"So You Think Can Dance" still doesn't get it, but Season Six has same-sex couple advancing to Las Vegas

Cat Deeley, Adam Shankman, Mea Michaels, Mary Murphy, Nigel Lythgoe

One of the advantages of being a member of the Television Critics Association is that you occasionally get the chance to ask TPTB questions they'd rather not be asked.

Case in point, Nigel Lythgoe and Fox, the entities responsible for the incredibly offensive episode of So You Think You Can Dance featuring a male same-sex couple during this season's auditions, presented a panel today in Los Angeles, giving me a chance to ask them directly about the episode. I'd tried to get comments from them and the network at the time of the controversy, but other than Lythgoe's statement to GLAAD, Fox always responded with "no comment."

But before I get to my conversation with Lythgoe and guest judge Adam Shankman, I actually have something positive to report about Season Six. Sources confirmed to me exclusively that the World Champion Same-Sex Ballroom American Champions not only audition for the show, but make it through to the semi-finals in Las Vegas. I haven't yet been able to get their names, but as soon as I do, I'll let you know.  

Here is a transcript of my Q&A with Lythgoe. Note, this was conducted in a room full of several hundred journalists and not really conducive to many follow-up questions. 

Nigel Lythgoe

AFTERELTON: Earlier this year the show ran into controversy during the auditions when there was a male same-sex couple on the show and [about which] Nigel issued a statement to GLAAD. What I have never heard addressed is how the show packaged that whole episode and the editing that was involved. What I'm curious about is would do anything differently in how those two [dancers] were presented and what lessons you learned.
NIGEL LYTHGOE: Are you asking me personally or me as the editor.

AE: You as the editor.
NL: I laid it all out in the edit as I believed — and as I always do — the honesty of the piece. Of course, it lasted much longer than that and didn't deserve to last longer than that. I also focused it a little more on what I was saying because you know there's going to be a controversial — or I know it's going to be controversial — and that is why it was laid out like that. We've also on Season Six had the gold medalists, the American World Champion same-sex ballroom dancers.

As far as I'm concerned, what I'm talking about is the way they danced a dance routine. Not their way of life. I didn't go out there and say I don't like homosexuals or I don't like homosexuals touching each other on television. I went out there and said I don't like these dancers and what they did.

[Editor's Note: For the record, Lythgoe told the dancers he "didn't like it, but if we just keep it down to your dancing, rather than your dancing together, you were good."  

AE: I'm not even talking about that [what you said] so much as the way the whole episode was presented. Things like on the closing credits as the male couple was leaving the song playing was "It's a Man's World" and the specific lyrics playing were "It's a man's, man's man's world but you're nothing without a woman." That can't have been there by accident. The whole episode struck many in the gay community as packaged in a way to sort of ridicule that couple who, by the way, said they were hoping for an apology, which as far as I'm aware, they never received. But I'm referring to the bigger picture, not what you said specifically, but the episode in general and if you drew any lessons from that.
NL: I think we'll think a lot more if it's offensive.

That was the last question I got to ask Lythgoe and I guess we can count it as a small victory that at least going forward, he'll think more about what might be offensive. Beyond that, he still doesn't seem to get what made that episode so noxious. Of course, not even all gay people get it.

After the panel, I talked with Adam Shankman, the out director/executive producer who occasionally acts as a guest judge on the show. 

Adam Shankman

AFTERELTON: During the panel you mentioned that Season Six would feature the World Champion Same-Sex Ballroom Champions. In what capacity are they featured?
ADAM SHANKMAN: They came and auditioned in Utah, I think. I wasn't there when that happened. Everyone was very excited to have them. It's a very hard thing to comment on how that all played out in that ... because the truth of the matter is when I was watching the audition, I didn't think the guys were good so it ended up becoming more directional than it ended up having to be because—

AE: What do you mean "directional?"
AS: Somehow playing out as homophobic when point of fact, they [the judges] just weren't into the dancers ... and the fact they have the [world] champions on there. And I understand you were asking about the editing and I think there was a slap on the hand. And I was talking to Nigel a lot and I was talking to GLAAD a lot about the proper way to respond to it. A lot of time things are just unfortunate how they play out ... trying to make certain kinds of TV ... because God knows this is the least homophobic show on TV. Do you know what I mean? We couldn't be more gay-friendly. That's the thing that made the whole thing very awkward.

AE: I know there are people out there who don't feel the show is particularly gay-friendly. Again, the thing about that particulare episode that was never addressed and that I know my readers would like somebody from the show to say "We screwed up in how that was put together." Because like I've said, nothing on the show is done by accident. When those guys are walking out the door and the lyric that is playing is "It's a man's man's man's world, but you're nothing without a woman" I just don't know how, as a gay person, you're not supposed to read that as--
AS: I honestly winced when I saw that but I know everybody involved in the show and everybody that works on the show is gay except for Mary and Nigel ... so I think it was done, as I think many are, as misguided humor. An apology was issued—

AE: No, Nigel apologized for his statements [and tweets to GLAAD], but the show never, and I asked several times--
AS: Nigel is the show. He's the executive producer. He's the lead. He's the head editor. Him doing it —
AE: Again, for his comments [not the episode's editing].

At that point, Shankman had to leave for another interview, but I doubt he would've had much more to say. 

I assume Shankman's knows of what he speaks when he says the show employs a lot of gay people. Which only makes it that much more puzzling that this episode even happened. 

Let's hope the ballroom champions advance deep into the show and let SYTYCD finally be better than its past.