When this TV show first appeared a few years ago it was an immediate sensation. Why? Because the world could view ballroom dancing again, long locked out of sight and sound by the young "suits" who manage the media. The music of yesterday had a beat, melody, harmony, key changes, big band of musicians (reeds,brass and rhythm....think Doc Severinsen from the TONIGHT Show), and conductor-arranger Harold Wheeler resurrected those early-day elements with "Dancing With the Stars."
This was a win-win situation with first class sponsors, a hefty budget and millions called in to vote for their favorite dancers. The producers earned many thousands from the voting telephone calls charges. And the losing dancers were regularly featured on Jimmy Kimmel's nightly show. No doubt there was a sweetheart deal because both shows were on the ABC-TV network.
Now there is the law of diminishing returns as "Dancing With the Stars" begins to fade away. The Harold Wheeler orchestra was fired because musicians are always first to be blamed when the on-stage folks are threatened. In this instance "Voices" has bumped dancing for singing. The judges on this boring show compete to coach the wannabe singers vying for fame and fortune, (Carson Daley does keep things moving as the roving MC.
Nevertheless, "Dancing With the Stars" continues to create yawns and channel surfing. Oh for a rerun such as "Black Adder" or "Faulty Towers." "Dancing" has pretty much run out of football linesmen, Tucker Carson types and Drew Carey's permanent smile. So the show digs deeper into the archives and comes up with "has beens." No names please. Why embarrass the lepers who still wear spats?
My tastes in music have turned to Germany. Helene Fischer headlines an hour every week in prime time on German TV, called DIE HELENE FISCHER SHOW. There are 5,000, rabid fans in the audience, 50 musicians in the orchestra and five million viewers. She herself sings magnificently. Helene is a stunning blonde with a sexy figure, striking gowns and only in her early 30's. Occasionally she sings duets with the likes of Andrea Bocelli, Michael Bolton and other top recording artists. Check the show out on YouTube.
Our grandson, Jalen, is only two years old and enjoys listening to classical music. Hardly any rock or rap ear breakers are tuned through the speakers in his room. He loves jazz and always begins to dance when I pound on the drums. Jalen too has learned to beat the drum and often trade fours (ask any hip musician).
Just for fun, I taught Jalen to answer a question in his high pitched little boy voice: "Is there hope?" and he shouts out, "Oh noooooo!" Recently, with his parents, Jenny and Jeff, they were all on vacation in Bethel, Maine and visited a local restaurant during "happy hour" with Jalen for dinner. The bar was filled with drinking age men and women and they responded "hi" in unison everytime Jalen greeted a new bar arrival with his "hi." It was all right out of "Cheers" or "Friends." So imagine the hilarity when he made his response to the question, "Is there hope?"
Sorry, for the last ramble. No I'm not. It was funny, wasn't it?
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