8.16.13 More On New Remixes
Aug 16, 2013 18:55:29 GMT -5
Post by Craazyforadam on Aug 16, 2013 18:55:29 GMT -5
Re: mention on last page that some folks within the gay community critique Adam for not being out on idol.
It astounds me how this rumor / half-info gets perpetuated in the media as well as both in the straight and gay community.
I realize that you guys were not stating this as your opinion, but rather as an opinion you have encountered and I agree, I have read/heard that multiple times too, but nothing is further from the truth, actually.
So, here some basic facts, for those who may want to revisit this question in encounters with others:
a) Adam wrote on his idol application that he is gay. This was not asked by idol on their form, it was an information that Adam volunteered in the: 'What else do you want us to know about you' - section of his application.
Nothing was said in the introduction segments for candidates on the show, and Adam was not treated any differently than others had been.
The Voice only started its first season after Adam's season, so there was no precedence, where it would be typical to make such information part of the intro. Idol treated Adam just like anyone else. The fact that in hindsight a few people think that idol's behavior in this matter is wrong, is their opinion as of 2012/13, but in 2009 nobody suggested that idol should out gay contestants in their intro. This was a non issue.
b) Multiple people have confirmed that Adam was totally out behind the scenes with stage crew, band, producers, coaches, camera folks and anybody he was in touch with, besides judges and other finalists.
c) Then, right between top 36 and top13 the pictures were found and posted on a blog by a KA fan, and then VFTW picked up the story and ran with it, Perez Hilton got it and so did the rest of the media world. Adam had about 1 week til his next performance, which was B&W, where he used the song to make the statement that it does not matter whether you are black or white by using his black finger nail coating as the black/gay symbol. Message: It does not matter whether you are gay or not.
He also reiterated the same with Access Hollywood in an interview, where he confirmed that the pictures were indeed his and that this was a singing competition and it should not matter.
He did not use the word 'gay', but he certainly was very much out to anyone paying attention.
Here are other things Adam did to present himself as out without directly talking about it (which he could not post that one interview, because finalists are not allowed to talk to media at that point). Here is a list of things I can think of that Adam did in the 12 weeks he had available to him.
1) Black fingernail polish => Lyrics: It doesn't matter, if you're black of white
2) used three different musical genres, to give performances that could be and were perceived as 'gay-ish' in performance style: ROF (country), PTFM (disco), FG (broadway, standards)
3) Used the song intros to provide additional info about himself, i.e. liked dress-up, not soccer, which certainly increased the level of discussion around his orientation rather than decrease it
4) Wore a T-shirt with rainbow flag on the day after Bill O'Reilly's: Is he or isn't he and can a gay contestant win idol - segment.
5) Altered lyrics in TOMT ('if you see me with another girl' to 'another one') and ...I forgot which other one, but I think he changed two songs. He did not change WLL, though, leading to speculation online that he was maybe bi rather than gay.
6) Beth: lyrics and wink to camera to 'me and the boys are playing all night long' - lyrics
7) Confront Simon about his Rocky Horror Picture Show comment: Did he mean it as an insult? That was brilliantly played by Adam.
Adam spoke through visual and lyrical symbolism in his performances, which is his MO til today. He did during idol what he is doing now.
He later (long after idol) explained, that he tried to avoid giving himself a label, but he never avoided or minded the public discussion. Adam was interested in the discussion taking place. I think Adam associated the 'gay' label with the 'gay' box and he wanted a chance to present his own story (which he did with RS magazine). He had to fight for that, because Perez Hilton wanted to out him. I remember that Adam met with PH a few times privately, trying to convince him to give Adam his chance to tell his story his way. In the end, PH obliged on this one.
Adam tried to navigate a difficult situation: If he had made (via the producers) a public declaration that he is indeed gay, he would have been accused of trying to get extra airtime/news benefit or milking the spotlight. By being demonstratively out, but not talking about it, he is now 'accused' of not being out on the show.
I find this accusation very unfair:
i.e. if John Doe, who happens to be gay, and lives out and proud in city A (his family, friend, colleagues, etc know), now decides to move to city B, is John all of a sudden back in the closet, just because his new acquaintances in city B do not know? What is he supposed to do? Run around with a sign on his forehead, just so nobody accuses him of being closeted? Start every meeting and encounter with btw, before we talk, let me tell you I am gay?
This is absurd.
Adam was out with everybody (family, friends, the show, work colleagues). The public is in this case the new city B, who do not know yet. It is unreasonable to consider every person closeted, just because that person has not had a chance to make a statement in that matter.
Calling Adam closeted on idol is about as far from the truth as you can get and totally unfair. Wherever possible, it should result in an open conversation about some important values that I find in today's changing world to get somewhat mixed up in public perception.
a) A person is not closeted, just because YOU don't happen to know
b) A gay person has a right to remain closeted.
They can retain any information private, just as a straight person can keep their sex life information private. I have never heard that a straight person is accosted for being dishonest, just because they do not inform anybody and everybody about everything past and present. I find that more and more, gay people are being considered dishonest, if they are closeted. They are not dishonest, they are just keeping their sex life private towards YOU.
c) The media praise people if they come out, not because there is something morally wrong with being closeted, but because anybody out and proud does help others who come after him/her and where large numbers of people come out, public perception is changed and therefore it is a forward thing to do. Given that it usually entails a list of consequences, it is also brave.
d) It is all our job to work towards reducing this list of consequences for gays, so that eventually, this becomes a non-issue. Any statements of praise by media or private people about gays that is not made in the spirit of reducing the separation of gays from 'normalcy', should be treated with some skepticism. If they are doing it for hits to their site, etc. its typical 'gay-gay, yay-yay' journalism. Media as well as people are not necessarily doing anything good, just because they talk about this, it depends on what their goal/motivation is, and if it is purely self-motivated, they don't deserve praise.
Again, I know that most folks here, including the ones discussing this earlier, know all this, but we all have to regularly step into discussions with people who are less than enlightened in this area and so I hope you forgive me for getting all preachy here for a moment.
Getting off my soapbox now.
It astounds me how this rumor / half-info gets perpetuated in the media as well as both in the straight and gay community.
I realize that you guys were not stating this as your opinion, but rather as an opinion you have encountered and I agree, I have read/heard that multiple times too, but nothing is further from the truth, actually.
So, here some basic facts, for those who may want to revisit this question in encounters with others:
a) Adam wrote on his idol application that he is gay. This was not asked by idol on their form, it was an information that Adam volunteered in the: 'What else do you want us to know about you' - section of his application.
Nothing was said in the introduction segments for candidates on the show, and Adam was not treated any differently than others had been.
The Voice only started its first season after Adam's season, so there was no precedence, where it would be typical to make such information part of the intro. Idol treated Adam just like anyone else. The fact that in hindsight a few people think that idol's behavior in this matter is wrong, is their opinion as of 2012/13, but in 2009 nobody suggested that idol should out gay contestants in their intro. This was a non issue.
b) Multiple people have confirmed that Adam was totally out behind the scenes with stage crew, band, producers, coaches, camera folks and anybody he was in touch with, besides judges and other finalists.
c) Then, right between top 36 and top13 the pictures were found and posted on a blog by a KA fan, and then VFTW picked up the story and ran with it, Perez Hilton got it and so did the rest of the media world. Adam had about 1 week til his next performance, which was B&W, where he used the song to make the statement that it does not matter whether you are black or white by using his black finger nail coating as the black/gay symbol. Message: It does not matter whether you are gay or not.
He also reiterated the same with Access Hollywood in an interview, where he confirmed that the pictures were indeed his and that this was a singing competition and it should not matter.
He did not use the word 'gay', but he certainly was very much out to anyone paying attention.
Here are other things Adam did to present himself as out without directly talking about it (which he could not post that one interview, because finalists are not allowed to talk to media at that point). Here is a list of things I can think of that Adam did in the 12 weeks he had available to him.
1) Black fingernail polish => Lyrics: It doesn't matter, if you're black of white
2) used three different musical genres, to give performances that could be and were perceived as 'gay-ish' in performance style: ROF (country), PTFM (disco), FG (broadway, standards)
3) Used the song intros to provide additional info about himself, i.e. liked dress-up, not soccer, which certainly increased the level of discussion around his orientation rather than decrease it
4) Wore a T-shirt with rainbow flag on the day after Bill O'Reilly's: Is he or isn't he and can a gay contestant win idol - segment.
5) Altered lyrics in TOMT ('if you see me with another girl' to 'another one') and ...I forgot which other one, but I think he changed two songs. He did not change WLL, though, leading to speculation online that he was maybe bi rather than gay.
6) Beth: lyrics and wink to camera to 'me and the boys are playing all night long' - lyrics
7) Confront Simon about his Rocky Horror Picture Show comment: Did he mean it as an insult? That was brilliantly played by Adam.
Adam spoke through visual and lyrical symbolism in his performances, which is his MO til today. He did during idol what he is doing now.
He later (long after idol) explained, that he tried to avoid giving himself a label, but he never avoided or minded the public discussion. Adam was interested in the discussion taking place. I think Adam associated the 'gay' label with the 'gay' box and he wanted a chance to present his own story (which he did with RS magazine). He had to fight for that, because Perez Hilton wanted to out him. I remember that Adam met with PH a few times privately, trying to convince him to give Adam his chance to tell his story his way. In the end, PH obliged on this one.
Adam tried to navigate a difficult situation: If he had made (via the producers) a public declaration that he is indeed gay, he would have been accused of trying to get extra airtime/news benefit or milking the spotlight. By being demonstratively out, but not talking about it, he is now 'accused' of not being out on the show.
I find this accusation very unfair:
i.e. if John Doe, who happens to be gay, and lives out and proud in city A (his family, friend, colleagues, etc know), now decides to move to city B, is John all of a sudden back in the closet, just because his new acquaintances in city B do not know? What is he supposed to do? Run around with a sign on his forehead, just so nobody accuses him of being closeted? Start every meeting and encounter with btw, before we talk, let me tell you I am gay?
This is absurd.
Adam was out with everybody (family, friends, the show, work colleagues). The public is in this case the new city B, who do not know yet. It is unreasonable to consider every person closeted, just because that person has not had a chance to make a statement in that matter.
Calling Adam closeted on idol is about as far from the truth as you can get and totally unfair. Wherever possible, it should result in an open conversation about some important values that I find in today's changing world to get somewhat mixed up in public perception.
a) A person is not closeted, just because YOU don't happen to know
b) A gay person has a right to remain closeted.
They can retain any information private, just as a straight person can keep their sex life information private. I have never heard that a straight person is accosted for being dishonest, just because they do not inform anybody and everybody about everything past and present. I find that more and more, gay people are being considered dishonest, if they are closeted. They are not dishonest, they are just keeping their sex life private towards YOU.
c) The media praise people if they come out, not because there is something morally wrong with being closeted, but because anybody out and proud does help others who come after him/her and where large numbers of people come out, public perception is changed and therefore it is a forward thing to do. Given that it usually entails a list of consequences, it is also brave.
d) It is all our job to work towards reducing this list of consequences for gays, so that eventually, this becomes a non-issue. Any statements of praise by media or private people about gays that is not made in the spirit of reducing the separation of gays from 'normalcy', should be treated with some skepticism. If they are doing it for hits to their site, etc. its typical 'gay-gay, yay-yay' journalism. Media as well as people are not necessarily doing anything good, just because they talk about this, it depends on what their goal/motivation is, and if it is purely self-motivated, they don't deserve praise.
Again, I know that most folks here, including the ones discussing this earlier, know all this, but we all have to regularly step into discussions with people who are less than enlightened in this area and so I hope you forgive me for getting all preachy here for a moment.
Getting off my soapbox now.
