Could the next ‘American Idol’ be gay?
Season 2 finalist Clay Aiken, seen here in a photo from his role in Broadway’s Spamalot, has been the center of sexuality conversations for years. Just this week, ABC News reported a story that suggests Aiken may be asexual.
There has been much speculation about the sexuality of a handful of male contestants in previous seasons of American Idol. But nobody has been allowed (or so some now out contestants say) to compete as openly gay — until now, perhaps.
Last night, Iowa native Leo Marlowe made it through to Hollywood after saying, “My mom always said she raised the perfect homecoming queen, too bad it wasn’t one of her daughters.” Simon praised him, even for being open about who he was without being obnoxious.
Cowell has been criticized in past seasons for his comments against more feminine male contestants. In Season 5, he suggested contestant Charles Berry shave his beard and wear a dress, “Because he would make a great female impersonator.” Not exactly a glowing review.
So, in a season where producers are promising to focus more on the contestant’s background, could Idol be bracing itself for the possibility of a gay winner?
It would make sense, especially considering the history of the show. The original Pop Idol winner, Will Young, is openly gay. He was the first reality Idol of any kind in the world, and he has found fair success in the industry. Young currently is working on his fourth album.
Then there’s the big gay history of American Idol. Season 1 featured Jim Verarros, an openly gay singer-turned-actor, who said in many interviews he was not allowed to discuss his sexuality during the show. But he also said he doesn’t think the show is anti-gay.
“I really don’t think that they’re trying to single out gay and transgendered people,” he told gay Web site AfterElton.com in 2006.
In October 2006, Season 1 finalist RJ Helton made headlines by publicly coming out on a SIRIUS Satellite Radio talk show. There had been speculation about Helton’s sexuality, but he also was known for his religion. Helton previously had released an inspirational CD, Real Life, in 2004.
“I can have a faith but can’t be who I want to be. So a lot of it was just personal things I needed to overcome and just be proud of who I was,” Helton said on the radio show. “… Just because I am gay does not mean I can’t love God.”
Anwar Robinson, a Season 4 finalist, was outed — sort of — when bloggers found a “man seeking man” posting on BlackPlanet.com in March 2005. Again, many people say Robinson never was closeted. His sexuality didn’t come up when I talked to him last year.
Then, the most famous of all speculation cases is Clay Aiken. The Season 2 runner-up’s sexuality is a favorite discuss for fans of the show. Just this week, ABC News released a story suggesting Aiken may be asexual. In a world where there are much larger issues to focus on than sexuality, it seems odd ABC — a network most would say is a reputable news source — would spend time talking to experts about his sexuality. Then, again, we’re also living in a world where Britney Spears making making daily headlines for going to Starbucks is the norm.
So, will Leo Marlowe or any other contestant this season be allowed to stand on the Idol stage, say, “I’m gay,” and still get America’s support? Will they be able to recognize their same-sex significant other in the audience? I’m just not sure. I guess we’ll have to wait for the possibility of an openly gay singer to break through the Top 24.
American Idol, Clay Aiken, Jim Verarros, Anwar Robinson, RJ Helton, Leo Marlowe
January 30th, 2008 at 8:45 am
[…] vacelts wrote an interesting post today onHere’s a quick excerptThere has been much speculation about the sexuality of a handful of male contestants in previous seasons of American Idol. But nobody has been allowed (or so some now out contestants say) to compete as openly gay — until now, perhaps. … […]
January 30th, 2008 at 9:32 am
[…] vacelts wrote an interesting post today onHere’s a quick excerptThere has been much speculation about the sexuality of a handful of male contestants in previous seasons of American Idol. But nobody has been allowed (or so some now out contestants say) to compete as openly gay — until now, perhaps. … […]
January 30th, 2008 at 9:48 am
[…] Reed Dunn wrote an interesting post today on Could the ‘American Idol’ be gay?Here’s a quick excerptSeason 2 finalist Clay Aiken, seen here in a photo from his role in Broadway’s Spamalot, has been the center of sexuality conversations for years. Just this week, ABC News reported a story that suggests Aiken may be asexual. … […]
January 30th, 2008 at 10:49 am
ABC News is full of it. They took an article in which Mr. Aiken stated that he was too busy to devote time to a romantic relationship at this point and they added tabloid type speculation. At no time did he say that he was asexual, nor did he even hint at it. Many people have made the same statement, including many celebrities, and no one has jumped to the conclusion that they are asexual. That’s ridiculous. One would think that ABC News would take the time to get it right, but no. They stooped pretty low this time.
January 30th, 2008 at 11:24 am
Clay is the only one of those guys that has always maintained that he isn’t gay and that his private life is not your business. Some day the author will extend Clay the courtesy of leaving him out of this kind of topic.
Those other guys really are gay. They have said so. I don’t understand why people are so quick and ready to believe it if someone says they are gay but are totally resistant to it when a guy says he is straight. It shouldn’t matter and it doesn’t affect your life so talk about something that does.
January 30th, 2008 at 8:00 pm
[…] The Jellyfisher | wrote an interesting post today on Could the next ‘American Idol’ be gay?Here’s a quick excerptSeason 2 finalist Clay Aiken, seen here in a photo from his role in Broadway’s Spamalot, has been the center of sexuality conversations for years. […]
January 30th, 2008 at 8:48 pm
[…] in a dress,” Simon said to one contestant. (I guess you can forget about what I was saying earlier today.) Did You Enjoy this Post? Subscribe to American Idol. It’s Free! « Back Home Posted in […]
February 27th, 2008 at 10:06 pm
[…] Obviously, people care about this type of news. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be growing legs as more and more sources report the news and update with photographic evidence. But will it matter in the competition? Does being a gay stripper ruin your chances (or maybe improve?) of winning the show? Or does this mean this year’s champion really could the first openly gay winner? […]
March 10th, 2008 at 10:53 pm
[…] of the influence of sexuality on American Idol, former contestant and openly gay singer-turned-actor Jim Verraros told the […]