Image Credit: Adam Larkey/ABC via Getty ImagesDancing With the Stars has a hallowed tradition of GOP personalities: disgraced senator Tom DeLay, snappy dresser Tucker Carlson, and now Bristol Palin. Bristol’s mother Sarah appeared on DWTS, and is now prepping her own reality TV show, Sarah Palin’s Alaska. In fact, as an intriguing article from the L.A. Times argues, the Republican party is embracing reality TV. (John McCain is courting Snooki’s endorsement on Twitter, which is not a sentence anyone ever wants to write.) Are Democrats losing the all-important reality TV vote?
Democrats have mostly ignored the genre’s unique power to connect with John Q. Public. Sure, CIA Director Leon Panetta appeared for a couple minutes on Top Chef, and Michelle Obama appeared for a couple minutes on Iron Chef America, but those are semi-classy cable productions pegged to an urban elite audience. (Also, Michelle Obama’s garden made a cameo appearance a couple seasons ago on Biggest Loser. New stereotype alert: Geez, what’s with the Democrats and their food-centric reality shows, am I right?)
PopWatchers, what can be done? Have Democrats lost the reality TV race? I prescribe three solutions:
1. Send disgraced Democrats on kinder celebrity-themed reality shows.
Rod Blagojevich joined the C-list zombieland that is Celebrity Apprentice, but everyone comes off badly on Celebrity Apprentice unless they wear a headband or are Joan Rivers. (His wife went on I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here, which is just silly.) Sure, Tom DeLay and Tucker Carlson were goofballs, but Dancing With the Stars is a kinder, gentler, more forgiving show. (If nothing else, surely going on DWTS is a better career move than working on something called Parker Spitzer.)
2. Embrace Race
The Amazing Race exudes lefty buzzwords: “diversity,” “globalization,” “knowing where China is on a map.” It tests people’s reactions in high-pressure situations, and also forces people to learn basic taxicab diplomacy. Participation ought to be required for all up-and-coming Democrat senatorial aides.
3. Make a Political Version of American Idol
Attractive 20-somethings propose congressional legislation. They are critiqued by three judges: the Mean Democrat (Rahm Emanuel), the Mean Republican (Ann Coulter), and the Ralph Nader (Ralph Nader.)
PopWatchers, can the Democrats take reality TV? Aren’t politicians basically just reality show stars with less makeup and lower salaries? And did you know that Fred Astaire was a die-hard conservative, but Gene Kelly was a die-hard liberal? I wonder if they had political debates in dance form.
“Lefty buzzwords:…knowing where China is on a map” LOL. But please do not encourage the creation of more reality shows.
You said exactly what I was thinking re locating China on a map as a left buzz word! LOL
Pretty moronic and stereotypical thing for the author to say. I’m a conservative, and I obviously know where China (and most of the damn globe) are on a map. Just another lefty making stupid, factless comments.
Most Democrats are too smart to appear on worthless shows like this.
That’s not nice… Why can’t Darren play nice and be more Sweden about this?
Hee hee!
I had no idea what political party Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly belonged too, but I do know that they were amazing dancers, and that is all that I care about.
Nicely put
Gene Kelly was a big-time liberal. His wife showed up in Red Channels.
Demomcrats already have their own “reality” show its called “Washington DC” it plays on CSPAN.
And it’s not exactly real popular now, is it?
AMEN
Love it Redundant~ So true!!!
OMG…..nicely put!!! lol
Yeah, great idea. It’s not like we don’t get political spin shoved down our throats already.
Exactly! Nobody wants to watch them. i.e. look at the buzz the loud, rude and ridiculous joy on the view caused. Geeze, I guess “the view” is now her view or else! Can you imagine what a reality show would look like????? lol
Avoiding reality tv is just one more reason to prefer Democrats to Republicans – and to recognize the cheesy, craptastic things that Republicans gravitate towards.
Number three is scary-isn’t that the way people pick, voting for name recognition and how much money is involved anyway?
i agree with js-we get too much crap shooved down our throats.
Yeah because Margaret Cho is really a Republican.
She’s not a professional politician. That’s what he’s talking about.
Yup, because we MUST find something political in a show where a guy in a pleather outfit jumps out of a “time machine”. People of all different political beliefs and religions have to live together in this country. The fact that they can be civil to each other and not push their politics on one show is kind of refreshing. Just my opinion.
Don’t watch Dancing with the Stars anymore although I loved it. With all this political wind trough their shows – I have enough. It is not about dancing anymore.
Wow. Three whole republicans in what…TEN seasons of DWTS?!? And this merits a story of a republican takeover of reality TV? Is this a joke?
actually… yes — it is a joke. the whole article is tongue-in-cheek. kind of thought that was obvious…
I personally would love to see Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, and yes, even B.O. himself on DWTS-then they wouldn’t be able to continue leading America down the path of Hopefully America will get it right and vote these Commies out of office.
Sorry-meant to say down the path of ruin in my previous post. Sausage fingers got the best of me.
More like your sausage sized brain, fascist.
Give me a flipping break…first the gripefest over Social Network, now this. Who’s managing EW? Doug and Wendy Whiner?
Democrats will never humiliate themselves in front of the world. They are too smart and have a high self-esteem!
Hahahahahaha!!! That’s HIGHlarious!
so i sit here and read the coimments from the pretend christian conservatives. and all i hear is banjo music. the REAL judging will happen when you are judged and have to explain to god why you lived your life supporting greed and hatred. if you had half a brain youd understand that there is no recession for the rich people you want to give tax cuts to, they already get one half of every dollar earned in america. but then you are conservstives, you watch reality tv and think ITS REAL!
Wow. Conservatives give a much higher percentage of their own money to charities. I’m not a religious person, but I’ll be the first to point out that those “christian conservatives” are the most generous group around. Republican candidates give much more to charity than Dems. The misconception is that Democrats care more about the poor, but the key thing is that they want OTHERS to pay for it. When it comes to their OWN money, that’s a whole other story. But that’s ok, because you have a Democrat in the WH who didn’t lift a finger to help his own relatives, but expects those evil rich people (most of whom are Democrats, btw) to pay up. I’m not rich, and I don’t envy the rich. In fact, THANK YOU RICH PEOPLE for doing so much for this country and covering for unappreciative leeches who think they’re entitled just because. The sad thing is you may get one half of every dollar earned in America, but that dollar wouldn’t even exist if it weren’t for you. So, thanks again rich people. Even if most of you voted for Obama.
sils71… If you’re going to get into politics at least get your facts straight! You say that “Republican candidates give much more to charity than Dems.” (??? site that please) then you go back and forth and don’t make much sense, except that you are obviously Republican and don’t like Obama. Calm down and count to 10. LOL