It’s probably the worst kept secret on Dancing with the Stars, but the show really loves to promote the network’s talent. A lot of the “stars” fall directly under the umbrella of ABC and parent company, Disney. This is a fact that has become increasingly obvious when it relates to one contestant on season 22 of Dancing with the Stars. Ginger Zee, weather woman for Good Morning America, has been a good dancer, not a great one. You’d have no idea of that fact based on the comments of the judges and the way the show edits her in the best light possible.
There’s nothing wrong with the fact that Dancing with the Stars chose to cast Ginger on this season. Even if she’s really like third or fourth tier among the Good Morning America cast, ABC is really hungry to make GMA a huge success. (If you need any further proof of that fact, take the recent kerfuffle that has happened with Live! With Kelly and Michael after the latter was promoted to a full time gig on GMA.)
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So yes, Dancing with the Stars has an invested interest in Good Morning America (and Ginger Zee) becoming more popular because they are both produced by the same network. It’s really no different than the gaggle of Disney Network young actors and actresses, Dancing with the Stars has hosted throughout the seasons. The show likes to promote from within. However in some of those aforementioned previous cases, the stars actually become real threats and accomplished dancers. This is not really the case with Ginger.
Good, Not Great
It would be a lie to say Ginger is not good. It would also be ridiculous. Val has done a really impressive job turning Ginger into an adequate dancer and no amount of hype is going to change that fact. Ginger is just not nearly as good as the scores she has been given. Val and Ginger’s Tango which earned them a perfect score was good but it was far from the best dance of night. It really didn’t earn the 3 10’s that it received.
Then there is another of Ginger and Val’s most highest scored dances, The Beauty and the Beast routine from Disney week. While the dance captured perhaps the feeling of the song and the movie, it was also a tad too theatrical. It was more Broadway than ballroom and for whatever reason the judges let it slide. Len Goodman should have been all over the fluffiness of the routine yet he, like everyone else on the panel, ended up giving it a 9.
When Being Likable and Cheery is Too Much
Perhaps the most manipulative of Ginger’s tenure on Dancing with the Stars is what is presented in the most flattering and nauseating light. The biggest challenge for Ginger is she’s just too likable. It’s hard for Ginger to play a character where she is intense, but she is just so “fun.” It’s a weak excuse, to say the least, and incredibly fake sounding, to be honest.
The families of the stars end up being a fixture on the show a lot of the time. Especially when there is a special situation like, a compelling love story or a new baby in the mix. Ginger marks off the new baby thing but that really doesn’t explain why Dancing with the Stars is so in love with telling us how lovely Ginger Zee is as a person and her perfect family.
The show isn’t entirely wrong. Ginger is very charismatic and you can’t fake every likable thing that Ginger has done on the show. You also can’t excuse that Dancing with the Stars is pushing her family life hard, especially when it comes to Ginger’s husband. I think the last and only time a star’s spouse was this present on the show it was when Carlos and Alex Penavega were on the show together. Of course, there was obvious excuse for it, they were both contestants and when Alexa was eliminated first, all the spotlight shifted to Carlos.
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Ginger’s husband, Ben is all over this season. It started off kind of cute and endearing. It’s quickly become the exact opposite. Ben is basically one step away from being Amy Poehler’s character in Mean Girls. I wouldn’t be surprised if the next obligatory shot of Ben in the audience has him holding a camcorder and mimicking Ginger’s moves as she dances with Val.
It’s really not just one thing with Ginger that makes her presence and popularity on the show kind of irritating. It’s really just all of it combined. Ginger’s a good dancer, but there is way bigger talent this season than the little meteorologist who could from Good Morning America.
There should be more attention being paid to Wanya, yet it’s really only his partner Lindsey who seems to recognize how good Wanya is at this game (even if Wanya has a streak of two tough weeks). If not Wayna, Paige VanZant is a much more consistent and interesting dancer than Ginger, even if that’s mostly due to partner Mark’s choreography.
Dancing with the Stars season 22 airs Mondays at 8pm on ABC.
(Image and videos courtesy of ABC)
Contributing Writer, BuddyTV
Derek is a Philadelphia based writer and unabashed TV and comic book junkie. The time he doesn’t spend over analyzing all things nerdy he is working on his resume to be the liaison to the Justice League.
