If ever there were a season of Dancing With the Stars that presented a legitimate opportunity for a tie, Season 20 is certainly it.
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Of course, a tie seems unlikely when millions of people’s votes are factored in, but it seems to us that both Rumer Willis and Riker Lynch are equally deserving of that Mirror Ball trophy. Their performances have been flawless all season, culminating in perfect scores for both competitors for both of the dances they each performed tonight. There really is no separating them when it comes to dancing merit: It’s pretty clear they both deserve to win.
However, while there might be no separating them in the dancing department, there is one very big factor that gives Rumer a significant advantage over Riker: Of the two, Rumer’s “story” is far more compelling, and in the land of DWTS, a great story usually sees the person at the center of that story hoisting the Mirror Ball trophy come season’s end. Not to mention, DWTS viewers really love it when a star on the show whom they don’t really know much about beyond surface-level stuff really opens up and gives the audience the opportunity to learn more about who they are.
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And not only has Rumer given us the opportunity to learn more about who she is, it turns out we really like who she is. Rumer has been winning everyone over with how open she has been about her family and her struggles, giving us insight into the downside of growing up as part of Hollywood royalty and how that fed insecurities. If you didn’t shed a tear when Rumer broke down talking about all the disparaging comments people have made about her and her looks in comparison to her famously beautiful mom, well, then you are made of stone.
“People would say I looked like a man or something called a ‘buttaface,’ which means everything good but her face, or ‘potato head’ was the big term that everyone used a lot, basically making fun of the way I looked,” Rumer said in one particularly revealing DWTS pre-dance package.
“When you grow up with parents that are known worldwide and having so much attention from media and all of the tabloid magazines, it’s really tough,” she said.
Rumer’s ability to be vulnerable about bullying and insecurities has really resonated with viewers, giving her an edge over Riker, who may very well have also had struggles and setbacks he’s had to deal with in life, but he hasn’t shared his story in the same way Rumer has. Of course, regardless of whether Riker does or doesn’t have inner pain he hasn’t shared with us, we haven’t really gotten to know more about him as a person, and that’s ultimately going to be his downfall.
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Also of great advantage to Rumer is the fact that not only have we gotten to know her better, but we’ve gotten to know her famous parents better. Who knew Bruce Willis was such a softie? And who could have predicted that watching him gush over his daughter and how proud he is of her would make us all hot and bothered? Bruce Willis, the heartthrob, is well and truly making a comeback.
And then there’s Demi — who I must say looks amazing in those spectacles of hers — who has been cheering on her daughter and providing support from the audience pretty much all season. Seeing how much Rumer’s heartbreak broke Demi’s heart had the collective hearts of DWTS fans also breaking.
So, while Riker and Rumer have both totally rocked it this season and both of them winning would be the only fair outcome, Rumer has the A-list parents who haven’t been at all shy about supporting their daughter publicly, Rumer has the better story, and she’s also been prepared to share that story. And if there’s one thing we know by now, it’s that when it comes to Dancing With the Stars, just being an amazing dancer isn’t enough. Advantage: Rumer.
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