Returning from a long weekend to join the current discussion and will read my way backwards through the weekend from here:
I am listening to the playlist on Nile's blog
nilerodgers.com/blogs/planet-c-in-english/2752-some-talented-people.
It keeps amazing me how well Shady fits in there, if not stands out over quite a few songs that are in reality way more famous than that. Nile puts Shady in his playlists because it is a great song, not only because he contributed to it. And the way it seems, a great working relationship was born. Nile has always known how to pick winners, and was able to do it way before others caught on to the obvious. He then had the ability to bring that magic to it that just allowed the star to truly shine. Just hope - hope - hope he gets to do this one more time. Praying to the Music Gods!
Re: Jason Collins
I have the greatest respect for anyone taking this step to come out, even in personal circles, even more so for somebody in public life, whatever the details of the story are. Even if it is now not anymore at the height of a career, it still is a big step personally and in his case culturally, because it takes the pressure off the next guys coming after that , i.e. this group of football players that are being talked about since a while, now.
Adam' s Recognition
Having said that, it has also often surprised me why Adam did not receive that same level of admiration, when he came out.
a) I believe that the LGBT discrimination existing in the music business is totally underestimated by the public. It is widely assumed that in all areas of art (theatre, movies, design, photopraphy, architecture, literature, etc..) those bridges have already been crossed ages ago, and that only the rest of 'regular' professions still present a hurdle for the LGBT community. That nothing could be further from the truth, both in that all professions, even the presumably 'easier' ones still present sufficient hurdles, as well as the fact that whole areas like for example music are subjected to constant discrimination by those selecting the ultimate winners (radio), is not known. I have to admit that even though I was certainly very aware of lots of discrimination in all areas of life, I did not know anything about pop music and that it is possible for a publicly financed service like radio to get away with discriminating the way it does was totally new to me. The fact that record companies consider it impossible for a gay person to have a career as rock or pop star if they are out and therefore openly discriminate against them by not signing them (until Adam), was totally news to me.
I was aware of discrimination against females within i.e. classical music (here an video of my own countries Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra to demonstrate the point, because female discrimination happens to be a bit easier to SEE than 'gay'. (0:40 has a pretty good first overview shot over the orchestra, for those who don't was to wait for the camera to come around)
So, I am not trying to say that LGBT discrimination is the only one there is, but it did surprise me in 2009, when via Adam I learned about the one he was facing and realized that I had been quite unaware of it. I am pretty sure that I was not alone in that misconception. I believe that such wrong assumptions are some reason, why Adam is less lauded for his contribution.
b) When there is no battle, why call it a conflict? Those gays that talk about how they kept it secret for years, and struggled with their orientation, had lots of second thoughts before taking the step, get lauded, because in the mind of the wider public, they overcame something. Adam on the other hand presented himself as out and proud from the get-go, so therefore it must have been no problem for him, hence no need to see it as something special. Totally wrong assessment, but I think this mistake is being made.
c) I don't think that the type of contribution that Adam has made to the whole movement is presently understood outside the core fandom. Adam is giving a gift, which while readily accepted, is in many ways not appreciated as such. Obviously, every person has every right not to say anything ever (stay closeted) or to speak only once and then return to a private life. Nobody in public has any right to demand anything. But given that it was given as a gift, it is also important to say: Thank you and yes, we fans do appreciate it.
It is a very different thing to one time make a public announcement about your orientation and after that vanish back into privacy, compared to on the other hand, living your life publicly, like a real live version of 'The Truman Show' (Jim Carray movie) and having every facet of your life-style examined by the public. Adam changes so many minds and hearts, because he allows real live interaction on a continuous or at least regular basis. Adam is the constant focus point of major discussions, curiously often without his own immediate involvement, as the recent episode with SFGN aptly demonstrated. Because he wears make-up and has done so more excessively in prior years and carries that gay flag proudly, he makes a lesser enlightened member of the gay community puke this non-sense all over a regional gay magazine and triggers a major discussion, years after Adam's participation on AI.
I strongly believe that Adam changed public opinion in many ways, and not only by making the gay kiss acceptable on day-time TV, while at the same time taking personal heat for crossing that boundary. In years to come the picture is going to emerge a bit clearer, I believe. It probably is still too early to be recognized by many.
You add this all together and you have your answer why people often seem to miss what Adam has and continues to contribute to his cause.
