So You Think You Can Dance 100th Episode

I am a huge fan of SYTYCD and have been since season 2.

Each season has it's own sort of style and feeling. I think the remarkable thing about the current season (season 5) is how close everyone is in terms of talent. In years past there has been that one dancer that stood head and shoulders about everyone else in terms of talent, like Travis in Season 2 or Danny in season 3. Or there have been contestants that had tremendous amounts of charisma like Benji and in season 2, Sabra in Season 3, or Joshua in Season 4. There have even been dancers that have stood out for being completely unique like Cedric or Hok from Season 3 or Mark from season 4.

Every fan of the show has their own personal favorites and can list them from each season. Here is my own little list
Season 2: Benji, Donyelle,and travis
Season 3: (my favorite season) Hok, Domenic, Lauren, Sabra, Jamie, and Danny
Season 4: Joshua, Katee, Chelsie Hightower, Twitch, and of course Mark

With season 5 my favorites have been switching around depending on what dance they did this week. Honestly I didn't want any of the top 8 to go tonight.

It's beautiful to have a reality show that takes extremely talented people and makes them even better. The show isn't about humiliating contestants or taking everything to trashy new lows. This show elevates and inspires people, and for a reality show that is very very rare.

Tonight was the 100th episode and I was so happy to see the show reach this point. I really hope to see it reach another hundred episodes. It was so good to see some of my favorite routines again, especially the Hummingbird Routiene with Hok and Jamie, and "Ramalama Bang Bang" zombie prom dance.

My only complaint: Katie Holmes

Literally for months they have been reporting that Katie would be doing some big dance number on SYTYCD. It was supposed to be a big tribute to Judy Garland. I thought it was an odd choice since Katie Holmes isn't exactly know for being a signer or a dancer. I thought it was crazy but thought that maybe, just maybe it would all turn out. There are so many people in Hollywood who turn out to be triple threats. I mean who would ever think that the man who plays Wolveriene would also be a great singer and dancer.

As it turns out Katie Holmes isn't very talented. Her performance on the show was easily the worst part of the entire hour.

It takes very little talent to do what she did. She lipsinked to a pre-recorded song. She performed a "dance" which required her to walk, pause, and let herself be lifted by attractive men. To top things off she didn't have the balls to perform it live in front of the audience.

I'm sorry but I feel like my time was wasted. I would have much rather seen another performance from a past season. There are so many fantastic ones to choose from.

I would have loved to see Katee and Joshua perform the Mia Michaels dance to "Hometown glory" by Adele

Or Lacy and Kameron's dance to "Dancing" by Elisa also choreographed by Mia

Or Mark and Chelsie's "Bleeding Love" routine by Napoleon and Tabbitha

Or Lauren and Pasha's Transformers routine choreographed by Shane Sparks

Or Sabra and Neil's dance to "Sweet Dreams Are Made of These" choreographed by Mandy Moore.

The list could go on and on.

But instead of seeing a great performance we see a star who was seriously lacking in star power. She sauntered about lip sinking for a pre-recorded number. It was pretty clear that the voice track for her song had been heavily filtered, and it was still mediocre at best. Any idiot off the street could have done her part of the dance routine, and it was an insult to put her on the same show with so many talented dancers.

Perhaps most offensive of all was the way in which she sang the song "Get Happy". Did she not listen to the lyrics she was singing? "Get Happy" is meant to be sung with a real edge to it. Look at the lyrics she is telling people to get happy about the apocalypse, you have got to do that with a wink or a bit of sarcasm in your voice. Katie Holmes sung the whole thing in a weak and wavering voice gently asking us to be genuinely happy.

Judy Garland was a Star and she deserved a better tribute then that. In case any of you non Broadway types were wondering here is how it should be done folks.



I know what your thinking: "But Renegade Film Snob, it was all done for charity. Why are you being so mean."

Well I'll tell you. First off I am The Renegade Film Snob, I am not in the business of being nice. Secondly it wasn't the most efficient way to raise money for charity. You see if Katie Holmes forked up a ton of her own cash for the privilege of living out her little fantasy on stage I would have been all for it. Yet you see what Katie Holmes donated her performance fee to the charity. So she made the show pay her to pay the charity attached to the show.

Yes I know that money came from FOX and is now in the charities budget but really it's the principal of the thing.

I'm very happy to see SYTYCD be so successful, but please next time just let us see the good dancing. If you have to let a less then talented celebrity perform make them fork up their own money for charity in order to do so.