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Jennifer Fisher, is Associate Professor of Dance, University of California, Irvine, and co-editor of When Men Dance: Choreographing Masculinities Across Borders with Anthony Shay, Assistant Professor of Dance and Cultural Studies at Pomona College.  The book offers a progressive vision that boldly articulates double-standards in gender construction within dance and brings hidden histories to light in a globalized debate.  In the original article below Fisher looks at the Tom DeLay’s appearance on “Dancing with the Stars.”  You can watch the video of his appearance here.

It would be easy to say that Republicans shouldn’t dance because they are out of step with the times, so I won’t say that. Exactly. But sometimes, dance metaphors are really useful—like when you’re confronted with the image of former house majority leader Tom DeLay, who shook his booty as a contestant on this season’s “Dancing with the Stars.” It has to make you wonder if dancing doesn’t always reveal more than we suspect it might. It’s true that the popular TV series has traditionally been used to boost the image of fading or disgraced “personalities,” along with some merely adventurous athletes and soap stars, but this had to be a first. It was not only a moment designed to sell the products in commercials between the action (because it is, after all, television), it was one to make us ponder who should be dancing and who should not, bless their publicity seeking hearts.

I used to get a big laugh when I invited my dance history students to imagine a world in which then-president George W Bush had to study dancing in order to look powerful on the ballroom floor. That’s what world leaders from Louis XIV to George Washington had to do, in an age when a manly image did not exclude the wearing of silk brocade breeches and mastering the art of the pirouette. Alas, guys just don’t dance now if they want to be taken seriously as world leaders—they have to keep both feet on the ground, like John Wayne would have if he’d held elected office. A shame, really. Leaders in many locations in Africa, of course, have always danced to look powerful, taking up space, keeping their own rhythm, ruling a whole bunch of people not afraid to move.

But in today’s American political climate, nearly every man fears looking dorky while dancing—just picture Bush in that youtube clip trying to “get down” with between an African drummer and dancer on Africa Malaria Day. It’s no wonder it’s impossible for my students to imagine a conservative man in a suit who can let his hair down and boogie in flashy clothes like John Travolta. Could a solid but goofy looking Republican dip his partner? Let his backbone slip? Bust a serious move? The very idea was hilarious. And yet, in an odd twist of fate, this fantasy became reality on “Dancing with the Stars”. Tom DeLay actually became the poster boy for Republicans gone wild. When he made his first entrance as a contestant, wagging his nether regions and playing air guitar to the strains of “Wild Thing,” it was hard to know where to look. Maybe the intent was to look fun and vulnerable. He only succeeded in looking out of step.

Of course, because there is always a need for “news of the very weird” somewhere between the real news and the sports, we had been prepared for the event. Journalists must have burned the midnight oil winnowing down the number of catch phrases to describe it—“Republican Steps Left,” “The Hammer does the Hustle,” and, more to the point, “DeLay dances back into the limelight.” After all, no one mistook Delay’s decision to compete on a TV dance competition as a bid to master another skill or find his next career as a comedian. “Dancing with the Stars” is all about gaining visibility for the “stars” (the personalities) and, for the producers, it’s all about selling products with personal tales of triumph over the odds. Very quickly, dance metaphors in the press pointed to the real subject—partisan politics and a possible comeback for the disgraced politician. “DeLay dances all over the leaderless GOP,” one said after DeLay was interviewed, and “Delay cha-cha-ing back into the GOP fray.”

Stephen Colbert came up with a joke about how DeLay “gerrymandered” the bones in his feet in preparation for the competition—not a great laugh but a reminder about the fact that the former congressman had been accused of gerrymandering schemes and was indicted by a Texas grand jury for breaking campaign finance laws. “DeLay is no wild thing,” his reviews said, and surely they were referring to his terpsichorean skills rather than trying to counter the allegations that shadowed his political career. Or were they?

In the process of covering this painful (for dance lovers) DeLay dance debut, a lot was revealed about perceptions of dance, as well as the fear most men have of dancing. A few examples: An ABC interviewer started out by pointing out that DeLay’s daughter is a professional dancer, but DeLay himself was a very serious guy, so how did he put the two things together? Strike one for the seriousness of dance. But that wasn’t the point. DeLay answered that conservatives can also let their hair down and have fun. Strike two—we’ve all seen Bush wave his hands in imitation of dance and Obama sway with the instincts of the adept, so we know not everyone has success letting their hair down. Strike three was a rhetorical slip when Delay responded to, “Why go on Dancing with the Stars?” He said, “I love dancin’, I’ve been dancin’ all my life—I haven’t danced for about 20 years, but I love dancin’.” Yes, congressman, but are you or have you ever been a member of a dancing party? Dance-wise, he should have taken the fifth before he proved so inconsistent a witness.

But, you say, give the guy a break—he gave dancing a try, big-time. At least you might have said that after seeing him struggle in that “Wild Thing” number (check youtube if your stomach is strong). Does that make him part of that maverick breed of American men who don’t care about the “real men don’t dance” stereotype? It’s a very brave category of individualists who choose to dance despite the obstacles for men. It takes a man who is secure of his masculinity to let go of the iron man mentality and embrace his softer, more bodily articulate side. Now, they are brave, bucking macho trends and creating new visions of what men can do. Is Tom DeLay one such guy? Nah. In a pre-show interview, DeLay exhibited the classic timid male fear of sequins and pink and, although there was much kidding about developing his “feminine side,” this seems more of a gimmick that a growth experience for the man who’s house when he was a bachelor used to be known as “Macho Manor.”

You want to give him credit for wearing a sequin lined vest for his first cha-cha appearance, and for the sheer nerve of risking choreography in an arena where he couldn’t hide his incompetence. But then you feel an agenda somewhere, based on the knowledge of DeLay’s past views and inflexibility. Somehow, his dancing doesn’t look like he’s learning how to go with the flow or make a move in the right direction. It looks a whole lot more like faking it to get attention. “The body never lies,” Martha Graham said famously. But the jury is still out on that one.

America's Best Dance Crew. Sad to see Massive Monkeys go, but at least We Are Heroes are in the finals. They had the best performance of the night last Sunday. They are America's Best Dance Crew. Afroborike shouldn't have gone this far, imho, but whatever. I mean, they're good, but not the best. If you watch most (if not all) of their performances, you'd see that their routines are very sexual (proof that sex sells). Whatever. I'm hoping Sunday night will find We Are Heroes as the winners. They've been one of the best groups this whole season (besides Rhythm City).

Dancing With the Stars. Oooh! Another dance show. America's Best Dance Crew, So You Think You Can Dance, AND Dancing With the Stars? I'm in heaven! I missed most of the men's performances Monday cos it came on at the same time as Heroes. Out of the women, I think Mya and Joanna will be the ones to beat. Lyn was so wrong for giving Mya a five on her waltz, but who am I? I did think Kelly did good on her waltz. It was kinda cool seeing her all dolled up and graceful. She just might surprise us. I have to see the men dance again to see who I'd think would make it. I missed yesterday's show. I'm not surprised Macy Gray left first. Did you see her relay dance? At least she tried...

Season Premieres. They're baaaaack! I'm so glad my shows are back, despite the changes. I think I enjoyed CSI Miami the most. Did you see Horatio? He finally showed emotion. Like real emotion. He didn't show that kind of emotion when his wife, Marisol, died. Oh, but when Eric was touch and go, Horatio broke down. Very emotional episode. It doesn't help knowing that Adam Rodriguez is leaving the show. And The Great Sunglass Mystery of CSI Miami has been solved. Those sunglasses that Horatio wears in, like, every episode? Yeah, that was Eric's doing.

Sadly, I missed the season premieres of Law & Order SVU and Criminal Minds (I had a class to go to at church...more important than TV, I know, but still), but I can catch them online. New shows that I may like: NCIS Los Angeles and Flash Forward. Season Premiere I'm still looking forward to: Ugly Betty, which will premiere in about 2 weeks.

Happy Times. Well, Monday is my 33rd birthday! Thank God for letting me live to see another one (assuming I don't die within the next 3 days). And to celebrate, I'm going to Chicago, my birthplace and home for the first 8 years of my life. I leave tomorrow, which reminds me, I have to finish packing. Of course, I'm bringing my camera, so pics and stories will be posted when I get back. Two things I'm seriously looking forward to? White Castle and KarmelKorn. My mouth is watering at the thought of being able to eat these. Here in Houston, we have White Castle freezer food, but it is NOT the same as the real thing. And KarmelKorn...let me stop before I start drooling, which would be gross and unladylike, but given the fact that it's KARMELKORN I'm thinking about, I'd say I have a good excuse.

So, I'm off to pack now. I'm so excited about this trip!

America's Best Dance Crew. Yay! Another dance reality show that I'm addicted to! Although this season hasn't proven to be as good as the previous seasons, I'm determined to see it through. Now, it's only been on for two weeks, so, maybe it's too early to judge. A salsa/hip hop group, a group of gay men & a transgender, groups with "thick" women, group of country hip hoppers...this season definitely has the diversity it was looking for.

I don't agree with who went home, though. The first week, Fr3sh ended up going home, but they were better than the other 2 groups who did battle with them (Beat Ya Feet Kings and Southern Movement). The ONLY reason why they went home, IMO, is because they didn't break it during the battle. Last Sunday, the groups did dances from Beyonce songs. The group that went home was Artistry in Motion. I think they had one of the harder tasks, but they did well with what they were given. All the members had to hold on to the chain throughout most of the routine...and they did it, while still dancing well. The group they did battle with, Afroborike, the salsa/hip hop group, had an easier task. They performed to Beyonce & Shakira's Beautiful Liar. Their task? The belly dance routine in the video. Come on! While I love salsa, I think they should've went home. Which group(s) do I like? I think I'd choose Rhythm City or We Are Heroes. Guess we'll see...

Dancing With The Stars. Seriously? Tom Delay? Shouldn't he like, be in jail or something? And where is the eye candy for women?

Michelle Obama's Shorts. So, I've heard little rumblings about our First Lady wearing shorts to a family trip to the Grand Canyon. WTH! Do we have nothing else newsworthy that we have to report (and whine) about the fact that she's showing her (awesome) legs? I swear, this country (that I LOVE so much)...My reaction to her wearing shorts? SO WHAT?!! So she's showing a little leg. Arizona is probably hot as hell right now. What do you expect her to wear, pants? This is just another reason why I love and admire Michelle Obama. She's not worried about y'all and your reaction to what she's wearing. She's fist-pounded her hubby, worn sleeveless dresses, and, now, she's wearing shorts. From the looks of it, what she has on is still tasteful. To anyone whining about what she's wearing (Oh, the scandal! She's showing skin!) I say: IT'S THE SUMMER PEOPLE! GET A LIFE! Now, if this 'outrage' is fake and just journalists attempt to report news, I say to those journalists: GET A LIFE!

My Next Reality Show Obsession. Well, this season of Dancing With The Stars has ended (yay, Shawn Johnson). Lucky for me, the end of one good thing brings the beginning of another. Can you guess what reality show I'll be watching faithfully this summer? Hint: It's the same kind of reality show as DWTS. Give up? So You Think You Can Dance. I guess you can tell I love dance reality shows (which explains why the main character of my current work in progress, Who's Got Tha Moves, is competing in one). I mentioned in an earlier blog post that, when I was younger, I just knew I'd be a dancer. While I didn't fulfill that dream, I still love dancing, hence my obsession with dance reality shows. I'm going to have SO much fun when I get to writing the actual competition part. And I'm going to have SO much fun researching (watching my dance reality shows).

New Writing Challenge. This summer, Karen Strong, a fellow writer is holding a summer challenge that I plan to join (http://www.karen-strong.com/2009/05/28/do-you-have-to-write-every-day/). From June 1, 2009 to August 31, 2009, we'll be attempting to write 500 words every day (3500 words/week). It sounds easy, but add the stresses of everyday life, and it can be difficult to find writing time. I think I can do it, though. So, starting Monday, I'll be posting my progress once a week. Wish me luck! Or join if you like.

WTF! So, I read the story about the 29 year-old Tennessee man who has 21 kids. 21 kids! WTF? That's not all though. He has at least 11 baby mamas. AT LEAST! Which means there's a possibility of more. And, in the interview (he was on the local news in Knoxville, Tennessee), he mentioned that the mothers knew about the other kids. I mean, really? http://www.volunteertv.com/home/headlines/45871127.html

Summer Writing Plans. Between finishing my 2nd work in progress and re-strategizing my 1st, I'm thinking maybe, probably, possibly...I MIGHT add a Writing Wednesday to my blog. I'm not quite sure yet. It's still in the plans. I guess I'd have to make up my mind soon, 'cause summer's starting soon, right? More information later...

Technological Needs. Hi, my name is Raenice, and I have an serious addiction. It's called BlackBerry Curve. I LOVE my BlackBerry. I got it in February and haven't looked back since. It's something serious, y'all. Like, I put important days in there so I can remember. I can check my email/Facebook/Myspace from the phone (which cuts down on my computer time). The screen is bigger than my other phone, so looking at pictures and watching videos is awesome. And those times when I have a burst of writing brilliance (when I'm sleep), all I have to do is reach for my BlackBerry and type what's on my mind. I save it, go back to sleep and don't think about it, 'til the next day. If I need to look up something quick, instead of having to wait until the computer is on, I can search the internet on my phone. And I'm still learning about the greatness that is BlackBerry. Did I say I love my BlackBerry? Am I the only addicted to this phone? This is an example of what my phone looks like...except I'm a bit clumsy, so mine has a few nicks on it from my dropping it (I know) and I have a pic of my handsome nephews on the screen.
Til next time...

Dancing With The Stars. Finally! Ty's fans couldn't save him this time. I'm very happy with the final three. Who do I think will take it? Gilles or Melissa. Who do I want to take it? Shawn. I'm a sucker for underdog stories, and, between the final 3, Shawn is the underdog. Go Shawn!

NBA Finals. Speaking of underdogs...WHAT ABOUT THOSE ROCKETS! YEAH, I KNOW I'M YELLING, BUT IT'S HAPPY YELLING! The Rockets were awesome last night. I mean, really. They were awesome, forcing the series to a game 7. So many people didn't think they'd make it against the Lakers (some still think they won't make it), but, here they are, going to game 7. The game is in LA, but I still think they can win. They've done it before (um, hello, game 1). Sunday, at 5:00, Houston time, I'll be in front of my dad's big screen TV, cheering the Rockets on. GO ROCKETS!!!!

Fitness Friday. 6 inches. That's how much I've lost this past month. No poundage, though. That's ok. I'm still working it.

Prom. So, I'll be leaving in a few minutes to go to prom. No, I'm not a Senior in high school. I'm a 32 year old (33 in 4 months) and I haven't been to prom in 15 years (I can't believe it's been 15 years since I graduated from high school! Ugh!). My sister, who's a high school Spanish teacher, volunteered me to go along and help during this time. Thanks, little sis. I'll definitely be blogging about tonight's experience.

Rappers' Bling. Within the last year or so, I've noticed rappers wearing less blingage. I haven't been blinded by the amount of sparkling jewelry worn on necks, fingers, or teeth (which, IMHO, is very ew worthy). Glad to know I'm not the only one who've noticed. Saw an article on the 'Net and found that rappers are indeed toning down the bling wattage. I am so glad. To me, it's not about the bling, but about the swagger (urbandictionary.com definition: to move with confidence and sophistication...to be cool; to conduct your self in a way that would automatically earn respect). Jay Z's got it. TI's got it. Luda's got it. These men don't need an absurd amount of bling for people to know they got money. Even dressed down, Jay Z is always impeccably dressed (if you don't know by now, Jay Z's my all-time fave Hip Hop artist...the absolute best).

Dancing With The Stars. One of my fave shows. Steve-O's got a lot of fans because he shouldn't been gone before this week. Who do I think will win? That's a hard one. Gilles Marini, Shawn Johnson, Melissa Rycroft, and Lil Kim have been doing well. This week, Lil Kim's dance was awesome. Not sure just yet who I'd want to win...I'm thinking maybe either Shawn Johnson or Lil Kim (but that may change). Guess I'll have to stay tuned.

El Rostro de Analia. I am not a big fan of soap operas...not at all. The only soap I watched repeatedly was The Young and The Restless...and that was ONLY because Shemar Moore was on there. Other than that, I watched soaps every once in a while. So, it's quite funny to me that my new 'must see' show is a soap. Actually, it's a telenovela, a Spanish soap opera, called El Rostro de Analia. Now, granted, I only started watching it because of Pedro Moreno, who plays Cristoban (very yummy), but I am officially addicted to it. Like, I can't miss it. It comes on every weekday at 8, which is why I'm late posting this - couldn't miss my show. The time slot presents a problem on Mondays (Heroes), Wednesdays (Criminal Minds), and Thursdays (CSI), but I just flip back and forth. The best thing is, it's helping me with my Spanish. I learn more every time I watch it. I can actually understand what they're saying! Next stop, being able to respond, which will come in handy should I ever meet Pedro Moreno in person, heehee. This is Pedro Moreno:

See, didn't I tell you...very yummy...

The new season of "Dancing With the Stars" is upon us. On Monday, the popular ABC show will spotlight the ups and down of amateur dancers from all walks of life. For a more realistic look at what it takes to learn how to dance and win, check out The Year of Dancing of Dancing Dangerously by Lydia Raurell.

Boomer Cafe has an excerpt from The Year of Dancing Dangerously, Lydia Raurell's inspiring story of her journey in to the world of competitive ballroom dancing.

Jennifer Hudson's Tragedy. My heart goes out to Jennifer Hudson and her family. To lose her mother, brother, and nephew... I can't imagine losing my mom, brother, and nephew individually, but at the same time? And to hope that her nephew's alive, only to find the body. It's so sad. They are definitely in my prayers.

Plot to Kill Obama. It seems that the FBI has foiled the plot of two young skinheads to kill 88 blacks (decapitate 14 of them) including Barack Obama. My thoughts? #1: There's more where that came from. While Obama is making history, he's also making a lot of racist people angry by getting this far. Those of us who are prayer warriors will have to keep Obama and his family - and this country - in our prayers...it'll only get worse (the plots) if and when he becomes pres; #2: I've never understood the white supremacist thought of protecting their country...keeping it pure. I mean, really? 'Cause the last time I checked, it ain't their country to claim. Their ancestors, just like most Americans, came to this country from somewhere else. The only difference is, their ancestors came on their own. They weren't here first - the Native Americans had this country first. Is it really the skinheads' country to keep pure?

Dancing With The Stars. I missed this week's DWTS, but I heard that Cloris Leachman was voted off. Finally. I mean, the fact that this 80-something year-old woman was on DWTS dancing was amazing, don't get me wrong. She moved pretty good for her age. BUT she shouldn't have made it this long (at least not longer than Toni Braxton). Who's next? I say Susan Lucci. My final four are Brooke (who'll probably win), Warren, Cody, and Lance.

Family Ties. So, anyone can see how close my family is. Growing up, some friends didn't understand how I could tell my parents everything. Other friends became constant fixtures in the Weakly household to experience that closeness. People used to call us the Huxtables from the Cosby Show, which we took as a compliment, although, clearly, we didn't have the Huxtable money. I wouldn't trade in my childhood, nor my family, for all the money in the world. My mom and sis are 2 of my best friends. The original Weakly kids are grown (I'm 32, my brother is 28, and my sister is 26), but we have others who've become part of the fam and is experiencing the love. I'm blessed to be a Weakly. God's placed me in an awesome family.

Daddy and Mama

My brother, Shawn, and my nephews: Dae (7), Kam (7), and Sydney (4)

My sister, Meechie, and I

Okay...just to be clear here...I do not watch ridiculous shows like American Idol and Dancing With the Stars. It's just not me. No way. No how.

However...

When I found out that my NFL heart-throb since 2000, star defensive end of my Miami Dolphins, Jason Taylor, was a contestant on said Dancing With the Stars, I made an exception to the No TV Schlock rule. And boy, am I glad!

JT not only charmed the judges and the audience alike, that two hundred forty pound, six-six body of his can dance like nobody's business.



Light as a feath'ah.

He had an amazing partner/coach in Edyta Sliwinska, who turned the fierce, yet hesitant football player into a dancer to be envied.



Did you see them dance? They may have come in second to the judge's favorite, Kristi Yamaguchi (who was fab, but come on...years of choreography on the ice gave her an advantage...a football player dancing like he did should have taken the mirror ball trophy home), but dancing like this can't be forgotten:



But he's more than just a pretty face. For thirteen years, Jason has been a member of the Miami Dolphins, and more than that, a giving member of the community. He supports many charities, including the United Way, the ASPCA, and has his own organization, called The Jason Taylor Foundation, that helps underpriviledged kids in Dade County Florida learn to read. Because of his charitable activities, the NFL named him the NFL Man of the Year. As a long-time fan of his, I was pleased that he was recognized on and off the field.



So, did you watch DWTS? If so, do you agree with me that JT was robbed?

Oh...I did a workshop this week on the Romance Divas' site called HAZARDOUS MATERIAL AHEAD: Avoiding Common Manuscript Mistakes, and I'm the guest blogger today at the fabulous Plotmonkeys. Hope you'll check in!

Thanks!
Marley = )

SORORITY 101: Zeta or Omega? - Available Now! Puffin Books
SORORITY 101: The New Sisters - Available Now! Puffin Books
GHOST HUNTRESS Series - Begins May 2009, Houghton Mifflin

Elaine of Wild Rose Reader has kindly (I think !) tagged me with a new meme - to share 10 - 15 professional and/or personal goals for the summer. Since I won't be having a summer break (see my previous post), I'm going to shift the parameters slightly to my goals for the rest of the year.

1 - Finish my series of "Doctor Who" novellas. I've reached the mid-way point (more or less) of story 6 out a projected series of 14.

2 - Write my first non-Who time travel tale (as mentioned here) for which I'm currently doing all kinds of background reading.

3 - Figure out a routine for working from home that means I earn enough to live on and still have plenty of time to write. My office hours were 7 am - 3 pm, which meant I had a good two hours (sometimes two and a half) after I got home from work in which to write solidly before dinner. I'd actually like to have more time each day in which to write - and certainly I'll gain about 45 minutes by not having to bus into town every day.

4 - Get work re-started on my study of fantasy heroines. I began this 4 years ago, but I've been waiting, in part, for J K Rowling to finish the "Harry Potter" series since Hermione is one of the fantasy heroines about whom I want to write.

5 - Watch all three seasons of the New Doctor Who series back to back - something else that *may* be more easily achieved if I'm working from home.

6 - Re-read the Harry Potter books. I had planned to re-read them all before the final book comes out, but I'm not convinced I can achieve that in the time that's left, given everything else I want to read - and all the writing I'm doing.

7 - Go to see Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End at the cinema - it's out, but as usual I'm broke !

8 - Read the various "Doctor Who" novels and short stories I've acquired in the last few months.

9 - Read some of the other books I've acquired in the last few months that people keep telling me are good !

10 - Finally write that "Ode to Doctor Who" that Elaine challenged me to write back in early May.

Now who can I tag ? I think I'll tag Nancy of Journay Woman and hope she forgives me !