My mother is cheering for Emmit which both surprises me and cracks me up. She likes Mario too but wants Emmit to win, and she had no idea who either one of them were before the show started.
You have to understand, she not only watches she takes notes, does her own judging and then calls me to compare notes. LOL, it's a fun thing we do together.
As far as popularity - I don't mind it so much as a factor on Dancing with the Stars. Unlike AI, where talent really should matter, but it doesn't and I don't even like to watch it - on DWTS they aren't competing to get a contract or become well known, they are dancing for a disco ball and maybe 15 more minutes of fame. They are celebrities doing something outside their comfort zone - well most of them. Mario has had lots of dance lessons, another reason I don't particularly think he should win. He knows how to dance already.
You have to consider this isn't just a dancing show it's entertainment. I love watching Jerry Springer. Can he dance? No, but he's very entertaining. The storyline about his daughter was touching and while it's probably time for him to go, I love that he lasted this long. The show wouldn't have been as good without him. Emmit has fun every time he takes the floor and he almost glows. His shimmy last night was great. People jumped to their feet cheering, the mood in the room was electric. That didn't happen for either Joey or Mario. Emmit clearly connects with the audience in a way most of the others don't. That's entertainment. My 2 cents