Lara Spencer Releases Ballet Segment After Insensitive Toxic Masculinity Comments

Lara Spencer, whom you might know as one of Good Morning America’s co-anchors, has apologized after insensitive and misguided remarks regarding Prince George’s incursion in ballet. Spencer described what the future King of England’s curriculum would look like, making snarky remarks towards the end: “Young Prince George, just six years old, heading back to school like so many kids around the world, but unlike other kids his age, it sounds like the third in line to the throne is in for quite a demanding year,” said Spencer. “In addition to the usual first or second grade things, like math, science and history, the future King of England will be putting down the Play-Doh to take on religious studies, computer programming, poetry and… ballet, among other things.”

“Prince William says Prince George absolutely loves ballet. I have news for you, Prince William: We’ll see how long that lasts,” she double-downed. Spencer can be seen really going out of her way to make “ballet” sound as odd as possible, sparking criticism and outrage for feeding into toxic masculinity that associates dancing, particularly ballet, as an inappropriate activity for boys and men alike. In the segment, you could hear the audience laughing, as well as her co-anchor George Stephanopoulos giggling.

But her ill-intentioned remarks are too close to real experiences of bullying male dancers have faced their entire lives. “Growing up as a dancer I was bullied horribly which is exactly what this is,” choreographer Brian Friedman, said on Instagram. “She is teaching the word that it is okay to laugh at boys for dancing and that is so sad. Just think about the young boys who may have seen this and could quit their passion at her expense. It infuriates me and I would appreciate everyone sharing this and forcing a public apology to Prince George, The Royal Family, all male dancers and all dancers in general for being so insensitive.”

“My sincere apologies for an insensitive comment I made in pop news yesterday. From ballet to anything one wants to explore in life, I say GO FOR IT. I fully believe we should all be free to pursue our passions. Go climb your mountain-and love every minute of it.” While this apology has been accepted, many regarded it as falling short. For this reason, Spencer dedicated an entire segment to apologize about her “screw up,” in which she got together with dancers Robbie Fairchild, Fabrice Calmels, and Travis Wall who told her about their bullying experiences. In the end, the experience turned a mistake into a valuable lesson, and isn’t that what outrage should eventually lead to?

Read more:
Why Meghan Markle Will Have To Dress Modestly For The Rest Of Her Life
The Tragic Story Of The Romanov’s, The Last Russian Royal Family, In 18 Photos
Celebrity Engagement Rings: 10 Of The Most Jaw Dropping Diamonds In History