Rebecca Rants on
“Dancing with the Stars”
Rebecca Brodney, Staff Writer
photo via fempop.com
ABC’s “Dancing With the Stars”
is a guilty Monday night pleasure
for many Americans. The prem
ise of the show is that a celebrity
is paired up with a professional
dancer. They compete against
other teams each week, learning
new dance steps and choreography
to receive points from the judges
and votes from viewers. This
process continues for weeks until
the winning team is chosen. In the
past, the show has featured actors,
actresses. Playmates, boxers, fig
ure skaters, football players, bach-
elorettes, gymnasts, and models.
These contestants not only come
from all walks of life but also come
in a variety of shapes and sizes,
and all are accepted on the show.
This year, however, a controversial
contestant is causing some viewers
to boycott the show entirely.
The show has had controversial
contestants in the past, including
a celebrity with a sex tape (Kim
Kardashian); a recovering drug
addict (Kelly Osborne); a teenager
who had a child out of wedlock
(Bristol Palin); and even a woman
with awful hair who profits from
her children while neglecting them
(Kate Gosselin). So is a transsex
ual’s presence on the show really
that offensive?
This season, Chaz Bono will be
competing on the show. He is a
divisive contestant because, in
1969, he was born to Cher and
Sonny Bono as Chastity Sun Bono.
Growing up. Chastity Bono did not
feel connected to peers. He stated
in a recent Radar Online interview
entitled “From Chastity to Chaz -
Bono’s Transformation Through
the Years”: “I’d look at other girls
my age and feel perplexed by
their obvious interest in the latest
fashion, which boy in class was the
cutest, and who looked most like
cover girl Christie Brinkley. When
I was thirteen, I finally found a
name for how exactly I was differ
ent. I realized I was gay.” In 2008,
Bono began the process of gender
re-assignment. By 2010, he was of
ficially recognized as a man by the
State of California and switched
from Chastity to Chaz.
Chaz is currently competing on
“Dancing with the Stars,” much
to the chagrin of many conserva
tive parents, as well as Dr. Keith
Ablow. In his September 2 Fox
News article, “Don’t Let Your Kids
Watcb Chaz Bono On ‘Dancing
With the Stars’,” Ablow argues
that some children, particularly
tomboyish girls and sensitive boys
will be confused by seeing Bono on
the show. He believes that children
shouldn’t witness a massive crowd
applauding for “someone whose
search for an identity culminated
with the removal of her breasts,
the injection of steroids, and per
haps, one day soon, the fashioning
of a make-shift phallus to replace
her vagina.”
I believe that if anything, Chaz’s
appearance is a demonstration of
courage and self-confidence, not
one that will make any adoles
cent female who hates menstrual
cramps decide that she needs a
sex-change operation. And gender
dysmorphia, the feeling of be
ing born into the wrong body, is a
common condition.
Tune into the show on Septem
ber 19 at 8 pm. I’ll be rooting for
Chaz!
Chocolate Chip
Pumpkin Bread
Submitted by Becca Davis
Ingredients:
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
4 eggs
2 cups sugar
2 cups canned pumpkin
1-1/2 cups canola oil
1-1/2 cups (6 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
*
*
*
*
*
Directions:
* In a large bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon,
salt and baking soda. In another bowl, beat the eggs,
sugar, pumpkin and oil. Stir into dry ingredients
just until moistened. Fold in chocolate chips.
* Pour into two greased 8-in. x 4-in. loaf pans.
Bake at 350° for 60-70 minutes or until a tooth
pick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool
for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire
racks.
Yield:
2 loaves (16 slices each).
image via tasteofhome.com
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