Not 2. Not 4. -- You get 3 strikes.

So, this may seem out of character – but I am absolutely obsessed with a mildly obscure reality show called “So You Think You Can Dance?”. I stumbled upon it a few years ago (yes, it has enjoyed several seasons now) and I fell in love. It’s a lot like American Idol – except with dancers. And it’s wonderful. Every week the dancers/contestants choose a style of dance out of a hat – and they spend the week learning choreography in that style – with a partner. The styles range from normal stuff like Ballroom and Hip Hop to – new to the show this season! – Two-Step and Bollywood. I love it!

So they start with 20 dancers – 10 guys and 10 girls. Each week they vote off 1 guy and 1 girl – so that there are even numbers for partnering and such. Three weeks ago was the episode that voted off the last 2 dancers to get down to the “Top 10” – which is a big deal because they tour the country after the show ends. Whatever.  Anyway, Comfort (girl) and Thayne (guy) were eliminated on that episode. Relatively uneventful. We have the Top 10. But WAIT!

The next week, during the opening dance sequence, I only counted 9 dancers! One of the girls was missing from the number. After they left the stage, the host of the show comes on and gives an update on Jessica (the missing girl). Apparently she had broken some ribs during rehearsing/performing the last few weeks and a doctor told her she couldn’t continue on the show. So! The producers of the show decide the only fair thing to do is bring back the last girl eliminated – Comfort. What?! They need an even number for partnering, but… this girl was not only already eliminated from the competition – but got beat by a girl with 2 broken ribs!

All I could think of was the 2008 Arkansas State Spelling Bee – which I had the privilege to attend in support of Clark County’s own – Elizabeth Teed. I’m not the seasoned Spelling Bee attendee that some are, but I am vaguely familiar with the process. You spell a word correctly – you stay in the bee. You spell a word incorrectly – you’re out. Very simple rules. You would think.

As the day progressed, we began to think they might be going for some sort of record for Longest Spelling Bee EVER. Maybe it wouldn’t have been such a marathon day if they hadn’t kept putting people BACK IN the bee after they spelled words incorrectly. TWO different spellers had the unfortunate experience of being eliminated THREE separate times from the spelling bee. I don’t know if anyone in attendance that day was clear on the technicality of the rules that were manipulated in order for this to happen – but MY goodness!

This week, as you probably guessed, Comfort was eliminated from “So You Think You Can Dance” – again. And now things are as they should be. Is it not humbling enough to be eliminated from a given competition once? But twice? three times? Seriously.

Maybe they’ll have a new rule at the Olympics this year – the “Do Over”. It’s all the rage.

Comments

[whiskeyzipper]

It's more humbling to come in 2nd in the school spelling bee to none other than your own older sister. Then it's frustrating to end to watch her get booted out of the district bee for failing to correctly spell "irksome." I'm still bitter. And I'll never ever misspell "cologne" again.

[CMartinw4]

Any girl with the name Comfort probably should have been eliminated. Maybe she didn't feel comfortable enough in her dance shoes!? If her Mother would have give her nice name like Sarah or Laura or Becky -- she will ALWAYS be a winner!!!!!!