The 2008 Dancing With The Stars cast was announced today, and it was pretty much the usual left/lead-footed suspects:
-- a few athletes (Miami Dolphin Jason Taylor, Olympic ice-skater Kristi Yamaguchi, tennis pro Monica Seles)
-- a fallen A-lister (Police Academy thespian Steve Guttenberg)
-- a MILF (Priscilla Presley)
-- a couple of suddenly-emasculated macho men (Howard Stern replacement DJ/former Man Show host Adam Carolla, grumpy magician Penn Jillette)
-- a hottie who'll look good wearing just a sparse smattering of sequins (American Pie's Shannon Elizabeth)
-- a couple contestants who may have to overcome physical obstacles to compete, a la Heather Mills (hearing-impaired actress Marlee Matlin, heavy-set Hairspray star Marissa Jaret Winokur)
-- and someone no one's ever heard of (Cristian de la Fuente, who apparently used to be on CSI: Miami)
But one new DWTS name stands out, one that doesn't seem to go with the others: R&B superstar Mario. Here's a guy who's still at the top of his game, still young, still hot. Why on earth would someone like Mario want to participate in a show that people like Cliff The Mailman from Cheers, Steve Sanders from Beverly Hills 90210, and tanorexic goon George Hamilton use to tack a 16th minute of fame onto their downward-spiraling careers?
But then I watched Mario's video for "Let Me Love You," and I realized this guy really could benefit from a few dancing lessons. Watch his not-so-fancy footwork below and hope he gets paired with two-time DWTS champs Cheryl Burke or Julianne Hough this season. Ooh boy, he's definitely going to need their help: