(Photo Credits: Yahoo from Sunnyvale, California, USA [CC BY 2.0])
Enraged netizens strike back at Lara Spencer on social media and this is what they have to say about the issue: “Boys can dance, too!”
The “issue” being the debacle that went down on Good Morning America (GMA) during their Pop News segment last week where GMA co-anchor Lara Spencer made insensitive comments about Prince George’s love for ballet. Prince George, by the way, is the six-year-old son of Prince William and Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge, and is said to be the third in line to the British throne.
Spencer related during the segment that Prince George—who will be returning to his private school named St. Thomas’s Battersea in London this autumn—will be taking subjects like “math, science, and history.” These, in addition to subjects like “religious studies, computer programming, poetry, and ballet,” said Spencer. She added, “Prince William said Prince George absolutely loves ballet… I have news for you Prince William, we’ll see how long that lasts.”
The response from the dance community and the general public was swift and hashtags like #FireLaraSpencer and #boysdancetoo flooded on social media. Spencer was accused with homophobia and bullying, others called for calm, while some defended her saying that the whole issue has been “blown out of proportion,” but mostly there were words of encouragement for the young prince, as well.
It’s important to see the full story. Everyone is calling for this woman to be dragged, burned, and fired. Watch the WHOLE clip…@LaraSpencer did not have any malice in her statement. This mob cancel culture shit is so often misguided and misplaced. Stop. pic.twitter.com/6euKxfEr72
— Monét X Change (@monetxchange) August 25, 2019
Ballet dancer really do have superhero strength. #balletboys #genderstereotypescansuckit https://t.co/XRKTMXiAD1
— Lynne-spector Gadget (@weelin85) August 24, 2019
Watch the controversial episode below:
This Monday, CNN reported that a number of professional male dancers from the ‘Cher’ Broadway musical had gathered to teach dance class for boys and girls outside Good Morning America’s New York City studio in protest of Spencer’s comments.
In response to @LaraSpencer’s harmful mocking of a young boys (in this case, Prince George) who enjoy taking ballet classes, a group of professional male dancers led a class for boys and girls outside the @GMA studio this morning — a lovely sight to wake up to #BoysDanceToo pic.twitter.com/uqh7qLhNI8
— Jarett Wieselman (@JarettSays) August 26, 2019
Spencer, for her part, has since then apologized through her Instagram account and on-air.
Spencer admitted that she “screwed up,” that her comment was “insensitive” and “stupid,” and that she is “deeply sorry.” She added that she spoke with some members of the dance community and she also sat down with male dancers Robbie Fairchild (Cats), Travis Wall (So You Think You Can Dance), and Fabrice Calmels (lead dancer with the Joffrey Ballet) to hear about their stories and painful experiences as young boys who were into dance. Spencer said, “I have listened, I have learned about the bravery it takes for a young boy to pursue a career in dance.”
She concluded the interview by saying that she was thankful for “the opportunity to turn a negative into a teachable moment.”
.@LaraSpencer apologizes for her comments about boys and dance and sits down with 3 celebrated ballet dancers: “It has been a true education for me.” pic.twitter.com/bYJUvVGaXK
— Good Morning America (@GMA) August 26, 2019
In the past, Prince William himself had talked to a teen dancer named Junior whose advocacy is to fight against bullying. He told Junior that his son George shared his mother, Princess Diana’s love for dancing. William also told the teen, “If it’s something you love, you do what you love. Don’t let anyone else tell you otherwise. Keep at it.”
Meet some of the Teen Heroes who will be recognised this afternoon at the @bbcr1 Teen Awards. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were honoured to meet them earlier this week at Kensington Palace and hear more about their incredible achievements. pic.twitter.com/l29JGxMOLy
— Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) October 21, 2018
This is just creating drama for the sake of creating drama.
So don’t follow her. Life is too short of worry about what a talking head says.
“Spencer, for her part, has since then apologized through her Instagram account and on-air.”
Good enough whenever a Democrat, Liberal or Progressive does the same.
I’m glad she apologized. I’m also glad that people that work in places where their voices matters are called out when they say something dumb…My only problem is that our President seems to get away with insensitive remarks and he’s rarely called out on it and he never apologizes. Hate to always bring him up in situations like this but I’m a firm believer in being fair. To be more specific, I think when he said the 3 women of color in Congress can “go back to where they came from” didn’t get enough protest. If poor Biden, Obama or… Read more »
I knew someone would bring the President into it.
And Matt please check into what President Obama and the wicked witch got away with.
I know Proud Trumpster. I was hesitant about bringing him into it. Please, try to understand my stance. He is a proven racist and he despise dark skin people and he continues to show it and his base accepts it. I’m proud of being black and embrace my race. On a personal note and I’m not saying you are a racist but you would love me if you got to know me. No being conceded but I’m a great guy that have done great things. No one should be judged by the color of their skin. That’s why I brought… Read more »
This was NOTHING to care about anyone who has experience with kids knows they may change their interest on a dime and that’s the only way to take it. She would have had to really added more for this mole hill to become a mountain, calm down everyone the things you should be mad at you are whispering about.
I have always loved “Billy Elliot” the movie and the musical. It is a shame more folks aren’t aware of such a great story and the message it brings to such a competitive world. Let’s celebrate diversity, it’s what makes life interesting.
Gay men get offended by everything now days. Have we misplaced our balls? We are so high and mighty that we demand everyone to except who we are. We have gay pride but get mad if there is a straight pride. We talk trash about others on social media but be damned if we are going to be allow someone to talk trash about gay men. As a group we look for hate and drama everywhere. We don’t give a thought to anyone else it is all about us. Our rights our feelings. We are demanding respect as we should.… Read more »
I don’t know why she needed to apologize. If you listen to the full context of her statement about all the other demanding studies he will be embarking upon, she says that he might just want to do something simple like play with play dough. She didn’t say that this isn’t what a boy should be doing at all. People are being “sensitive” about this because it is easy. Instead people need to be sensitive about real discrimination not this nonsense.
Really, you couldn’t find anything better to talk about? Just adding drama on top of drama. I will never figure out why half the country gets their panties in a knot when someone says something. Have you never heard of Free Speach in America? Oh wait, that only applies if You say something. Get over it, under it, or around it, either way is up to you.
It is not the job of news anchors to blend in personal views along with the news they should remain objective regardless of how they feel personally But GMA anchors are all actors and will go on other shows and express true feelings about subjects
The reality is she wasn’t laughing so much at the little future prince taking dance. She was laughing at the perspiration of ballet dance being less than masculine aka gay-ish. She was laughing at the chance that the little future prince could be GAY! Now as an attempt to save her job she acts as if dance or being a dancer was what she laughed at. If he was taking tap dance or some other more perceived masculine dance she would not have laughed.
whatever she was laughing at, it was wrong. And she apologized about it, so she KNOWS she did something VERY wrong and her employer too.
I watched the episode where this comment took place. It sounded like she was trying to convey the temperamental nature of a kid at the Prince’s age. If you project your own internal struggle or experience on to what she said, then yes, it was offensive. In that sense, her comment rubbed me the wrong way because I know what it’s like to receive criticism for liking “feminine” labeled activities or things. I was kind of expecting someone on the panel to say something that would offend me, because it happened a lot to me as a kid. Spencer has… Read more »
What and the hell planet are you from, Bub???? “Poor Biden, Obama or Hillary”…..are you kidding me. These clowns get a pass a lot of the time. Your so damn used to listening to the Clinton New Media and P M S N B C, you can’t see the forest for the trees. There is enough drama in the gay community (yes I am gay) we don’t need to initiate more. That whole damn comment about the Squad, I noticed that you left out most of the comment. The President simply told them to “go back to where they came… Read more »
Three of the four congresswomen that comprise ‘The Squad’ were born in America, AssClown…. You’re a bigoted, imbecilic apologist for that appalling racist the electorate resoundingly chased out of Washington (and the entire tramp klan KNOW they better stay out of New York.!! Ask mouthy junior what happened to his face in a NYC club in the 90s [there’s a reason he wears that spotty beard…]).
I studied ballet.. Yes there are some serious drama queens, especially at the lower levels. But all that is relative, as there are football players studying as well as boxers. Footwork is footwork. I always dared someone to laugh at my tutu.. especially in the preseason when weight was 240 and buff. Good way to find out what a Power Bottom is.
Finally, an intelligent, wise-minded comment….