If you have a pulse, you probably already are aware of the tremendously bizarre conversation (see the New York Times link above) that the blogosphere is having about the sexual orientation of American Idol contestant Adam Lambert. Why, I’ve even participated in this in a few posts myself from the past few weeks because, well, although I’m not a die-hard fan, it’s hard not to notice the show, hard not to notice Lambert (‘guyliner” does seem to be the number one 2009 trend – after hating the new Facebook redesign) and hard not to see that he is far and away the best singer and best performer that the show has right now. And perhaps ever. I maintain (much to the guffawing of friends) that his renditions of "Mad World" (sublimely tortured and appropriately haunting), "Ring of Fire" (an interpretation that blew my mind away in it's beauty) and the Michael Jackson "Black or White" (fresh, clean and energetic) were comparable with or in the case of "Mad World" succeeded the artistic success of the original recordings.
This is no idle (or is that Idol?) statement.
I have limited patience with any show that keeps Sanjaya level talent on my tv simply to generate ratings, much less makes a national cultural phenomenon out of him. Even my Idol obsessed ex-roommate (who resembled the kid so much he could have been Sanjaya’s dad) admitted that the kid was blessedly talent-free and that he needed to go. I liked that Taylor Hicks was ahem an olderish man than they usually feature (I mean, really, it’s astonishing and bewildering to think that anyone over the age of 16 can sing a worthwhile note.. sarcasm in case you didn’t pick up on that) but even he had, ahem a limited talent range (as one friend in San Francisco said “this is what we’ve been reduced to: level C performers, Hicks, at the singalongs at the Castro Theatre”)
As the weeks have passed and Tuesday nights become increasingly more and more of a wasteland (I did try to like the new 90210 but honestly it seemed to try too hard to be trashy and that kind of desperation turns me off) I have found myself tuning to Idol as the only available option. (and aside, it sucks that it’s killing LOST this season but then again, LOST has killed itself by sacrificing chess-moving plot for actual characterization. I can’t think of a single moment this season when I’ve actually ‘felt’ something for the characters, when a moment has felt ‘true’ and real. I, a LOST devotee bordering on fanatic is now just going through the motions when I watch.)
So when I was first lazily watching this season and saw Adam perform, my immediate thought was “oh they have an 'out' contestant on American Idol”. I never gave it a second thought. And really, why should anyone?
It’s astounding to me that it’s even still an issue in 2009 or that people don’t understand that people like Bill O’Reilly are simply harping on his ‘supposed’ sexuality in order to score attention. I don’t believe for a moment that Bill O’Reilly (or anyone alive) expects our pop stars to be straight and wholesome. Other than Donnie and Marie (and then there’s even some evidence to the contrary with them) has there ever been a squeaky clean pop star? And does being gay constitute being ‘dirty’ somehow?
I guess I’d be more worried about my child seeing that poor sod, the morally bankrupt, braying Bill O’Reilly as a role model rather than the incredibly talented Adam Lambert.Gay, or not.
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