predict some mediocre work with choreography and overall baldness will undo him.

Top 20 Bound: Mollee Gray, Bianca Tapdancer, Paula Pixie Girl

 

So You Think You Can Dance, Finale!

Hey Joe-

So I think we both knew going into tonight's show that there was no way this season's finale could be as awesome as last years. With Evan in the top four it was assured we weren't going to see a all male dance that was as intense as the 2 princes dance or Twitch and Joshua's dance from last year. But overall tonight's show wasn't bad...just not over-the-top exciting.

We started off with a Wade group routine that just wasn't Wade enough for me. Cheerleaders aren't dark and creepy enough to be cool, but it was a fun dance with some good tricks. Brandon and Kayla kicked off the show with Broadway which the judges loved, Jeanine and Evan had an interesting jazz routine where Evan got beat up literally and figuratively by Jeanine, Mia tried too hard with her all female dance (her powerful message didn't quite hit home with me), and the all male pop jazz dance was just ehh. I mean they were dancing to Janet Jackson, not too manly. Next we had Kayla and Evan doing a weird country jive that showed just how much better Kayla was than Evan. And poor Evan got beat up for it by the judges. Not only did Evan get beat up but Tony and Melanie were told by Adam that their routine wasn't finale worthy, ouch. Brandon and Jeanine finished the show with an intense paso doble which I can't believe they chose for the finale, but wow, for once that dance was almost cool and interesting.

Basically the judges all made it clear that Brandon and Jeanine were the front runners for the title. I think Jeanine should win, but I'm a little worried about Evan's intense fan base. I hope it works out well but I guess we will have to see tomorrow!

-Emily