This time, they’ve banded together to make sure that their favorite son, Kris Allen, was successful in defeating his gay rival, Adam Lambert, out of the popular “American Idol” contest.
At least, that’s what a lot of Adam Lambert worshippers out there are screaming.
The first I heard about this controversy was on the popular country music radio show, “Doc and Grace in the Morning” (K92FM) last week. Host “Doc” Holliday, an Adam Lambert supporter, was complaining that his favorite lost to Kris Allen, who he regarded as having no talent as opposed to Lambert, whom he had praised as having a “powerful, singing voice.
Doc fumed that the reason why Lambert lost was because of the “anti-gay Christian community” deciding to gang up and vote for Kris Allen, who has worked as a church-worship leader (it is also widely believed that supporters of Danny Gokey, who is a church music director, may have played a part in this by throwing their support to Allen after Gokey left). Judging from the outcry from several media sources, it looks like Doc isn’t alone in this theory.
Upset Canadian fan Alison Edgar theorized that Lambert was just too “radical” for American viewers.
“I think that some Kris and Danny fans got together and said, ‘Adam’s too wierd, let’s get him out'” she said.
Honestly now, do you people really believe that American Idol voters are that sophisticated?
Grace Vasquez, Doc’s co-host on the show, stayed out of his rant for the most part, but did correctly point out to him that American Idol, and other shows like it, are really more about popularity, not actual talent. Anyone who follows the show knows that sometimes, the losers are more successful in their musical careers than the winners are. Just ask Ruben Studdard and Taylor Hicks.
On second thought, forget it. That might not be a good idea.
This incident reminds me of a scene from the Russel Crowe movie “Gladiator.
Proximo (Oliver Reed), an elderly slave dealer and former gladiator who had won his freedom, was chastising his best fighter Maximus (Russell Crowe) about killing his opponents too quickly, resulting in a lack of “showmanship” for the crowd. Pure talent alone wasn’t going to be enough to survive the Colosseum.
“I wasn’t the best because I killed quickly”, he said. “I was the best because the crowd loved me. Win the crowd, and you’ll win your freedom.”
It’s not about talent, it’s about popularity. It’s how Proximo won his freedom.
It’s how most contestants on these reality shows continue to get voted on to the finals.
It’s how Barack Obama won the last election. Sad but true. It’s called the “American Idol Election” for a reason.
At any rate, the American Idol controversy isn’t going to change our personal lives in any way, so we may as well get over it. If we had paid as much attention to issues that actually do affect our lives, maybe our country wouldn’t be in the mess that its in now.
Sources:
Lambert Lovers Mourn, but Does ‘Idol’ Loss Matter?: Jocelyn Noveck, AP 05/21/09
Shocker: Kris Allen Takes ‘American Idol’ Title : Lynn Elber, AP 05/21/09
