Yeah, I don't get this...

They had ballroom dancing competitions on PBS for years and I always wondered who the fuck watched it. It appeared not many folks as it was often on at 3am.

Now this crap seems to be one of the more popular things on TV.

Clothier, you master of all things reality TV, explain please.

no problem.

PBS = girls fully dressed, and boys wearing regular fitting pants.

DWTS = mostly naked dancing girls, and boys in no shirts and dick-tight pants.


therefore, PBS=no ratings DWTS = huge hit.

btw, the new Dick-Tight Pants album (yes, album, they only "do" vinyl) is due out 1/14/11. Not available at wal-mart or target.

I don't want to dispute clothier's dick-tight pants theory, since scantily-clad contestants are definitely part of the allure. But in our culture I don't think you can rule out the role that "celebrity" contestants play in the success of this show.

It seems that people prefer to watch Bristol Palin clomp around like a lame clydesdale instead of watching a graceful, talented professional dancer. Why? Because Bristol is the offspring of America's favorite hockey mom, you betcha!

Yeah, I suppose the celebrity angle does mean something. I guess I'd just prefer something like "celebrity beat down" or "kicking the balls of the stars" or something else where these mostly pretentious egomaniacs get what's coming.

I would just be grateful if they called it Dancing with the "Stars."

It would also be helpful if they had someone actually visually making the air-quotation marks with their hands to emphasize this feature. Because I don't want to live in a world where Joey Lawrence, Bristol Palin, Tucker Carlson and Kenny Mayne (*among others) are "stars."

Me thinketh that ol' Georgie longs for Lynda Day George and the "Battle of the Network Stars" days.

Hey...that was some high-quality entertainments. According to the wiki, the Nov 1978 CBS team included McLean Stevenson (captain), Valerie Bertinelli, LeVar Burton, Lou Ferrigno, Pat Klous, David Letterman, Tim Reid, Charlene Tilton.

I'd venture to say that even the weakest of these network stars is more of a star than Bristol Palin or Kenny Mayne. And, in 1978, I would put Valerie Bertinelli and Charlene Tilton as among the better bets for sexy to lure in the ratings....and they were legitimate stars.

And, before you even start, don't fuck with Venus Flytrap.

Independent George wrote:

And, before you even start, don't fuck with Venus Flytrap.

Dude, he's no Shadoe Stevens. Alls I'm saying.