Fan Fare

Bristol Palin hits back at critics. But who is doing the talking?

She might not have had much to say for herself during her three month stint on “Dancing With the Stars”,  but Bristol Palin is wasting no time now hitting back at her critics.

Message: beware of making a Bristol Palin joke — especially if it’s on national television.

The latest celebrity to get the pushback from Bristol is comedian Kathy Griffin, who joked at a concert for U.S. troops at the weekend that the oldest daughter in the Palin clan was “the only contestant in the history of the (“Dancing with the Stars”) show to actually gain weight”.

In fact, suggested Griffin, 50,  (who incidentally was showing off her crash-diet new figure in a military-style bikini), Bristol was “like the white ‘Precious’,”  in a reference to the obese black teen star of the acclaimed 2009 movie.

The troops booed back, and so did Bristol.

“The audience’s reaction to this ‘comedian’ spoke volumes, and the decent people I know would probably have booed her, too,” Palin told Fox News’ Pop Tarts section in a statement. “I hope people didn’t have to pay money to hear her negativity and criticisms.”

Just a day earlier, Bristol, 20, had taken aim at comedienne and DWTS competitor Margaret Cho for suggesting that her mom  Sarah Palin had forced her daughter into appearing on the ballroom dance show — which she very nearly won, despite coming up short on  dance skills.

Could Bristol Palin win “Dancing with the Stars”?

After more twists than an Argentine tango, “Dancing with the Stars” reaches it climax this week with Bristol Palin on course to pull off what could be a stunning win in the grand finale of the ballroom dancing TV show.

Although “Dirty Dancing” star Jennifer Grey is considered the best dancer of the final three celebrities,  fans of Sarah Palin’s oldest daughter have made clear through their votes over the past six weeks that the show, like “American Idol”, is as much about popularity as sheer talent.

Which is why Bristol, the 20 year-old single mom from Alaska,  has a real shot at taking the coveted mirror ball trophy back to Wasilla, Alaska  on Tuesday, and becoming the most controversial winner of the U.S. TV contest in its five-year history.

And here’s why:  passionate fans make zealous  voters and e-mailers in contests where the outcome is ultimately in the hands of the public. Just look at Justin Bieber’s take-over of the American Music Awards on Sunday in a contest that was also determined by fan votes.

Bristol’s celebrity rivals may be better dancers (Grey), and have more engaging personalities (Disney star  Kyle Massey), and if the history of the past seven weeks is anything to go by, both will score higher marks from the judges on Monday night.  But will their fans pick up the phone and vote or e-mail five time each for Jennifer or Kyle ?

Here’s what professional dancer Karina Smirnoff had to say on Monday. “This  season has proven it is not a dance competition only. With Jennifer we have the strongest dancer, with Kyle we have the strongest personality and then with Bristol we have the best journey. She literally drove five days in her own car to get here and learn how to dance. Fans develop a relationship with these people each week,” Smirnoff told People magazine.

Sure Bristol, and her mother, aren’t universally loved by Americans. The white powder scare on Friday that turned out to be talcum powder mailed to the DWTS Los Angeles studio, and the Wisconsin man who shot up his TV last week, are testament to some of the more extreme negative passions the Palin family provokes.

Kate Gosselin goes high wire for “Dancing” finale

The “Dancing with the Stars”  winner next week feels pretty much like much a fait accompli  (congrats Nicole!) so  producers are promising an action-packed results show and finale on Tuesday,  featuring ALL the eliminated couples,    and mom of eight Kate Gosselin doing a “high wire act”.

What’s more former “Bachelor” Jake Pavelka will be dancing a Viennese waltz with his fiancee Vienna Girardi to their anthem “On the Wings of Love”. And ABC says ex “Baywatch” star Pamela Anderson will perform “her hottest dance yet.”

No word on whether Buzz Aldrin will be reprising his moon dance.

Up in the air may be the best place for Gosselin, whose attempt at fancy footwork cut little ice with the judges during her time on the show. Who can forget Bruno Tonioli’s  infamous “shopping cart” jibe on Gosselin’s first outing?

As for what are  supposed to be the real stars of the show — finalists Nicole Scherzinger of the Pussycat Dolls, skater Evan Lysacek and sports reporter Erin Andrews — they will be dancing what the judges have deemed their weakest styles on Monday night.

That’s the Samba for Erin and partner Maks, the Viennese Waltz for Evan and partner Anna, and the Rumba for Nicole and partner Derek.

And on Tuesday, all three couples will go to head to head with the Argentine Tango, which they each chose as their favorite dance.

Kate Gosselin — tough day at the celebrity office.

Some days, you just can’t catch a break. Kate Gosselin, reality TV star turned celebrity mother turned “Dancing with the Stars” contestant, was having one of those days on Wednesday.

The day after she survived the elimination round on the hit television ballroom dance contest, Gosselin was put through the shredder by celebrity magazines, and her ex-husband sued her to reclaim primary custody of their eight kids.

Life & Style magazine ran this headline on their cover “Out of Control Monster!” with a picture of an obviously angry Kate. And underneath it, the subhead reads: “Screaming fits make Kate the most hated DWTS star ever.” And this was US Weekly’s cover headline: “Inside Kate’s Train Wreck” with one of the subheads reading: “How She Tortures Tony” her dance partner on the show. We can’t vouch for her behavior on “DWTS” one way or the other, but we do watch the show (read about last night’s loser here). And judging just from the looks on her face and what she says, she doesn’t seem happy. Ironically, her dance this week told a story of being chased by tabloid photographers. (BTW, her dancing could use some work, considering the low marks the judges consistently give her.)

But those truly bad headlines were just the morning’s news. By afternoon, a new headline trumped them. Her former husband Jon Gosselin — you remember him, formerly of “Jon & Kate Plus 8″ — filed his lawsuit. Jon and Kate famously opened up their lives for the aforementioned reality TV show, which led to marriage troubles, a divorce and a canceled show. Jon has turned up a lot in tabloid headlines since then, and likely made a pretty good living off his celebrity — for awhile. We don’t know much about him, but we do know a lot about Hollywood. A few things of which we are certain: fame is fickle and it is fleeting, and while a headline usually does wonders for a celebrity’s ego, for Kate Gosselin on Wednesday, they were likely just a big headache.

Donny is dandy on “Dancing” — duh!

Donny Osmond waltzed off with the mirror ball trophy on Tuesday’s finale of “Dancing with the Stars,” and while the veteran entertainer is certainly worthy, was he really the best dancer? The judges said it when they told Mya she’d been consistently the best dancer week after week on the highly-rated ballroom contest. Donny, no doubt, was the best showman and performer. And from our couch, Kelly Osbourne was loved by fans. “Kelly” “Kelly” “Kelly” came the audience chants on Tuesday’s finale. But it wasn’t to be.

We’re not taking anything away from Donny, but we note that he’s been singing and dancing since he was a kid with the Osmond Brothers. He’s had hit records, hit TV shows, hit Broadway shows and hit Las Vegas shows. How hard could “Dancing” have been?

Well, a lot harder than, we admit, we thought. Turns out Donny was dancing on a broken toe! (Read about that here).

We also feel somewhat sorry for sister Marie. It seems she was always second fiddle to her older brother, even when they shared the stage on their old “Donny and Marie” show in the 1970s. She also competed on “Dancing with the Stars” in a previous season, and she finished third. Last night, after Donny held his trophy over his head, hugged his partner Kym Johnson and brought his wife on the ballroom floor, Donny rushed into the audience and dragged Marie out there, too. Donny was No. 1 again. Did he have to rub Marie’s face in it?

Maybe we’re being a little too hard on the teen heartthrob and “Puppy Love” singer. After all, we do like the fact that he transcended childhood stardom and became a real professional as an adult. Danny Bonaduce, (The Partridge Family) he is definitely not. And Michael Jackson?

Still, he entered the show with a leg up on all the competition, which only makes us wonder, did he deserve it over the others?

(Photo Credit: Adam Larkey; American Broadcasting Companies, Inc.)

“Dancing” loses its DeLay

Apparently, battling bug infestations and stubborn members of Congress is easier than making two bum feet do the Cha-cha-cha, as Tom DeLay has bowed out of “Dancing with the Stars.”

Of all the contestants on this season’s “Dancing,” DeLay definitely got the most attention when the cast was announced. But it turns out, he may not be missed all that much.

A poll from entertainment website PopEater.com found that 68 percent of respondents are not sad to see DeLay leave “Dancing.”

DeLay, a former bug exterminator and U.S. House of Representatives majority leader, said on Tuesday’s show that he is leaving because of stress fractures in both feet. “Dancing” is notorious for inflicting injuries on its cast members, inspiring talk that the show suffers from a “curse.” In truth, it’s just a program that demands a lot from cast members, who often come in physically unprepared.

It doesn’t look as if DeLay, whose nicknames over the years have included “Hot Tub Tom” and “The Hammer,” is leaving with any hard feelings. When he joined the program, his professional dancing partner, Cheryl Burke, teased the Republican DeLay by saying, “Tom is very conservative, so a lot of hip shaking is not up his alley.”

But speaking to US Weekly magazine after DeLay announced his departure, Burke said, “He taught me that politicians can dance!”

DeLay jokingly lamented, “I haven’t made her a conservative yet!”

Dancing with the DeLay

A little cha cha cha, a little singing of “Wild Thing”, some shaking of the booty, a leopard-trimmed dance outfit, et voila! — a new career for former Republican House Majority Leader Tom DeLay ?

The bug exterminator turned political powerhouse — known as “The Hammer” for his hardball tactics — took to the ballroom in the ninth season of “Dancing with the Stars” with two-time champion and professional dancer Cheryl Burke.

And while Burke warned in rehearsal that “Tom is very conservative, so a lot of hip shaking is not up his alley,” the audience got to see a fair amount of that too. Watch the video here.

Good humored and surprisingly light on his feet, as one shocked judge said, DeLay and Burke received a score of 16 points out of 30. Another judge said: “Parts were magic, parts were tragic,” to which DeLay turned around and, again, shook his tail feather.

“I got bigger critics than those judges,” said the former congressman whose Washington career hit the skids in 2005 when he was indicted in Texas on campaign finance charges. Although he pleaded not guilty, he dropped out of his re-election bid in 2006.

Tuesday night we’ll see how DeLay fared with the people, when viewers’ votes are announced. More than 17 million viewers tuned in to see the season premiere, making it the most watched show on prime-time TV Monday night.

Photo credit: Adam Larkey/ABC.

No “Dancing” for La Toya Jackson

La Toya Jackson will not join the cast of hit ABC show “Dancing with the Stars,” because of what she has been going through since her brother Michael Jackson died in June.

“I’ve been approached to do ‘Dancing with the Stars,’” she told celebrity news show Access Hollywood. “The fact of the matter is, I won’t be doing it, simply because of the circumstances that (are) going on at the moment.”

A spokeswoman for “Dancing,” which matches celebrities with professional dancers to compete in the ballroom, said she would not comment on casting decisions.

Reports surfaced in recent days that La Toya Jackson might join “Dancing.” In her interview with Access Hollywood, the singer and close confidant to Michael Jackson said that her 79-year-old mother Katherine “perked up” at news that her daughter might join the show, because she likes it.

While she’s not up for “Dancing,” La Toya said that she would like to join top-rated Fox show “American Idol” as a judge. Producers on the show are said to be looking for a celebrity to replace 1980s pop star Paula Abdul, who announced her departure earlier this month.

Eyes turn to Lil’ Kim’s costume on “Dancing”

Rap star Lil’ Kim had a near wardrobe malfunction on “Dancing with the Stars” Monday night that forced host Tom Bergeron to stand between her and the judges as she adjusted her top while judge Len Goodman critiqued her performance. It was quick, which has led to speculation about how much the rapper, who is known for sexually explicit lyrics, might have actually shown to viewers of the ABC program?

The accident happened after Lil’ Kim and her professional dancing partner Derek Hough performed a jive dance to the tune of “Jailhouse Rock,” a song made famous by Elvis Presley in 1957.  The performance was slightly ironic, since Kim was sentenced to prison for a year in 2005 following her conviction on conspiracy and perjury charges for lying to a grand jury about her friends’ involvement in a 2001 shooting.

Her “wardrobe malfunction” on Monday night’s “Dancing with the Stars” called to mind singer Janet Jackson’s half-time show at the 2004 Super Bowl, when Jackson upset many viewers by exposing a breast at the end of a performance with Justin Timberlake. Jackson blamed it on a “wardrobe malfunction,” but at the time it looked more like a publicity stunt gone awfully wrong and it angered many viewers. Lil’ Kim’s apparent gaff was edited out for “Dancing” viewers on the West Coast.

Derek Hough joked with US Weekly that his partner ”desperately tried to pull a Janet Jackson,” but Lil’ Kim interrupted him during the interview. “Don’t say that!” she said. “That’s a whole other show! I’d have to get paid a lot, a lot of money!” 

Lil’ Kim and Derek Hough got a judges score of 28 out of 30 for their dancing. But will her costume problems hurt her chances with the show’s voters? Or will it help? The show’s elimination round is Tuesday.

Elsewhere on ”Dancing,” French actor Gilles Marini told E! News that when he is finished competing on the show he will undergo surgery for a separated shoulder suffered during his run as a contestant. “I don’t really like to talk about it,” Marini told E! News. “I don’t want people to pity me.” Marini’s shoulder problem was one of several injuries this season on “Dancing,” which has lead to speculation of a “curse” affecting contestants.

Steve-O looks to bounce back on “Dancing with the Stars”

Expect stunt-performer Steve-O back on “Dancing with the Stars” on Tuesday night’s show, despite falling on his back during a rehearsal for Monday night’s episode. On his blog on Tuesday, the “Jackass” star showed a picture of the swelling on his back, where he landed on his mic pack during rehearsal with his professional dancing partner, Lacey Schwimmer. 

“With 20/20 hindsight, I must admit that I exercised very poor judgment last night,” Steve-O wrote. “Jumping flat onto a bad back with a microphone pack strapped to it was sensationally idiotic, especially after Lacey told me what a bad idea she thought it was.”

Before he performed the on-camera stunt, Steve-O was already suffering from back spasms. But evidently, he thought slamming his back onto the ballroom floor might impress the judges. But they were non-plussed by the stunt, and did not care for his dancing. After watching the rehearsal on video, as allowed by the rules, the judges gave Steve-O a score of 14 out of 30.

Steve-O, whose real name is Stephen Glover, starred in a reality show called “Jackass” on MTV that involved him doing crazy stunts and pranks, and he has starred in a couple “Jackass” movies. In one display of how “Jackass” his stunts can be, he previously stapled his scrotum to his thigh in an act he called “The Butterfly.”

A spokeswoman for the show’s network, ABC, said Steve-O would be back on the show on Tuesday night.

The performer is not the only “Dancing with the Stars” contestant to suffer injuries this season. Before the season premiere earlier this month, singer Jewel and celebrity journalist Nancy O’Dell were scratched as contestants because of knee and leg injuries. And contestants Steve Wozniak and Gilles Marini have also suffered some injuries.

It seems on “Dancing with the Stars,” you don’t have to be a shock stunt performer to get hurt.