‘So You Think You Can Dance’ executive producer Nigel Lythgoe vs. the fans

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So you think you can opine?

Not if you don’t want to hear from ‘So You Think You Can Dance’ executive producer Nigel Lythgoe, who took to Twitter last night and today to bash viewers who weren’t so taken with Katie Holmes’ tribute to Judy Garland in last night’s show.

It was the Fox reality show’s 100th episode and Holmes performed to raise money for the newly established Dizzy Feet Foundation, which she, Lythgoe, director Adam Shankman and ‘Dancing With the Stars’ judge Carrie Ann Inaba created this year to offer children access to dance education.

Were her motives positive and well-intended? Of course. None of the show’s fans are questioning that. But when fans went on Twitter to express their disappointment with a lip-synched song-and-dance routine that was more about posing than actual movement, Lythgoe took exception, even threatening to ban those Tweet followers that dared to express an opinion.

‘I’m going to ban all the Katie haters. You make me sick. Your attitude stops ‘stars’ doing charity work. Understand why she did it CHILDREN,’ Lythgoe wrote on his @dizzyfeet account.

The sparks flew (and are still flying) across the Twitterverse, with fans firing back:

‘Don’t hate on the VIEWERS who watch the show,’ wrote @brandonlk. ‘We r entitled to our opinion of every dancer on the show. Dont be rude.’

‘nigel needs to untwist his panties already,’ replied @RAQU3L.

One thing that Lythgoe seems to be forgetting is that though it may be easy to ban Twitter followers -- click unfollow and you’re done -- it’s just as easy for the record 8.4 million viewers who tuned in to ‘So You Think You Can Dance’ last night, a 17% increase from the previous week, to change the channel.

-- Maria Elena Fernandez