The Meritocracy of Desire

I was not the real fan in the house. My wife was the faithful one. My interest was fleeting most of the time, rather reading a good book or playing some cards on-line with some friends. But drop by I would to spend a couple of minutes reviewing some of the highlights with my wife. We have danced, competed in swing contests and enjoyed all kinds of dance. Mr. Alston's comments were sad in that they were ignorant of the depth of interest by the viewers, the level of disire by the contestants and the extremely hard work that the contestants put in to dance to the levels that even the lower placements had to put in. Sad for Mr. Alston and sad for some editor that allowed such a silly article to be printed.

My wife was the faithful watcher of the show as I stopped for moments on my way to the computer or to clean the kitchen after a messy meal that I had made. But even I think that Mr. Alston's comments after having a predisposition to disliking the format were both ignorant of the level of work that the contestants put in and the contestants desire to win (the silly trophy). Sad article and a sad editor that allowed it.

I love the show "So You Think You Can Dance," and have enve attended their dance tours. A friend has repeatedly said, "I can't believe you're not watching Dancing with the Stars!" So, this season, I decided to watch, albeit via TiVo, so I could whiz through the endless yak-yak-yak-yak. So I watched, along with my husband who lives vicariously through watching someone else dance (he's 6'7" and has 2 left feet). It was mildly interesting, but I watched the professionals more than I watched the Stars. If it had been a real competition, like Mr. Alston said, Mel B. or Sabrina would have won.

I just like to watch them dance. Stars come on the show and are very vunerable ... if in deed they can't dance. They work hard and some improve. If nothing else it is great to see how hard they work and the improvement they make. It makes me realize that they are not any different than I and that if you work hard and consistently you may have a shot at success.

How can Newsweek post such a poorly researched and written article? Mr. Alston totally misses the mark. The effort put forth by all the "stars" was remarkable and a tribute to the show's format. The fact that it is one of the few live shows that uses a live band also lends to it's incredible popularity. I can only guess that Mr. Alston is a twenty-something college drop-out with a large "Friends" and "OC" dvd collection.

The second to last paragraph points out what I consider to be the most irritating issue. Mel did not deserve to win (and Helio did) precisely because she is "a woman with extensive dance experience." The program is supposed to be about people who do not have that kind of experience. It is fun to watch people accept difficult challenges and work to achieve success. With the exception of this particular paragraph, I found this article boring and cynical.

GET A LIFE!!! You, in your arrogance, do not have a pulse on the American Public. It was a total toss-up btwn Mel B and Helio. Both had their positives and negatives. Either one deserved it. The judges and voting public decided the winner. Your opinion only succeeded in my irritation at your comments....but isn't that your job? So...did you earn your paycheck this week?

You obviously don't have your pulse on the audience of "Dancing with the Stars". It was a most awesome competition this year. It was a toss up btwn Mel B. and Helio. The judges and the public chose their winner. I , personally, would like to know what are your credentials in mocking the American public. DON'T LIKE IT ,,,,DON'T WATCH IT...DON'T COMMENT.

The reason I was happy to see Helio win is not just because of his determination and hard work. Unlike Mel B, Helio is NOTa professional dancer; yet he managed to master an array of ballroom dances. And he did so with personality and flair and joy. I think that mastering ball room dancing is much harder for a race car driver than a "Spice Girl" Yes, Mel had to work very hard and she did very well; but dance was a big part of her discipline. Not the case for Helio.

Mr. Alston must have partly watched the show with two jaundiced eyes closed. Helio was severely criticized for his jive, not his freestyle. After his drubbing by the judges Helio bounced right back with his freestyle -- which was highly praised and probably won him his trophy.

And how can a writer critique a whole TV series when he's only seen the last 2 episodes? It'd be like me judging the writing abilities of Alston based on this one article. I certainly can't believe he can be THIS bad ALL the time.

And what is so wrong with a celebrity wanting to try something new and being successful? Contrary to your dissection, WANTING something is not the same as WORKING for it. If that were true, Marie would have won in a landslide.

Even on my monitor, the whiff of condescension is overwhelming.

Joshua:

Lighten up!

Your article is negative and ridiculous. How can you criticize the whole of a reality show when you only watched one episode? The finale, no less.

Please take your negativity and $15 to the nearest dance studio, jump into a salsa group for a lesson and maybe you'll get what all the fun is about! You might actually enjoy yourself.

It's obvious from what your wrote you know nothing about dancing or why it excites people.

Next time, please keep your dancing opinions to yourself. The rest of us happy people
do not want to hear it.

Mr Alton misses the point of DWTS. The contestants have all excelled in their chosen fields. They participate to try something a) new, and b) demanding, both technically and physically, in an arena where if they fail, millions will see them on the wide screen. Remember Michael Jordan playing baseball? The fun of watching is to see them try, improve, and occasionally excel. Or not. Sorry, Kenney Main. The fun is to watch Helio Castroneves' fiercely competitive drive to do well, and his joy in the struggle. My favorite moment this year, was watching Maks dancing in the finale, finally cutting loose and tearing up the floor, knowing that his partner was capable of keeping up with him- the best compliment Melanie Brown recieved all season. Finally, Mr Brown misses the point of the mirror ball trophy; OF COURSE its tacky and ridiculous. It is called irony, Mr Brown.

Joshua:

Lighten up!

Your article is negative and ridiculous. You did not even watch the entire season.
How dare you comment.

Of course your don't like to watch Dancing with the Stars, because it is an upbeat show.

Please take your negativity and $15 to the nearest dance studio and jump into a group
for a good cheap salsa lesson. Then maybe you'll get what all the fun is about.

And, for an extra bonus, you may actually ENJOY yourself!

Oh that's right....You're a downer. You wouldn't do that.

Next time, please don't write about something you know nothing about or
at least try it first then write about it.

Mr Alston misses the point of DWTS. It is about people who have excelled in their fields trying something a) totally new, and b) difficult, technically and physically in an arena where, if they fail, millions will be watching. Remember Michael Jordan turning to baseball? Ask Kenney Main why he decided to compete. (Sort of.) For the viewer, it is about the fun of watching the contestants efforts, their progress, and their sense of humor about it all. And when they do make good, it is a thrill to watch. I loved watching Maks cut loose and tear up the floor at last, knowing he had a partner to keep up with him. THAT I found to be the greatest commentary about Melanie Brown's dancing of the season . Fianally, Mr Alton misses the joke about the Mirror Ball Trophy. OF COURSE it's tacky stupid and in bad taste. Its called irony. Mr Brown.

I agree with GeorgiaGirl. To have a "Dancing" neophyte comment on the finale makes no sense. The fun of the show is to watch the amazing progress these contestants, some of whom have never danced a step in their lives before signing up for the grueling ten weeks, make from week one to the last. If Mr. Ashton had watched the show from the beginning, he would see that the three judges are in fact supportive and constructively critical of the stars. Oh, and don't forget: Everyone is having a blast, and that is certainly worth something.

I agree with GeorgiaGirl. Certainly no television show is to everyone's taste, but to have a "Dancing with the Stars" neophyte commenting on the finale makes no sense. Part of the charm and excitement of the show is watching the progress the contestants make from week one to the last, and, considering that many of them (to wit, this year's champ, Helio) have never danced a step in their lives, their accomplishments are impressive. Not to mention that if Mr. Ashton had watched all season he would know that all three judges are actually supportive and very insightful of the dancers. The show is a blast, and the dancing is a delight to watch.

I don't understand why Newsweek has someone writing about a subject they don't relate to at all. It would be like me writing about football. How can he say, for example, that Mel B was so far superior to Helio? He had only seen one show and one dance by each. So how could he so authoritatively proclaim Mel B's superiority? I was upset about Marie Osmond making it so far--that was the real injustice. I was unhappy about Sabrina, Albert, and Jenny Garth being disqualified so early in their competition, also unfair. But I'm sure Mr. Alston would have no idea what I'm talking about. I think it would be VERY difficult to choose between Helio and Mel B--I couldn't do it. I wish they both could have taken home a mirrorball trophy.