Dancing with the Stars has gained renewed popularity after Season 33, which has resulted in a huge increase in ratings and engagement with fans; however, it has also created the opportunity for a lot of critiques, specifically directed at the judges. Initially, viewers were perplexed by the scores this season, as it appeared like there was no progress in the leaderboard, and it was appearing to slide behind for several weeks. The notes of the judges are also a bit hazy this year, in contrast to past seasons when contestants were given a summary of their performance and what they should improve on.
The most-disliked aspect during Season 33 has been one judge, which is the judge Carrie Ann. All judges have been a part of the saga of Season 33’s scoring blunder; however, Carrie Ann has been catching the most criticism online each week for her apparent predisposition to particular contestants. However, this isn’t the first time we’ve witnessed similar things occur in Dancing with the Stars, and it’s unlikely to be the last time. The judges frequently play favoritism, which is one of the biggest flaws in the show.
Dancing with the Stars Judges Represent a Bias Towards Contestants
A problem that Dancing with the Stars has been struggling with for years is finding the right balance between judge and fan voting. It’s so great that the show has a live component that lets viewers vote on their top contestants; however, it can also mean that a lot of the time, the show becomes more of a popularity contest than a dance competition, as it’s supposed to be. It’s normal to be drawn towards certain contestants, particularly when your favorite stars are added to the show, which is why it’s now expected that fans choose based on their preferences as individuals and not based on their actual dance ability.
However, when it comes to judges, their sole task is to review the dances and rate the contestants on their performance, and, therefore, it’s not always clear when judges display obvious favoritism or disdain for an individual contestant when they’re supposed to be neutral. Showing enthusiasm and admiration for dances is fine; however, the competition has to be fair. Otherwise, what’s the point of having a panel in the first place? However, there were numerous occasions throughout the 33 seasons of the show where judges did not treat each contestant in the same manner, and it’s starting to occur in the case of Chandler Kinney and Brandon Armstrong.
Since the beginning of the year, Chandler, as well as Brandon, has been among the top couple. They’ve repeatedly been at the top of the list each week and are dancing in awe-inspiring ways in the ballroom, displaying extraordinary ability. Yet, despite the impressive ability they display on the show, they’re frequently criticized and criticized, most notably through Carrie Ann. This has been evident for a while; however, it was only after the Halloween episode that people began to get angry about it.
The entire episode, Carrie Ann was handing out 10s as if the candy she gave to each couple, and when it was time for the dance of Chandler, her attitude changed completely, and she began to pound on their dance routine. She informed the dancers that she needed to be a bit more harsh on them because they were performing one of the most difficult dances on the Viennese Waltz, and a lot of other couples were contemporaneous.
Chandler and Brandon Deserve more in Dancing with the Stars
Instantly, Chandler and Brandon’s entire mood changed, and they looked overwhelmed. It was even evident that Chandler cried out to Carrie Ann to tell her what she should do since she was determined to get better, but Carrie Ann was silent. It was all more frustrating because both Derek Hough and Bruno Tonioli called the dance “perfection” after Carrie Ann said it wasn’t. The dance was then awarded an 8, and Derek and Bruno each gave the dance a 10, which means if it weren’t in Carrie Ann’s favor, Chandler would have earned the first perfect score of the season.
Sure, Carrie Ann does believe that the routine wasn’t perfect. However, this isn’t the first time she or judges have praised Chandler or offered her feedback that’s proved to be bogus. On the night of her dedication, Chandler dedicated her dance to her mother while the judge commented that they believed she was required to dig deeper and feel that she was emotionally connected to the dance.
In the skybox, an emotional Chandler spoke about how deeply she cherishes the mother she has and that she would not even be in the position she is today without her. It was a bit of negative criticism of Dedication Night of all nights, given that the dances and the stories of the contestants are incredibly personal to the contestants; therefore, telling them that they’re not feeling emotional enough is a strange observation to make.
However, we’ve seen a similar scenario happen before. In Season 31, the show featured two episodes. The first night Charli D’Amelio and Mark Ballas danced an original dance to mark the year that Charli had the most memorable. She picked the year in which she suffered from anxiety and was awarded a 39-point score out of 40. She was acknowledged because of her vulnerability and emotions. However, the following night, after she and Mark were dancing a jive, Carrie Ann told her she was required to display more confidence and grow, completely going back to the praise she offered Charli the night before.