Yes, I Can Watch That Much TV

Most of the time, you can trace the things you like back to some kind of influence... your parents like it... it was cool when you were growing up... you have some kind of fond memory attached to it. But, there are always a few things that are uniquely yours... completely unexplainable. One of mine is ballroom dancing.

Not participating, just watching (remember the lack of coordination?). I don't remember when I started watching, but for some reason, if I'm ever channel surfing late at night and it comes on, I can't stop watching. I think my fondness is a mix of admiration for the grace, artistry, and athleticism of the dancers... mixed with a sort of morbid fascination with the grotesque makeup, gaudy costumes, and the tightest buns you have ever seen (I'm talking about hair... but the other buns are tight too).

Well, now ABC has decided to reach out to possibly the smallest demographic ever... me and the occasional nursing home resident with insomnia... and will be airing a new reality series called 'Dancing with the Stars'. The premise of the show is that "celebrities" (well, more like attention-whores who couldn't make the cut for the next season of The Surreal Life) paired with professional ballroom dancers will compete every week in a live dancing competition, and one couple will be voted off each episode by the tv audience. Of course it's not an original concept - just a copy of a successful British series (why can't we come up with our own ways to decay the moral fabric of our country?).

The show premieres June 1st. I hope it last at least two episodes before the network realizes that I'm the only one watching.