Christi Lukasiak: A Trailblazer in the Reality TV World

Most people have seen some part of at least one reality television show. Some of the popular ones include The Bachelor, Keeping up With the Kardashians, Love Island, and plenty more. One thing that all of these reality TV shows have in common is the drama. More specifically, all of these shows heavily involve women feuding, sabotaging one another, or hitting one another with subtle jabs and insults. Clearly, a common theme of reality TV is their tendency to portray women as passive-aggressive, two-faced, and conniving. A show that really capitalized on this theme on a whole new level is Dance Moms. Although the show is about children navigating the competitive dance world, there is no denying that the main attraction for viewers was--you guessed it--the fights between the mothers. The producers go out of their way to make the majority of the mothers out to be jealous, ruthless, vindictive women who will step on anyone to get ahead--because that is what sells. This kind of drama and rivalry is what makes the show interesting and addictive to viewers, admittedly including myself.

While most of the moms on the show conspired behind each others’ backs to get their children ahead, there was one woman who was authentic, funny, and most importantly, straightforward. This woman was none other than Christi Lukasiak. Although Christi had her fair share of outbursts, fights and drama on the show, what set her apart from the typical reality TV woman stereotype was, in my opinion, her honesty. She was not a bully like the infamous Abby Lee Miller, but she was not afraid to speak up when she was upset about something. Many of the mothers on this show were known to do things in secret or talk behind each others’ backs, which, again, must have been organized by the producers at least in part. However, even with the producers of the show trying to get the mothers to backstab their friends and do shady things, Christi was a force to be reckoned with. She stood up for not only her own child, but the other children as well. She was clear about where her loyalties lied, and most of the time valued open communication.

What stands out to me about Christi Lukasiak on Dance Moms is how she refused to fit into the mold of a sneaky, complicated woman, like reality TV would have you believe all women are. Instead, she chose to simply be herself. Even beyond her Dance Moms career, Christi has gone on to help guide young adults like myself who are just starting out in the “real world” through her program, Adulting 101. She is dedicated to uplifting other women and building up their confidence, just as we have seen her do for her own daughter Chloe all throughout their time on Dance Moms. Christi is not perfect by any means, but I am inspired by her. I admire her because she keeps it real, she keeps it raw, and although she has made mistakes, one mistake she never made is allowing a TV show to tell her who to be. She’s just her. I think that is something that young women can learn from, and hopefully someday the industry will change, as will our perceptions about women being double-crossing and superficial.

Image Source:

https://dancemagazine.com.au/2018/04/the-girls-are-back-in-town-the-irreplaceables-tour/