The Walt Disney Company in collaboration with A&E, Lifetime, ABC and other affiliate networks offer commercial sponsorship to the series “Dance Moms.” There has recently been a petition circulated to have the show cancelled. While the ratings are still in very good condition, not everyone agrees that the show is of the quality that it should be. Here are more details along with the reasons why there are numerous people who want the show to be taken off of the air.
The show is a negative representation of the industry
The undersigned of the petition agree that the show does not promote a positive perspective of what real dance instruction is. It casts a negative shadow on the teachers and professionals who teach children through adulthood the art of dance. There is an indication in the petition that the show is filled with irresponsible behaviors by the coach and that the methods are not standard throughout the industry of dance instruction. For a reality based television series, it doesn’t give an accurate portrayal of what happens in most dance studios that work with young learners. It is offensive to many instructors who take alternate approaches to teaching, which are more in line with established protocols.
Perceived violations
The petition is based on what appears to the undersigned to be violations of the Corporate Citizenship statement of the Disney company. It encourages good corporate citizenship that ensures that the employees and guests will benefit, and that the brands that they promote will have a positive impact upon consumers, while reinforcing the attractiveness of the products that they produce, making the company a place that fosters a positive environment for those who work there, and will be a positive experience for consumers and all stakeholders throughout the world. This includes the various industries that the shows represent.
Their 3 core principles
The first is that everyone involved must behave and create in a manner that is ethical. There must be consideration for any potential consequences of decision made. They must positively impact the well being of families, parents and children.
They should be inspirational to consumers (families) and encourage positive changes throughout the world. This includes throughout the various industries, communities, neighborhoods, etc with regard to product development. This means that any program that is created, produced and shown on the air must create a positive impact on all the stakeholders and consumers.
It is the responsibility of the company to only Champion those products that will deliver positive and lasting results. When there is a program that fails to do so, or negatively influences any stakeholders or audience, it is in violation of the Corporate Citizenship mission. These is the rationale that the petition is based upon.
Further violations
Because of how the dance instruction is delivered and handled on the show, it is also in violation of school anti-bullying policies. This is big with dance instructors who maintain strict professionalism. The behaviors of the dance instructor for the reality based show are not in line with accepted behaviors or teaching methods. This gives viewers a faulty representation of what teaching dance truly should look like.
Requested consequences
The petition goes a step further and encourages the Disney Corporation to pull together a panel to review their position on sponsoring and promoting the “Dance Moms” program. In their opinion, the violations are so blatant, that they believe a fair hearing by impartial judges will be able to spot the inconsistencies and agree with the recommendations to cancel the show and take it off of the air.
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