The Meritocracy of Desire

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I realized then that the real prize was the sense of accomplishment, and the appeal for the viewer is knowing that as soon as they're finished watching Marie Osmond dance around dressed as a surrealist rag doll, maybe they could accomplish something too. And when Castroneves won that chintzy mirrorball trophy, beating out the far more deserving Spice Girl Melanie Brown, it provided even more flakes for our snow globes. Not only did Castroneves win, he beat a woman with extensive dance experience, using nothing more than his will and unbridled enthusiasm.

The world of "Dancing With the Stars" is some kind of perverse meritocracy in which people are rewarded not for being the best at doing something but for being the best at wanting to do something. I understand why people might want to visit that world for an hour a week. Not that I plan on doing it again.

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Posted By: lockwhip @ 11/29/2007 4:51:16 PM

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.
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Posted By: lockwhip @ 11/29/2007 4:43:09 PM

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.
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Posted By: SherriRBGR @ 11/29/2007 3:39:10 PM

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.