**The Great British Dance Off: Why Can't We Just Let People Enjoy Things?**
Another autumn, another storm in a glittery teacup. *Strictly Come Dancing* is back on our screens, and with it comes the now-familiar soundtrack: the swoosh of sequins, the swell of the orchestra, and the cacophony of hot takes from every corner of the media.
This year’s pre-season drama is a perfect microcosm of our modern media diet. We have the traditionalist sigh (the "I hate it, must I pretend?" take), the political doom-mongering ("the permacrisis risks licence fees!"), and the defensive battle cry ("armchair critics, back off!").
It’s exhausting, isn’t it?
Let's break down this three-ring circus.
**The "Sophia" Take: The Performative Sigh.**
We all know this person. The one who rolls their eyes at the mere mention of a Viennese Waltz. Their stance is less about the dancing and more about positioning themselves as "above" something so mainstream and joyous. It’s a classic British trope: the pride in not liking popular things. But here’s the thing—no one is forcing you to watch. The beauty of 2025 is the sheer volume of content at our fingertips. If sparkles and sambas aren’t your thing, the off button is right there. Let the rest of us have our fun.
**The "Permacrisis" Take: The Manufactured Outrage.**
This is the most tiresome of the bunch. It takes a light-entertainment show and tries to frame it as a matter of national importance, a bellwether for the very future of the BBC. It’s a dance competition, not a parliamentary debate. Linking viewer enjoyment to the licence fee is a cheap shot designed to generate clicks by stoking the culture war flames. Most people are perfectly capable of separating their opinion on a Cha-Cha-Cha from their opinion on public service broadcasting funding.
**The "Back Off" Take: The Defensive Over-Correction.**
On the other end of the spectrum, we have the plea for silence. "Pipe down and just enjoy it!" But isn't the chatter—the water-cooler moments, the family WhatsApp debates over who was robbed—half the fun? The show is designed to be talked about. The problem isn't criticism; it's the vitriol. There's a vast difference between saying, "I thought their frame was a bit weak," and launching a toxic Twitter crusade against a contestant.
**So, What's a Dance Fan to Do?**
Maybe the real winning move is to simply… watch the show.
Enjoy the sheer, unadulterated spectacle of it. Appreciate the incredible skill and hard work of the professionals and the brave celebrities putting themselves out there. Have an opinion, share it with friends, but maybe don't feel the need to declare it to the world with the gravity of a state secret.
*Strictly* is, at its heart, a show about joy, transformation, and a bit of silly, sparkly escapism. In a world that often feels overwhelmingly complex, there’s a simple, profound comfort in watching someone master a Quickstep.
So let the headlines scream. Let the hot-takers take. I’ll be on my sofa, with a cup of tea, happily suspending my disbelief for two glorious hours a week, grateful for the glitter.
**Now, over to you... Team #Pipedown or Team #LetTheHateFlow? The comments are (always) open.**
