(REDIF).The eighth season of the all-American show, American Idol, came to an end last night with a shocker. Adam Lambert, the immensely popular and heavily praised singer lost out to Kris Allen in a finale that was supposed to be a no-contest.
Blogs, social networking and news wires sites are exploding with a furious debate over the significance of this result. It is common knowledge that the charismatic Lambert is gay. In the run up to the finale, Lambert had raked up not only the popular votes with his obvious talent and electrifying stage presence, but had also garnered considerable support for his sexual leanings.
"America voted for Obama did't it? So what's wrong with Lambert? America has and will vote for change" was the common refrain on twitter and facebook. Pro-Lambert viewers argued passionately about Lambert's voice, saying: "It is talent that counts."
While it is not to say that the guitar-toting dark horse Kris Allen is not gifted, at the end Lambert's loss will and has raised a serious question about how America views homosexuality. Especially on a family show that is widely watched among children and young adults.
...Compare him with the low-key Kris Allen, an acoustic guitar-strumming, reticent Arkansas student. All of 23 years old, Allen is newly-wed with lovely young wife waiting for him back home, is devoutly Christian and has a clean cut image that defines the wholesome American way of life. Allen has always been the underdog, never really getting a standing ovation, but impressing the judges with his unique take on popular numbers. Allen is anything but the star Lambert is. He is more of a boy-next-door with a nice voice and a flair for giving his spin on even Michael Jackson songs.
For now, all those still basking in the after glow of "America, Change We can," are quietly flipping channels, nodding their heads in disbelief, wondering what exactly went wrong. Did America vote for the underdog? Or did it vote for No-Change?
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