American Idol: Search for a Straight-Acting Pop Star
January 24, 2006: If you have teenagers or preteens, there’s a good chance they’re watching American Idol (AI). But on the one episode I watched this year, I was stuck by two instances of rather mean-spirited homophobia. In one, Simon (and if you have to ask who “Simon” is, you’re a better person than I am!) told a somewhat effeminate young man that he’d be more successful if he marketed himself as a female impersonator.
In the other instance, a young man who appeared to be cross-gendered was also made to look ridiculous. The judges ogled him as if he was a Martian, and their distain and/or “ewwww” factor was pretty palpable. The judges asked him about his gender, and when he asserted that he was a boy, the judges looked like they had swallowed a frog. Clearly, we were supposed to join in on the “joke.” But what’s so funny about a boy who appears feminine?
This is the kind of thing that really irks me, because while AI pokes fun at bad singers, there’s no other minority group they’d feel so free to offend. Also, what is the message they’re sending their target audience? The young people who watch AI are exactly the ones most likely to be hurt by this gratuitous gay-bashing.
I read on some websites that the Gay and Lesbian Alliance against Defamation (www.GLAAD.org) strongly denounced the show, but on their homepage, GLAAD is careful to make clear that while they’ve raised some concerns, they haven’t called AI “homophobic” or “increasingly homophobic.” That’s too bad. AI is targeting effeminate boys for ridicule. GLAAD should go after this popular show with both barrels.
January 25th, 2006 at 8:25 am
I’m ashamed of myself. I’m sure that I saw the cases you’ve described - and yet I did nothing.
I don’t know what to do.
January 26th, 2006 at 5:43 pm
I am gay and. of course, not homophobic.
Simon is saying the straight truth.
I also think that that one guy would do better if he was a woman impersonator. As a man, and in general, he’s a horrible singer.
The other guy looked like a woman but said he’s a man. I do not know who’s more “homophobic” here: the guy himself or the judges. But anyway, those judges do not have to like everyone or anyone. They did not make similar comments against other many effeminate men in the competition.
They also made general comments about other people look, behavior, presentation and voice. You need a certain kind of appearance and talent to succeed as a singer.
Ron
January 26th, 2006 at 11:07 pm
While I agree that it was wrong for the judges/producers to show these people in that way, we should also notice, and I’m not saying that it was right, that Simon has also made comments about some of the contestant’s weight, age, and other obviously different characteristics. While the gay contestants have a right to look/dress the way they do without being made fun of, so does the stripper chic from last night’s show who was made fun of for her outfit, the girl who tans too much and wears too much make up, and the person (wasn’t sure it it was a boy or girl) who hat the green hair. All forms of self expression.
I sorta look at the AI judges/producers as school bullies that make fun of everything that is different about the contestants. And unfortunately, the general American audience enjoys this type of behavior.
Again, I’m not supporting this, but before the LGBT community strikes out against this institution, we should realize that there are many more communities being attacked on this show. So we shouldn’t make it a gay issue, rather a moral issue.
I am a fan of American Idol, but not at this point in the contest. Now they are focused on showing the worst auditions and ripping them apart. It makes me very upset. I look forward to the main part of the competition when they actually focus on talent.
January 27th, 2006 at 12:31 am
I’m glad to see people weighing in.
I used to watch the show, but only rarely the audition episodes. Now that I am watching, it is amazing how mean-spirited the whole exercise is. The show does delight in featuring odd, if not mentally-challenged, people.
However, that doesn’t mean I excuse the homophobia. I don’t care if they also make fun of other people - I only saw one episode, and two effeminate men were held up for ridicule. These men were demeaned because of the their gender identity. They weren’t told they couldn’t sing, they were treated like freaks. That crosses the line for me.