SCD '21 #13: Tonight's results show will be unlucky for someone...

[PolkadotsAndMoonbeams]

But with that leaderboard, who really knows who?!

SPOILER-FREE THREAD

Previous thread here

No - of the ones who are left, I haven't warmed to Tom. He's white and so am I.

I have to say they is a common theme of 'i don't know why I don't like him/her' 'I just can't warm to him/her' ... and it's ethnicity of the celeb. I don't think it's on purpose racism, but an unconscious bias. I've probably opened a can of worms here, but that what I've observed
Sorry but not for me. I'm white and dislike Tom. Off top of my head have also disliked both Kenny and Gabby Logan, Matt someone (rugby player, Mark R's year I think), Matt DiAngelo, Alexandra Burke, Austin thingy, Jessie Wallace, Craig Kelly, Laila Rouass, Victoria Pendleton…
Quite a rainbow of people who've got on my tits

BUT I don't disagree in the sense that people of colour often seem to get voted out before their time (I never vote).

@GrrrlPwr

I don't post much, but do read all the strictly threads for a few years now.

I have to say they is a common theme of
'i don't know why I don't like him/her' 'I just can't warm to him/her' ... and it's ethnicity of the celeb. I don't think it's on purpose racism, but an unconscious bias. I've probably opened a can of worms here, but that what I've observed

Tom has probably had more generalized negative comments (rather than AJ if too loud, Rhys is too much) than anyone else on this thread and he is the only one who has been referred to as a c**t and had please repeatedly bring up his wife so they can slag her off too.

I just don't get why pps think Dan has less right to be still there than the others. Strictly has never been just about the best dancers has it? I loved watching Bill last year but I'm not sure he was technically the best dancer.
DP and I were saying this as we watched this week. All the 'standard is so high this year!' stuff they wheel out every year is a bit damaging, we thought. It's not meant to be just about people who arrive being good and remain good. One of the things that has made Strictly so ironclad as a formula IMO is that mix: if you want to watch great dancers there'll be someone for you; if you want to watch people who make you cover your face and cringe there'll be someone for you; if you want to watch people who cannot really dance but who graft and improve and love it (like Dan this year), there'll be someone for you.

Bill wasn't technically the best, I agree. But he was extremely musical and he worked hard and obviously respected the dance, the music and his partner. He seemed to be a nice person and was funny and gentle. He and Oti obviously adored each other too and loved dancing together, and one of my hoary old Strictly theories is that people basically vote for good partnerships.

It's an impossible question, @GrrrlPwr, especially for white people to unpick subconscious bias. We also don't know what ethnicity posters are.
Some of the remarks about Motsi I really disagree with. I like her, I think she makes fabulous style choices as a larger woman, and I think she is always kind and encouraging.
I similarly don't get some of the complaints about Dan, who seems to me to be decent and respectful towards Nadiya, so ethnicity isn't a part of that.
I'm inclined to agree with pp, including the very wise Sheldon, that sometimes people are hard to warm to and don't present well.
Motsi and Oti are great, and I love AJ. I cannot warm to Tom at all, and previously I didn't care for Maisie.

@GrrrlPwr

I don't post much, but do read all the strictly threads for a few years now.

I have to say they is a common theme of
'i don't know why I don't like him/her' 'I just can't warm to him/her' ... and it's ethnicity of the celeb. I don't think it's on purpose racism, but an unconscious bias. I've probably opened a can of worms here, but that what I've observed

Off the top of my head these have all been "I can't warm to them" or worse

Tom, Tilly, Dan, Greg
Maisie, Caroline, Jamie
Saffron, Emma Barton

I think any "dislike" is pretty evenly spread on MN.

Well I am very happy to be wrong 😊 in my observation!

Who is voting for Tom? Certainly not too popular on here.

I just love watching them all dance!

And I think gio has fallen for rose.

It's an impossible question, @GrrrlPwr, especially for white people to unpick subconscious bias.

I do agree with this. I suspect it also works the other way to some degree too (on respect of seeing it where maybe it doesn't exist).

I do think it might make a difference to the voting based across the whole audience but I don't think I've seen it here. Mind you, I've not been looking for it.

Maybe I am projecting from my SIL.who always 'doesnt know why' but doesn't like any black dancer. She seems to have no clue what the common thread is. Surely that's unconscious bias?

I've made no secret of my irritation with Amy, but I assure you all it isn't because she's Welsh!

i find rhys irritating because he is your typical kids presenter. unless its Andy they are all irritating. am I not allowed to not like him because he is black?
its a shame this question always comes up about strictly.

@GrrrlPwr

Maybe I am projecting from my SIL.who always 'doesnt know why' but doesn't like any black dancer. She seems to have no clue what the common thread is. Surely that's unconscious bias?

That definitely is. Possibly not so unconscious, surely!

On a slightly separate note, if anyone has watched the Bold Type / The Office USA and is a fan of Melora Hardin, she’s in the semis with our lovely Artem and their dances are well worth a watch

She’s 54 and bloody brilliant

@GrrrlPwr

Maybe I am projecting from my SIL.who always 'doesnt know why' but doesn't like any black dancer. She seems to have no clue what the common thread is. Surely that's unconscious bias?

Have you been able to have a conversation with her about that?

Rhys is annoying me because he's obviously good at dancing anyway, but doesn't seem to really be working on why and how the dances are different, and the character and technique differences between them. It could be partly Nancy's fault as well of course.

I feel like Sara (my fave ) understood what she was meant to be doing, even if she couldn't always quite do it. Rhys does something that looks pretty good, but it isn't necessarily how it should be danced. And he could be even better if he did it properly!

Contestants I have absolutely flatout HATED I can only think of :

Tom Chambers
Chris Hollins

Currently want nothing to do with Tom Fletcher

Maireas no I haven't. But it upsets me. And I just don't have the language to discuss it. I change the subject. Literally don't know what to say. I don't agree with her.

@PolkadotsAndMoonbeams

Rhys is annoying me because he's obviously good at dancing anyway, but doesn't seem to really be working on why and how the dances are different, and the character and technique differences between them. It could be partly Nancy's fault as well of course.

I feel like Sara (my fave ) understood what she was meant to be doing, even if she couldn't always quite do it. Rhys does something that looks pretty good, but it isn't necessarily how it should be danced. And he could be even better if he did it properly!

Rhys gets the same feed back every week and seems to be either unwilling or unable to take on board. At times I get the feeling Nancy is as annoyed by this as I am, but as his teacher she needs to find a way to make him 'get it'. If he would would learn to partner her, to convey emotional and add light and shade rather than dancing frantically all the time he would be fantastic but he doesn't seem to have progressed at all in those areas. In the past some celebs have really benefitted from having acting/performance coaching or sessions where they had to do something really out of their comfort zone to learn to 'let go' to help them over nerves. Nancy needs to find a way to move Rhys onto to next level. He can move, he can remember steps but he needs to listen to the judges and dial down the frenetic.

@GrrrlPwr

Maireas no I haven't. But it upsets me. And I just don't have the language to discuss it. I change the subject. Literally don't know what to say. I don't agree with her.

It's a tricky one. You could try to break it down by asking why she doesn't like them. I'd be tempted to point out that all the ones she doesn't like are Black, and see how she responds, but I can understand if you would find that difficult.

I noticed that The Sun had a poll of who they want to win. Something like 75% voted for Rose, and all the others had nothing like that support. It's Rose's to lose, barring any injuries or "Erin Boag puppets" moments.

Samcro
i find rhys irritating because he is your typical kids presenter. unless its Andy they are all irritating. am I not allowed to not like him because he is black?
its a shame this question always comes up about strictly.

It does, doesn't it?

When I saw the "opening a can of worms" phrase, I immediately (mis)quoted Chandler Bing to myself :
"Can already open; worms everywhere!"

But, to be fair, this might be your first time reading the SCD threads, GrrrlPwr?

Muppetgate

GrrrlPwr

I don't post much, but do read all the strictly threads for a few years now.

Sorry! Didn't see this until just now (checking I'd got the right poster).
You've probably been reading them longer than I have

@ElftonWednesday

I noticed that The Sun had a poll of who they want to win. Something like 75% voted for Rose, and all the others had nothing like that support. It's Rose's to lose, barring any injuries or "Erin Boag puppets" moments.

I agree. I'd like to see her win. I like her slightly raucous manner and she and Giovanni are so sweet. She's brought out a real tenderness and thoughtfulness in him.

I have an undeniable urge to do the frilly lizard hands whenever I see JoeV.

Love Rose.

I am gutted about Sara though. I loved her. I loved her even in the abominations of frocks they insisted on giving her sometimes.

God and me love a trier.