DANCING WITH POLITICS

A day before the winner of Dancing with the Stars is due to be announced, the show appears to have entered the realm of extremist politics. Bringing to mind the anthrax scares of 2001, it was reported over the weekend that a letter addressed to finalist Bristol Palin contained white powder. Although it turned out to be harmless — it was later identified as talcum powder — the incident immediately touched off an investigation by the Los Angeles Police Department and the FBI. In Newsday, TV critic Verne Gay wrote that until now, no one connected with the show “remotely thought it would become a referendum on national politics, or the tea party or its most visible patron, Sarah Palin.Yet, in fact, it has.” On the other hand, DWTS executive producer Conrad Green attempted to remove politics from the equation. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly Green said that he doubted that many people believe that a vote for Bristol is a vote for Sarah. “Here’s a 20-year-old girl who everyone’s screaming at. This should be the best week of her life. … Everyone’s acting like she’s getting together with Dick Cheney, trying to start an evil empire. It’s crazy. It’s a dancing competition. She’s a lovely girl. Give her a break!”