Okay, so, ... here is the Mia Michaels' incident that has all the uptights predictably bent out of shape.
[Mia's critique starts at 4:13.]
What Mia said:
Will, you look tired of carrying her [Jessica]. That's what I feel like. You've been carrying her for this entire time and you look tired. You're tired. You need a new partner.What puts Mia's criticism over the top, what makes it soooo rude, is it's true. It was too honest. But newsflash for all you so-called So You Think You Can Dance fans out there who are upset with Mia for telling it like it is, being too honest is SYTYCD's secret to success, and I fear this secret ingredient is purely by accident AND your bitching about it will clue the producers in on the fact that SYTYCD is raw, unabashed nuttiness that needs to be scripted and sanitized for the masses. Well it doesn't. Leave it the fuck alone.
You know the concept of a dance competition isn't a brilliant or original one. Nope. Not even close. And how many "fans" of dance are there, really? But here's a twist--and no, it's not having the audience vote from home--why not put real dance professionals in charge of the show? In fact, why don't we make the show a window into the world of dance, and make as its stars, not people who belong on TV, but people who belong in a dance studio, people who see dance as an art form, people who are literally fierce in, and unfailingly loyal to, their dance artistry. In short, give the dance freaks (and I mean that in the nicest way) their own show, and let them run with it. Now that is a brilliant concept, and whether by accident or design, it is what makes SYTYCD so damn refreshing, surprising, unexpected.
I want to argue with this. I want to say that Mia's honesty is borne aloft by an egomania that urges her to gift the audience with her unfiltered insights, regardless of their brutality. But I don't think that's it. I think it's mere commitment and dedication to the purity of the craft that makes her behave like such a boor. It's funny. She'd be less of a jerk if she wasn't so exacting, and the show would be another American Idol, which I find unwatchable.
ReplyDelete*weren't* so exacting. I'm sure there are no grammar police around, but just in case...
ReplyDeleteSounds suspiciously like you agree. No worries though, I'll find a point to differ. Mia is not a boor, she's reading my mind. As for being a "jerk," I think you're confusing the word with "judge."
ReplyDeleteOne other point that I didn't make in the post. The judges get to know the contestants a lot better than the viewers. Two weeks ago there was mention of a "meltdown." Don't you think it's entirely possible that Jessica is simply a pain? Maybe the dancer is the real boor behind the scenes and Mia is blowing her cover by not "acting" when the cameras are rolling?
I don't know. That's my sense of it. And the way they've bagged on Jessica as her abilities relate to Will's week after week, I'm not sure I could blame her for being resentful toward her partner and the judges.
Mia is all about emotional honesty, about letting the moment tell the story it wants to tell. She's the Shirley MacLaine of choreographers. She empathizes with Will, she *intuits* that he's tired of giddy, whiny, child-like Jessica, and she shares this crystal vision with the world, ascribing it to him with confidence. She didn't do it entirely without grace, but Cat's follow-up to Will put him in a tight corner. Does he rebut? Does he say, "No, Jessica's terrific," and risk pissing off Mia, or does he accept the elevation of his status at her expense? Will's no idiot. He lets Jessica take the fall, but he softens the landing a little, and Mia concurs: for a few minutes, she admits, Jessica didn't totally suck.
ReplyDeleteThe judging is great. What makes it jerky and boorish is the empathy, and the certitude.
On another note, did I catch Kherington shoot Mia a glare of pure hate for a split second before the 1000 watt smile wiped it away? Are there darker depths to Kherington that we've yet to see?
Well put. That should be a blog post.
ReplyDeleteI forget the exact instance, but the Judges have disagreed with Mia to the point of chagrin in one instance at least. So, I don’t think they’re afraid to hurt each others feelings.
I'm going on record now as having never liked Kherington. Not because she might be evil. I'd like her more if that were the case. There's just something about her that's never real, and with her looks I suspect the the hideousness of her fakery will eventually consume her.
I have a blog post in mind, actually.
ReplyDeleteHmm. Something about Kherington that's never real? I'll have to watch more closely.