Of Dancing with the Stars and Sexism

I hate to reference the same blog twice in the same day, but this post at Echidne of the Snakes gives me a chance to both agree with her and disagree.

The part I agree with is that there is a certain degree of sexism involved in Dancing with the Stars. It is, after all, a program geared around ballroom dancing, an activity with very strict gender roles. So, the charge that different things are expected from the men and the women on the show are correct.

Echidne referenced this article to bolster the sexism argument, then makes a note that, perhaps, the largely female audience votes for the men because they are cuter.

Now Echidne admits up front that she's never seen the show. Unfortunately for her, this is a case where not following a program means not really knowing what you are talking about.

I've watched Dancing with the Stars since about the middle of Season Two, so I probably have a better perspective on why certain people win and other people don't. As I've said, the criticism that the judges are sexist have some validity. There's no doubt that the more visible role of the woman in these dances make them more susceptible to criticism than the men.

But more than just the judging--which only accounts for half the points--is the opinions of viewers, and there is more room for speculation there. My opinion is that visibility and popularity has as much to do with who wins this competition as anything. Many of the women picked for the show have been models or beauty contestant winners. Many of other women contestants were either not as well-known or didn't come out and grab the audience.


In other words, the people who do well in the competition have a combination of technique and fan appeal. Of course, that doesn't explain Billy Ray Cyrus making it to week 8 last season...or maybe it does. In the end, however, it comes down to fan appeal.

In this season, Kristi Yamaguchi was the clear favorite week after week. Her technique was fabulous and she clearly outperformed every other competitor. Moreover, she's a well-known and popular Olymic gold medal winner who remained visible as a professional skater long after leaving the amateur ranks. The combination made Kristi the obvious winner both with the judges and with the fans.

Fans are a notoriously finicky lot, and that is evident on other dance shows, as well. Cuteness may influence some viewers, but charm, talent, technique and personality have as much to do with winning as beef or cheesecake.