Dancing with the Stars Season 16 Cast

For a couple years now, my mom, one of her best friends (who I refer to as my "Aunt Julie" because she's practically family), and I have had the hobby of making cast predictions for Dancing with the Stars. Seriously, we'll have Thanksgiving dinner and then write up a whole list of predictions, only to lose it by the time the cast announcements come around. I'm not nearly as big a fan of the show as my mom is, but its fun to see if any of our predictions come true. (And so far, I don't think a single one has, but it's more about noticing trends in the pics than anything else.)

So, without further ado, here's the list of Season 16 stars and my commentary:

• Aly Raisman - You can always on DWTS to have several Olympians in the cast, usually those who recently medaled, and they usually do pretty well. The discipline that any athlete develops seems to translate well to dancing. Will be interested in seeing how Raisman does on this show. 
• Andy Dick - Don't really have any thoughts here...
• D.L. Hughely - Another comedian. Comedians on DWTS tend to ham it up, since comedy is what they do, more than get into the technicalities of learning the various styles of ballroom dance. We'll see, though. 
• Dorothy Hamill - Another Olympian, but a more veteran one than Raisman. As I said, Olympians tend to do really well on this show, particularly gymnasts and figure skaters. And the musicality of figure skating gives her an advantage in a competition like DWTS. 
• Ingo Rademacher - Because the cast must include at least one soap opera star I have never heard of before. 
• Jacoby Jones - Well, here's who I'm most rooting for, because Ravens!!! Maryland!!! Superbowl win!!! A season or two ago, I had been pulling for Michael Oher, because his whole story and the fame that The Blind Side brought him, but hey, any Raven will do. Football players, like Olympians of all stripes, tend to do well on DTWS, and there's just something about watching someone known for such a "macho" sport ballroom dance. On the other hand, DWTS usually casts NFL and NBA players who are at the end of their careers, so maybe this doesn't bode so well for Jones on the field...
• Kellie Pickler - Honestly I thought Pickler was merely mediocre on American Idol; she was most notable for making "dumb blonde" statements ala Jessica Simpson and for being called a "saucy minx" by Simon Cowell. However, this makes her a much better pic for DTWS than someone like fellow American Idol country star Carrie Underwood. We'll see if she can dance, but I'm not expecting much...
• Lisa Vanderpump - Apparently she's best known for The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. DTWS has to have a reality "star" in the mix, and it's certainly better than a Kardashian or someone from the Jersey Shore cast. Plus she's a restaurateur, tapping into the array of celebrity chefs and foodie stars that DTWS has been largely ignoring. 
• Victor Ortiz - Somehow I can see him doing well on this show. 
• Wynnona Judd - They are big on the country stars this year. I feel like one of the Judd sisters may have been on one of our lists, actually. But I can't remember. 
• Zendaya - I had never heard of her before, but Zendaya fits right in to the DTWS trend of having a Disney star on each season. Born in 1996, she's the season's youngest contestant, but as a singer/actor, her combination of musicality and performance experience gives her an edge.

One thing I find to be a relief about this cast line-up: there are no politicians (or children of politicians). I'm sorry, but despite her mother's desire for fame, Sarah Palin is not a "star." Nor should being in a position of authority make someone a celebrity. Let's separate entertainment and politics a bit. However, there are some cultural icons (e.g. Buzz Aldrin) that are the exception. On that note: I would like to see Mark Kelly (retired astronaut and Gabrielle Giffords' husband) on DWTS. Season 17?