More than just dancing...?

While many sit on their couches mocking mediocre contestants on ABC's hit show "Dancing with the Stars", political and cultural statements flourish left and right throughout every episode. With their new season premiering last Monday night at 8pm EST, the shows self-proclaimed "A-List Cast" brought just as many controversies as ever to the table, some more about ethics than the cast itself. While most cast members simply compete for the paycheck and the publicity (although the publicity for being the first kicked-off the show is not a coveted feat), simple human ethics come in to play with many of the shows quirks, cast members, and story lines.

Take JR Martinez and Chaz Bono, both from this season (season 13). Currently taking his canceled soap opera, "All My Children", to the Internet, JR Martinez' story runs deeper than the injured Iraq war veteran he portrayed on the show. In fact, he was a real life war vet, discharged from the war after a landmine was set off while he was traveling in his Humvee. Sustaining severe burns to 60% of his body, he endured 33 painful surgeries in order to bring himself back to stability. His purpose on the show is simply to exemplify his pride for his fellow troops and to show that if you try hard enough, you can overcome the obstacles you face in life. Chaz stepped into the dance studio in order to make a statement about transgenders, and "Dancing with the Stars" contributed to his statement. They treated him as a typical 40 year old celebrity, pairing him with a female dance partner, and displaying his struggles to perfect footwork and technique. Yet while millions of fans are rallying behind the Iraq war vet, who coincidentally happens to be one of the best dancers in the group, many are quick to come to support Chaz Bono, who simply wishes to prove that transgenders are no different than any other man or woman.

Joanna Weiss, author of "Moving culture, one dance step at a time", set her sights on Massachusetts residents. After going into lengthy detail about all the cultural aspects the show brings to the table, she then delves into the politics of our state. While many openly support Chaz Bono on "Dancing", the same cannot be said for transgenders in real life, who are constantly being targeted by the public for their decision as a "gender-bender". Weiss brings up the point that while many stand up for the rights of Bono, they fail to reciprocate at the statehouse as legislators struggle to pass a bill prohibiting transgender discrimination. She simply compares the transgenders that so many fear invade our public bathrooms to Bono, when she states, "But what if people saw the bill’s beneficiaries differently: not as strangers in bathrooms, but people next door, trying their best at the cha-cha-cha?" She asks the public of Massachusetts, why not look at it from their perspective?



"Moving culture, one dance step at a time"
http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2011/09/25/moving_culture_one_dance_step_at_a_time/