What’s more, the show has proven that working out can be fun, and that dancing is an excellent way to shed some unwanted pounds, build muscle, and start living an overall healthier lifestyle. I know I signed up for Zumba and impulsively bought the DWTS Cardio Dance workout DVD without batting an eye.

As DWTS has increased our awareness of fun ways to stay fit, it’s also a great vehicle to demonstrate that fitness comes in all shapes and sizes. In the past, we’ve seen DWTS combat some of the Hollywood stereotypes that distort women’s body images across the country. Remember when all 167 pounds of Laila Ali made it to the top three? How about when Sabrina Bryan, who is “chunky” by Hollywood standards, was sent home simply because everyone thought she was too talented to need their votes?

Most importantly, consider the fact that normally the beauty queens and supermodels are the first to get the boot: Paulina Porizkova, Shandi Finnessey, and Shoana Moakler are among the competitors who never saw round three, and thus, they all blend together into one generic DWTS loser, while fan favorites like Marisa Jaret Winokur show you that being skinny doesn’t mean you can move.

That being said, the enormously talented professionals with DWTS also have very different looks, which is great, because it shows that they are all very individual, not just some manufactured dancing Barbie doll. However, this season I’ve been disappointed to see the media scrutiny that Cheryl Burke has had to deal with. Just because Cheryl doesn’t have the rail-thin body of Edyta, it doesn’t mean she’s gotten “fat,” and either way, DWTS shouldn’t be the show to decide who’s fat or thin, because for several years, it’s been more about techniques and talents than the number of ribs that protrude when someone arabesques.

If I had Cheryl Burke’s body, I’d be thrilled. Not only would I look amazing, but I’d know I was in great physical condition. So why is it that two-time champ Cheryl is suddenly under scrutiny? Girlfriend can move– and isn’t this a dance competition? Karina Smirnoff and Edyta Sliwinska’s outfits are getting smaller and smaller, and our former champ, Cheryl, is being put under a microscope.

I’m not saying Edyta is at fault for being so skinny with such a huge rack, or that Karina’s to blame for making me second-guess the cheeseburger I had at lunch. I just thought that the lesson we learned from the first six seasons of DWTS was that “fit” comes in all shapes and sizes. Edyta, Karina, Cheryl, Julianne, Kym, and, this season, Lacey all put in grueling hours as they patiently teach their partners to dance like pros. Just because they have different body types doesn’t mean that one is “fat” or another is “better.”

So please, DWTS fans, media, paparazzi, and whomever else is trying to turn my favorite dance competition into an anorexia playground, just back off. I would love to have one of those girls’ bodies… but I would much rather have their talent.

Drinking too much is bad. Urging people to drink safely and stay away from their car after a few beers is good. Using a half-naked chick to tell people drinking too much is bad, especially if they want to drive…is confusing.

Arrive Alive, an organization devoted to ending drunk driving, has recently begun a prevention campaign that consists of lifelike stickers of a totally wasted girl in both men’s and women’s restrooms. The girl in the men’s restroom sticker is sitting with her thigh-high stockinged legs apart, eyes drooping, as though she’s just stumbled into the wrong bathroom and collapsed on the floor. I’ll sober up when I’m behind the wheel, her black shirt states.

The same girl is featured in the women’s restroom sticker, except this time, she’s on all fours, presuming throwing up, her thong underwear clearly showing. I just need to get it out of my system, her shirt explains.

While the idea is certainly a good one, I wonder why the campaign is using a barely-clothed girl as their image. Surely they’re not saying all women who drink too much are sluts? Surely they’re not saying women are the only ones who make stupid decisions when it comes to alcohol? Surely they’re not trying to turn men on, perpetuating the “drunk and easy” stereotype?

The argument that an image of a scantily clad girl catches people’s eye is kind of bullshit when we’re talking about a campaign intended to produce healthy choices. How healthy is it to use a wasted girl to get the attention of men? How healthy is it to emphasize a drunk woman’s sexuality?

What do you think? Just enough shock to scare people straight? Or sexually exploitive?

I was a sorority girl.

I went to college with the firm belief that I would never ever go Greek. Yet there I was at my first rush event freshman year, awkwardly chatting with 30 or so girls. I didn’t really know why I was there, except that a girl on my crew team was in the group and had invited me to come. She seemed normal, and very much not what I had envisioned a sorority girl to look like.

None of these girls fit the stereotype. That was probably what attracted me the most to this particular group of girls. I thought there must be something to this whole thing if all these very different, very interesting women were a part of it.

A few years out of school now, I look back on my time spent with those girls very fondly, and when I tell people I was in a sorority they are just as shocked as I was when my teammate revealed to me her Greek affiliation.

Before you run out to your first rush function, there are some things to consider.

First of all, there is the inevitable pledge period which will suck. Your life suddenly becomes not yours anymore, and your grades will probably drop due to a complete lack of sleep and late night phone calls. The amount of crap you will have to endure will depend entirely on the group, but there will be some level of suckiness, so prepare for the worst.

Even though I felt like my sorority was full of very different personalities, each school will have it’s own stereotype for each Greek group. At my school there were 5 sororities and they were divided into 5 labels. There were the rich anorexic girls, the preppy good girls, the nerdy yet lovable girls, the nerdy and not so lovable girls, and finally us, the drugged up shady girls. To a certain extent these labels came from somewhere, but just keep in mind that your affiliation will follow you throughout your college career.

It also takes time and money to be a part of a sorority. You have to pay dues, and go to meetings and organize events. My parents thought sororities were an excuse to gather and drink (which I’ll be honest, it kind of was) so they weren’t about to front the money. I ended up working at the security office twice a week to pay my dues. All this stuff can at times feel like more trouble than it’s worth.

Rushing is a painful experience. When I finally decided I wanted in, there were asses to kiss and far too much drinking. Though most schools have policies that formal rush events cannot serve alcohol, the informal ones involve case races and shots. Bonding with other rushies can often include holding your new friend’s hair back as she pukes off of the porch, not that I know from experience.

The Greek life is certainly not for everyone.

For love of God, think about it and be choosy about how you want to spend 4 years of your life. I loved being in a sorority but it certainly limits how you spend your time socially. I had never had friends that were girls and I got to know a lot of great ones. For all the times I regretted going to that first rush function, I think about every killer party we threw and it somehow becomes all worth it.