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Why isn’t Adam our ‘Idol?’
The Internet sea is roiling today with analysis of Kris Allen’s “American Idol” win and what it says about you, me and our attitudes toward Adam Lambert’s undeclared sexual preference. Here are a few quick takes:
The TV Addict calls the contest a “lose/lose conclusion,” arguing that depending which way the outcome landed, it would have been viewed as either a victory for left-leaning liberals or indication of a conspiracy on the part of “Idol” judges.
New York Magazine’s Chris Rozvar, in its “Vulture” column, argues that loser Adam Lambert’s ambiguous sexuality was not a factor as much as the simple fact that he is different, pointing out that, “when placed in the context of Kris, or even Danny Gokey, (Lambert) represents The Other.”
The American-Statesman’s own Michael Barnes blogs about the show’s gay-straight social dynamic, comparing the two finalists’ victory/defeat embrace to that of last year’s contenders, David Cook and David Archuleta: “The cute, straight, gay-friendly boy (Allen) clearly bonded deeply with the accomplished, glamorous, presumably gay man (Lambert). And both seemed comfortable with the power sharing. That flips last year’s finale relationship, when the cute, friendly, presumably gay boy (I could be wrong) bonded with the accomplished, somewhat glamorous straight man. And both seemed relieved by the outcome.”
The New York Times’ Alessandra Stanley contends that the vote doesn’t reveal as much about the state of America as does the success of the ‘Idol” machine itself: “ ‘American Idol’ matters not just as a pop culture phenomenon, but as an institution that works — with scary efficiency — at a time when so many other American enterprises seem flawed or imperiled. It stands out this season in particular: ‘American Idol’ is a money-making machine in the middle of a worldwide recession, an old-fashioned must-see television hit at a time when the Internet and cable have eaten away at the networks’ hegemony.”
What do you think? Did America crown Kris Allen based solely on his vocal abilities? Are we ready for a possibly-gay Idol? Does it matter? Post your opinions below.
Permalink | Comments (3) | Post your comment Categories: American Idol, Entertainment
Comments
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By bec
May 24, 2009 2:33 PM | Link to this
'Part of a star's job is to play into their fans fantasies'? Not sure that's true, actually. Adam's job is to sing and he does it fantastically. I can only presume that his unique style of performance comes from who he is as a person, so his playing to teenage girls' fantasies would be a crying shame. His not winning Idol is astonishing to me, but if we're not still hearing his name in thirty years time I'll be more astonished still. The most talented contestant I've seen on Idol or any other show by far.
By A
May 21, 2009 8:09 PM | Link to this
Who cares if Adam is gay or not? His sexuality should not even be an issue. Never before on Idol has there been someone as exciting and as talented as Adam. He left his fans waiting with anticipation each week to see what his next performance would be, and his vocals were far better than any of the other contestants. Adam will be a lasting superstar, while in a few years people will be saying, "Kris who?"
By Larry
May 21, 2009 6:27 PM | Link to this
Hmmm...'straight boy, gay man'. Kind of an odd characterization of the two contestants. Also not sure what you meant by 'ambiguous sexuality'...there have been stories in the last couple days showing Adam kissing other men. Teenage girl's fantasies about falling in love and buying a star's dvd's is a little difficult if the star is known to be gay. Just look at Clay, when he admitted he was gay his next album sold only 6,000 copies. Part of a star's job is to play into their fans fantasies.