Dish Of Salt: Vivica’s Last ‘Dance’ (October 5, 2006)

by Laura Saltman

Ok, maybe because I feel its part of my job or maybe its because I’m a crazy fan of the show, but yesterday I spent some time perusing message boards about “Dancing with the Stars.”

So, last night it came as no surprise to me that Vivica A. Fox found herself on the chopping block. Internet sites were buzzing with posts that her ego seemed a bit over the top. To me, she just seems like a strong, confident woman (as am I) but I can see how that attitude can lose you fans. Being a TV producer, I also had an inkling her number could be up when Samantha Harris asked her backstage, “After last weeks surprise elimination are you confident in your performance last night to know that you are safe?” Can anyone say foreshadowing?

We were first to speak to Vivica after the show. Tony Potts asked her point blank whether or not she felt there was too much Vivica Fox ego or too much of a strong woman. Vivica told him, “This can not diminish my strength. You can not take that away from me. I will never not pretend to be a strong woman. If they can’t deal with it then that’s on them.”

She may be down but not out, Vivica hopped on a red eye flight after the show to Atlanta, to begin work on a film, a better person for having done the show, “I don’t feel sad at all. It’s been a blessing. It was wonderful exposure. I got in shape. I lost weight. I’ve got new friends. I learned some moves. It’s all good.”

If you caught our show on Tuesday night, you may have seen Willa Ford make comments about how Vivica is “driven” and “on her own planet.” Last night, she and Maksim stepped out together to the EW Photo Issue Party and clarified herself, not wanting it to seem like she had ill will towards Vivica, “She is just a different personality. I mean there are certain ones of us that are like ‘hey’ and we hug on each other every day and then there are people that aren’t like that. Vivica was definitely like a light in the back. She was fun. She was funny and we had a good time with her but she is not as friendly as some people, but it wasn’t a bad thing on her character.”

Mario Lopez and his dance partner, Karina Smirnoff, were also at the EW party together. They are still denying they are a couple, but I did catch them holding hands at one point inside, then dropping them quickly. Now, I’m not one to gossip (ok, who am I kidding. I totally am) but I was standing at the Valet after the party waiting for my car when Mario and Karina hopped into his GMC Envoy. He did, gentlemanly like, open the car door for her. The windows were tinted but I looked over and noticed their heads were very close together for a pretty long moment. It seemed like a kissing moment to me. That’s all I’m saying. Oh, wait there is more. I also heard from a source that Karina had been spending the night at Mario’s house recently but stopped because paparazzi were camping out. Don’t shoot the messenger people. I’m just telling you what I’ve heard.

On a lighter and much sweeter note, I just loved the Jerry Springer moment this week dancing the waltz for his daughter, Katie, who is legally blind and deaf in one ear. He’s tried for thirty years to shield his daughter from the limelight but told Tony he felt this was an appropriate event to show her off, “This was kind of like a special moment and its a moment and that’s what it will be. This is good and this is fine and it related to what we are doing but beyond that, we work very well at having a public life and having a private life and you cant have either if you mix it.”

Katie was obviously just as proud of her dad as he is of her, “It was so sweet and so touching and that song has a lot of meaning because it was my grandmother’s favorite song. It was my dad’s favorite song. He sang it to me when I was a kid.

Katie’s getting married in Chicago, in December, and showed me her beautiful engagement ring which she says has “40 years of good luck” because it was passed down from her fiancé’s mother. She’s looking forward to dear old dad walking her down the aisle and giving her away but says, ” The truth is, it’s a figure of speech because you know I’m never letting him give me away.” Awwww.

A final “Dancing” note, last week, I mentioned that the performances on results night are usually pre-taped. I typically don’t get there in time to see the pre-tapes, but last night I hustled over there so I could watch them. This is where I realized why its done this way. It’s a logistical nightmare for the producers on many of these performances. Los Lonely Boys had so much huge equipment, there is no way that stuff could have been rolled in and out in time. I timed it. It took them about 7 minutes to get everything out. Plus, the audience didn’t mind. They still get to see the performances. It’s not like they are getting jipped. Though asking them to give a standing ovation after watching the playback during the live show still seems odd to me. I’m guessing Nick Lachey was on a tight schedule because he pre-taped his performance about 40 minutes before showtime.

His brother Drew came in with his wife just to watch the performance. They didn’t stick around. They sat down in the chairs that would become Lisa Rinna and Harry Hamlin’s, who were so cute because they wanted to watch Nick, so they went and stood in the back with the masses since their seats were taken! And just to clarify, because some of my comments last week have been taken out of context, the only time the show has to do pre-tapes (because of logistical issues) is for the results show guest performances on Wednesday nights. The Tuesday night performances are always live and always a joy to watch!

OK, now on to “Lost”, which aired immediately after “Dancing.” I thought it was brilliant last night. For the first time in a really long time, I actually had to watch a show along with everyone else. ABC will not send us preview screeners of “Lost.” I guess I can understand because the show is so secretive. However, it is part of my job to see shows early, so I can give you guys a little teaser.

Personally, one of my favorite parts of any show is the teaser at the end of the episode. Alas, I have no inside scoop, no dish, no dirt for you. I’ll just take the time to say bravo to the producers for keeping us guessing. How the heck did The Others get to the island and were able to build a whole suburban like neighborhood? Ben? Ben who? Who did Jack’s wife really leave him for? What will happen to Kate in the next two weeks that will be so terrible she needs to put on a pretty dress? One question was sort of answered, I guess, when Sawyer’s watchdog mentioned that “the bears” figured out how to get food in two hours. I take it he meant the polar bears. Still, how the heck did polar bears get on the Island?

I’m still Lost.