GLAAD wants a summit meeting with the producers of American Idol after being offended by allegedly homophobic remarks by judges Simon Cowell and Randy Jackson.

I saw one of the incidents (yes, my whole family watches Idol..) and frankly the young man was not just gay, but odd-dysfunctional-gay. It helps to understand that thousands if not tens of thousands of people show up at these auditions and only a mere fraction ever get to warble in front of Simon, Randy and Paula. Its not that talent is scarce--I've been told by credible sources that really talented people get axed early on because they don't fit into the dynamic the producers envisioned. Its also clear that some dreadfully untalented people get moved up to be laughingstocks. The young man in question was there to be laughed at (he was very effeminate, wearing a baby-T and long hair parted in the middle in a page-boy type cut).

Unlike so many of the others, this guy was clearly not in on the joke. He wasn't there in a chicken suit trying to get on television, he was there to sing and "go to Hollywood". There is a distinct probability that he was passed up the line so we could all laugh at his flamboyant homosexuality.

GLAAD is right to pursue this, but there is a larger point--I am not sure I like what it says about this country that we would exploit people this way. This is far more than simply being uncomfortable with differences (perfectly natural really), but a matter of setting aside someone's humanity for a laugh. What's next? Throwing people to lions?

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Conservative Revolution

Those of you that saw the episode know that Randy needed to ask that question because the guy said, while dressed like a girl with makeup on, “I sometimes get confused for a girl”. If you saw this person on the street you would have thought it was a girl.:

I wasn't sure either, but should he be held up as an object of derision? For ratings? Maybe I'm wrong, but it doesn't feel right.

Res Ipsa Loquitor