No Girl-Girl 'Dancing' for Ellen's Wife, Portia de Rossi

By Rob Shuter Posted Dec 6th 2010 04:18PM

Producers of ABC's 'Dancing With The Stars' have decided that America isn't quite ready to see a same-sex couple on the ballroom floor after their only choice, Ellen Degeneres' wife Portia de Rossi, didn't pan out.

"If Portia had agreed then this would have been a done deal," an ABC insider tells me. "She was the only star that could have pulled this off without completely offending the program's conservative viewers."

But since the 'Arrested Development' beauty has rejected their offer, producers have decided to wait a few years and "not rush into creating a same-sex dancing couple just to get attention and publicity."

The show has a soft spot for stunt casting -- Kate Gosselin, Florence Henderson, Bristol Palin, anyone? -- but isn't yet ready to invite on a same-sex couple. The last time a contestant did anything remotely gay -- Margaret Cho's rainbow dress -- she was promptly dumped by viewers.

"With all the debate going on about Don't Ask, Don't Tell in the country, this would have been the perfect time to do this," one Hollywood casting director tells me. "Yet, the show has never been about pushing the envelope. It's a huge hit because it doesn't make anyone uncomfortable."

My sources tell me the backlash felt over Palin's surprising tenure on the show caught producers by surprise and they're looking to avoid conflict for a while.

"After Bristol, I predict it will be the most boring bunch of stars ever cast next season," the casting director says. "When you have a hit as big as this on your hands, everyone is scared to mess it up."

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Tags: Dancing With the Stars, portia de rossi

Comments

(99)

Tuesday 07 December

By vicki

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you admire miss palin,SHES THE YOUNG LADY,THAT CALLS HER SELF A GOLDEN CHILD,AND USES THE F WORD,WHICH IF YOU WHERE WATCHING WAS BLEEPED OUT, I WONDER IF SHE TALKS THIS WAY AROUND HER CHILD,

By toughcritic

Thank God saner minds prevailed on Dancing With The Stars. To put a same sex couple as contestants on this family show would have been an abomination that would have killed it in the ratings. Why do the producers of these shows feel they need to kowtow to the aberrant segment of society which is so small in fact minuscule? Whether they want to admit it or not homosexuality offends the majority of America and to literally promote it on the most popular show on TV would be a killer for the show. Look at what happened after the Margaret Cho-Louis VanAmstel stunt with the rainbow gown and all the prattle about bullying etc. Bullying has gone on for centuries on school grounds but now that the homos have made it a capital crime it's on the front burner. We handled it with a good old fashioned fist fight years ago. Why has it suddenly changed?

By susan

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I am liberal and don't care about anyone's sexual preference - it's none of my business. I love DWTS and simply like seeing a man and woman dance together. It's a yin and yang thing, the strong male with the graceful female. I don't think two females or two males would have quite the same dynamics in ballroom dance.

By joe

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Lots of hate on both "sides" on the boards here. Remember folks, they are dancing, not having sex on this show. However, I don't think a same sex couple would work aesthetically and aesthetics is what dancing is all about.

By Gia

One of my best friends is gay, but I have to agree on same sex couples dancing; I think people would just tune in to watch that out of a wrong sense of curiosity. I don't know why the producers have such a hard time choosing stars to appear, just stay away from political figures and any popstars who clearly have dance experience. Here's a thought...why not ask the public who they would like to see?

By Linda

You're knocking Bristol because she used the "f" word??? who doesn't nowadays, are you kidding me? They all curse during rehearsal and get bleeped, she's not the only one. You're unbelievable Vicki.

By Kerri

Margaret Cho wasn't booted because of a rainbow dress--she SUCKED as a dancer. Seriously.

By Curt

This show is so history in my book. Bristal was the nail in the coffin!

By Amanda

Go crawl under a rock? Keep what you do private? Ok, then keep what YOU do private! Who cares about another's sexual orientation?! Unless you're insecure about your own, then it shouldn't matter what others do!!

By larry

I say NO to same sex couples. It is un natural, unappealing, and wrong! The overwhelming majority of Americans do not approve. Same sex couples dancing, equals no more viewing and no more ratings.

By 12bigman

Would had been nice to see Portia dance with Karina or Edytha.

By Yvonne Johnson

It was not Margaret Cho's rainbow dancing outfit that chased the viewers away, it was her dancing and maybe not even her dancing... it was her facial expressions. Extravaganza too. Not that rainbow dress that represented gay pride. If Kate can be on and Bristol can be on, there should no reason why Portia or any gay human being shouldn't be on. I said GAY HUMAN BEING!! Respect people will yah? Grow up. Gay people have been around since the time of the Bible.

By Josh

I say good for Portia to turn this stupid show down. It's a joke!! B-List stars, or non-stars in the case of Bristol Palin, dancing. What a bore. They may as well bring back Circus of the Stars. I'm sure that ignorant sheep would lap that up as well. This show is well below Portia anyway. I would be very dissapointed if an alumni from the brilliant and witty Arrested Developement stooped low enough to appear on this garbage dump of a show.

As for wanting to keep from offending their conservative viewers, piss on that. Even if I didn't agree with the homosexual lifestyle, I would never deny someone their human right to make their own choice. If DWTS are afraid of offending small minded, ignorant people that can't accept that we are all different, then they are spineless.

By Bill

Won't watch it ever again. If I want to see a political show I'll watch the nightly new's. They signed this show off the air by putting Palin on and having the voting rigged by politic's in my opinion.

By Lindsey Jenkins

I am not anti-gay by any means but this would make more of a mockery of this show more than they already have. They are trying to push the envelope and before long, they will not having anyone watching it.

By Bonbon

Why can't portia dance with one of the male dancers? Does it have to be a woman just because she's gay? Don't get it.

By Frank

"Dancing with the Stars" is the # 1 for a reason. PEOPLE WATCH IT! It's entertainment. Gay or straight it shouldn't matter. Wouldn't be the first time they have have gay performers.

By dianacarpenter3

I don't understand why a gay woman would need to dance with another woman. There have been lots of gays on the show who have danced with partners of the opposite sex????

By jim cleary

Wonder if anyone else is about tired of all the press that AOL gives Ellen "Degenerate"? It sure is beginning to look as though someone in AOL is pushing her alternate life style.

By BluesDaddy411

Why does the same-sex couple "have" to be gay? Can't the girls just dance together without their sexual orientation even being an issue? (not that there's anything wrong with that" - yeah, that was too easy, but thanks Jerry).

Ole BluesDaddy has packed many a dance floor and the chicks love to dance together, which is cool with me, but throw gay rights / politics into the mix and well, you've kind of killed the mood.

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