Why Don't We Just Dance? - P.S.

Since my feelings about Bristol or my attitude toward her or whatever have been called into question, I figured I should post my thoughts on her going on Dancing with the Stars.

When I first heard it, my reaction had to do with the show itself, not her. I am not a fan of reality shows. What can I say? I was raised by a couple of prudes and have a healthy dose of prude in my make-up as well.

Then came the knowledge of what I knew would be the reaction: "She dumps Levi for saying he's in love with the limelight and then she goes on Dancing with the Stars?"

....Well?

I want Bristol to succeed. I think she's a great young woman, obviously a very strong one, with huge potential. That's why I cringe when she does something that strikes me as the wrong move to make. I know how the world is going to see it.

However, I could also see some potential upsides. For example, say she's a hit. That would completely crush little ol' Levi's sorry ambitions at stardom. Hey Douchebag, eat my stardust!

And if she's not, well, no big loss. It's not like she wants to become a professional dancer.

Also, our culture is one that's obsessed with this stuff. It couldn't hurt to make some in-roads into that world, maybe do a little of your own branding while you're at it, etc... Let people see who you really are.

I started to ask myself what my real problem was with the idea. After some internal reflection, it came to me: It reminds me of something Levi would do. And I kinda want as much of a distance between Levi's actions and Bristol's as is humanly possible.

So then I thought, "Well, hold on now; would I feel this way if Levi had never become an issue? If he had just gone off into broken-hearted ex-boyfriend-land, or whatever and not turned into "Ricky Hollywood," would I have a problem with something like this?"

Probably not. I'd probably be excited for her.

Well then, it's kind of unfair to punish Bristol because of the idiocy of her douchebag ex, isn't it?

It still bugged me, but her appearance on Good Morning America is what finally turned my feelings around. Her explanation that this was something that would get her out of her environment and all the drama for awhile (aka, friends of friends, ex's and their families, etc... things that remind her of what's happened over the last few months) and forget it for awhile. Go do something fun for a change. Go dancin'.

That's an explanation that I can embrace. Just cut loose and have some fun. Forget for awhile all this, engagement on/off, custody battle, extended family garbage. Let's dance.

As for what apparently got some people's panties in a wad (the whole, "if she sucks we'll vote her off" thing), it was said in good fun; with a wink, you might say. I don't watch the show. I'm not sure I will just because she's on it, but I expect that she will succeed or fail on the dance floor based on her own merits (whether or not she can actually dance). Palin fan that I am, the competition is about who can dance the best. I might root for her, but I'm not in the "put her through to the next round because she's a Palin" camp.

The last thing on earth Bristol needs is to feel like she's entitled because of her last name. And she understands this. If you listened to her, she said she knows it will mean a lot of hard work, etc....

As for the "I'm done with her" stuff, those were things I said way back when something was running around about a reality show with Levi or something. It wasn't the initial rumors because I brushed those off, it was something else. I don't even remember what it was now. It angered me because she had just given this long interview about how they wouldn't do something like that, etc... and now here it was. Consistency. That's all I ask for. I had defended Bristol a lot in the past, but I wasn't going to defend someone that would bold-face lie. I wouldn't slam her, but I wouldn't try to defend stuff like that either. Anyway, this is what I said about it the next morning.

Now, all the rumors turned out to be bull when she finally came out and told her side of the story, dumped the loser, walked away from the million dollar reality show deal, etc... My reaction to that here.

I'm not sure what else I might have said to make people upset. I don't remember every comment I've ever made. If it's about what I said to canary the other night, that's called - defusing a potentially explosive situation by saying "Hey, I know where you're coming from; I can relate, BUT....."

I'm not going to agree with every move Bristol makes, but she has proven that she can handle herself and the criticism coming her way just fine. And I doubt highly that she cares about anything I have to say anyway. Don't come to me saying that I slam Bristol at every opportunity. Please. That's absurd on its face.

Lighten up, pop some popcorn, and enjoy the show.

P.S. And the blog-reader of the year award goes to Bill589. ;)