Every Tuesday of fall, Dancing with the Stars (DWTS) becomes America’s most sparkly comfort show. Ballroom dancing! Emotional packages! Glitter! Celebrities you either haven’t thought about in ten years or ones you see every ten minutes on TikTok! But under all the sequins, spray tans, and shimmer, there is something much less exciting happening.
There is a quiet misogyny problem on DWTS, and it shows up through the way fans treat women on the show. Whether it be the way judge Carrie Ann Inaba gets dragged in comment sections for giving the same critiques her male co-judges deliver, or the way Andy Richter can skate through eliminations on pure charisma rather than talent, while his almost equal in age competitor, Elaine Hendrix, gets shredded for breathing, the double standard has reached a new height on season 34.
The Carrie Ann Double Standard
Carrie Ann Inaba, a professional dancer and choreographer since the 1990s, is the only female judge on DWTS—and it’s no secret that the internet hates her. She has been ridiculed heavily the last few years, with some even calling for her removal as a judge.
During the judge feedback section after each dance, Carrie Ann will give a totally normal critique to a celeb and their professional partner, such as, “Your frame was a little loose,” “Your footwork wasn’t as clean,” “Your timing drifted in the middle section,” and the internet goes crazy. All of a sudden, these typical comments make her “jealous,” “biased,” “too emotional,” “inconsistent,” “catty,” or “out to get [male contestant on the show].”
However, her male counterparts on the panel do not receive this treatment. Fellow judge Derek Hough can give a similar critique, and receive praise. Judge Bruno Tonioli’s flamboyant and dramatic comments are rewarded by the internet— even if he points out a flaw within a dance. Bruno can literally yell a critique while jumping out of his seat, and the internet responds, “Slay king 😍!”
It’s the same dynamic women face everywhere. Women in leadership and authority roles are expected to be nurturing, pleasant, and soft. Men get to be assertive and be adored for it. Men get to be objective. Women get told they’re “being mean.”
Andy Gets a Pass, Elaine Gets Put Under a Microscope
This season gave way to the biggest demonstration of the double standard.
Andy Richter, an American comedian and actor, made it through eliminations until the quarter-finals. Andy is likeable, goofy, charming… and not a great dancer. This isn’t shade—it’s part of his entire brand. Viewers voted for him based on charisma; they enjoyed watching him butcher moves you would see at a kindergarten recital. At 59 years old, he got praise for “trying his best.” Dubbed the “people’s princess,” Andy got the classic male contestant on DWTS treatment: graded on a curve of charisma rather than talent.
But Elaine Hendrix? Despite being only five years younger than Andy, she did not receive the same treatment. She consistently puts in work every single week. Improves visibly. Takes judges’ critiques seriously. Dances like someone who actually wanted to earn her way through. And still, the comments roasted her for being “too much,” “too serious,” “too emotional,” “trying too hard,” or “not fun to watch.”
She got injured during week 7, and was unable to perform. The internet responded by calling for her removal from the show. X user @FutureWorldTeach summed up the sentiment bluntly saying, “Lowkey wouldn’t mind losing Elaine 🤷♀️.”
Let’s be real: Andy was rewarded for existing. Elaine was expected to be perfect.
It’s the same double standard Carrie Ann deals with—the show’s entire ecosystem treats men like charming underdogs and women like professional athletes auditioning for approval.
The Bigger Picture: DWTS As a Mirror For America
At first glance, Dancing with the Stars is just a dance competition. But the show has always been a mirror for how we treat men and women everywhere else.
Men get praised for effort. Women get evaluated for perfection. Men are “relatable” when they mess up. Women are “annoying,” “cringey,” or “unlikeable” for the exact same thing.
Even the show’s scoring reflects this: male contestants are allowed to be charming or goofy as their storyline. Female contestants have to be consistent, technically impressive, confident, but not too confident, emotional but not too emotional—and god forbid they have an off week.
Carrie Ann gets hate for being an expert. Elaine gets hate for being talented and trying. Andy gets love for being simply endearing.
This is not a random fluke. It’s the way our culture trains us to respond to gender, competence, and ambition.
The misogyny on DWTS isn’t loud or dramatic. It’s subtle, sparkly, and wrapped in sequins. It looks like favoritism, tone-policing, and the internet deciding which women are “likeable enough” to succeed. And if America can’t handle a female judge giving technical notes, or a female contestant taking herself seriously, then the real problem isn’t on the dance floor at all.
It’s within us.