So why isn't one of the clearly most talented dancers on So You Think You Can Dance not getting the votes? Gee, that's a tough one. Gosh, that's hard.
Actually, it's pretty clear.
Dancer Billy Bell has been put in the unfortunate position of being a brilliant technical dancer who doesn't wreak of masculinity, and he's in a popular-driven dance contest. And this week he was cast in not one, but TWO roles that were clearly choreographed and costumed for a female dancer. And he danced them brilliantly. That's not the problem.
Without the guidance and the expert opinions of the judges, clearly addressing that Billy's professionalism in willing to dance in roles that are obvious suicide-moves in producer Nigel Lythgoe's world where only "man who dance like men" are accepted and praised. I would love it judge Adam Shankman would address the gender stereotypes in dance that Billy is helping to break-down. But maybe he's too gay, too. Oh, wait. Did I just say that? Y'up. Homophobia is really breaking down this show down and actually re-enforcing stereotypes about dancers. Every time Shankman looks at one of the male dancers and says, "Buddy, I don't know why you're not connecting with the audience," he's lying. Of course, he knows. It's just a shame that there's finally a platform to address the topic and no one seems to have the courage.
I get that the show may be avoiding the topic and hoping that the heaping praise that the judges are throwing on Billy and fellow brilliant-but-probably-too-gay contestant Robert Rolden will be enough to get viewers to come around. But I don't have that much faith in America. I'm a gay man. I know that despite how far we've come it's still comes down to someone saying out loud: You can't judge a person that way.
But I can guess how this ends. So, probably can Travis Wall, Brandon Bryant, and Jakob Karr.
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