Who thought that this would open up such a fascinating debate?!
Adam Levine recently made some comments during an interview with Out Magazine that critcized American Idol for not having their contestants come out as gay or straight, but according to the rival reality competition’s producer, Nigel Lythgoe, the only reason they don’t because they are trying to be respectful to people’s personal lives!
He explains:
“When does privacy stop in this country? If somebody wants to say they├óΓé¼Γäóre gay, it├óΓé¼Γäós up to them. [Adam Lambert] He must have come out before being on Idol, he just didn├óΓé¼Γäót talk about it on Idol. And why should he? Is every actor going on television going to say, ‘I├óΓé¼Γäóm only playing the part of a straight man, I├óΓé¼Γäóm really gay?’ There├óΓé¼Γäós no reason that I would see why anybody that goes on television should start coming out with who they are, what they are, what they├óΓé¼Γäóre sexuality is, who they├óΓé¼Γäóre going to vote for or what their religion is. To be frank, I didn├óΓé¼Γäót understand why we├óΓé¼Γäóre talking about contestants being gay or not gay. I don├óΓé¼Γäót go into my dentist and say, ‘Are you gay?’ I don├óΓé¼Γäót say to contestants on So You Think You Can Dance, ‘Are you gay?’ What does it got to do with me? What does it got to do with anybody? What does that have anything to do with singing talent? Maybe it does for Adam Levine, but not for me.”
He makes a pretty good point!
We’d like to think that if someone was comfortable enough to put his or herself in the spotlight of such a show, then they’d be willing to be open about their sexual preference to help inspire younger, questioning kids looking up to them to feel better about themselves – but as Lythgoe says, we can understand why he would prefer to leave that decision up to the individual in question!
What do U think?? Team Adam or Team Nigel??
[Images via WENN.]