‘Dance Moms’ Under Fire for Gun-Toting Routine
- Posted on February 23, 2012 at 6:06am by
Madeleine Morgenstern
- Print »
- Email »
Tuesday's episode of the Lifetime reality television show "Dance Moms" saw the show's young dancers using plastic gun props in their newest routine. (Image source: Lifetime)
The often eye-popping reality TV show “Dance Moms” took the show‘s signature fireworks to new heights Tuesday when the show’s young dancers were taught a routine involving plastic gun props.
“Dance Moms,” for the uninitiated, follows a group of competitive young girls under the tutelage of acerbic dance instructor Abby Lee Miller and their equally competitive and often catty mothers, who often clash with Miller’s harsh teaching style.
On the latest episode of the Lifetime channel hit, the dance moms weren’t thrilled to see their daughters waving gold guns around in their new group routine “Private Eyes.”
Image source: Lifetime
“I’m going to arm you with a secret weapon…you’re going to be using guns in your routine,” Miller told her dancers during the episode. She later barked, “Be strong with that gun!”
The Huffington Post noted:
Although dancer Maddie said that the fake prop guns wouldn’t inspire her to pick up a real gun, the moms agreed that having their daughters use them in their routine seemed inappropriate and unnecessary.
Nia’s mom Holly questioned Abby Lee Miller about the wisdom of using the guns.
“The caliber,” she said, presumably with no pun intended, “of the piece, it doesn’t seem as high as what you normally put out there for the girls. The guns … as moms it’s throwing us off a bit. It seems a bit aggressive.”
Still, Miller defended her choice of prop, saying she wanted her dancers to enter their upcoming competition “armed and dangerous.”
“I’ve done children with guns and it won everything, she said. “It was a piece of brilliant work.”
The show’s confessional-style format featured dancer Chloe’s wide-eyed explanation of the routine.
“She said we were going to blow the competition away,” she said. “I really hope she doesn’t mean literally. Because we could get disqualified.”
But by the end of the episode, it seems the moms were won over after watching their daughters perform the routine on stage.
“I wish I could say I was horrified with the guns. But they were better than I thought,” one mom said.
Popular Stories
Does Misstated Marathon Claim Prove Paul Ryan Is Dishonest? (POLL) 678 Comments
‘Jumah at the DNC’ Speaker: ‘Muslims Visited America Prior to Columbus’ & ‘It Was a Muslim’ Who Guided Him to the ‘New World’ 530 Comments
Paper Details Obama Admin’s Alleged Secret Note Sent to Iran: If Israel Attacks, We Won’t Get Involved 422 Comments
Obama: RNC Like Watching ‘Black-and-White TV’ Because Romney ‘Did Not Offer a Single New Idea’ 373 Comments
Roseanne Barr: Most Billionaires ‘Violent Pedophiles’ & ‘Heartless’ Cocaine Addicts 329 Comments
Faith
This Is the Creationists‘ Response to Scientist Bill Nye’s Viral Pro-Evolution Video Claiming They Harm Children 275 Comments- Pakistani Muslim Cleric Accused of Framing Disabled Christian Girl in Koran-Burning Case Read More
- ‘Made Up Religion’: TV Historian Enrages Muslims, Receives Threats After Producing UK Documentary Questioning Islam’s Beginnings 283 Comments
Meet the Controversial German Imam Accused of Brutally Beating His Wife & Pushing Sharia Law Read More
‘Self-Proclaimed Messiah’ & Unification Church Leader the Rev. Sun Myung Moon Has Died — Here’s His Life Story Read More
Business
President Obama Issues Major ‘Green Energy’ Executive Order 165 Comments- Germany’s Upcoming Court Ruling Will be Huge for the EU Read More
Ford Looks to Beat Toyota for Best-Selling Car in 2012 With This Model 147 Comments
Bernanke & QE3: Here’s What You Need to Know Read More- ‘Extortion’: Why Did the Labor Department ‘Drop the Hammer’ on Oregon Farmers? 300 Comments
Technology
- This Is the Creationists‘ Response to Scientist Bill Nye’s Viral Pro-Evolution Video Claiming They Harm Children 275 Comments
‘TaserDrone’: Hackers Weaponize Quadcopter With Actual ‘Shocking’ Technology Read More
Ever Heard of the Wild ‘Burning Man’ Festival in the Middle of the Nev. Desert? Here’s Your Primer Read More
Stanford Develops Technology ‘Better Than Steroids’ for Athlete Recovery Read More
Have You Pretended to Know What ‘the Cloud’ Is? You’re Not Alone Read More
Submitting your tip... please wait!
Comments (87)
lainpa
Posted on February 23, 2012 at 8:59amYes, we watch the show because it is over the top. I really hope the mothers are not that catty in real life. Any how, watched the episode mentioned and let me reiterate – It‘s a toy gun for pete’s sake! Get over it! We watched to see the actually dance number and it was fantastic! My only disappointment is that they didn’t use a James Bond theme from Man with the Golden Gun!
Report Post »rangerp
Posted on February 23, 2012 at 9:06amabout the time someone thought they were going to take one of my daughters and dress them like a street walker, and parade them around in public like a whore, I would take a real gun ,and butt stroke them in the face.
More and more I see a nation that is just sick and about to implode. We sexualize children, allow children to be adopted by gays, allow homosexuality in the ranks, promote music (if you can call it that) that degrades women, have public schools that teach filth and indoctrinate with liberal garbage.
This stuff is sick.
Report Post »encinom
Posted on February 23, 2012 at 10:11amSo Ranger Dan you do relaize that Leave to Beaver and Father Knows Best were tv shows and not reality and never was reflective of the truth.
Oh. my loving adults are allowed to adopt children instead of allowing the children to rot in the foster care system. And patriotic Americans are willingly enlisting to serve in the military. Your problem is that America has moved past your bible based bigotry.
Report Post »rangerp
Posted on February 23, 2012 at 10:52amencinom
Yep, moved far past the days of a moral people.
Now are the days of children getting molestd at a rate never seen in our past, teens murdering each other, more black men going to prison than to college, unborne babies getting killed by the millions, America dropped below the fifty percent place in math and science, and falling way behind many developing nations, a federal defecit that is sinking us, out of control spending, HIV, OWS, and on an on. The libs should really be proud.
Report Post »encinom
Posted on February 23, 2012 at 11:12am“Now are the days of children getting molestd at a rate never seen in our past” No, it is being reported now at greater rates and people are more likely today to listen to their children. The Priest scandal was going on for years, it was only when the victims spoke out did it get reported. But this has nothing to do with your own bigotry and your own need to hide your bigotry behind the bible.
The drop in education is something that Conservative Christians like yourself should be proud of. Instead of teaching actual science, schools are forced a appease religious zealots with the inclusion of the creation fairy tale or face long drawn out legal battles.
The crime rates and inprisonment have as much to do with the bogus war on drugs than anything else. In additiona to the GOP favorite of longer and longer sentences for petty offenses and cutting social services, like afterschool programs that have a proven track record of keep inner city youth out of trouble.
The what is sinking the US is the welfare for the rich, the W. tax breaks and the Norquist Pledge. Instead of investing in the future and in its citizens, the GOP has forced the cuts in programs that buld infrastructure and create jobs and diverted those funds not the pockets of the Koch brothers and other backers. While at the same time screaming that unions kill jobs. It was the unions that created the middle class.
America would be a better place with the Tea Party and the religious fanatics
Report Post »encinom
Posted on February 23, 2012 at 11:37amhere is the full sentence since I seem to have run out of room)
America would be a better place with the Tea Party and the religious fanatics locked away in their own little community were they can police the morals of their neighbors until the cows come home and no pesky Constitution to get in the way.
Report Post »rangerp
Posted on February 23, 2012 at 12:12pmENCINOM
you seem to contradict yourself.
take a look at history. Look at when the crime rates were low, when murder was low, when we ranked in the top of the world in math and science/
back then, we still instructed in creation. Creation is not included in any public education. Back then, kids in public school still prayed before lunch, they still said the pledge.
In 63 the libs got a hold of the public schools, and they went downhill quick.
If you do not see the havoc welfare is creating, then you chose not to see it.
I have two daughters, one is 11 and one is 12. Both are in Christian private school, and both were home schooled for a few years. Both believe in creation, and get Bible lessons daily. I will stack then education and character wise agains any public school kids in the nation.
My 12 years old has skipped three grades. She took high school Spanish in 5th grade, and had the highest grade in the class. She is currently a 4.0 student in the 9th grade, and is top of her class. She is already working toward getting a scholarship.
If you think you are going to sell me some load of crap that it is the Christians that are holding back education, I aint buying your stuff. You can look across the country, and see how the little private Christian schools (that still spank and have high discipline) are light years ahead academically than their peers in the public school, then you chose not to see truth.
Report Post »rangerp
Posted on February 23, 2012 at 12:14pmENCINOM
Bottom line up front
You hate God, and while you quote a little, you hate and deny the Bible. You try to bend and change statistics, but it does not work.
This nation was founded on Christian principles, and when we got away from those principles, we went down hill quick. Europe is further down in the pit than us, but we are catching up quick.
Report Post »Therightsofbilly
Posted on February 23, 2012 at 12:16pm@ENCINOM
Rangerp is pretty much right on the money, and your denials and excuses are comical.
You want to track the downfall of our education system and our morality as a nation?
Study this chart for a while. I mean really study it, and compare all those D’s you see with the happenings of the times.
http://www.dflorig.com/partycontrol.htm
Would it not make sense that the party that dominated for so long, and is responsible for the vast majority of our laws, regulations, and policies, should also be the party to accept the blame for most of our societal problems today?
Methinks it makes perfect sense.
But we know that a communist like you will vehemently disagree.
Report Post »ghostsouls
Posted on February 23, 2012 at 12:25pmThey were props, and if they are gonna complain about this, then they need to take every child out of movies, that have guns, skimpy clothing, partial nudity, strong language, mature subject matter, drugs, people using drugs, alcohol, people using alcohol, movies that deal with sexual matter, no more teen movies about sex, drugs, alcohol…etc… get real people it was a prop. There are movies where kids have weapons and shoot and kill people….and no one says a word….. don’t people have better things to do with their time?
Report Post »encinom
Posted on February 23, 2012 at 1:06pm@Rangerdan
No, I don’t hate God, there is nothing there to hate. What I do hate are the false Christians forcing their morals and views on the rest of us, by the way the Founders gave us a secular nation no matter what you and Beck say.
As for crime rates, it has everything to do with the phony war on drugs. Laws like New Yorks Rockerfeller Drug laws and other harsh laws are what lead to the higher prison populations.
Nor is the fact that your daughter an overacheiver proof of anything. Lets look at schools, the GOP year after year has cut funding to inner city schools and have harassed their teachers. Is it any wonder inner city schools are such poor performers. Public schools in areas that actually properly fund them and do not make teachers feel like welfare cheats perform on par with private schools.
Let be honest Conservatives are greedy individuals that seek to hoard their gold, the public good be damned, while at the same time they walk around proclaiming to be christ like. By the way if your daughters believe that some magically being made the earth in 6 days instead of science than their grades are lying, they are idiots unable to think logically.
Report Post »rangerp
Posted on February 23, 2012 at 1:21pmENCINOM
We are funding failure at a very high cost. Look at what the US is spending in failing education systems, and compare those schools to some in developing nations, and then check the product. Inner city schools are not failing because of lack of money. they fail because of a lack of discipline and morality. They are the byproduct of the welfare system.
Dems want to continue throwing more and more money and something that does not work. I got a better idea, Get the fed gov, and fed money completely out of the education business, and go back to a model from the past that worked.
You hate conservatives that want to work hard, and keep the money they earned. You hate them, because they do not want their hard earned dollar going to raise the welfare crowd.
Here is the fix, seal the border, and stop the welfare. The Mexicans can stay in their own country and fix it. Those on welfare can do the jobs that the Mexicans were doing. When the children of the welfare crowd see mom and dad having to bust their hump just to survive, they may be a little more motivated to stay in school and get an education. Getting jiggy with it, and laying up with Tyrone may not look so cool when you do not have the handout to depend on. It is called life and is called reality.
Welfare and socialism does not work ,and have never worked in the past.
I think you would also do well to figure out who is giving most of the time, money, and work in charity groups. Most are
Report Post »rangerp
Posted on February 23, 2012 at 1:24pmENCINOM
“The drop in education is something that Conservative Christians like yourself should be proud of. Instead of teaching actual science, schools are forced a appease religious zealots with the inclusion of the creation fairy tale or face long drawn out legal battles. ”
I just re read your post, and noticed this??????
Are you being real? Public schools are not teaching creation, it is not allowed. The legal battles are not over public schools teaching creation, as all of them teach evolution and have for decades.
legal battles are being fough to take 1st amendment rights away from anyone who tries to pray, or have religious convictions.
Catch a clue.
Report Post »lainpa
Posted on February 23, 2012 at 2:13pmOk, these dance numbers the girls do are not sexualized. The costumes they wear are not like prostitutes. I was at a cheer/hip-hop competition on Sunday and the dance moves I saw in the tiny hip-hop division were sexualized with girls as little as 4-5 yrs of age doing pelvic thrusts! Now that was an inappropriate dance. I have not seen one sexualized dance or costume on this show!
Report Post »rangerp
Posted on February 23, 2012 at 3:09pm@LAINPA
Are you blind?
Scroll to the top of this page, and see little innocent girls dressed in gold mini dresses with black stockings, and tell me that they are not sexualized. So this is how we dress little girls and send them out?
this is part of the problem with America. We are so desencitized, we do not see reality.
Report Post »rangerp
Posted on February 23, 2012 at 3:10pm@LAINPA
If you saw a 20 year old woman on the cover of a magazine with a gold mini dress and black stockings, would you say that she is being sexualized?
Report Post »obamaswallows
Posted on February 23, 2012 at 3:37pmWhat is the difference between these girls wearing makeup and short skirts and cheerleaders who wear makeup and short skirts?
They start cheerleading in elementary school these days. Isn’t that creepy, too?
I’m not saying that girls should all wear burkas, I’m just saying that a 17 year old girl in a mini-skirt might get my attention. I’m just a man, dammit, with red blood in my veins.
I guess that is the whole point of cheerleading and dancing, but I just wonder why we encourage these skimpy outfits on younger and younger girls.
Some guys will just as shamelessly ogle these young girls as we all do the older girls. Doesn’t that bother anyone?
Report Post »Ruler4You
Posted on February 23, 2012 at 5:34pmGun paranoia has reached an imbecilic level. Only the socialist left could unleash such a mindless diatribe over TOY GUNS!
Liberalism “IS” a mental disorder. Prescriptions are available in the lobby.
Report Post »000degrees
Posted on February 23, 2012 at 6:10pmLet’s see…..toy guns and a show nobody watches or would miss or real national debt….oooooo I can’t decide….
Report Post »Uranium Wedge
Posted on February 23, 2012 at 7:27pmI’m more concerned about their outfits.
Report Post »teamarcheson
Posted on February 23, 2012 at 10:44pmYoung Chinese Girls Dance With Guns And Rifles
Young Korean and Iranian girls also dance with rifles too. So why are THE LIBERAL moms upset about their girls waving 50 cal handguns? If its OK in LIBERAL nations why not here?
Report Post »LIBSALWAYSLIE
Posted on February 24, 2012 at 6:42pmENCINOM is an idiot, a moron, a looser, a mental miget and a liberal. Hi lies every time and wouldnt know the truth if it slapped him in the face.
Report Post »banshee
Posted on March 1, 2012 at 11:14pmI usually don’t like Abby, but for God’s sake, give her a break on this one. We played with toy guns as kids and never became perpetrators of actual gun violence. To anyone who hasnt seen they show, these kids are very talented little dancers, especially Maddie and Chloe. Abby’s probably loving the publicity, but makinga flap about this is just silly.
Report Post »jaylew
Posted on February 23, 2012 at 8:49amThe dance was a “James Bond” themed routine. Why do liberals always try to find something where there is nothing at all?
I like this show…..it is called “Dance Moms”….and it is a snapshot of what goes behind the scenes in Little League, most sports at all levels and also in every other competition based activity.
Always the same liberal spew…..that competition is “bad and unfair”….and that everyone should always go home a winner. These guns were gold plastic..obviously FAKE and were only props for the theme of the dance routine. These Pittsburgh kids are great dancers, Abby is a very stern and direct teacher and coach and like the name implies…the “Dance Moms” are actually very typical of what goes on behind the scenes. If the show bothers people…..don’t watch it. As a fairly conservative person….I think the show is actually fascinating…..and for those of you who are titillated by little girls dancing….perhaps some therapy is in order….I suppose the ballerina outfits from decades ago get your libido pumping too? Please leave the creep factor out of things that are not creepy until you tyr to make them creepy….in fact Toddlers and Tiaras actually does border on creepy….the girls and boys on this show ARE actually dancing…they are NOT parading around to mimic adult oriented behaviors or material.
The Huffington Post is such a d0uchbag rag….
Report Post »lillymckim
Posted on February 23, 2012 at 8:59amI loved the dance routine!
Good job Abbey and the girls!
Report Post »thop1960
Posted on February 23, 2012 at 8:41amIsn’t it the left who is now pushing for women to be able to fight along side men at the front lines of the battlefield? Well, this is a good start in brewing the line of “Special Pr(ops) Soldiers”… Go get em’ girls, hooah!
Report Post »AmazingGrace8
Posted on February 23, 2012 at 11:04amI am not aware of this show but anyway, would the Liberals have a problem if the girls dressed-up and did karate-moves to a song….I won’t mention a song I had in mind because PC is all around us. Girls are “sugar & spice” but should be taught to defend themselves, when necessary. Liberals want to put everyone in “their world”, no thanks!
Report Post »Bum thrower
Posted on February 23, 2012 at 8:36amIf the props had been condums, the ‘state run media’ would have praised the show as “enlightened”; ‘cutting edge’; “with it” .
Really……….who gives a big hairy rat’s anal region?
Report Post »AIDANMAN
Posted on February 23, 2012 at 8:16ambut the dance instructor be a total BIT** is OK, degrading the kids, the moms.. are just typical libritards…
why do you not see the husbands… to embarassed to let anyone know that they are related in any way.. if there is a husband
Report Post »mikenleeds
Posted on February 23, 2012 at 8:15ami love guns and wish everyone had one , it keeps us safe from the bottom feeders
Report Post »bbr48
Posted on February 23, 2012 at 8:04amThis show sucks big time. They are getting a lot of PR off of this eh?
Report Post »s0ck_monkey
Posted on February 23, 2012 at 8:00amMy wife watches this crap. Along with Toddlers & Tiaras, Teen Mom, Jersey Shore, The Kardashians, and some others I don’t even remember the name of. When one these shows is on, I pick up my iPad and head for the bedroom. When asked why she likes to watch those shows she says, “because it’s interesting and I like the drama.” She refuses to believe that 99% of the “drama” is staged and scripted. I refuse to watch all that crap. It has no redeeming value whatsoever.
As to this Dance Mom episode and using toy guys in their routines…so f’n what!! It’s a TOY!! People need to get over themselves.
And the people calling for the banning of guns…if you’re going to ban guns because they “kill people” then you should also ban eating utensils for making people fat.
Report Post »markdido
Posted on February 23, 2012 at 3:00pmWhenever someone watches “Jersey Shore”, a book commits suicide.
Report Post »lel2007
Posted on February 23, 2012 at 7:56amThis show is a sneak peak into Hollywood’s nursery school for sexy babes. Sex sells (Marilyn Monroe). Sex and violence sells better (Lara Croft). Black leather and whips has been done over and over again, time for little golden guns.
Report Post »lel2007
Posted on February 23, 2012 at 7:43amI’d guess that parading sexy 10 year olds across the TV screen is losing viewers, time to stir things up a bit by adding the suggestion of violence. America loves strong sexy babes (i.e. Lora Croft) so why not strong sexy babies?
Report Post »jackbauer
Posted on February 23, 2012 at 7:39amMy daughter is a senior in high school and has competing for at least 10 yrs. Sure there’s some drama among the moms and girls but this show is over the top. Knowing how the competition world works it doesn‘t take long watching the show to know there’s a lot of editing and staging going on. The gun part was just another attention grabber used to drive ratings and get the judges to pay attention to them on stage.
Report Post »dubveedubbee
Posted on February 23, 2012 at 7:36amSo, just so I’m correct here… the story is that they were carrying guns, and not that the 9 year old girls ARE DRESSING LIKE PROSTITUTES? Because I get confused sometimes.
Report Post »supressorgrid
Posted on February 23, 2012 at 7:34amMy four year old garandaughter shoots targets with her airsoft pistol all the time. I see no harm in this. By the way She does know all about the rules of gun safety.
Report Post »grudgywoof
Posted on February 23, 2012 at 7:29amJust more sexualizing of little girls is all I see. Most of the mothers on these shows are fat pigs that live vicariously through their daughters. The pagent shows are the most offensive by dressing up 10 year olds to look like hookers while the molesters sit at home and spank their monkeys and think about how nice it would be to be with the little girls on his street. Sick!
Report Post »SpankDaMonkey
Posted on February 23, 2012 at 6:47am.
Report Post »If our duaghters Dance or Gymnastics Coach acted or talked like that to my wife. Does anyone know how much it cost’s to remove a foot from a behind?…………
pamela kay
Posted on February 23, 2012 at 6:58amSPANKAMONKEY, I have to confess that I watched the show. The mothers are as bad or worse than the instructor. They keep their kids enrolled because that dance studio has had major success and many who have trained there have gotten careers in dance. My take on the show was that it was yet another set up against guns and would be used to gain publicity for gun control. I was surprised at the choice for the routine for the young girls myself and said after watching that the – - – - was going to hit the fan in the media. It is like many of the reality programs which are staged. My grand-daughter dances and that is why it spiked my interest to begin with. The instructer has been everywhere today on TV. Looks like this is yet another program that I will stop watching.
Report Post »Baddoggy
Posted on February 23, 2012 at 7:06amI have a producer friend who puts reality shows together. Arguments are almost always staged and they want the disagreements to flow. The woman probably is not like that until she gets on camera. Once the show is on the air for the third year, the “stars” make a high six figure salary or more. For that much I would fake interest in aout anything or fight about anyone…Right now i do it for free…
Report Post »HuckleberryFriend
Posted on February 23, 2012 at 6:46amThis just in:, flag twirlers attached to college and high school bands all over the nation have been using faux rifles for decades. As far as I know, nobody has gotten all gun crazy over the use of prop guns.
There is a huge difference between dancing around with a piece of wood or plastic and shooting things. These people are just showing their anti-gun bias. It shows a clear misunderstanding of guns and children. (The latter not being surprising at all if you have ever wasted 5 minutes watching the show.)
Report Post »TomFerrari
Posted on February 23, 2012 at 7:10amMy thoughts exactly on the Rifle Corps in all our marching bands!!
That, and,
It is OKAY to dress your pre-pubescent daughter like a PROSTITUTE, but, it is not okay for them to use a gold-painted squirt gun as a prop?
Speaking of squirt guns… Do these mothers want to ban those as un-necessary too???
Report Post »ninetoesjudd
Posted on February 23, 2012 at 6:40amFingers off the triggers, ladies!
Report Post »Out2Sea
Posted on February 23, 2012 at 6:36amThis is 8 mins of my life I will never get back that I have wasted reading about this. : – (
Report Post »Diver Dan
Posted on February 23, 2012 at 6:35amWhat a crock!!! Another attempt by the left to trash the constitution. The kids should be given classes to use real guns.
Report Post »billrow
Posted on February 23, 2012 at 6:28amI really don’t see anything wrong with the kids being given plastic guns, maybe it will prevent future hoplophobia. That said, the show is crap.
Report Post »nuttyvet
Posted on February 23, 2012 at 6:26amwish I had time to melt away my brain with this garbage.
Report Post »Impenitent
Posted on February 23, 2012 at 6:25amthat’s right, can’t even have toy guns… don’t want people to think they have a right to real guns or anything…
politically correct tyrants…
Report Post »Inlandmar2
Posted on February 23, 2012 at 6:18amAnother dose of PC…while American citizens are being hit with stray bullets coming from Mexico. Where is the “Dance Moms” outrage at “Fast and Furious”?
Report Post »kentuckypatriot
Posted on February 23, 2012 at 6:16amThis show is trash. Why anyone watches it is geyond me. Too bad they weren’t in Michigan, I hear some idiot politician wants to make it illegal to carry toy guns!
Report Post »markdido
Posted on February 23, 2012 at 3:03pmBecause most of America has the collective intelligence of a soap dish.
Report Post »THXll38
Posted on February 23, 2012 at 6:14amThe world has gone to hell in a hand basket.
Report Post »