‘Dancing with the Stars’ finale: Are some winners better than others?
On Monday night, the final routine of “Dancing with the Stars” begins. There are a few more performances, freestyles, hours of filler, and in the end, we declare a winner to walk home with the gaudiest trophy known to man.
Regardless of who wins, you can’t take anything away from them as a person or a competitor. Winning this show is a ton of work, as you’re dancing nearly almost every day from start to finish, changing your diet, and working long hours, largely in hopes that you show something that gets you opportunities in the future. Sure, you are paid for it, but nobody goes on this show thinking that it will mark the end of their career. They are looking to get from point A to point B, with the latter in particular being an opportunity on another show.
Now with all of this being said, there are certain contestants who benefit the show more than others. Take, for example, athletes. Have Jacoby Jones and Aly Raisman done a stellar job with the routines this year? Sure, but is it really a great thing for “Dancing with the Stars” to have yet another winner that comes from the world of pro sports? We don’t think so. Jacoby’s win would be especially predictable, given that Hines Ward, Emmitt Smith, and Donald Driver have all done it already. (Heck, two of these guys were also wide receivers like him.) Meanwhile, Shawn Johnson, Kristi Yamaguchi, and Apolo Anton Ohno fit perfectly in that box of Olympians who are also now show champions.
Therefore, this is why we have to say that a Zendaya / Kellie Pickler win is the most conducive to ABC bringing something new to the table, with the “American Idol” star getting the nod being the best-case scenario. This in itself may seem almost as bizarre a statement to make as anything that comes out of Bruno Tonioli’s mouth, given that Zendaya works for ABC’s parent company Disney on “Shake It Up!,” a show that is all about dancing. However, you have to remember in here that the conspiracy theorists out there have already started their hootin’-and-hollerin’ over the idea that she has been treated extra-special by producers, and a win by her could further that speculation.
Really, the winner impacts the perception of the show at this point more so than the person. Jones has himself better suited for a career outside of football, Zendaya and Aly have more fans, and Kellie’s getting set to promote some new music. They have already achieved what any contestant would want in being on the show every week, since that does equal maximum exposure.
What’s your take on this: Is it better for “Dancing with the Stars” to have a non-athletic winner, and do you think it really matters to any of these contestants in the long-term? If you want to see where we ranked some of these people before the show, you can do so over at the link here.
Photo: ABC