Gay Guy Loses American Idol

I don't watch American Idol, but I do write for a gossip blog, I do visit EW.com every day, and I do watch a lot of other TV. So every year, during Idol season, names start seeping into my head that I recognize but don't identify: Bo Bice. Danny Gokey. David whatsisname. Who are these people, I ask? And then, in May, it hits me: oh, they all must have been American Idol contestants. Duh.

This year, the name I kept hearing was Adam Lambert. I even identified his Idol affiliation early on, when he graced the cover of Entertainment Weekly. Did I bother reading the article? Hell no.

But now Idol is over, and the winner -- not him, some other dude who may or may not have deserved it, depending on who you ask and how big of a homophobia axe they have to grind -- has been announced. It's everywhere, and it would be stupid not to talk about it. So I went back and read the Entertainment Weekly article.

Here's what I learned: he's very obviously gay, but for some reason, people still aren't sure, apparently just because he refuses to say so in public.

Here's what I also learned: he's sparked a big "is American Idol ready for a gay winner?" thing. And since he didn't win, accusations of homophobia have started flying. At least from people who don't like Kris Allen.

The obvious joke here would be to say that Idol is already the gayest show ever, so all of this seems to be a wholly manufactured set of issues.

Actually, that's all I got. Obvious joke = exactly what I'm thinking.

Beyond that, though, accusations of homophobia are pretty pointless, because unlike when Brokeback Mountain lost Best Picture, for example, the public voted. Accusing "the public" of homophobia is the most pointless thing ever -- especially since "the public" voted for a flamboyantly gay glam-rocker enough to propel him into second place in a nationwide open competition.

And let's face it: the majority of American Idol's "public" are pubescent girls and pop culture junkies, and neither of those demographics are known for flagrant homophobia.

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