Biased Judges in SYTYCD

Summertime is here and so is our favorite TV show, So You Think You Can Dance! While I look forward to the show every season, I can’t help but to be skeptical of the integrity for this next season. I clearly remember last season at the end of Hollywood week, Nigel telling one of the contestants she is amazing but doesn’t have the personality and to come back next year when she has developed more of one. I was dumbfounded when I heard him say that and was immediately torn as to what to do or think about it. I think a lot of other people felt the same way.

I do realize having a personality is a bonus, but last time I checked my reasons for watching the show, it was to watch the amazing art and talent of the dancers. Not to listen to them tell jokes or be a ham. In all reality, professional dancers aren’t up on stage talking and telling jokes, they dance and then disappear. For example, Celine Dion’s show. Do you think Benji would be on stage talking to the audience after Celine sang “My Heart Will Go On”? Um, no, he would be a back up dancer and just dance, not needing his personality one bit. So if this is the case, why do the dancers/auditioners need to have bubbly, in-your-face, attention grasping personalities? Isn’t their amazing dancing enough for SYTYCD?

Watching the show for the last four seasons now, it does seem that personality takes precedence over dance ability and technique, but leave that decision to the viewers so we can be upset with ourselves opposed to the producers and judges. Reality shows already get heat for “fixing” or scripting shows and so forth, so why bring even more scepticism to a show. Viewers want to feel good about watching a show, not feel guilty because the judging has been fixed or is implementing new guidelines out of nowhere and their own personal opinions. If I can see the judging is skewed or not  true to the point of the show, I feel guilty in supporting it and am discouraged to watch. As far as I am concerned, the judges and producers only responsibility is putting through the most incredible, talented dancers and then let the audience decide out of them who deserves to go on. That is the best way to keep the integrity of the show “So You Think You Can Dance”, otherwise they should change the name “So You Think You Can Schmooze”, or something like that.