The season 34 finale of Dancing With the Stars served up everything fans have come to expect from the iconic ballroom competition. Dazzling performances, meaningful goodbyes to a beloved cast, emotional storytelling, and a new reigning mirrorball champ that brings heart and passion to the stage (and maybe a bit of controversy?). Has social media added an extra layer of drama that just isn’t necessary? Have we taken these relationships with TV celebrities a bit too far? Have fans crossed a line and turned into bullies this season?
This season, social media has played a colossal role in the popularity of Dancing With the Stars. Each episode gained more views and record-breaking votes. Cast members even took to platforms like TikTok and Instagram to encourage viewers to text names like ANDY to 21523 (a special shoutout to all of the Fan-dys). This season, along with the past most recent seasons, even included social media personalities as “stars” like Alix Earle (Season 34) and Charli D’Amelio (Season 31). Although social media brings many positives to the table during this competition, like an increase in viewership and a strengthened connection between celebs and fans, there’s also a dark side to social media and this beloved show intertwining.
As social media grew more connected with DWTS this season, some viewers developed almost parasocial relationships with the contestants, treating them less like TV personalities and more like personal friends or enemies. These intense attachments quickly began to cross the line. What started as normal fan enthusiasm escalated into harassment, with some viewers even going as far as to bully judges, pros, and even other contestants. Now, instead of having a lighthearted and fun show, which DWTS was always meant to be, it has turned much more intense and serious.
Mark Ballas, a DWTS pro, spoke out recently on the Call Her Daddy podcast with host Alex Cooper and his star partner Whitney Leavitt. He opened up on the hate both he and Whitney had received, but also highlighted the constant remarks and attacks aimed at seasoned judge Carrie Ann Inaba. When asked about the backlash Carrie Ann received, he stated, “I hate that … Again, this is a fun dancing show, and she’s been employed to give her critiques and her opinion.” He then went on to add, “Not everyone is going to agree with what she has to say, but I feel like again tearing a woman down who’s doing her job is never acceptable.”
Although lots of hate has been pointed towards the judges, many contestants have also been on the receiving end. This has been especially prominent this season during controversial eliminations, and even more so during the season finale. Witnessing the “switch-ups” from week to week has been nothing less than confusing and, in some cases, harmful to the other cast members.
Taking mirrorball winner Robert Irwin and runner-up Alix Earle, for example. Both entered the season as fan favorites with huge fanbases backing them. In fact, leading up to the finale, many fans stated that they just couldn’t pick between the two because they adored both of them. Once Robert won in an extremely close, nail-biting finale, however, the attitude on social media towards him changed almost instantly. The sudden wave of negativity seemingly came out of nowhere. Despite the competition ending nearly two weeks ago, some viewers are still commenting and posting videos about how he had won purely out of sympathy, and overall attacking his character, despite the voting being completely out of his control. This is just one example of the change-ups on social media from week to week, but many, if not all, of the contestants have experienced this in one form or another.
Has social media really impacted DWTS this season? I think yes. TikTok especially brought the fans and the energy more than ever before, making a culture and a fandom that is irreplaceable. However, although fun and memorable, this season also highlighted the dark side of a social media fandom. As viewers, we have the power to shape social media culture around DWTS just as much as the contestants do, if not more. My best suggestion for the seasons to come is to continue to bring the love and energy that Dancing With the Stars is built on while keeping in mind that judges, professionals, and celebrities are real people with real feelings. Kindness on social media to other contestants while still supporting your favs can create the healthy social media environment we need to return to.
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