It was just announced that bootlicking former White House press secretary Sean Spicer would be competing on the upcoming season of Dancing With the Stars… a decision that does NOT sit well with host Tom Bergeron.
Although he didn’t mention Spicer by name, Bergeron tweeted out this morning that he had hoped the show would be a non-divisive politics-free zone in its 28th season.
“A few months ago, during a lunch with DWTS‘ new executive producer [Andrew Llinares], I offered suggestions for season 28,” Bergeron wrote. “Chief among them was my hope that DWTS, in its return following an unprecedented year-long hiatus, would be a joyful respite from our exhausting political climate and free of inevitably divisive bookings from ANY party affiliations. I left that lunch convinced we were in agreement.
“Subsequently (and rather obviously), a decision was made to, as we often say in Hollywood, ‘go in a different direction.'”
Of course, DWTS has a long track record of courting red state viewers. Previous competitors include Tucker Carlson (season three), former House speaker Tom DeLay (season nine), Bristol Palin (season 11 and the all-star season 15), talk-show host and activist Tavis Smiley (season 19), Fox News commentator Geraldo Rivera (season 22) and former Texas Gov. Rick Perry (who’s now Secretary of Energy).
Sooooo, business as usual, I suppose. And Bergeron really can’t be surprised.
His full statement below:
A few months ago, during a lunch with DWTS‘ new executive producer, I offered suggestions for season 28. Chief among them was my hope that DWTS, in its return following an unprecedented year-long hiatus, would be a joyful respite from our exhausting political climate and free of inevitably divisive bookings from ANY party affiliations. I left that lunch convinced we were in agreement.
Subsequently (and rather obviously), a decision was made to, as we often say in Hollywood, “go in a different direction.”
It is the prerogative of the producers, in partnership with the network, to make whatever decisions they feel are in the best long-term interests of the franchise. We can agree to disagree, as we do now, but ultimately it’s their call. I’ll leave it to them to answer any further questions about those decisions.
For me, as host, I always gaze into the camera’s lens and imagine you on the other side, looking for a two-hour escape from whatever life hassles you’ve been wrestling with. That’s a connection, and a responsibility, which I take very seriously, even if I occasionally season it with dad jokes.
Hopefully, when Erin Andrews and I look into those lenses again on Sept. 16, you’ll be on the other side looking back, able to enjoy the charismatic pro dancers, the unpredictable judges and the kitschy charm that has defined DWTS since 2005.
(Photos: MediaPunch)
