Evangelical homophobes getting huge backlash from American Idol fans

[kerry-is-my-prez]

Apparently, Evangelical groups were organizing to vote off openly gay Adam. These were people who didn't watch the show but just voted to get rid of the "evil one." Coincidentally, this may have done more to help turn people against homophobia than anything in a long time. A lot of people are also bringing up that the same group brought us another mediocre person in the name of religion: Bush.

I guess if THAT'S what it takes to get people to finally wake up....

Check out how angry these people are on the message board:
http://weblogs.newsday.com/entertainment/music/idol/blog/2009/05/kris_allen_upsets_adam_lambert.html

[elocs]

1. Let's be honest--people here at DU who do not watch the show were asked to vote for Adam.

I don't think there was any vast conspiracy that made Kris the new American Idol. I think this was like the aftermath of a runoff election where people who previously supported someone else in the end for whatever reason decided to support Kris over Adam. If this were a cause that we believed in we would have no problem at all in organizing votes for Adam even by those who do not watch the show. Evangelicals voting for Kris may have contributed to his victory but they were not the entire reason. Kris and Adam definitely had contrasting singing styles and some people, even DUers, preferred Kris to Adam.

[stray cat]

2. I suspect many voted for the person they wanted - and a few on either side mobilized

for the sake of mobilizing and not because of the contestants themselves.

[elocs]

22. I think that is probably true, but you have to be very dedicated to cast a counted vote.

I tried a number of times over a few hours and I never succeeded even once.

[blm]

27. 38 million votes from Arkansas out of 100 million cast nationally makes him Arkansas Idol - sheesh

that's BEYOND mobilization - it's rigging a national contest in one state. And I wouldn't doubt that some heavyweight communication officials made it easier for those Arkansas lines to count.

[MineralMan]

3. It's like all of those stupid online polls.

They don't reflect reality in any way, and are subject to manipulation by people who want to manipulate them. I have no idea which of the two was a superior performer, since I never watch reality shows of any kind.

They have nothing whatever to do with reality. The "voting" is bogus, and is deliberately designed to be manipulated.

Frankly, this should be a non-issue, in my opinion.

[cboy4]

5. You have no idea what you're talking about, do you?

You just admitted you don't watch, so how would you know anything about this situation?

[MineralMan]

12. Neither did many who voted. It's clear that

the vote was manipulated. So, I do know what I'm talking about. I don't know anything about the contestants, though, other than what I read here. I do know about manipulation of voting, though. That's why the whole thing is meaningless, and has nothing to do with the talent or lack of same between the two finalists.

What did I get wrong?

[kerry-is-my-prez]

7. This is the first season I watched and Adam was so superior- the music industry & critics agreed.

This kid is going to be huge. Normally, you couldn't pay me to watch that lame show but I taped it every week and fast forwarded just to see Adam. He is going to be as big as Elvis.

This is a social issue about bigotry against gays and it has finally dragged mainstream America into it.

I'm usually into just classical music and opera but I'm watching all of his videos on u-tube.

Check it out and tell me that this isn't one of the most incedible performances in a long time:

http://vodpod.com/watch/1504070-adam-lambert-american-idol-8-tears-for-fears

[MineralMan]

13. As I said, I don't watch unreality shows, so I couldn't compare

the performances. Nor do I care. My point is that the voting was manipulated, so it makes no sense. Since the voting was not based on talent, but on political issues, it's irrelevant.

[Bluebear]

15. "I've never watched, but this is a non-issue, in my opinion."

:silly:

[MineralMan]

19. You didn't even bother to quote me correctly.

I've never watched the show. You got that right. But I did not say it was a non-issue. I said it SHOULD be a non-issue.

I compared the vote to an online poll. Did I get that wrong? Were there not calls on both sides to go manipulate the vote?

Don't misquote me, please. Address my questions.

[elocs]

21. Yes, the voting is bogus and if it is an issue it is a very fluff one.

I once had a state senator here, a Democrat by the name of Paul Offner. When he first ran his campaign slogan was, "Vote once, Vote Offner. That is American Idol. I wonder what it would be like if the contestants who were voted off were the ones who voted for the winner?

[cboy4]

4. It's not the same thing.Unlike the right wing fundamentalist

Christian conservative nutballs, DUers didn't vote out of bigotry. :eyes:

[kerry-is-my-prez]

6. I'm just glad that this got some normally apolitical people to get angry for a change.

It's turning out to be another red state vs. blue state thing there.

[cboy4]

9. Yea, it's total red state v blue state

And I don't have anything against Kris per se, because I think he's got a great voice.

It's just that .. well, I don't have to explain it to you. You know.

[elocs]

20. Yes, it really is the same thing. We both vote and support that in which we believe.

We believe they are morally wrong, but if we were to learn that Kris was a staunch Republican and Adam was a Democrat there would be many here who would back Adam out of political bigotry even if Kris were the better singer, which I don't believe he is. Either way you cannot condemn the Evangelicals for getting people who never watch the show to support Kris because the same thing was requested here for support of Adam.

[DatManFromNawlins]

28. Of course not, they just voted for the gay guy

because of what they assumed would be bigotry, regardless of the performances.

It's still pathetic, just a different kind of pathetic.

[stanwyck]

33. I had never watched the show before. Yet I watched the finale

and now I know what a charade that show really is. Kris is a lousy singer. And Adam is not.
Yet Kris won. 14-hr. girls voted for him. So, he's the American Idol. No matter that he's mediocre, at best.
The show seems pointless.

[Cha]

8. I don't watch American Idol but I've

been hearing and reading a lot about Adam Lambert in US Weekly and on Jimmy Kimmel..they love him!

[kerry-is-my-prez]

10. A lot of people are saying he's the next superstar - the new Elvis.

I agree with them.

[Cha]

11. Yesss! And, we all know that

you don't have to be an Idol winner to get to superstar status and I'm talkin' Jennifer Hudson:D

[kerry-is-my-prez]

14. Check out this post: about Bush on one of the AI blogs.....

"Now the rest of the world clearly understands just how bad the Red Neck problem is in the states. These are the same low IQ Hillbillies who put another low IQ hillbilly in the White House not once, but twice."

[SalviaBlue]

16. It is my belief that the average age of the voters is about 14.

I think that says more about who wins than anything.

I did watch and I think Adam was a way better performer than Kris. But think Kris appealed more to the little girls.

[undeterred]

17. These votes are won or lost by the teenagers

who spend hours voting over and over again for their favorite person or people. I do watch the show, but I don't care enough to even vote once. I can't imagine why anyone over the age of 15 or 16 would sit there voting for hours after the show is over.

[Bluebear]

18. O'Reilly: Will the Christian Beat the Alleged Gay on American Idol?

http://www.towleroad.com/2009/05/oreilly-will-the-christian-beat-the-alleged-gay-on-american-idol.html

Right, no FOX viewers got involved.

[undeterred]

24. Yeah, that's what I said.

Everything in the world is about YOU.

[Bluebear]

25. Oops, I forgot, you are the leading authority on EVERYTHING.

:silly:

[Occulus]

31. When you posted, I heard "Jesse Owens was ONLY an athlete." n/t

[Feron]

23. I think that people are reading too much into this.

A lot of ppl assumed that Adam would win and likely didn't vote. And while I love Adam, I got tired of the judges constantly pimping him and treating him like the winner. In that sense, I'm glad that Adam didn't win just to give the finger to the judges.

Kris had been gaining momentum throughout the competition and peaked at the right time last week with his rendition of Heartless. Because his fanbase was fired up, I think that helped put Kris over the finish line more than anything else.

Both men are mad talented, but they are very different musically. Personally I'm a fan of both and I hope that 19evil doesn't turn their debut albums into unlistenable dreck.

Adam will go on tour this summer and he'll have an album out in the fall/winter. So he gets the prize package and a platform to promote future endeavors, but not the Idol obligations like cheesy photo ops that go with the title. Honestly I think that not winning is far better than winning.

[undeterred]

26. For some people everything has to be politicized.

To me its a singing contest that I enjoy watching once in a while. I don't care enough to vote and I don't care who wins. And the only place I've heard anyone care about the sexual orientation or other data on the contestants is here at DU. The teenagers who spend hours calling in are a lot more open minded than the older generations watching the show.

[blm]

30. It shouldn't be political at all, but, since the RW made it their fight, it's fine with me that some

justice-minded folks have shown fit to counter their tactics.

Fox gamed this with their constant reminders to their audiences that it was a 'values' contest while flashing pictures of Adam embracing another man.

I doubt it was just teens who managed to get 38 million votes out of Arkansas.

[undeterred]

32. I watch American Idol but I don't watch Fox news

so I never saw anything about values or Adam being gay. If it comes from the Fox network thats not hard to believe. But it certainly doesn't come from the American Idol show itself. The judges really try to make this a contest about singing, and I think if it were up to them, Adam would be the winner.

Kris Allen's home state is Arkansas. I am inclined to believe that people were voting for Kris, who is a really nice guy, a good musician, and the homestate favorite, rather than that they were voting against Adam. Its also the home state of Bo Bice, who lost to Kerry Underwood a few years ago because he didn't get enough votes.

The show must make a ton of money for Fox.

[blm]

35. That is true, the show itself didn't do it. But FOX affiliates in many cities did turn voting

into a 'values' issue.

SOMEONE greased the rails, or, managed the communications networks there in Arkansas to the tune of 38 million votes - no way did 38 million votes get through those phone lines from one small state's teenagers without some powerful help.

[undeterred]

40. The FOX affiliate in my city (Madison, WI)

is so wonderful I forget they are related to FOX Network... none of the people who work there want anything to do with National FOX.

[Blaze Diem]

29. Once again folks, My reason for choosing the 'gay one' . Must Watch Video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DJYyqzUr6jU&feature=related

---------------
Adam Lambert, 4 yrs ago. Age 22.
From the Broadway Play 'Brigadoon'

[GreenPartyVoter]

37. Thanks for that gem! I love, love, love Adam!

[Blaze Diem]

41. Your Welcome. I keep backing it up to 3:20 over & over just to hear that pure, perfect voice.

The ending, at approx. 3:20 gives me goose bumps.
This man's talent is far beyond American Idol credentials.

[JVS]

34. First Perez Hiton sets up miss CA with a question that politicians avoid like the plague, now this.

Are any of America's tackiest contests safe from the ravages of the Gay vs. Evangelical culture war?

[cbdo2007]

36. A little perspective on Adam...re: Elvis, Freddie Mercury, whoever

Adam is 27 years old and has lived in the Los Angeles area auditioning for acting gigs and trying to get discovered for all of his adult life.

With all due respect, Elvis Presley had already sold millions of records by the time he was 22 and had already recorded many songs that would define Rock and Roll, a genre that he helped create. To compare Adam in any way to Elvis is like comparing Kris Allen to Paul Simon because they both play guitar.

RE: Freddie Mercury, this comparison makes a little more sense due to the flamboyant, theatrical nature of their performances and the incredible range of their voices. Though Freddie was Adam's age when Queen started drawing some major attention, they had been together performing for years before that because Freddie wanted to be a rock start and be in a band. Watch their performances to see the big difference, with Adam it's about the show and everyone is watching him and he needs to perform, but with Freddie Mercury it was all about the music and the audience, and the performance was just the conveyance.

I liked Adam for the first 3-4 weeks of Idol, but then the songs were sounding the same and the screaming was more ear shattering, and he just didn't connect with me or most people apparently. You have to connect with the audience and with Adam it was all about him, him, him. Seriously, he's got a great voice but his performance of "A Change Is Gonna Come" was the most self-indulgent performance of such a non-self-indulgent song I've ever seen in my life. Kris's similar performance of "What's Going On" on the other hand was great, like Simon said it was like guys sitting around jamming in their basement to a great song because it is such a great song and it connected.

Sure, Kris may not amount to much but I promise you after the Idol gloss wears off in a year from now Adam will way more into acting and movies and Broadway than he will be into music. That's his passion. Thinking he's going to be some incredible rock star is just stupid.

[cali]

44. thinking you have some crystal ball is stupid. you don't.

[Ex Lurker]

38. with the caveat that I've never actually seen an episode of American Idol

I'll bet any amount of money that the number of people who voted either FOR or AGAINST this kid because he's gay is miniscule in comparison to the number of adolesecent girls who selected the winner because they thought he was "cute." Teenyboppers decide these things. That's who the show is aimed at.

[realisticphish]

39. Based on my admittedly limited viewing

I preferred the dude who won to the dude who lost. Why? Because he was straight, of course.


No, wait, actually it was because I preferred his performance. Whoop de doop! Guess I must secretly hate gay people.

[Duer 157099]

42. Good. The law of unintended consequences is in full effect

I think that everyone agrees that Adam losing this contest in the way that he did, will actually be an enormous boon to his career.

Taking 2nd place was already the best thing that could have happened to him. That it happened in this manner just makes it exponentially more beneficial to him.

If the fundies have to suffer backlash too, well then all the better in my book.

[ohheckyeah]

43. I have a feeling the homophobes actually

did Adam a favor as far as him losing. Gene Simmons of KISS has already said Adam can tour with them anytime he wants and that he's a huge talent. Brian May of Queen said, “But and I are definitely hoping to have a meaningful conversation with him at some point. It’s not like we, as Queen, would rush into coalescing with another singer just like that. It isn’t that easy. But I’d certainly like to work with Adam. That is one amazing instrument he has there.”

Homophobes are cave dwellers that need to stay in their caves and I'm glad to see some people hitting back.