Interracial couples on Fox dance show
CK (a returning MMW guest contributor!)
I’m a big fan of the FOX show “So You Think You Can Dance,” a show similar to “American Idol,” but in search of America’s best dancer. Once the top dancers are selected after a grueling audition process, they are coupled-off with partners that specialize in a different style to compete every week in choreographed dances. Every week one girl and one guy are voted off with the assistance of the viewers’ called-in votes.
An interesting, but unspoken fact of the show is that almost all of the judge/producer-selected couples are interracial! It is seems obvious that the producers of the show did this deliberately, however, this fact is never addressed on the show. Of course, they are only dancing partners, but they are in constant physical contact and it is not unusual for the couples to dance very sexy numbers.
It is still rare to see interracial couples on TV, with the exception of “Grey’s Anatomy” and “ER” — so it is refreshing to see this, especially on a reality/competition show.

Lyonside wrote:
Dont’ watch it, but yes, it seems like it may be a quiet/subtle producer mandate…
Similar to my own observations about HGTV - I’ve never seen so many multiracial couples/families and gay couples/families (and sometimes both) on the same network.
Posted 19 Jul 2006 at 7:15 am ¶
eric wrote:
whats really interesting is that they really play up the sex / love angle with both the musa (now eliminated) / natalie couple, and the donyelle / benji couple.
Posted 19 Jul 2006 at 9:09 am ¶
theo wrote:
Don’t listen to lyonside.
Watch the show.
It’s refreshing to see interacial couples dance.
I loved it.
You’ll love it too.
Posted 19 Jul 2006 at 9:32 pm ¶
Charlette wrote:
I seriously don’t think dancers, any real dancer worth her or his salt cares what color the partner just so they can DANCE!
Posted 19 Jul 2006 at 9:38 pm ¶
Merq wrote:
uhh, theo?
calm the fuck down. Lyonside wasn’t asking people not to watch it. she was saying that SHE doesn’t watch the show.
Posted 19 Jul 2006 at 11:38 pm ¶
Lyonside wrote:
Theo: READ. I was just admitting that I was commenting despite not watching the show. What I was making was a parallel to another series of programs that seem to promote something we don’t see on TV often - IR couples.
*eyeroll* Literacy is your friend.
Posted 20 Jul 2006 at 8:14 am ¶