Chaz on DWTS

[The_Lady_Snow]

Talking to My 10-Year-Old About Chaz Bono

For this Encino mom, discussing Dancing With the Stars' controversial transgender contestant was far easier than other issues provoked by media.


My 10-year-old daughter, Lily, is a big fan of Dancing With the Stars. She discovered the show last year while channel surfing, which I was thrilled about, simply because it wasn’t another snarky tween sitcom.
Of the 12 stars competing last season, she initially had heard only of Chelsea Kane from the Disney Channel’s Jonas L.A., and Kirsty Alley from the Jenny Craig commercials. By the show’s mid-point, however, Lily had strong opinions about everybody. She said Alley, who wound up in second place, was the most fun. She also liked Pittsburg Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward and agreed he deserved to win.



Kendra Wilkinson, eliminated in week seven, bugged her because she was always flaunting her voluptuous body. But then again, 10-year-old girls weren’t what the audience producers were after in casting Hugh Hefner’s former girlfriend and mansion mate.



The only person Lily truly disliked though was judge Bruno Tonioli. She actually does a pretty good impression of the Italian choreographer flailing his arms and salivating, “that was so SEXY!” Fortunately, neither of us caught the episode where ABC censors bleeped him for the way he described Ralph Macchio’s handling of partner Karina Smirnoff in her cheetah inspired-costume.



“You were too rough with your p---y,” I later heard he’d said, leaving the audience visibly aghast. I was glad to have escaped being forced to explain that one.


When the cast of Season 13, which kicks off Monday, Sept. 19, was announced last week, the only name my daughter recognized this time was soccer sensation Hope Solo. But when controversy erupted over Chaz Bono, the show’s first transgender contestant, Lily began to ask questions.


A conservative group called onemillionmoms.com is urging a boycott of the show, calling Bono’s casting “completely unacceptable.” Some critics even claim that watching him on the dance floor would be harmful for children.


One psychiatrist, Dr. Keith Ablow, an analyst for Fox News, went so far as to assert that celebrating Bono on DWTS "is the last thing vulnerable children and adolescents need as they wrestle with the normal process of establishing their identities...”


Others say Bono looks like a man, so there’s no reason to tell children anything.
Ironically, my daughter already knows that Bono is transgender because she caught some of the protest story on Access Hollywood. I could have avoided the subject and simply said I didn’t know when she asked me to explain what the fracas was about. That’s how I responded last summer whenever we passed billboards for the movie Friends With Benefits. Several times Lily asked what that title meant, but I just didn’t see any age appropriate way to discuss casual sex with a 10-year-old. The same goes for the “Fully Exposed” slogan on the billboard for a strip club in Canoga Park that we past last week on the way to soccer practice at the Van Nuys-Sherman Oaks Park.


Explaining that Bono was born female but changed her appearance to become a man, however, was pretty straightforward. She did have a few follow-up questions about how the transformation was accomplished. Through plastic surgery and hormone injections, I told her. We live in Encino, it’s not like she hasn’t seen people who’ve gone under the knife or used injectables to alter the way they look.


When her questions were answered, she said, “You know what the really weird part is?”
“What?” I asked.
“That someone would rather be a boy.”

[Rockinonahigh]

Ive been reading the pros an cons about Chaz danceing on the show,I think the general uninformed public is really out of controle in belaevaing a lot of things that have been said about Chaz.I dont care if they understandabout why or how he became a man,what really irks me is the double standard that I see in the people who are throwing such a fit..I mean I know lot of then have diffrent surgerys to change there bodies to look better so they can be more pleased in how they look or use botox injections,wear makeup to the 9's.I realise its not full on srs but they are doing the same thing only in smaller ways,why? Well for the same reason Chaz has done, to be the people they want to be...only they dont see it that way..but it is.Then there is the right wing nut cases who are shouting from every soap box they can get on...ok folks when you can really say thet you actualy DO live your life in the exact way that you say you do then explane to me how in the world cau you have a soap box to shout from if I know you are going to bars,casinos,car races,gettin drunker than tooter brown,people going after each outher for all they can get weather its sex or money or just cause they can or abuseing others cause they are only vaguely covering up the meanness with being anywhere near human.....I could go on and on but wont.If they can really 100% say they are as liveing life the way they expect someone else to only then they wouldnt have anything to say cause they would be the kind of folks that would mind there own buisness unless it directly involves them to give any opinion on how another person wishes to live there life.Takeing a deep breath and geting off my own soap box.If I offended anyone hear I will appoligize now it wasnt my intention...just needed to blow some steam off about the general public who judges far to much.

[ruffryder]

Originally Posted by The_Lady_Snow

Yeahhhh Chaz.. He has a hot partner!! Go buddy! LOL I still don't see him as a role model or an advocate on this show. Just don't understand all the hype, probably never will. I see Chaz as a man wanting to go on DWTS .. that's all.