"Ballerinos?" Lara Spencer apologizes for Prince George ballet classes comment

[marylander1940]

Lara Spencer apologizes for 'stupid' and 'insensitive' comment about Prince George taking ballet: 'I screwed up'

 

OP note: Considering he'll be King one day I don't know if this belongs here or in the politics forum. At any case we must get ride of stereotypes about ballet being only for gay men.

[alkan]

The original comment was in a tweet, wasn't it? Surely, any public remark (amounting to criticism) about a very young boy who is only in the public eye because of his parents, and not through any actions of his own, is indefensible, even without getting to the substance of her remarks. Not that I wouldn't like to discuss that as well, but I'd go on too long.

[RyanDean]

It wasn't a tweet. Nor was it off-the-cuff commentary, but a pre-written segment on the morning program.

[TruthBTold]

Lara Spencer apologizes for 'stupid' and 'insensitive' comment about Prince George taking ballet: 'I screwed up'

 

OP note: Considering he'll be King one day I don't know if this belongs here or in the politics forum. At any case we must get ride of stereotypes about ballet being only for gay men.

 

What's ironic is that one of the greats of ballet was hyper-straight or at least presented as such - Mikhail Baryshnikov.

[alkan]

Nor was it off-the-cuff commentary, but a pre-written segment on the morning program.

Yes, that is what I meant, it was a volunteered remark, not an answer to a question. In a way, having seen that, it is the reaction of the audience which I find striking as much as the remarks themselves.

 

There have always been straight male ballet dancers and I don't know whether their interpretations of particular roles show any marked differences from those of their gay colleagues. The greatest choreographer of the classical tradition seems to have been something of a womaniser whereas the man who paved the way for modern, more overtly masculine choreography was gay.

[caramelsub]

I always admired the athleticism of ballet dancers. It’s not as frilly and feminine as people think. You really have to be as fit as a gymnast to do it.

I remember I attended an arts conservatory in high school for a year, and there were some really straight male ballet dancers, I knew they were straight, because of the way they talked about and lusted after women. But there were also gay male ballet dancers. I would say the ratio was something like 65 percent straight to 35 percent gay.

[marylander1940]

I always admired the athleticism of ballet dancers. It’s not as frilly and feminine as people think. You really have to be as fit as a gymnast to do it.

I remember I attended an arts conservatory in high school for a year, and there were some really straight male ballet dancers, I knew they were straight, because of the way they talked about and lusted after women. But there were also gay male ballet dancers. I would say the ratio was something like 65 percent straight to 35 percent gay.

 

That's higher than the theater ratio.

 

The nice butts of ballet dancers are the result of so much jumping!

[caramelsub]

The nice butts of ballet dancers are the result of so much jumping!

As well as all the grand plies and arabesques performed. A lot of squatting motions, and leg lifting involved in ballet!

[+ Cock Eyed Optimist]

Two days after the comment by Lara Spencer, 300 dancers staged a protest of sorts outside the studio by teaching a ballet class to the attendees. It was led by Travis Wall and Alex Wang, both of who had been contestants on So You Think You Can Dance.

 

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/entertainment/music/hundreds-of-dancers-take-part-in-ballet-flash-mob-in-times-square-in-protest-at-us-tv-presenters-mocking-comments-about-prince-george/ar-AAGoTIb

 

In addition, Nygel Lythgoe, a judge on SYTYCD had comments about Lara Spencer's ridicule of males taking ballet.