I love this programme to bits but think it's so patronising towards its viewers. Two points that say it all:

1. The judges saying the public are stupid and not voting for the best dancers. This reached laughable proportions when Craig told us all off for putting Louisa in the bottom two for the dance-off. Yet the judges themselves had marked her in last place that night. Good grief.

2. This thing about nobody voting for Emma because they thought she was safe with such high marks from the judges. Oh please. We didn't vote for her because we didn't like her dancing. Okay, maybe they were just trying not to hurt Emma's feelings but they only needed to say it once. It was embarrassing.

So what do you think people? Are we being patronised?
Last edited by Tango Tiger : 19-12-2006 at 13:54

How do you know the reasons all 9 million people who watch the show didn't vote for her?

Perhaps the reason some of them didn't vote was because they thought she was safe. Don't judge the world by this forum (the world is a much better place ).

The BBC poll is also a minority of viewers, but I would guess it gives a slightly better view of people's opinions, and Emma wasn't all that popular on there either by the end.

Or prehaps they didn't vote for her because there were other performances which they preferred. That's how it was for me anyway, I really enjoyed alot of Emma's dancing, but enjoyed those of others a bit more!

As I have said before this was all done deliberately to increase viewers ratings and telephone votes. I think we were all stupid (and I include myself) for getting so upset about the unfair marking/judges comments/constant BBC/ ITT promotion of Emma, Bruno and Craig saying the public were stupid because they were not voting for Emma etc. Then we had the drama of Jan, her hysterics, her husband fighting with Craig etc, all generated to increase publicity and viewers. Brendan's outburst about the judges lossing the plot etc., more headlines/media comment. It has been great for Strictly as on Saturday they had over two million telephone votes and goodness knows how many viewers!! I think they are laughing all the way to the bank and are delighted that all the controversy/drama/gossip worked, as it obviously does for the major competitor for viewers, X Factor. They do the same thing with war between the judges, favorites, Simon's ghastly comments to the contestants and last year we had the "drama" of Louie saying he was resigning from the show and for a week or so we were all on tenderhooks(??) because we did not know if it was a stunt or if he would come back!! I am just so sad that this kind of ridiculous pantomine seems to attract viewers. I am rather disillusioned as I thought SCD was a positive celb/reality show and now it is playing all the silly games of X Factor, Big Brother etc.. We were all manipulated to react exactly as we have done. Look at all the posting on this Forum regarding Emma/Strictly/the judges!! I read one poster had voted forty times because she wanted Emma out and Mark in the competition!! So I guess you are right the public are stupid!! Last year I believed in the non-existant romance of Camilla and James and believed they were madly in love and now Camilla admits in a recent interview there was nothing going on between them!!

Regarding Claudia's comment about being safe so the viewers did not vote for Emma irritated me too during their interview on ITT. I guess Emma and Darren are not stupid and must know that the judges/over marking/comments on ITT did not help them in their attempt to win Strictly.

People vote for who they like,not necessarily for who is best.

I think the problem with this sort of reasoning is that you can only get so much mileage out of it. You can excuse away the first time. Maybe even the second time at a push. But when they're in the bottom two for the third time this reasoning makes a lot less sense.

I think Emma herself actually understood it. You don't always vote for who is considered (by the judges) to be the best. Personality and the dreaded "j" word also comes into it.
Last edited by Kiera : 19-12-2006 at 15:36

Or who they think is best.......

On the contrary, I think when people develop a favourite, they go to all sorts of lengths to justify why they are voting for the best. How they define "best" also becomes twisted, sometimes best means technically, sometimes it means passion, sometimes it means the performance etc.

Or it could just be a combination in their opinion of portions of all those things you've mentioned......

Dancing is so subjective, who is to say whose right or wrong....

Ray leaving and Peter Schmichael (sp?) staying. That says it all I believe.

I agree with that whole-heartedly.

I remember someone posted how they did not feel any passion in M&K's AT and someone else responded by saying, "Oh, you must have been watching a different dance to me then!" Well, yes, the poster was watching a different dance, in the sense that they were watching it through different eyes, interpretations and emotions. Seeing or not seeing the passion in a dance is subjective.

Well up until the last 4 - I didn't have a favourite so I was a floating voter. I allow myself 4 votes a week (nice round £1) and I gave them to the dancers whose performance I enjoyed either the best dance, entertainment value or sheer performance (yes they are all different!) - or maybe to the one who had been severely undermarked or mauled by the judges, Sometimes they all went to one couple, sometimes spread around.

Never for Emma though - none of her performances inspired me to vote for her, and with the panel so firmly on her side - others needed the votes more than she did!

I do feel sorry for her though - the public obviously just didn't take to her (and by the public I mean the vast majority of the viewers who don't frequent these forums) We'll never really know why, but I can't help wondering what would have happened if the judges and powers that be had just left her alone......

She had everything going for her at the beginning before Craig's comments, the high marks - the constant presence of Emma "supporters" on ITT (even those who quite clearly never watched the show....). I really do wonder how she would have done if she'd been given criticism, or had mistakes pointed out to her -

If only....

Tango Tiger, I definitely disagree with what you have to say, and again another thread about the biased judges etc. etc.

Most people actually liked Emma's dancing. Please accept the fact that overall she was a very good dancer. People didn't vote for her because most people don't vote, they just enjoy the programme. Also they probably didn't vote because, yes it is true, they thought she was safe.

I think Craig is right what he says about the public and their voting. It is crazy that Emma is out, and some of the others too.

I think another reason maybe Emma didn't get enough votes, apart from what I've already mentioned, is because its mostly females who vote and they tend to vote for the man. Also, a lot of girls didn't like the Spice Girls, especially Emma, so didn't want her. But overall, she was the best dancer.

Can I just add again that most people don't pick up the phone and vote. Only a small minority do that. If everyone had to vote then Emma would still have been in it, along with some of the others. And Matt wouldn't still be there.

And can I just end by saying that you did ask for our opinions, so just remember that ok?

Why do you say that? Is there any reason to think that a disproportionate number of Emma fans are the type of person who don't bother to vote, whilst anyone who remotely likes Matt votes 50 times? For all you know if everyone had to vote then Matt would get even more votes.

Katie, its common knowledge that most people who watch these programmes don't vote. Certainly most of the older generation don't vote. You tend to find its mostly the younger generation, the under 30's who vote on these shows. This has been mentioned time and time again, on TV shows, magazines etc. And I don't know anyone who has voted.

Just my opinion you understand!

Where's your proof most people liked her dancing, a straw poll of people I know preferred both Matt and Mark - I'm not claiming that's representing the GBP, how do you know. Also, why on earth would anyone think she was safe, she'd gone from top or near top of the leader board in the preceeding two weeks to bottom, whilst neither boy had been in the bottom, if anyone should have been presumed safe it was Mark and Matt - yet they both beat her in the public vote.


And the reason Natasha won was? And the reason Jill won and Denise was second was? The Spice Girls broke up quite a few years ago, I'm pretty sure they were inoffensive enough to not still be causing some weird lingering resentment.


And your foundation for that statement is?


Your opinions are fine, however you do keep stating things as fact

No, I get that! I just wondered how you go from "most people don't vote" to "if everyone voted then Emma wouldn't have been knocked out"... is there any reason why you think people who aren't voting would vote for Emma if forced and not Mark or Matt?

Hmm, I came here because the world is so plagued and wanton..now I dont know what to think

Talking about voting, shame we cant vote more than once in the General Election...perhaps our rigid political system could learn a thing or two from SCD..and as everyone seems to support the underdog (leading to Emma's demise), the Tories would be a shoe-in for the next government

You only had to read things, talk to people, watch TV and listen to opinions to know that most people thought Emma and Mark were the best dancers overall.

And all the judges said so too. But they must be wrong too eh? I mean, lets face it, you all think they haven't a clue what they're talking about. I mean, why on earth are they there eh?

Theyre just experts thats all.
Last edited by moonglow : 19-12-2006 at 18:08

I don't find the show patronising in the slightest. I make my own choices to watch vote etc.

In my opinion, the public who vote, is a proportionate sample of total viewers, therefore I can't see the rationale that Emma fans do not vote.

While we're talking about being patronising...

People didn't vote for Emma, Ive seen, because they simply thought a lot of her dancing was boring, and other people's interested them more.
Another reason I've heard is that people thought the chemistry between her and Darren wasn't great.

Oh, you guys, just loving the passion.

Not much comment on Craigs daft pronouncement that we were all silly when we put Louisa in the bottom two when, in fact, the judges had marked her bottom.

I think that was the funniest thing this year.