Tellin' It Like It Is, Not Like You Want It to Be

Carrie Ann Inaba FINALLY said what should have been said weeks ago: we lost Toni Braxton, a good dancer, for this ... referring to the stumbling vaudeville routine Cloris substituted for the cha-cha-cha.

I've argued with people who say Cloris is "so dear," she's such a wonderful role model for older people. Yeah, that's all well and good, but SHE CANNOT DANCE and IT'S A DANCE COMPETITION!

This is the worst season of Dancing with the Stars: lowest scores, less creative routines, and too much enabling the mediocre dancers to continue week after week. Susan Lucci can play a mean bitch on a soap opera, but she cannot dance! She doesn't dance; she repeats the moves that have been choreographed and blocked for the cameras. There is a difference between dancing and performing the role of a dancer, and it makes a difference in a dance competition if the competitors cannot dance!

I've heard more personal remarks from the judges this season than I remember from previous seasons. Have we really come to the point where personal comments are expected? Why not focus on critiquing the quality of the performance? Warren Sapp is not that good, but he's praised for being ... smokin' sexy? Cody is working his ass off to do the dances well, and he's alternately praised or condemned for being ... so young and cute? Brooke Burke has performed excellent routines consistently, but the focus is on her ... legs up to here? And one of the professionals was chewed out for being too prominent in the dance: this is dancing with the STARS, and she showcased her own talent, rather than making her star shine.

Wow. And Cloris is still on the show.

Tonight's hip-hop routine was an embarrassment. Had it not been live, perhaps several takes and judicious cutting could have saved it, but as it was, unbelievable. It is laughable to think that the group actually practiced this routine, rather than throwing on over-the-top Halloween costumes and gyrating sort of in time to the music.

But not to worry: tomorrow night, we'll have the kids' competition, any one of whom could blow away the "stars" and their professional partners this season.

Perhaps DWTS finally has run its course? Please?