Steve Wozniak To Appear On Dancing With the Stars

Redpill82 writes "It has been confirmed that Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak will be a contestant on the new season of Dancing with the Stars starting on March 9. Did ABC determine that ratings were low with the technology community? I know I'll be interested in seeing how far Mr. Wozniak goes in the competition."

Re:Woz may be talented, famous, and dancing

[ComputerSlicer23]

If it makes you feel any better, you beat Woz [slashdot.org] to registering for slashdot.

Kirby

As a soon-to-be-married IT guy & DwtS

[Markvs]

(Yes, I've been playing with the infinite improbability engine... thus my fiance!)

Anyway, I've now seen a few seasons of DwtS. MOST of the time, it's a pretty enjoyable show even with the cheese factor being set to "Gouda". However, last season (the 7th) was regarded as weak by most of the viewers, as most of the stars were "C list" at BEST.

Compare the names on the lists, and DwtS w/ Woz just looks a lot more watchable...

Season 7:
Jeffrey Ross (Stand Up Comedian)
Ted McGinley (Actor)
Kim Kardashian (Reality TV Star)
Misty May-Treanor (Olympic Beach Volleyball Champion)
Rocco DiSpirito (Celebrity Chef)
Toni Braxton (Grammy Award Winning Singer)
Cloris Leachman (Oscar Award Winning Actress)
Susan Lucci (All My Children TV Star)
Maurice Greene (Olympic Sprinter)
Cody Linley (Hannah Montana Star)
Lance Bass (Former 'N Sync Star)
Warren Sapp (Super Bowl Champion NFL Football player)
Brooke Burke (Model and TV Host)

Season 8:
Belinda Carlisle (Singer in The Go-Go's)
David Alan Grier (Actor and Comedian)
Jewel (Singer-Songwriter)
Shawn Johnson (2008 Olympic Gymnast)
Lil' Kim (Grammy Award Winning Rapper)
Gilles Marini (Actor)
Ty Murray (Rodeo Athlete)
Nancy O'Dell (Access Hollywood Co-Anchor)
Steve-O (Jackass and Wildboyz Performer)
Denise Richards (Actress)
Lawrence Taylor (Retired NFL Linebacker)
Chuck Wicks (Country Singer)
Steve Wozniak (Apple Co-Founder and Philanthropist)

Re:Segway polo

[SteveWoz]

BitZtream is not off base. I was very athletic in school with letters and trophies and all. 15 years ago I could run a marathon. After a spinal injury I have not kept in good shape and I let my weight go too, so this will be hard for me. But it's not about dancing. It's about ratings and attracting viewers. You never know what pranks I might find a way to pull on the show.

I don't mind it when people treat me badly. I wish I had no fame and no money, and I do my best to limit both. But I'm not cool enough to turn down the producers to DWTS. By the way, I had never seen the show until I watch a DVD last night.

Re:Why I respect Woz

[tverbeek]

Mod parent Funny. (Hint: Ginger = Segway)

Re:star?

[R2.0]

A quibble regarding Cloris Leachman. From Wikipedia:

"Cloris Leachman (born April 30, 1926) is an American actress of stage, film and television. She has won eight primetime Emmy Awards--more than any other female performer--and one Daytime Emmy Award. She won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress in the 1971 film The Last Picture Show."

Yes, she's well past her prime physically, but she was (and is) quite talented. And telling John Stamos she was going to strap on her Oscar and fuck him with it qualifies her for comedy legend, right there.

Re:Learn to dance

[Migraineman]

When I was about 14, I watched my folks get out on the dance floor. It was the coolest thing (after the initial WtF?!?!? moment wore off.) I made a commitment to myself to learn to dance. School got in the way, but after college I went to a local club and took group lessons. They're inexpensive compared to private lessons, and you get the social benefit of peers who are at the same level of proficiency as you. After the lesson, ask someone from the class to practice what you just learned. (Note: you'll need several hours of practice to reinforce what you learned in the 1-hour group lesson.) Go from there. No one will bust on you for trying to learn, as long as you're polite.

Fast forward 10+ years ... I'm a competitive dancer now. I've traveled all over the US for competitions. I also met my wife through dancing. Learning to dance was life-altering for me, and in a very good way.

As a final note, if you're a guy, your job while dancing is to make *her* look good.

Re:Learn to dance

[Anonymous Coward]

As a final note, if you're a guy, your job while dancing is to make *her* look good.

Nope. Your job is to make an interesting story out of the music and have a good dialogue with your partner about it.

If she needs you to look good, something is very, very wrong with her balance.
Read up about balance in the judging guidelines. First and foremost, both partners must be balanced on their own. Then, the couple must be able to interact with each other in a balanced manner, and use this to express themselves better.

But if she (sorry, to talk derisively about your wife) clings to you, and is not standing on her own feet, then fix that problem first.

First thing we do when we get a new routine is go through it alone a couple of times until we both can do our parts, and have a clear picture of what we want to do. Then we get together and adjust things/join the two stories together.

I spent 3 years trying to make somebody look good, trying to give her support exactly when she (thought she) needed it.

Then I started dancing with an ex-ballet-girl who knew more about balance than me and the teacher combined. She dropped me after half a year (can't blame her, she really learned much faster), but I learned more than in the 3 years before.