Well I don't write a blog and I've been personally attacked. At the moment Digital Spy is the only forum I post on but for some reason I've been attacked elsewhere on another forum which I read but don't even post on anymore or as I've said before sneered at on other sites for the views I've posted on here. Sometimes I've thought is it really worth posting here but I've sort of become hardened to it now - I don't think my views are extreme and there a good sides to posting like getting to 'chat' with some interesting posters - so even though I've encountered negativity it's the positive experiences of reading and posting here which keep visiting this site. I think it says more about the people who persistently resort to ridicule, attacks and insults if they can't handle different opinions to ones they hold.

As for personal attacks on people who write blogs I'm sure there must be an option of blocking people who post abuse on blogs as I've heard there is on twitter - here we've got the report button - it works ok - not perfect but still....it won't erase the abuse from your memory but at least there's less chance of it reoccurring.

Monkseal's blog is my favourite part of Strictly Come Dancing! Brilliant and hilarious. This is reminding me of the flack the similarly hilarious Joan Rivers got, even after her recent sudden death. If you can't poke fun at people or they can't take a joke, and all taking-the-piss humour was halted -- it would be a damned dull world - but thank heavens people like Monkseal and Joan (and Lenny Bruce and George Carlin and Sarah Silverman and Kathy Griffin and Graham Norton and Alan Carr....) keep on going, despite all the bruised-ego pearl clutching...

Maybe my favourite line from this week's blog (though there were many), talking about Gregg's dance:

"I've never seen Anton more amused by something not choreographed by Anton. I think his dentures might be about to fall out."

What happened to her (if you don't want to say, it's fine.)

she could not fit it in anymore - personal comittments etc

Ah, but where is Monkseal's blog? OK found it among all the Google references to series 8, Series 5, grate Baik off, etc etc

OK Monkseal, I will eat some of my words - the ones near the rim: your week 1 blog is entertaining and your disremarks are well placed, so I accept your penography.

as said - I'll read anybody else's Strictly Blog because I know what a sweat they are to write.

cheers

Ah ha! Thank you. Love that sparkle-o-meter. It's objective.

Not a blog, exactly, but this is what Robin thought of the first week's dances.

I read the latest entries in Monkeals blog and I found it the usual a mixture of funny, and not so funny laboured 'jokes' which don't work or tasteless jokes........but there is always something interesting to read in it......I wouldn't be totally critical of any blog because as you say they are an effort to write and put together. One of the comments below his blog just bear out what I was saying earlier that some of his followers act like it's blasphemy to question or disagree with anything he says. No calling posters on DS 'mental' is not 'gentle ribbing' or 'entertaining' - it's downright rude and nasty and it says more about him and some of his followers that they use those sorts of insults! I mean I could sink to their level and call them 'mental' for some of the complaints they make about the show but I won't and never would!

Someone mentioned Joan Rivers in one of the posts above - and yes I agree she could be funny and outrageous but she could also be nasty, insensitive and cold hearted - for instance before she sadly passed away I didn't like what she said earlier this year about the tragic predicament of the people in Gaza and made light of it - imo she rightly got criticised for it. I don't care how famous, rich or funny someone is or if someone is a blogger that's considered 'hilarious' - nobody should be beyond questioning what they do or say in public.


Thanks for the link to the interview. Robin seems really positive and encouraging about most of the contestants, but I suppose he was hardly going to say anything critical - I'm guessing he still wants to be invited back next year or at least stay part of the strictly 'family', but to be fair he's always seemed quite a nice guy.

One thing I definitely don't agree with him about is Mark Wright! No Robin the whole nation doesn't love Mark Wright or his cheesy grin........some of us are sick to the back teeth of him! He seems to think Mark will make it to the finals.......I guess it is a possibility but I really hope not! I'm guessing Robin may have a bit of a crush on Mark He seems to have left Pixie out of his predicted final four - I would have thought she was still one of the favourites to get to the finals despite not many people being blown away by her jive.

Pot ... kettle .... black....

If that's directed at me then no not really, but then I've noticed you are a follower of his blog.......

here you go spinturn - graham's article in paper not so techy as nomal but will get more in depth as couples thin out

http://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk...One/?ref=fbshr

I know it's for Spinny but I want to say thank you too. Really nice and to the point review. Plus it says great things about all of my favourites so it is The Truth

*carefully rewraps present for Spinny*

Oh don't get me started on Joan Rivers, I say, except that makes me sound vaguely like Joan Rivers...

Sorry you've been in the wars, Topaz. You always seem to be on high alert. You need a quiet place of the forum where you can wear stupid slippers unnoticed and de-stress and luv everyone.

I didn't think about Joan Rivers' comment about the Palestinians and now I've looked it up, I think she was horribly wrong to say that. Saying people deserve to die is definitely over the line.

ha ha was for everyone but just spinny asked about blog written by a dance teacher and graham is a judge, comp promoter and examiner

Monkseal's blogs easily make the Strictly season for me. I doubt I would enjoy it quite as much without them.

I also quite like Strictly Come Bitching.

What I would LOVE to see is a technical run down of the choreography and dancing skills.

If anyone knows of any, please let me know!

Thanks for links. Love both of these (but had forgotten the name of the come bitching one) and I'm keen to see the outcome of the Claude 9 / Casa Claude battle. I'd like to throw Clauditorium into the mix. But Claude 9 is winning because the Temptations are the best of Motown for me right through.

I really enjoy Monkseal's take on things.

Sometimes so funny it's like reading underwater.

Key thing is to not take things seriously - its written to be funny.

I too thoroughly enjoy Monkseal's blog, sometimes more than the show itself .
The amount of work put into it can only come from someone with great affection for the show. Thank-you Monkseal

Joan Rivers was at her funniest when talking about her own life experiences - but she could be needlessly very cruel and nasty and towards people who least deserved it - as I said before some of her comments could be ill judged - another example when she took a cheap, unimaginative shot at Adele.

Generally I just read a lot of stuff to do with strictly - perhaps that comes across as 'high alert' and perhaps I should make a better use of my free time and ignore it when my ears feel like their burning lol, but I try not to take anything too seriously - I mean the show doesn't mean as much to me as it used to - although there's still aspects of it I enjoy.....it's just when you feel someone is sometimes taking swipes at you or other posters just for airing your opinions then I don't think that person shouldn't expect it to go unnoticed - although whenever I've questioned Monkseal on it he goes mysteriously quiet about it - which is entirely his prerogative but usually he has so much to say for himself As I said before I don't think I've aired any extreme opinions on here and I try not to be rude and confrontational - although that can be difficult given how things get around here with the provacations.

Someone mentioned the 'Strictly come bitching' blog - that's another blog I sometimes read and yeah I agree that's quite an interesting blog - pity about the very small font though which can make it difficult to read - although it can always be enlarged......generally I'd say that's quite a good blog, that's another blogger who takes a swipes at Digital Spy but to be fair he's not as bad as Monkseal. Generally I like reading most of the blogs - I've read the ones linked to on this thread and even though I don't agree with some of what's written in them, it's always interesting to hear other peoples' take on things

Yesterday I met a young man from Kurdistan who had left his country after being attacked. He had a wide scar running from the corner of his mouth up to the top of his head, and he told me breezily 'You have to forget' with a lovely hand gesture to wave it all away. I don't think I've talked with anyone so able in his cheery self to say that spiritual thing.

Then he spoiled it a little by trying to chat me up. The scar was dashing in a way. But it was raining and there was no way I was going to take him home...

Sorry to speak in Parables

😀😀😀😀

It is a different way to try

I guess the sun is over the yard arm somewhere in the world

Thanks bendy! Yes, hope it get more in depth, but still some indicators on technical aspects.

Bloody Norah!! am away for a day or two and there's already blood on the floor.

Lighten up peeps, there are many weeks to soldier through before we get down to the final three - at least Alison won't be there.