Friday Dance Party: The Palin Abstinence Program

Two of my least favorite things (reality television and the Palin family) collided this week, so naturally, they must be included in the Dance Party.



I'm told there are some Reality Shows out there which actually have some artistic merit. The ones which showcase actual talent, such as American Idol or Dancing With the Stars, should be right up my alley. Except I cannot get through a single episode. Whenever the contestant sits down in front of the camera, and starts to describe what he/she was feeling at the moment, I reach for the remote. Those moments reflect the depths to which our country has fallen; the "real people" are revealed to be illiterate, illogical, largely immoral, and completely self-absorbed. Those "interview" moments make my skin crawl.

So, I have never made it through a single episode of a single Reality Show, with the exception of Kathy Griffin's My Life on the D-List. I can make it through her show because SHE is the one sitting down with the camera, describing her feelings. She is hilarious.

So is Sarah Palin, though I doubt she means to be. It is incomprehensible to me that this barely intelligent, narrow-minded woman, who quit her job as Governor when it became apparent she could make more money devoting her time to the lecture circuit, anointed a handful of tea-party candidates in the recent primary elections, and has proven herself a kingmaker. It is further proof of the decline of the American public's intelligence, that they would blindly follow this woman who was the head of a state government but had never heard of Margaret Thatcher. And now, this creature's daughter has stepped into the spotlight, as a contestant on Dancing With the Stars.

Less than a year ago, Palin was interviewed by Oprah, and during that sitdown, she was asked about her feelings regarding the father of her bastard grandson. At the time, Levi Johnston was doing his best to extend his 15 minutes of fame by appearing nude in Playgirl, and pretending to be Kathy Griffin's boytoy. Saintly Sarah replied that she continued to pray for Levi, and that he was welcome in her home for Thanksgiving dinner. But only a few moments later, Palin inadvertently revealed the sanctimony with which she keeps herself popular with the far right wing, and sneered that Levi was doing his "Joe Hollywood" thing.

This week, Palin's own daughter began doing the same thing, strutting her stuff on Dancing With the Stars, with the apparent approval of her mother. How is this different from Levi's attempts to carve out a career as a famous person? Bristol Palin's only claim to celebrity is the fact that she is the nation's most famous unwed mother. This "advocate for teen abstinence," as she styles herself, ignored her mother's "values" and screwed her teen-aged boyfriend without using a condom. Let's put her on a TV show!


Do you think Sarah is holding her daughter to the same standards she holds Levi? How is Bristol's attempts to remain famous any different than those of "Joe Hollywood"?


Shameless self-promotion and hypocrisy seem to run with this clan.
Who knows how long Bristol Palin will last on Dancing With the Stars, and who cares? Well, ABC cares, since she is the ratings draw for this season. This week's Dance Party showcases our teen-aged bobblehead's first appearance on the show, shaking her boobs to the ironically chosen tune, "Mama Told Me Not To Come." I would venture to guess, instead, that Mama told her to run straight for the studio and grab the limelight while she can.

...and to think, this USED to be one of my favorite songs...