So You Think You Can Dance returned to Fox this spring after the long hiatus initially caused by the COVID pandemic, and so far it’s been navigating some rough waters. In addition to losing new judge Matthew Morrison for not following “competition production protocols,” the other members of the revamped judging panel have been subject to some pretty harsh criticism from viewers. After Stephen Boss, a.k.a. tWitch, responded to some fan complaints, JoJo Siwa gave her own response to the social media backlash.
Season 17 of the dance competition is the series’ first without executive producer Nigel Lythgoe behind the judges’ table. He, Mary Murphy, and Laurieann Gibson had been tapped to serve on the panel pre-COVID, but when the series was revived this year, a decidedly younger group of dance experts was chosen to take their place. In SYTYCD’s first few episodes this season, fans have provided some harsh feedback, and JoJo Siwa didn’t take too kindly to those questioning her expertise. So she dropped her resume on Twitter for those who may be unfamiliar:
18 Years of Dance Knowledge. 4 Major dance TV shows . I’ve hired over 1000 dancers. 16 Dance music videos. If you don’t like me that’s okay… but if you think I don’t know about dance ya just sound silly.
The Dancing with the Stars runner-up has been dancing pretty much her whole life. She came to fame as part of Dance Moms after appearing on the spinoff Abby’s Ultimate Dance Competition when she was 10-years-old. She has built a successful brand since those days with her music and YouTube channel, so she’s completely justified in pointing out that she’s been in the business long enough to know what she’s doing.
She’s no stranger to criticism either. Growing up in controversial dance teacher Abby Lee’s studio wasn’t for the faint of heart, and when JoJo Siwa came out in early 2021, she had a great response for people who said they’d no longer be her fans. She’s also not one to be walked all over — as she proved when she bumped heads with Nickelodeon regarding her music — and she did call out online trolls for unnecessarily harsh comments about So You Think You Can Dance’s Season 17.
Honestly, JoJo Siwa has a point: if you’re not watching, why do you care? tWitch has been fielding his own share of the complaints, and when it comes to accusations that talented dancers are being turned away from the competition in favor of more interesting stories, he politely disagreed, promising that this season’s talent is “PHENOMENAL.”
Glee alum Matthew Morrison, meanwhile, will not be part of So You Think You Can Dance after the season’s Top 12 are chosen. He was fired from the series “after he had an inappropriate relationship with a female contestant,” People reported. His replacement has not yet been named, but many fans are wondering if Nigel Lythgoe might end up on the judging panel after all. We’ll have to wait and see.
New episodes of SYTYCD air at 9 p.m. ET on Wednesdays on Fox, and if you’re not caught up on the current season, Hulu subscribers can stream all of Season 17’s episodes so far. Also be sure to check out our 2022 TV schedule to see what new and returning shows are premiering soon.
