Shoutout to Los Feliz from Dancing with the Stars.

Season Six of Dancing With the Stars was such a disappointment. I mean, why should I waste my valuable teevee time on something so contrived?

First off, Kristi Yamaguchi was a total ringer. That was so exciting, watching her get 10s from beginning to end. /sarcasm. And unfortunately, the poor girl has no charm or quick wit – everything she said was a cliche. (Oh, we’re just here to have fun, but it’s the viewers that count. We’re just working hard, doing our best, and then it’s in the hands of the judges…BLAH BLAH.)

On the other hand, there’s the delightful Adam Carolla. I love talk radio, but hadn’t heard him before and within a couple of episodes I was mesmerized by his honesty, attitude, and humor. And he actually drew personality out of perky Julianne Hough! Now that was a real love story, and I cried, yes I did, when Adam got eliminated. (Obvious appalling shenanigans by ABC. In every poll, he was #3 or #4 in popularity, and so they rigged the voting to give ridiculous high scores to the other dancers. With that many points in play, his lower scores made it impossible to win, mathematically, even with the viewers popularity votes. Which ABC knew. Cowards.)

After his unfair elimination I turned my full attention to Derek Hough. (Not that I had been unfaithful to him, mind you, but Adam is compelling.) On Television without Pity, my TV bible, Derek is by far the most popular pro dancer on the show. His star partner was Shannon Elizabeth, who I vaguely recognized by name. Excellent dancer, and they did well. You could feel the heat go up in the room.

Sometimes, if you’re very lucky, something magical happens in the arms of your dance partner…and People caught that first kiss between them, on the beach in Malibu. It doesn’t take much to inflame the rumor mill of this show, especially when it’s a hot romance. I always have liked, and probably always will like, God willing, the older woman/younger man excellent tension (Shannon is 35, Derek 23) and with her dark hair and commanding ways, and his confidence and beautiful blond looks, ooh la la.

However, the fans (mostly women) HATED that someone was taking dreamy Derek away from them, and turned on her like vipers. She was voted out in a couple of weeks, and I’ve never seen such jealousy on the boards! They were still the couple of the season, however, and the paps never let us forget it. The romance continues like the scent of roses in steamy June. And because Shannon is really pretty cool, with her volunteer work with animals, and poker-playing ways, and I guess Derek agrees, they produced their own entertaining little video to spoof Dancing With the Stars, above on Youtube, called Foxtrot Spoof. Over 70,000 views so far.

The fountain in the vid is Mulholland Fountain, at the apex of Los Feliz and the edge of gp! I mostly see it being used as a wedding site for the poor and/or cheap, so the Dancing bit is a nice change. Mike Eberts wrote an historical summary about the fountain here, It was built in 1940, and conceived by William Mulholland, a DWP ditch digger who had lived on the site in a one-room wooden shack.

Although a committee comprised of the city’s elite oversaw construction of the fountain–and provided most of the funds for it–there was also considerable popular support. Many DWP employees made contributions through payroll deductions. Even school children were asked to donate… to the $30,000 project.

Over the next several decades, the fountain became a symbol of abundance–the good life, Los Angeles-style.

My goodness, if Mr. Mulholland can get a beautiful rainbow colored fountain built, what miracles can H. David Nahai wring?

Hat tip to LA Observed for the last link.