Dancing with the Stars

So, I have watched exactly one episode of Dancing with the Stars during its 1,200 seasons, then I wrote about watching that episode, then I never watched it again. It's not because I have standards in my Garbage TV viewing habits (I think we all know I don't); it just didn't really capture my interest. I mean, you've really got to deliver when A&E runs Billy the Exterminator re-runs on a loop and Ricky Bretherton's golden mane is one click away.

Anyway! The point is, I don't know shit about Dancing with the Stars.

In addition to not knowing shit about it, I generally don't give a shit about it. But the show just announced its cast for the upcoming season, and there is MUCH HULLABALOO because of the "controversial" cast members selected: Chaz Bono, a trans man, Carson Kressley, a gay man, and JR Martinez, an Iraq War veteran cum soap opera star and motivational speaker who sustained severe burns to nearly half his body, including his face, while serving in Iraq.

Naturally, these men are only "controversial" figures among people who are transphobic, homophobic, and ablist body policers. Unfortunately, there are a lot of those people about. Especially on Facebook, according to everyone who emailed me about this and told me that they are officially requesting leave from Planet Earth for gentler galaxies after reading reactions to the DWTS casting announcement.

Owing to aforementioned not knowing/giving a shit about DWTS, I don't have anything clever or wise to say about the casting, you know, besides: Good job, ABC, for not being total bigots! Here are some cookies!

But despite my lack of sagacious commentary, I wanted to open a thread where people who like DWTS and/or otherwise want to talk about the casting can do so in a space where people won't say terrible things (or will be booted if they do).

Here it is! Have fun!