Bristol Palin... Is She Deserving of the DWTS 2010 Title?

by: Les Carpenter 
Rational Nation USA


I certainly never thought I would find myself commenting on the insignificance of a dance competition here at RN USA. However, given that  Bristol Palin's climb to the finals on Dancing With the Stars has created such an unreasoned response from the political pundits I just can not help myself.


How a dance competition is even remotely connected to "Power To The People"  is beyond me. DWTS is a program that showcases an individual's "celebrity"  status (in Bristol's case by association), gives them the opportunity to gain greater exposure and claim a dance title if they have dancing talent, and I presume have a good deal of fun in the process.

Competitive dancing, and realize DWTS is competition; is not, nor should it be, a competition of popularity nor should it have a damn thing to do with anything other than talent and ability.

I realize the success of the finalist left standing when the music stops is based on the combined scores of the professional dancers and the voting public. This does inject a certain degree of subjectivity, personal preference, and allows for the viewing public to register in on their favorite dancer, thus increasing the possibility of a less accomplished dancer winning the competition.

Bristol Palin, an individual without any dance training or experience hit the DWTS dance floor a novice. She demonstrated some ability but over the course of several weeks it became obvious that she lacked the talent of some of the other competitors. The term competitors is an appropriate description because dancing, at least competitive dancing anyway, is as much a sport as is figure skating, and ice dancing. It requires  physical stamina, agility, talent, and a great deal of self discipline.

Competition is about winning. It is about winning based on ones superior ability, creativity, merit, and display of excellence. Bristol Palin deserves a great deal of credit for her efforts and one must rightly acknowledge that she has grown during the competition. She is however not among the best dancers based on ability and merit. She should not be standing in the finalist circle.

How, you may ask am I qualified to make these statements. Just ten years of dance instruction combined with some competitive dancing. Having been there (I had coaching sessions with both Tony Meredith and Melanie Le-Patten, former international Latin champions) it make it easier to focus on the talent and accomplishments of each of the dancers.

America is about competing and winning based on measurable ability, merit and talent. Unlike some who survive in the world of politics. Lets not politicize dancing and may the truly best contestant win the competion tonight.

Cross posted at the Left Coast Rebel.

Discussion @ Memeorandum here and here.
Other interesting articles here, and here, and here.