"Enhancing With the Stars"

Last night while going to sleep, Brad and I turned on the TV to find "Dancing With the Stars" halfway over. (To all you Westerners: It's on later out here on the East coast, so no we weren't going to bed at 8pm.) This has always been a show we've enjoyed watching throughout the last several years and this year we have a favorite: Melissa. She's the poor little thing that got dumped on "The Bachelor" this year that CBS felt so bad for they found her a partner 2 days before the show premiered this year and are letting her be one of the "stars". She's actually pretty good and we think she could play Marie Osmond if they were to do a TV movie on her.

(This photo was from last week.)

While watching it, our conversation always seems to go toward the question, "Why has America embraced with such enthusiasm a show about famous people learning how to ballroom dance?" It just seems like an odd winner in the reality category, but hey, we watch it too! Well this question was answered for us last night by Drake. He walked into our bedroom well past his bedtime, like he usually does, and started a random casual conversation with us to try to distract us from the fact he should be asleep. This is almost a nightly occurrence and since we were watching tv we let him stay. It just so happened to be in the middle of Melissa from the Bachelor's routine. When it ended and she was standing there talking to the hostess, Drake profoundly answered the question about this show's popularity, that has probably been at more dinner tables than just ours:
"Mom, she does not have any clothes on! Her is naked!" Well he was mostly right. He was definitely noticing some very near naked things! And her costume was no where near the most naked! (It reminded me of the time I sat next to my little nephew years ago at my sister's dance concert, where all the girls were wearing skin-tight black pleather unitards. He leaned over to me in an embarrassed whisper and said, "They're naked!... with clothes on!") So kids seem to notice the thing we tend to overlook, or should I say look over, and that is the costuming. I think it is fabulous sewing and sparkle and the designs fit the women like a dream, and I admit I watch the show in part to see what they're going to wear. But I would have never thought to keep my little boys from watching it until last night. Even things that seem so innocent to me as an adult, through a child's eyes was shocking. No, I'm not putting "Dancing With the Stars" on a Black List or anything, that's not what this rant is about and I will watch it tonight, it's about me having better judgement as a parent about what I'm going to let my kids watch from now on. Thanks Drake for opening my eyes because yours should have been shut.