JoJo Siwa and dance partner Jenna Johnson had fans in tears when they performed their final dance routine to “Born This Way” by Lady Gaga on Dancing With the Stars. Despite another perfect score — and the fact the pair were favorites to win season 30 of the US dance competition — they ended runner-up to winners Iman Shumpert and Daniella Karagach.
Winning isn’t necessary when you’ve made the impact JoJo and Jenna have, being the first female dance partners on the show. As someone who watched JoJo when she made her television debut on Dance Moms, I am a bit partial to the argument that it’s unfair for a trained (and fantastic!) dancer to win a dance competition alongside amateur dancers.
The fact JoJo and Jenna made it to the final at all means that two women were seen dancing on television together for the entire season. That’s worth more than winning. If JoJo wasn’t a seasoned dancer then the pair might not have made it past the first week. They won the season in terms of lesbian visibility.
JoJo measured the success of her experience in terms of representation, too. “We’re making history,” she told USA TODAY before the final announcement. “This has never happened on ‘Dancing With the Stars’ before. It’s always been a boy-girl couple.”
While still dating Kylie Prew – the pair have recently split up – JoJo spoke about her intentions by going on Dancing With the Stars… and winning wasn’t top priority. “My journey of coming out and having a girlfriend has inspired so many people around the world,” she said. “I thought that if I chose to dance with a girl on this show, it would break the stereotypical thing. It would be new, different and change for the better.”
The same-sex pairing might be seen as a grab for ratings and viewers, rather than an authentic act of acceptance. However, producers would know that adding a lesbian or bisexual character or personality to a show is risky because it can end in a noticeable drop in ratings. Perhaps that’s why we’re killed off so often.
JoJo has a huge fanbase so she’s the perfect gay icon to break the DWTS mould. Any drop in ratings would most likely be mitigated by the influx of JoJo fans – many new to the viewership.
JoJo was also given the option to dance with men or women and made the choice on her own. “I said I actually would love and prefer to dance with a girl,” Siwa says. “Why not show the message even stronger that you can love whomever you want to love?”
What song could make the “love who you love” point better than a dance routine to Lady Gaga’s iconic song we all blast when coming out?!
Even if JoJo is naturally a bit disheartened by being runner-up, she won’t be for long. Her life is so busy right now – including her own dance competition series Siwa’s Dance Pop Revolution – that she doesn’t even have time for a relationship.
