Dancing with the Baby Boomers
There’s a show on TV — now in its fifth season on ABC — whose popularity baffles me. A bunch of non-dancers are paired with a professional dancer, learn how to do ballroom dancing, and then compete with other couples. Viewers are eating it up. Right now, it’s ranked No. 2 of all network primetime series!
Dancing with the Stars is a phenomenon. How can that be? I mean, it’s the cha-cha, samba, mambo, fox trot, jive, paso doble, quickstep, rumba, tango, waltz, and Viennese waltz.
I have to admit, I do like seeing how many baby boomers are featured on the show.
Here are some of the highlights of this season and seasons past: Marie Osmond (born 1959) fainted (but you already knew that). Mark Cuban (1958), the dotcom billionaire, surprised everyone with his hot mambo moves. Evander Holyfield (1962), heavyweight boxer, does an update on the cha-cha; Harry Hamlin (1951), actor, attempts a waltz; and Leeza Gibbons (1957), talk show host, fox trots.
Other baby boomers appearing in past seasons include: John O’Hurley (1956), actor and TV host; Tatum O’Neal (1963), actress; Lisa Rinna (1963), actress/TV host; Jerry Rice (1962), NFL wide receiver; Vivica Fox (1964), actress; Clyde Drexler (1962), NBA legend; John Ratzenberger (1947), actor; Billy Ray Cyrus (1961), singer and actor; and Ian Ziering (1964), actor.
October 25th, 2007 at 10:41 am
Look at you, posting like crazy.
I love candy corn, these TV shows, not so much.
October 25th, 2007 at 11:07 am
I am out of control, huh! I have to admit I watch of reality TV.
October 25th, 2007 at 11:37 am
“They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?” remember that movie depicting regular poor folks dancing till they dropped for money. Happens during every recession, depression, whatever. Dancing, whether watching or participating gives people a mental break from everyday stresses and money problems. Ask yourself: what would you rather watch? Celebs making fools of themselves dancing or the evening news?
October 25th, 2007 at 11:50 am
Well, this is good to know…
October 25th, 2007 at 1:08 pm
rhea, your commenters sometimes ask questions that surprise with their philosophical depth. boomie asks me to choose between too things only slightly dissimilar. crafty question: i’d thought the two were the same. yours,
naomi, older-than-boomer
October 25th, 2007 at 2:55 pm
Naomi: Your observation of Boomie’s questions is very astute. Ha!
October 25th, 2007 at 4:20 pm
I don’t watch sitcoms.
I don’t watch soap operas (in whatever guise, e.g. “Cane”).
I don’t watch reality shows.
I don’t watch phony talent shows.
October 25th, 2007 at 9:39 pm
I love DWTS….I started watching when the 2nd season started…..just love it.
I do watch sitcoms
I don’t watch daytime soaps
I don’t watch reality shows (I did)
I sometimes watch talent shows
TV is a choice not a requirement. Some days it keeps me sane.
October 26th, 2007 at 7:16 am
I’m addicted to this show and this show only right now. Why? I always wanted to be a dancer! I want to be on the show! And I love to see a 40+ woman show the world she can do it!
October 26th, 2007 at 7:56 am
Does anyone remember the Arthur Murray show? That was very popular in the 50s. I don’t watch the reality shows either…but at least DWTS doesn’t have people teaming up to work against other people like some of the other reality shows. I think that’s so destructive for kids to see.
October 26th, 2007 at 8:05 am
I remember who Arthur Murray was but never saw the show.
October 29th, 2007 at 7:18 pm
I became fascinated with the show when I saw Harry Hamlin and Emmitt Smith. And then I started to recognize that there were quite a few baby boomers represented. I wrote about it last year if anyone is interested in reading it:
http://babyboomerbev.blogspot.com/2006/09/dancing-with-stars-baby-boomers.html
I say Rock on!—or maybe that should be “Waltz on!”