Just Too Busy Being Fabulous
I am, it must be said, not a fan of American Idol. As a resident of a state which has produced at least winners, I have unfortunately had to endure an Idol mania which is far disproportionate to the show's actual importance.
Which is to say, people around me wouldn't shut the bloody hell up about it.
However, this saturation has ensured that I have at least a vague knowledge of the primary contestants in each year's competition--thus, I kept a loose eye on the rise of femme Adam Lambert, curious to see if he would surpass the manufactured homo-hype. Given how rarely this hype is recognized (much less acknowledged), imagine my surprise at finding ‘Idol’ Final Raises Extra Question in today's NYT.
I can't lie, it's nice to see someone making the same points I raised in The Groovy Thing To Do. The dodging of questions, the emphasis on coded appearances, and the assembly line manufacturing style of Motown equals everyone's 'saucy but sweet' gay best shopping buddy in easily packaged CD form.
But unlike Motown, American Idol is a mass-market machine and not a (originally) small minority-owned publisher who goals were both monetary and altruistic. I still can't decide if that's a good or bad thing.
Which is to say, people around me wouldn't shut the bloody hell up about it.
However, this saturation has ensured that I have at least a vague knowledge of the primary contestants in each year's competition--thus, I kept a loose eye on the rise of femme Adam Lambert, curious to see if he would surpass the manufactured homo-hype. Given how rarely this hype is recognized (much less acknowledged), imagine my surprise at finding ‘Idol’ Final Raises Extra Question in today's NYT.
I can't lie, it's nice to see someone making the same points I raised in The Groovy Thing To Do. The dodging of questions, the emphasis on coded appearances, and the assembly line manufacturing style of Motown equals everyone's 'saucy but sweet' gay best shopping buddy in easily packaged CD form.
But unlike Motown, American Idol is a mass-market machine and not a (originally) small minority-owned publisher who goals were both monetary and altruistic. I still can't decide if that's a good or bad thing.