The TV Zone

Watching "DWTS" last night got me to wondering - why do the judges have it in for LB?

I've actually wondered about this all season: Why? He's perfectly good, sometimes very good. He probably should win this thing. While that's not been obvious all along, I do think it was more or less obvious last night.

So why the nattering and general distaste the judges hold for this guy? Week after week, demerit after demerit. What's the problem here? My theory? That he is a guy: "DWTS" has to prove that this show - slogging through a big bad ratings slump in the 7th - isn't weighted heavily in favor of guys. That's why they added Kristi Yamaguchi last season - one of the world's great athletes! - amid a group of amateurs. Naturally ... she won.

Brooke Burke's been quite the surprise - a starlet, E! host, and former Playmate, with no apparent dancing background, who turned out to be terrific. But the Achilles heel of "DWTS" is gender. Unless the female contestant is beyond-the-pale good, female viewers (who comprise the bulk of this show's audience) vote for the males.

That means the judges have to - my theory - shade in favor of the good female contestants just to keep this thing competitive, going into the bloated two-hour finale tonight.

(Another pet theory: That "DWTS" added Brooke Burke to this season to actually build the anemic male viewing base; after all, why shouldn't they tune in to watch, and vote for, a lad mag pinup model?? Ditto Kim Kardashian...)

This is the engine that is currently propelling the entire ABC lineup - a big number tonight is imperative, and if there's a sense that this competition is already over, then the number takes a dive.

In other words, I'm imputing less-than-pure motives to our judge panel.

But you be the judge. Here are the two final freestyles from our two likely finalists...

They couldn't have loved BB's any more ... they yawned over LB's ...

(Oh - and how important are the judges? Beyond important on "DWTS." Consider - you've already voted but THEY get the final word on that last dance tonight; your votes, millions of them, will count for only HALF. Their's will count for the other half. Three against millions. Not bad odds. If I were Lance/Lacey, I'd be worried...Brooke may pull this out yet.)

And after all my swell theories, wouldn't it be wonderful if Warren Sapp won tonight? I do believe he might...I do believe he might. But...he'll need a great night.