Ryan Lochte on 'Dancing with the Stars': A path to forgiveness?
Protesters went onstage during Monday's live episode of the ABC reality competition, apparently objecting to Ryan Lochte's presence on the program. Is appearing on 'DWTS' effective for celebrities looking to change the narrative?
'Dancing With the Stars' host Tom Bergeron (l.) speaks with competitors Cheryl Burke (center) and Ryan Lochte (r.).
ABC
The season premiere of the ABC reality competition 鈥淒ancing With the Stars鈥� included an incident in which protestors went onstage, showing their displeasure with competitor Ryan Lochte鈥檚 actions during the Rio Olympics.
If Lochte was hoping that DWTS would be a platform to recast his public image, it may have backfired 鈥� at least in the first round. 聽
Olympian Ryan Lochte and his dance partner, Cheryl Burke, had already completed a foxtrot on the show when two men went onstage during the live program.
The two were wearing shirts that had 鈥淟ochte鈥� crossed out. , the men, Sam Sotoodeh and Barzeen Soroudi, said that what Lochte had done in Brazil had brought danger to those in the US.聽
Lochte initially claimed he and three teammates were victims of armed robbery in Brazil.聽Police have said the swimmers vandalized a bathroom after a night of partying and armed guards confronted them and asked them to pay for the damage. Lochte has since apologized for his "immature behavior."听
Lochte is the latest competitor to go on 鈥淒WTS鈥� following some kind of controversy. For example, celebrity chef Paula Deen became a contestant on the program in 2015 after admitting to using racial slurs.聽
And while reports that Lochte was involved in negotiations to join the show before the Olympics took place, now many are seeing his appearance on 鈥淒ancing鈥� as a similar move to try to appeal to viewers.
鈥淭he swimmer is trying to win praise again by joining 鈥楧ancing With The Stars,鈥欌�� wrote following the announcement that Lochte was joining the show, while wrote, 鈥淭his would be one way to distract from all the negative publicity.鈥�
Is appearing on the program an effective way of winning back TV watchers?
suggest that it won't help Lochte. But she writes that "there is something very pure, and also vaguely puritanical, about the redemption narrative the show sells,鈥� Ms. Garber continues. 鈥溾�he appeal of 鈥楧WTS鈥� as both a show and an ethic is that it celebrates values that mesh well with many Americans鈥� own conceptions of themselves: It rewards humility, and bravery, and partnership, and, above all, good, hard work 鈥� 鈥楧ancing With the Stars鈥� may not bring full redemption for those who seek it at the show鈥檚 spangly, sequiny altar. What it does offer, though, are the distractions that can come with bright, shiny things.鈥澛�
And wrote prior to the show's premiere that Lochte鈥檚 move is necessary. 鈥淭he show doesn鈥檛 always treat celebrities with kid gloves,鈥� Ms. Yahr noted. 鈥溾�ut Lochte would be in a controlled environment with so many other distractions 鈥� Lochte still has a ways to go on his road to redemption. But 鈥楧ancing With the Stars鈥� is a truly strong start.鈥�