Greg's American Idol Exclusive: Part 3...
There is a new issue of The Advocate out so I finally feel like I can share with you the rest of my recent cover story on "American Idol." I've provided the first two links for you so you can start from the beginning then you can read to the very end. It's interesting to me: since the article appeared, the gay baiting between Simon Cowell and Ryan Seacrest (detailed in this third installment) seems to have diminished. We still have not heard a peep from Mario Vazquez who the editors put on the cover and, of course Clay Aiken has been busy on goodwill missions to Afghanistan.
Anyway, here is the rest!
Click HERE to read Part One
Click HERE to read Part Two
Damon Romine, media director of the Gay and Lesbian Association Against Defamation believes that American Idol contestants are no different from other aspiring stars who don’t want to give themselves any kind of perceived disadvantage in achieving success.
"By and large, many gay and lesbian performers have felt some pressure — either internal or external — to keep their private lives private as they strive to achieve some level of stardom," he says. "But as we’ve seen, when celebrities do come out, their lives ultimately change for the better as they are able to live openly and honestly."
Many point to Elton John and the Scissor Sisters as a few examples of international success while others can’t help but bring up the case of season two runner-up Clay Aiken, whose sexuality has been widely speculated upon. But Aiken, in various interviews where the subject has been broached, has chosen to neither confirm or deny whether he is gay. He also has refused to respond to aggressive bloggers and others who have tried to force his hand.
"It really actually makes me sad that he feels that he can’t be himself," season one out finalist R.J. Helton says of Aiken. "Maybe he’s just not comfortable with his own skin yet. I think he’s got so much clout that he could do a lot for other gay artists."
Adds fellow season one out finalist Jim Verraros: "Clay’s got a lot more invested in him than I do, millions of dollars on RCA. We don’t know who in his camp might be saying, ‘We will drop you so fast your head will spin.’ He has more to lose. I think it’s sad because I don’t know how much more obvious you can get."
Neither Aiken or his representatives had any comment for this story.
Last season, GLAAD met with the show’s producers because they were appalled by homophobic remarks made by judges Cowell and fellow judge Randy Jackson. During one of the early tryout shows when auditions
are taking place throughout the country, Cowell told one effeminate wannabe to "shave off your beard and wear a dress." The incident was edited with the song "The Crying Game" in the background. Jackson had asked another audition hopeful, "Are you a girl?" Neither contestant made it past the tryouts.
While GLAAD has had little issue with Idol so far this season, there does remain the strange gay-tinged banter between Seacrest and Cowell who base many of their exchanges with thinly-veiled suggestions that
the other is gay.Their gay-baiting reached an unprecedented level during the show’s March 13 segment which happened to feature gay icon Diana Ross as guest mentor. Seacrest asked contestant Melinda Doolittle the hardest part about being in the top 12. She said it was "high heels and dresses."
Seacrest: "Simon, any advice on high heels/"
Cowell: "You should know Ryan."
Seacrest: "Stay out of my closet."
Cowell: "Come out."
Another exchange was shown in part on the March 18 edition of 60 Minutes during a segment on Cowell who was profiled by Anderson Cooper:
Seacrest: "Don't call me sweetheart. ...We don't have that kind of
relationship. I don't want that kind of relationship."
Cowell: "I don't want that kind of relationship."
Seacrest: "Exactly. We'll just work together,
that's fine with me."
The Seacrest/Cowell flirtations aside, the question remains whether American Idol’s gay fan base, thought to be active voters on the show, is enough to counter viewers who might be anti-gay and not support an openly gay contestant even if they stand out in the field.
Both Verraros and Helton have enormous confidence in the gay vote.
"Gay bars across the world are watching Idol Tuesday and Wednesday nights," Helton says. "It’s not so far-fetched that we could have a gay American idol."
Verraros attributes it to the type of fans that gays typically are.
"I think the gays are very aware of talent and you gotta get our vote," he says. "We’ll carry you, we’ll be loyal to you. As soon as you get the gays’ support, we’ll rally around you."
The gay fan base certainly made its power known during season five when one of the front-runners, Mandisa, was voted off following comments she made about never wanting to appear at a gay pride festival.
In contrast, Kimberly Locke, third place finisher from season two, performs at plenty of LGBT events and has a very loyal gay fan base.
"My fan base is mostly gay and I do well in the metropolitan cities," says Verraros, who expects to release his second CD this summer. "But it’s hard for me to say gay is not an issue. None of the labels have taken a chance on an openly gay artists and made them break. I think an artist will have to do it on their own and then the labels will be
less homophobic. I would hope that we we’ve reached a better place of understanding."
About Out
in Hollywood
Greg Hernandez, Page 2 "News Lite" columnist for the Los Angeles Daily News, gives you a fly-on-the-wall account of the Oscars and other awards show, movie premieres, film festivals and various star-studded events. He also shares his celebrity interviews as well as specially-selected videos and photos. He writes about all things pop culture through a gay man's eyes ...
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