ABC reportedly bans gay dancing on 'Dancing with the Stars'

Business Insider ^ | November 12,2015 | Jethro Nededog

[Calpublican]

The demographic for DWTS must skew older.

[DoughtyOne]

You know, it was okay. It’s not everyone’s cup of tea, but I enjoyed it.

Honestly, the last two shows have been dedicated to dance to your heroes and something like your most painful memory (probably not accurate on the second, but something equally likely to pull the tears out of a porcupine).

Gag me.

[Steve_Seattle]

I have a different take on gay marriage than most Freepers. Apart from the moral issue, to me it is also in bad taste, i.e., men marrying men looks STUPID! It is like wearing a business suit with clown shoes, or - to use the old feminist gibe - like a fish riding a bicycle.

[relictele]

I already did that with the lesbians-adopting-the-deaf-girl treacle from earlier this year.

[Vendome]

It will happen anyway and that will be the end of the show...

[Steve_Seattle]

"Could this be a ratings ploy? ABC initially refuses to allow two men to dance with each other, followed by a week or two of “public outcry.” ABC then “relents”, and then everybody tunes in to see the much-hyped episode where the men get to dance together."

It might play out that way, but I'd be surprised if that was the intent. That's playing with fire, from their point of view.

[massmike]

ABC is the last network that I thought would do the right thing

[Theophilus]

ABC is finally made to care.

[Chauncey Uppercrust]

I dont watch the show,. I tuned into see Bristol Palin and only came across it a couple times since, but I thought they had at least one possibly 2 gay judges, I would have thought their audience would have embraced it, but what do I know?

My tv is basically on Fox News, Turner Classic Movies and METV and less and less of Fox these days

[TADSLOS]

Trial balloon. Ban the act, then concede due to overwhelming “public” pressure to let homos dance together. Then they will announce two homos as a team on the next season. Watch it happen.

[Michael.SF.]

Are there ratings down? Sounds like a publicity stunt.

[Theophilus]

Fear Factor never had anything on this!

[BeauBo]

“Market research probably told them their rating would tank if they did it.”

Two things:

- Dancing With The Stars is a huge money maker for ABC. With 13 million viewers, it is ABC’s most watched show.

-The audience of DWTS is the most politically conservative of any entertainment series on television.

[tacticalogic]

I think that’s what they call a “clue”.

[Pilgrim's Progress]

I have yet to see a jewelry commercial like Zales or Kaye use two men to promote their product . . . or a sexual dysfunction commercial.

Homophobia is rampant! /sarc

[Tired of Taxes]

Could this be a ratings ploy?

I think you're onto something. That must be what they're all doing - Starbucks, now DWTS/ABC. All these "controversies" are all about bringing in money.

[Caipirabob]

Good news. We don’t need another mentally ill exhibitionist freakshow on TV.

[mrsmith]

This is crazy.
Who wants to watch sad couples dancing?...

[Theodore R.]

They’ll cave by morning.

[Mastador1]

Why shy now ABC?

http://bruni.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/03/08/abcs-gay-wednesdays/?_r=0