The intense speculation over Adam's sexual orientation makes me wonder how long he has before his ass bursts into flames under the gigantic magnifying glass that's focussed on him. It's continuing to annoy me and seems to be completely overshadowing everything else. One thing that came out recently which I think is just as important (or unimportant) as his sexuality is that Adam has confirmed that he's Jewish, but this received little or no media attention.
I can see some parallels and as far as I'm concerned, his being Jewish was just as 'ambiguous' during the Idol run as his sexual orientation because Adam had never confirmed it outright. We had evidence from his singing in Hebrew to doing Jewish fundraising events, and his dad had stated on MySpace that he'd been to Hebrew school. We'd also had evidence regarding his sexual orientation from his social networking sites, photos and videos.
The American media are piling on the pressure for Adam to make a statement about his sexuality yet no one needed him to make a statement to confirm whether or not he was Jewish, even though in both cases, the evidence was similarly conclusive. There were plenty of media articles claiming that he was Jewish before his confirmation, even though I believe he identifies only ethnically and not religiously (he has stated that he is agnostic on his Tribe page). People were happy just presuming that he was Jewish with few questions asked. Why could this more mature attitude not be adopted for his sexual orientation? Why is the question of sexuality so much more important to the media?
I can't see the point in forcing Adam into a formal confirmation if he's not keen on bearing the heavy responsibility of being the champion for gay rights. What right do people have to feel angry or frustrated by Adam's refusal to make a statement about his personal business when he just wants to make music? He owes us nothing but unfortunately the speculation won't disappear until he gives a direct answer. It could be argued that Adam's sexuality plays a greater role than being Jewish in defining him as an artist, but it still doesn't justify the demand for a declaration. What will it change? I see it as pointless as making Obama tell everyone he's black.
Attitudes clearly need to evolve because I see a smacking of double standards. I'm led to believe that the American media are just a bunch of sniggering nosy perverts when it comes to anything non-heterosexual. I still hope Adam doesn't make that formal announcement in Rolling Stone, but above all, I hope he can shift attitudes to make them all grow up.
Great post! I was initially against any formal announcement from Adam as I agree with you and so many others that Adam was always open about his sexuality and beyond that owes us nothing. Our curiosity is just that and is not a justification for any such demands! However, as this media craziness continues to overshadow any artistic discussion about Adam, I can't wait for the June 12 issue of RS that will give the media what they want, however immature these demands are, and we can all move on to the future. Adam is proud of who he is and we are proud of him!
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Well, to be fair, Obama is only half black since his mother is white. Obama didn't actually embrace his African heritage until after he graduated from Harvard law and went to Africa. Buuuut I see the point you're trying to make.
ReplyDeleteI actually pointed out this double standard on the editing page of Adam's wikipedia entry about how Adam never declared anything about his Jewish heritage or religion yet it was okay to cite him as being Jewish while not okay to cite him as being gay despite evidence for it since he never "declared" it himself. To a degree, from a media-cultural perspective, it doesn't surprise me. The media refuses to say Adam is gay because we're still (unfortunately) living in the era where being called gay is perceived to be "damaging," and media outlets don't want to be sued for liabilities. On the other hand, it is rather immature and annoying.
I do have to say though, that there is evidence that points to the notion that Adam does actually want to champion gay rights causes; he's talked about using his new found fame as a soapbox, but he's also done LGBT charities before, just like he's done Jewish charities. I think being the face of a movement - which many people are trying to make him if you look at some of the anti Prop 8 posters that have popped up - is completely different from wanting to fight for causes. The difference here is that Adam wants to be the a singer, not the Gay Messiah.
I think Adam has always been "out", but American Idol had him sign a contract that forced him to be coy. He has been putting signals out since the beginning of the competition, but I'm not sure people were really listening. I doubt that the one who confesses that he is not shy, would be shy about his sexual orientation.
ReplyDeleteI would like him to finally put this media frenzied speculation to rest, so we can get on with the music. Adam is an entertainer - it's all about the music - like he said "Is it really that deep?"
We Americans need to get off of the judgment wagon and get on the talent wagon. We really do not look very sophisticated, do we?
When was Adam Lambert ever 'in'? During AI the talk about Adam mostly revolved around his exciting performances. Now, I am starting to thing the media is just creating stories that involve Adam Lambert and it is working...the amount of times he is searched on any search engine...is just increasing. He is not even the winner of AI. Neither has he given out a record. The tour has not even started. This Adam Lambert obsession is scaring me...when I see TMZ crew literally following his every move. He is becoming a money making tool for the media. I hope the celebrity status does not affect him in any negative way.
ReplyDeleteDid anyone see the "Diva" article that came out of MSNBC? It cites unnamed sources and is total fabrication. This is the type of stuff that ticks me off - knock someone down before their career even gets started. He would not have been called a diva if he were straight. This is pure slander and Courtney Hazlett should issue and apology.
ReplyDeleteYes, I have seen the "Diva" article. I thought it was completely untrue and just made up!
ReplyDeleteDid anyone see that article that talks about a 3 million vote difference between Adam and Kris! Is that true?
I bought Rolling Stone solely for Adam on the cover. It is the first copy of Rolling Stone I have purchased since 1967 and I am enjoying some of the articles (I haven't read anything about Adam yet) and of course the luscious cover. Just wanted to let you know I love your photoshop pic here of Adam drinking from the matzoh ball soup (and of course your blog). Don't burn your tongue Adam! Tah!
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