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Not since Emmitt Smith won 'Dancing With the Stars' in 2006 has an African American star taken that coveted spot. When Lil Kim and Toni Braxton were voted off early in the competition last season, many were outraged. When Mya was passed over as the 2009 'Dancing With the Stars' winner, the black community could not believe its ears. Commenters on blog posts and message boards vowed to never watch 'DWTS' again because of what appears to be a clear pattern of discrimination against African American celebrities who can clearly dance better than stars who win.
This season the pattern continues with Brandy being voted off, while Bristol Palin, who can barely keep a beat, is being whisked on to the next round. The clear manner in which Brandy was robbed is being hotly debated on the Black Voices Message boards. But one angry viewer has taken his outrage at this clear injustice against Brandy even further:
Allegedly set off by Bristol Palin's appearance on 'Dancing With the Stars,' a rural Black Earth man kept police at bay outside his home for 15 hours Monday and Tuesday before he surrendered to police...
According to the complaint, Cowan and his wife were watching 'Dancing with the Stars' when Cowan jumped up and swore as Bristol Palin appeared, saying something about "the (expletive) politics." Cowan was upset that a political figure's daughter was on the show when he didn't think she was a good dancer, the complaint states.
According to the complaint:
Cowan went upstairs for about 20 minutes and returned, demanding his pistols, which had been taken by his daughter about a month ago for safety reasons. He was carrying a single-shot shotgun, which he loaded and fired into the television. (Source)
It does not help the issue that the political supporters ensuring Bristol's unfair advancement on 'Dancing With the Stars' might be using a technical glitch to game the system. Her going on to the finals while Brandy gets the boot not only makes it look like the show discriminates against black celebrities -- it also makes people so angry that they shoot their TV!
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We know Republicans know how to steal an election, but this is ridiculous. When producers let a clearly talentless dancer like Bristol Palin take the lead over a stellar black contestant like Brandy, they alienate both the African American audience and mainstream viewers that just want to see a fair fight. If they can't advance to the final rounds or win, thus earning more dollars, African American celebrities might refrain from going on the show. And honest citizens who appreciate justice in their programming might stop watching.
Unless the producers want to turn off audiences of all colors, the creators of 'Dancing With the Stars' need to find a way to give black contestants on the show a fair chance -- and stop people like Bristol Palin from getting the benefit of cheating.
Comments: (267)
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By: Renae on 11/17/2010 3:28PM
It has nothing to do with race or dancing for that matter, its a popularity contest. I don't think anyone yet has won this show who actually deserved to win based on their performances. The voters are picking their favorites which has nothing to do with how they dance. Its not a white or black issue but I figured some of us would make it out to be...And honestly I'm not voting or watching the show but all the middle aged and older white women I work with watch and vote faithfully.
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By: HSolo on 11/17/2010 3:41PM
Thank you for your honest comment.
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By: jeromequigley on 11/17/2010 4:46PM
Renae, thank you for being the 1st(of many and seems most) to know this has nothing to do with race. If it did Emmitt would of never won! I have to suffer through this show because it is one of the few my wife really likes so as hard as she works she deserves the TV once in a while. But I have observed over the seasons that it is just a popularity contest. And who has the Type of fans that watch every week and will spend hours afterwards calling and voting over and over again! There is no one white/black whatever that doesn't know that Brandi could dance circles around the over weight heffer(yes i am white and i cant stand her or her mom anymore than most)! But you watch this show or American Idol, you will see plenty of peepz get knocked off that were clearly more talented!! So as Renae and most on here seem to have stated so well and many times: STOP MAKING THIS ABOUT RACE ALEXIS!!! God can't you think on any other level??? I did not hear you complain when The white girls got Cheated out of a clear win at the 7-up step comp?? So blaze up a fatty and enjoy watchin the chunkie (no talent other than being fertile) girl get smashed in the end!! OH BTW, ALEXIS ALSO SEEMED TO LEAVE OUT THAT OR JUST DID NOT RESEARCH IT BUT MR COWAN IS AS WHITE FROM THE HILLS REDNECK AS YOU CAN GET(MAYBE IT WAS THE WORDS "BLACK EARTH MAN" THAT THROUGH ALEXIS OFF! SO YES WHITE PEEPZ ALL OVER THE US HATE THE PALINS!! Can we now move on to a Real Issue? Peace!!
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By: Dwight on 11/17/2010 4:59PM
You said it all the middle aged white women watch and vote. And that has nothing to do with race. How many of them voted for a black woman?
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By: Stephanie on 11/17/2010 5:17PM
I agree!!! Stop throwing the race card every time a black person man or woman doesn't get what they want or what they think they deserve.
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By: Lady F on 11/17/2010 5:54PM
Well I personally believe that Brandy earned her spot to be the final 3 and Bristol tha so called Pistol didnt! #1 Who is she besides Sara Palin's daughter! She is a nobody and was a nobody before she became a teenage pregnant mom and her mother was running for VP! And Im sure those tea party votes helped! But Kyle is and actor, Jennifer is and actress and Brandy is an actress and singer and a hell of a dancer and America picked Bristol again a nobody she is not even a star! Brandy was robbed and I hope that either Kyle or Jennifer wins because Bristol should have been eliminated! America's Sweetheart Really??? I dont have anything personal against the girl except for the fact that she was on a show that she shouldnt have been because she is not truly a star and she took Brandy's spot!!! Go Brandy!!! Keep your head up girl u did tha damn thing!!!! Your fans are still proud of you and how far you came.... Sorry u got kicked off do to politics!!! Its a shame that Sarah Palin didnt play fair! I tell u those Republicans.... They never play fair they always have 2 cheat in order to win because they know that that is their only chance of winning!!!
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By: westfall on 11/17/2010 5:40PM
I agree with Renae. It is a popularity contest. Clearly Mya should have won last season, but Donnie Osmond won. There should be some sort of guidelines that allow for the judges to override these biased votes. This year it was political with Sarah Palin sitting up front at almost all of the shows. Bristol will win and that will be the end of this little frivilous show.
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By: ejw on 11/17/2010 6:42PM
I hope all of Black America protest the show.This is not the first time they were cheated. Last season the same thing and the season before that.
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By: yea on 11/17/2010 9:51PM
I agree. She's in it for who she is, not for dancing ability at all. There is actually a man who took out a gun and shot his TV, blowing it to pieces all because Palin advanced to the finals. Btw, he is white.
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By: Peaches on 11/17/2010 8:30PM
Here's the deal. Voting has nothing to do with this show. DWTS uses the audience call-in as a way to control the outcome of the show. Look at Wilkipedia- DWTS season 11 losers are already listed. Bristol wins, Kyle is second and Jennifer third. If no one voted, Palin would still be in the contest and willl still win. Even the judges have been told she will win. They gave her a 9 on a dance that she was litterally so bad at that Mark dragged her around. She is being pimped by ABC as a way to promote their new "family of hillbillies" show on TLC. Bristol is a no talent hillbilly whose claim to fame is getting laid during her senior year, being too stupid to use condoms and becoming a "Teen abstinance" advocate, which is what Ex-VP daughters are called, instead of Whore. DWTS stars has lost credibility because of its promotion of Palin and her talentless daughter.
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