American Idol is over and done for the year, but there’s still plenty of chatter about Adam Lambert’s envelope-pushing image — much of it from the man himself. I rooted for Lambert on the show and devoured Mark Harris’ spot-on cover story about him. But a recent comment that the singer made to People just isn’t sitting right with me: "It’s a really, really cool thing…to be able to show people that you can be yourself," he said. "It feels really amazing to be able to try and pass that on to kids and young adults who don’t have a role model like that."
But how exactly is he doing that? By hiding his own identity? Byletting an open secret define him? By fanning the flames with the kindof ambiguous double-speak that’s usually reserved for politicians incrisis-management mode?
If he is gay, Lambert’s reluctance to come out is just reinforcing the idea that homosexuality ought to be hidden from the world. And if he’s not, his coy comments are an insult to people everywhere who don’t think sexual orientation should be reduced to a publicity stunt. He has every right to his privacy. But once you turn your secrecy into a marketing tool and encourage fans to "keep speculating," you lose the right to refer to yourself as a role model — at least in my book.
What do you think, PopWatchers? Is Lambert off base, or am I?
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Maybe he’s beyond bloody-goddamn-annoyed that every interview he does starts with “So, tell me, Adam. Just between us. Are you…?”
As much as I’ve grown to like Glambert, I wholeheartedly agree. In one sense, it can be argued that his not overtly stating “I’m gay” reinforces the idea that it really is no big deal. But as I watched his interview with Slezak, I couldn’t shake the implications Markovitz lays out here. As a friend of mine said, there’s a difference between people like Anderson Cooper and Jodie Foster who don’t talk about their sexuality but also don’t use the wild speculation to actively generate publicity. And then there’s Lambert, who’s clearly using various coy variations on “No comment” to do exactly that. The age-old saying emerges once again and it still holds true: You have your cake buddy, but you can’t eat it, too. Whether the ‘Idol’ producers ordered him to not publicly confirm his sexuality (which I believe is probably the case) isn’t important. Right now he’s teaching young LGBT kids everywhere that there’s nothing worse than saying that three-letter word. Unfortunate.
you are off base. the guy is openly gay. he doesn’t need to confirm it for the media any more than jordin needed to confirm she was a girl or Ruben needed to confirm he was black. ridiculous
I think you’re off base, Markovitz. Adam is not hiding his sexuality; he’s just telling people that it’s none of their goddamn business if he’s gay or not. He has stated on numerous occasions that American Idol is all about singing, and that’s what people should be talking about? Who cares if he’s gay or not? I don’t. He’s a fantastic singer, and I admire him for his humbleness. It’s not his fault the media is so nosy.
Sexual orientation should have nothing to do with what constitutes a role model. I think that maybe he was referring to the way he performs on stage when he talks about “being himself”. I also think that since one’s sexual orientation isn’t anyone else’s business, that his responses to that stupid question have been quite clever. I don’t see it as a marketing ploy at all.
So, to answer your question, you are way off base. IMHO.
He IS a bit of a role model by just being comfortable in his own skin and not enough people have enough confidence in themselves to feel that way. And Adam exudes confidence without coming off as too full of himself. He appears to have a very healthy sense of self-worth. Very admirable and rare these days…
He’s doing it by being himself and not addressing what is no one’s business. He isn’t hiding it, but he hasn’t felt the need to blatantly say it either. What he has been doing is being himself, making his own choices, etc. He hasn’t been afraid to be different. And he’s not letting an open question define him, the media is. Just because he chooses not to say the words doesn’t mean he is hiding anything.
What else should he say? He is so open about it. If you are so dumb to understand what he says , then you definitely need to hear I am a gay`. Are you really so primitive, Americans? It`s 21-st century already.
I think you’re off base. He didn’t bring it up, all of the media sources and blogs did. I don’t know why someone has to declare their sexual preference — we don’t expect heteros to declare it in every interview.
I think it’s just you. He’s made enough comments and people already know. Why should he have to say “I’m Gay”. Do straight people go around saying “I’m Straight”? He’s living his life, not hiding anything. You’ve seen the pictures, we’ve all seen the pictures. Do you have to have it spelled out for you? Why can’t you just enjoy the person for who he is and quit will all the labels.
you’re on base…he’s not saying” its none of your business, focus on the music”, he’s saying “keep speculating, its fun”. so, yeah, he is using the mystery surrounding his sexuality as a marketing tool and as such, is only adding fuel to the fire.
I have no doubt that at his age and with his experience, and given that the excecs at AI are under the control of right-wing Fox, etc. and didn’t want anyone’s sexual preference to be at issue,that Adam used the most intelligent “stategy” left to him…which was to remain ambiguous until AFTER the results. I agree that if one paid really close attention, it was clear that he wasn’t entirely hetero, DUH! That said, Bowie made the whole androgenouse Ziggy Stardust thing work well for himself and even admitted to being lovers with other men, but now is in a hetero marriage with children.Who knows? Better yet, what does it matter? Adam’s talent is bigger than who he sleeps with! He will be, in a word, “Iconic”. Period.That is the only label I would assign to him.
I think you’re way off. So he hasn’t yet made a huge declaration to the public. He also doesn’t seem to be trying to hide who he is. It can only be used as a marketing ploy if people are rude enough to ask him about it. If he is going to have to state the obvious why not do it on his own terms?
Wanted to add that until our society stops thinking that sexuality is something that needs to be “addressed” or “confirmed”, nothing will change. We don’t expect people to confirm that they are heterosexual no more than we expect them to confirm race, gender, or even things we don’t see like religion or family history. He shouldn’t have to say “I am gay” and so he doesn’t. That doesn’t make him any less of a role model.
how you define yourself does matter. being out gay and proud is the most important political statement a gay man or woman can make. and it makes a difference to young gay people and they way they are treated. Adam is trying to have it both ways, and I think its sad. spot on article, thank you
You are way off base. This is a great and talented kid. He doesn’t need to answer anything he doesn’t want to. Besides he got you talking about him again right. Savy
Back away from the computer…really, if you don’t know that Adam is gay you are not paying attention. In your very own Idolatry I don’t think there was anything else apart from screaming I AM GAY that could possibly lead anyone to think he was anything but. I think forcing anyone to publicly proclaim their very private identity is wrong, especially when they have no problems with discussing real issues surrounding it…see Idolatry comment.