The people's choice award
What dance dunce Spicer’s win streak says about Don
AMERICA has voted. And the winner is . . . Donald Trump.
I’m not referring to the 2020 presidential election (not yet), but to the 28th and weirdest, wackiest season of the popular ABC-TV reality contest “Dancing With the Stars.’’
On Monday night, former White House press secretary Sean Spicer, a man bearing two left feet, a prodigious belly and a slew of insane outfits, stumbled his way into surviving Week 8. He goofily edged ever closer to the winner’s circle, despite the judges’ fervent efforts to boogie him into disgrace. Pollsters, take notice. Votes for Spicer are, in many ways, a metaphor for what middle America thinks of Donald Trump.
Week after week, “Dancing With the Stars” judges say Spicer, 48, should go home. They, like Nancy Pelosi, know better. And week after week, viewers at home text in large numbers to save the president’s ex-aide — out of genuine affection, because it upsets the judges or perhaps just because they’re sick of being told what to do.
Trump has been a great supporter of Spicer’s efforts, against all odds, to win this thing. And deplorable viewers at home have consistently overruled rock-bottom scores from the judges, ensuring he’ll live to stagger onstage, like a goofy rhinoceros, for another day.
It doesn’t hurt that Trump has torn up the Twitterverse to sing his praises.
“Vote for Sean Spicer on Dancing with the Stars,’’ the president tweeted. “He is a great and very loyal guy who is working very hard! #MAGA.’’
The judges, who’ve continually voted Spicer last or second-to-last after enduring his crazy neon-green puffy salsainspired shirt and his creepy sailor suit in the latest installment, are trying to prevent their heads from exploding as Spicer knocks out dancers they consider more worthy.
“We keep throwing you out of the boat, and the viewers keep throwing a lifeline,” said frustrated judge Len Goodman. “The mermaid had better feet than you,” he said after Spicer plodded to the tune
“Come Sail Away.’’
Carrie Ann Inaba was clearly upset as she was faced with the decision of whom to send home between “The Office’’ actress Kate Flannery and Fifth Harmony singer Ally Brooke, who performed flawlessly, in the judges’ estimation.
“It’s confusing for me at this point why these are the bottom two,” Inaba said. “I’m absolutely confused and a little irritated.”
For a moment, I forgot whether I was watching ABC or CNN’s coverage of Trump’s strong showing in swing state polls.
One tweeter summed up the liberal frustration: “How are Democrats suppose to win in 2020 if we can’t even get Sean Spicer off Dancing with the Stars?”
Spicer, for his part, has decided to stick with the show, despite a concerted effort by liberals to force him to quit, or to bully show-makers into rigging the vote and having him eliminated. Hey, he’s having fun. His genial smile says it all.
But more importantly, his success, as well as Trump’s, is the will of the people.