It’s that time of year again – the sequins come out of their dusty hiding places, the fringe suddenly decides to make a comeback, and you start to see way more skin than you’d ever expect to see on a “family show.” Yup, that’s right, Dancing With The Stars is back. And you know what’s so terribly sad?
They couldn’t even make it two weeks before copying somebody again! And surprise, surprise, guess who was involved and guess who they copied?
One of the Houghs went after Yulia Zagoruychenko again!! Eeesh, they’re starting to make me feel like the CopyCat Police!
This time it was purely costume forgery, but it was pretty definite. When I wrote about this last time, the excuses the fans harped on most was that the costume wasn’t that unique. It was, after all, just a yellow fringed pantsuit. Okay, okay, whatever. I still say it’s too close, but this time, I hardly think that excuse applies anymore. This past week, too many details were copied to simply brush it aside as an innocent coincidence.
 Yulia ZagoruychenkoClick to zoom |
But before we get into the actual incident of costume copying, let’s look at the original, shall we? The original costume comes from a show routine version of the exact same dance that was copied by Derek Hough and Brooke Burke last season, Max & Yulia’s “Rhythm” latin dance, primarily focusing on samba moves. When Max and Yulia usually performed this dance, Yulia was wearing the yellow fringed outfit she usually wears, the same one that Brooke Burke copied last season on Dancing With the Stars. But in 2007, during that year’s ‘America’s Best Ballroom Challenge’, Max & Yulia changed the costume just a little bit. That year was special for them, as it was the year that Max announced he was retiring. They weren’t competing, but they were invited to do an exhibition show dance, and they chose to do their famous “Rhythm” dance. They did the long version of the dance which they’d performed at Blackpool, and to make that dance special in honor of Max, Yulia changed the costume. Instead of keeping the fringe all yellow, she added some color. Along the right side of her body she had a swath of bright hot pink, which then faded to a bright orange, which then faded to the original yellow. It was striking, bright, definitely noticeable, and most of all, it was unique. |
That’s the costume that Julieanne Hough copied for this past week’s samba routine with her boyfriend and celebrity partner, Chuck Wicks.
That, I’m afraid, can’t be excused as “just any old yellow fringed dance costume.” It’s just far too close to the original, right down to the sparkly sequined waist band on the pants.
I’m a huge fan of Julieanne’s. I think she’s a remarkably talented dancer, she’s beautiful, she’s fluid, and so far, she’s always been a joy to watch. I’m not really sure if this incident is her fault or the fault of the costumers. (After all, I am pretty sure that they dressed Samantha Harris in a carbon copy of someone’s Oscar dress for this week’s result show, right down to the choice of jewelry, but I haven’t had the time to confirm that yet.) But no matter who’s at fault, this is just a little too disgusting to let slip, especially considering the emotional importance of this particular costume to Max & Yulia’s career.
Yes, I realize this is just a stupid reality show. But what they’re copying is far from stupid. Ballroom dancers are professional athletes, they dedicate their entire lives to their sport, their art. Max & Yulia are world renowned not only for their athletic abilities, but their unique artistic talents. That’s far from stupid, that’s far from trivial, and to see their hard work flat out copied by a stupid reality show, that’s offensive. Max & Yulia deserve credit for their hard work, they deserve the credit for the creativity that they put into their dances and their creative costuming. I’m sure none of us would like to see our hard work splashed up on the TV screen, with some goofy reality show taking the credit for our work. I’m sure Max & Yulia are just as disappointed when their hard work is pilfered and they don’t even get the credit for it.
All I’m suggesting is that Dancing With The Stars act responsibly when they “borrow” someone else’s work. Credit where credit’s due! It’s the responsible, courteous, and respectable thing to do. Either that, or stop copying the work of others!
SORRY , I REALLY TRIED TO EMAIL YOU,
BUT IT WOULDN’T LET ME AND I REALLY WANTED TO TALK TO YOU! SO I PUT IT INTO A COMMENT(=
hey im Sarah cripe, and im thirteen (=
i really appreciate you writing about
your toe amputation , i know its very hard.
i know this because when i was four i was in a bicycle
accident causing my big toe on my left foot to have to be amputated .
i wish so much that i could change it, and im very embarrassed by it.
didnt you say you were sixteen when it happened?
well how did you deal with it , emotionally ?
i mean none of my friends at school know, and i just feel
like no boy would date me because of it.
and im only in seventh grade but what about when im in high school
and we have swimming? im so scared about people’s reactions,
Sometimes i get really depressed about it.
my dream is to be an actress, but do you think it will affect my career?
i mean do you think i could hide it, if i were to get in the acting industry?
i was thinking really hard about saving up money to get a toe
prosthetic like you got, but it would take awhile for me to save that much.
And also does it truly look realistic? i mean like if you went swimming,
would people really think it was your toe? or would they still be able to tell.
im so sorry i have all these questions, but how could i ask my mom, or
some one close to me….when they have no idea what it’s like.
thank you so much.
i really feel better knowing it could be worse and im not alone.
its just that i feel like my dreams will never come true because of it,
and no guy would date me if they knew.
maybe i just worry to much ; ]
and i know im lucky that i can hide it with a shoe lol.
lol please email me back!!!!!
thank you!
Can you copyright an outfit?
Can you copyright an outfit?
What if there’s oh, I don’t know… more than one of the same outfit available in the world?
The original dress is by A & D Couture. They made both the gold and newer one red and yellow. Randall’s Design made the “copy cat one”. You can have the similar outfits but to copy so exact is usually not the proper thing to do. At least req permission or give credit to the original costume designers. In this case A & D Couture. And every costume should be unique and different, that’s why their so freaking expensive!
i like your coustume
i also learn latin
with jason lee, my
teacher.
happy chrismas