Interpretive dance sucks

I almost missed this controversy about last week's episode of "So You Think You Can Dance?" Which really annoys me seeing as how I actually watch the show religiously--well maybe not religiously since I missed the episode in question and forgot to set my DVR, but regularly anyway.

It seems one choreographer had the 10 dancers each do the same anti-war solo and people are miffed. I'd be miffed, too, if I had to sit through 10 solos danced to "Waiting for the World to Change."
And not just because I support the war.

But because if there's one thing I learned while watching the show it's that solos suck. The second thing I've learned is that if any routine has a message behind it, it sucks. Add those two together, multiply by 10 and throw in handmade t-shirts emblazoned with meaningful words like "compassion" or "unity" and you've got a degree of suckitude that massively exceeds the FCC guidelines. Oh, and the routine ended with the dancer flashing the peace sign (video here). I'm telling you this is the sort of programming for which those parental controls are mandatory. No one should force a sweet, innocent child to watch such twaddle.

Bloggers are also upset that another of the show's choreographers wore a Marine uniform blouse with upside down insignia on it. The choreographer in question, Mia Michaels, has apologized and said she didn't realize that wearing the blouse, which was a gift, would offend anyone. But some people wonder whether Michaels wore the garment on purpose to bolster the anti-war solos. My advice to them: Watch the show, listen to Mia Michaels expound on the meaning (see above) of some piece of choreography and you'll understand that such a message never even entered her mind, such as it is.