DWTS TNP: Not Speaking Up - Benji vs. Selena

I just rewatched the latest episode and it got me thinking. I’m a bit bored, so I figured why not have some opinion sharing here 😂

I’m a little confused about the judges’ logic when it comes to “not speaking up.”

In the previous episode, when it came down to Nina vs. Benji, Nina was in danger because she wasn’t listening, while Benji was in danger because he wasn’t speaking up. Ultimately, between someone who wasn’t listening and someone who wasn’t speaking up, the person who wasn’t speaking up, Benji, was the one who got eliminated.

So I couldn’t help but feel like we had a somewhat similar situation in the latest episode with Selena and Erik.

Erik was really adamant that the silent moment was going to be their “wow” moment, while Selena seemed to be really doubting the whole thing. She clearly wanted something bigger, and you could tell she wasn’t exactly convinced that the silent moment was the right choice. But instead of pushing back and really trying to convince Erik, she ultimately just followed what he wanted.

And what makes this even more interesting to me is that Selena is the one who specializes in this style. This is literally what she does and has been doing forever. So she clearly had the experience to know what would showcase the style better. Yet she still couldn’t convince Erik, who isn’t the one specializing in this style, to go with what she felt was needed. Doesn’t that also point to a lack of communication or leadership on her part?

I’m curious if there’s something I’m missing about why the judges seem to be treating them differently. If not speaking up was a factor in Benji’s elimination, why isn’t Selena being held to the same standard here?

Thoughts?