It’s about time Dancing with the Stars spiced up its season and opened its arms to the real way Americans dance. Not everyone is Ozzie and Harriet, and DWTS is taking a more open-minded stance by casting Chaz Bono, the transgender activist, as one of its tango-ers. And, yes, it takes two to tango so Chaz will be paired with a female dance pro.
Of course this is about ratings. Can’t you see the producers around a table fist-pumping each other when they came up with the idea of Chaz cha-cha-cha-ing? Cha-ching! They knew it was guaranteed to make headlines and boost ratings. And so far so good. Add Carson Kressley to the dance lineup and you’ve got a story with legs.
It also gave the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) a PR softball – the chance to say that Chaz and Carson have “created primetime firsts that reflect the growing acceptance of gay and transgender people in America today.”
But all was not completely kosher on the transgender front. TMZ reported that transgender athlete Thomas Beatie was beaten to the punch for a slot on the show by Chaz because the “transgender” spot was already taken. Oy!
Let’s look at a few of the other dancers – David Arquette, the gut-spilling, drink-swilling husband of Courteney Cox; Elisabetta Canalis, George Clooney’s ex who barely speaks English; and Nancy Grace, the tough-as-nails ex-prosecutor and TV star who wants to make her hair even “puffier” for the spotlight. I’d call that Grace under fire.
Here’s the $64,000 question: Why does this show make headlines to begin with? I’m much more interested in the newest Food Network star than I am another Kardashian on camera. Answer — it’s August and the real storms have passed.