Dancing with the Stars

The Professor was mad at me. We had agreed to meet at 8 pm to sign an important agreement. My delay led to postponement of the meeting.

"What in heaven's name happened to you?"

It was a mild reproach that nevertheless made me feel bad and reconfirmed my reluctance to have dinner with my TV producer friend who insisted on having the infernal screen on during the meal. Instead of serving dinner at a decent hour as he and his wife usually do, this time they had an important guest other than me. It was the usual mogul whose generous pockets would shortly finance one of my friend's TV ventures.

The meal was not bad except that the screen showed in all its misery that popular program "Dancing with the Stars"! I could not think of an excuse drastic enough to get up off the table and rush into the evening traffic. I suffered in silence.

"What was so terrible about having the program Dancing with the Stars as dinner background? " Asked the Professor.

"Well, for one thing, dancing is the wrong term. When you have a couple of great athletes that seemingly have been starched inside and out ,that move in spasms, gyrations, stiff turns and sequences with a minimum of grace and beauty, no great meal is going to reduce the pain and revulsion."

"Tell me more' he urged.

"Dance is or should be a blend of rhythm, beauty and music, not a gymnastic exhibition performed by dummies who believe that keeping a robot attitude, a stiff back and an artificial sense of coordinated motion, they are performing a dance!"

I paused for a moment and then declared:

"Our next president would do well to forbid these spectacles to take place. They are anti-American, attempt against the laws of inertial navigation, erode the sense of naturalness, equilibrium and grace of our youth and gives the US the image of a country that encourages its people to defy gravity and wear uncomfortable shoes!"

Chemical engineer by training, international executive by merit and writer by addiction. Former syndicated columnist of Technology columns, has written for television and movies. His humorous articles contain fine satire and have been published in 4 languages. Quote: "Love and smiles teach tolerance; days without either are days wasted"

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