Dancing with the Stars Season 16

[Rob]

I am curious to see what Aly can do. She'll probably rock the jive, but posture/dance are not her strengths in her gymnastics.
She is doing really well though with the endorsements and now this. Funny, after 2011 Worlds, most of us (in the gym thread) thought she was crazy to go pro, she probably wouldn't make the Olympic team, if she did, she'd get dinged for form and not get any individual medals, and she'd miss out on NCAA. Boy were we wrong. She looks beautiful in her Pandora ad, which is plastered all over the malls in this area.

[centerstage01]

I think she's lucky that she got Mark as her partner. As irritating as he might be sometimes, you can't deny he's a good teacher. Anyone that can teach Bristol Palin to dance, and dance with very good technique, is a good partner to have. I think he was wonderful with Shawn as well (even if he got too spastic with her in some dances) and gave her the foundation to do so well in All Stars last season. I'll be rooting for Aly to do well along with Dorothy.

[ks777]

maybe Michelle next.

[heckles]

Before there has even been any dancing I am hoping Andy Dick goes first.

I sure hope he doesn't start to "feel rapey" for female cast members as he did on Celebrity Rehab, or yank down yet another female's shirt. Don't know why they hired this clown.

[danceronice]

I think she's lucky that she got Mark as her partner. As irritating as he might be sometimes, you can't deny he's a good teacher. Anyone that can teach Bristol Palin to dance, and dance with very good technique, is a good partner to have. I think he was wonderful with Shawn as well (even if he got too spastic with her in some dances) and gave her the foundation to do so well in All Stars last season. I'll be rooting for Aly to do well along with Dorothy.

Mark really impressed me with Bristol--he got basically a normal person off the street (ie most like a real dance student) and TAUGHT her, instead of "teaching" her to do tricks to look flashy. If he's got a partner who's at all willing to learn, they'll learn!

[jkl]

I was just watching America's Funniest Video's.......a stall tactic to keep from fooling with my income taxes.......and host Tom Bergeron introduces "my good friend, Andy Dick". Hmmmmm......

[smileyskate]

I read that Dorothy was surprised to be older than the other contestants. I thought Lisa V. was around her age or maybe just a few years younger. Dorothy looked great in the introductions and I hope she can get through it all without seriously aggravating any arthritis or injuries.

[Yazmeen]

I am curious to see what Aly can do. She'll probably rock the jive, but posture/dance are not her strengths in her gymnastics.
She is doing really well though with the endorsements and now this. Funny, after 2011 Worlds, most of us (in the gym thread) thought she was crazy to go pro, she probably wouldn't make the Olympic team, if she did, she'd get dinged for form and not get any individual medals, and she'd miss out on NCAA. Boy were we wrong. She looks beautiful in her Pandora ad, which is plastered all over the malls in this area.

Has Aly done better with endorsements than Gabby Douglas? I just seem to see more with Aly.

[Garden Kitty]

Dorothy getting a few tips backstage at SOI

[Rob]

Has Aly done better with endorsements than Gabby Douglas? I just seem to see more with Aly.

I think so --at least for products I notice. There is a Pandora in the mall near my office so I see her ads for that around here. I also have seen her in Poland Springs water print ads. And now DWTS. Maybe Gabby is in shows or ads for things that appeal mostly to the young folk so I don't notice them.

[barbk]

What age group does Pandora currently appeal to? Ally comes across as older than Gabby imo; I'd see her more attractive in promotions related to young people. Among figure skaters, Michelle got "brand ambassador" type endorsements + stuff that appealed to grown women, Sasha got lots of ad placements related to that Citizen watch endorsement clearly geared to those with bucks and the beef campaign, and Tara did work for Limited Too (young teen clothing) & some other ads that seemed to be very youth directed.

[Skittl1321]

What age group does Pandora currently appeal to?

Based on their ads- Mom's, so 25-40? I've never seen a person wearing one.

[Rob]

I think 25-40 is about right, but I have friends in their later 40s and 50s who have Pandora bracelets and frequently give them or charms as gifts. And I have a couple of 60 year old friends who have the Brighton versions (hypoallergenic). Signing up someone like Aly would possibly be a grab at getting the tween market.

I think Aly is more visible to me, but her endorsements may not be as lucrative. I think Gabby has Nintendo and Kelloggs. I don't use gaming technology and I don't buy cereal so I don't notice her ads. But her contracts may be for more $$$$.

[Garden Kitty]

Gabby also has deals with AT&T, OPI and P&G, although she had P&G before the Olympics.

[PRlady]

I think we're all keeping our eye on this with Kristi Y in the back of our minds....wasn't it a matter of controversy that she didn't get the endorsements that an American Oly gold winner should expect? And wasn't the speculation because she is Asian?

Gabby is so adorable, and attractive, that any company that takes her race into account has bats in the marketing belfry, but who knows.

[Rob]

I do think that comes into play -- Kristi won gold, but Nancy (bronze) seemed to have more magazine covers back then - and it was in the middle of a Japan bashing phase here. But now Aly has 2 golds and a bronze and Gabby has 2 golds. In the US, AA is supposed to be the jewel in the crown, but the focus has been more and more on the team each Olympic cycle. It is not like Aly has a silver only, but is getting more attention.

[my little pony]

i wonder if people who arent us remember which teen won what medal in london. i am not sure the general public knows or cares anymore, not that they ever knew or cared much. but i think the scoring and code changes in gymnastics have alienated the general public. even hard core gym fans concede that the code increasingly makes the sport really fug.

i also remember carol yamaguchi saying that people dont understand that many offers arent suitable. i dont know if she was just saying that to be nice. but i can see kristi being selective.

[danceronice]

It could just be age-related, or rather appearance of age--you wouldn't have, for example, WANTED Tara trying to market something to the 25-45 market. No one would buy her as a "mature women" when she won the OGM. Gabby LOOKS younger so I would see having her market to the tween-teen demographic.

[orbitz]

I think we're all keeping our eye on this with Kristi Y in the back of our minds....wasn't it a matter of controversy that she didn't get the endorsements that an American Oly gold winner should expect? And wasn't the speculation because she is Asian?

That's hard to say. I think the days of a Dorothy Hamill making millions from the gold medal was long gone by the time Kristi ascended the thrown. I also don't think Kristi had the bubbly personality and looks that were appealing to a broad group of advertisers. Mirai Nagasu would've done very well if she had won the gold in 2010.

[Spareoom]

I think Aly benefits from being the oldest member of the group and very mature and professional in all her dealings, which means she can market to an older demographic, and she also has a KICK BUTT agent. Seriously, the talents of her agency still baffle me to this day. They inked her SO many high-profile deals months and months before the Olympics, so I'm not surprised she's getting premium deals now. It also helps that she's one of the sweetest, most unassuming yet incredibly hard working gymnasts out there who never has had anything bad said about her as a person. Her bars and flexed feet, maybe, but not of her as a person. There's no drama, no controversy, no family problems or loud-mouthed coach. Her largest indiscretion to date was swearing on camera while at Worlds in '11.

Anyway, she's not the only one to be getting endorsements, although she does seem to have gotten more than the others. Gabby has quite a few very nice deals as well as doing some high-publicity things such as the First Lady's fitness challenge. McKayla just inked a deal with 7-up that is apparently going to be very big; I'm expecting TV commercials and stuff (apparently they are the ones to sign on McKayla's "impressed" face, lol). Jo has some deals (Kelloggs, AT&T I believe) but she seems to be settling into a more private life right now; whether that's by choice or not I don't know. And Kyla is retaining her NCAA eligibility so no endorsement deals for her.

ANYWAY. I'll cap off this lengthy post by saying that I've been on Team Aly for years and I'm thrilled that she's gotten the opportunity to do so many fun and amazing things after her big success. She's one of the hardest working gymnasts that I know and she deserves every bit of success that she's gotten. I look forward to seeing her on my TV two nights a week for a long time! ;p