Clyde The Glide must go! Ex-NBAer Clyde Drexler [right] is so awkward on the dance floor and so utterly personality-free in other segments of ABC’s “Dancing With the Stars” that he’s painful to watch.
But Drexler didn’t even land in the bottom two of last week’s voting. That (dis)honor went to GSN game hostess Shandi Finnessey and model Paulina Porizkova, who ended up getting the boot. I don’t get it. What’s Clyde’s constituency?
Constituency is the key to these viewer call-in verdicts. You gotta have your diehards. Never underestimate, for instance, the power of the tween girl -- the 9-to-14-year-old group that likely saved the butt of bumbling two-left-feeter Billy Ray Cyrus. His down-home country accent doesn’t hurt, but the swing vote goes to the pubescents who watch him play daddy weekly to real-life daughter Miley on Disney Channel’s tween blockbuster “Hannah Montana.”
Ten-year-old girls welded to their cell phones and giddy that anybody wants their opinion on anything are also the source of Sanjaya’s “American Idol” staying power. He’s dreeeeeeamy! Cute smile, tons o’ hair, young and hot yet non-threatening sexually -- your basic late-elementary teddy bear. And that’s a phase every generation goes through. Remember first-season idol survivor Justin Guarini? (Or Monkee Davy Jones, David Cassidy or Sanjaya hair-products predecessor Leif Garrett.)
“Dancing” star Apolo Anton Ohno [left] is kickin’ up a storm with talent and charisma, but he also fits the tween-girl bill entirely, so he'll be around for awhile there. Grown-up bubblegummers likely aid ex-“90210” dude Ian Ziering and former boy bander Joey Fatone (also getting the fat-one vote). Middle-aged boomers who hate being told they’re too old for anything are helping 50-year-old birthday girl Leeza Gibbons. “Charity campaigner” Heather Mills gets the disabled/bleeding heart vote. And you’d think sports fans would be calling in for boxer and kick-butt dancer Laila Ali.
But Clyde? Who’s keeping this dull-as-dishwater guy around? Tall folks?
[ABC photos by Carol Kaelson]
Comments (1)
Laila is a good dancer, but she's also a professional athlete (like Apolo) so I would expect them to excel in a physical competition. Also, Joey Fatone is a professional dancer so he has an advantage as well. My personal favorite dance team is Ian and Cheryl. They have so much personality and give each dance 100% effort. Ian is not a professional dancer or athlete, but yet he has all the talent of the rest of them -- last week he received six straight "9s" from the judges. I hope he surprises everyone by giving his best performances in the next two weeks and capturing the trophy. If you like Ian and Cheryl, please do your part to vote for them on Monday -- vote 4 times for each phone number and 4 times online. Also, Ian has really cool videos on his websites at www.IanZiering.com and www.MySpace.com/OfficialIZ and there you can sign up to receive his fun email blasts.