The End is Nigh American Idol Finds A Bright Star:

By the time you read this, there will likely be an American Idol winner. And it will likely be Adam Lambert. Lambert has performed so much better than the others the show has felt over for weeks now. On the other hand, there’s so much weird to Lambert, too much “gay” and being called “glam” by Ryan Seacrest. What’s a homophobic viewing public to do?Then again, in 2009, we have to revisit the notion that Americans are homophobic when it comes to network television. Several out gay actors are thriving on TV. Ellen DeGeneres is one. T.R. Knight is still kind of, sort of a part of Grey’s Anatomy. Neil Patrick Harris is still drawing viewers on How I Met Your Mother. Does it really even matter anymore?Adam Lambert is arguably the most exciting Idol contestant ever. Why? Because he takes risks – not just the fake safe risks contestants usually take, like wearing their curly hair straight or singing a country song, or an old timey ballad, but actual risks, like black nail polish, punk rock hair and tight leather pants. I dare say, gay or straight, Lambert has that thing Elvis had, that Bono, Bruce Springsteen and Mick Jagger have. Not many who take the stage in the rock world have the ability to totally and utterly captivate their audience. It can’t be manufactured or taught – it is either there or it isn’t. Lambert is a burning ring of fire, no matter what his orientation.It will be interesting to see how America deals with Lambert, both in terms of his potentially winning Idol, and in terms of how he will be sold to the general public. Will he end up selling actual records, or will he be better suited to the Broadway stage? It’s a win-win for him either way but one gets the sense that Lambert could and should break out of the Idol box and do something unique with his career. He’ll probably be squired down the typical path unless they rewrite the post-show rules. And maybe they will.One thing that is incredibly difficult to watch, however, is the hatred for new guest host Kara DioGuardi. Even though she’s the only one with any real power on the panel, aside from Simon Cowell, she is too inexperienced for the job. What the judges do is mostly read the crowd. DioGuardi doesn’t read the crowd, not yet, and probably never should have been seated among the familiar three. The judges are a key factor in the show’s success because, when they work right, they reflect what we’re all thinking and feeling. All three are basically likable. Or at least tolerable. Poor DioGuardi just isn’t. She’s irritating, poor thing. Her voice is irritating. This brings up the awful truth that most of the time, smart women are not that likable. Paula Abdul is smart but she’s so often criticized for being spaced out or drunk that she is anything but intimidating. DioGuardi is intimidating; she is someone who actually writes the songs pop stars sing. She just doesn’t know how to perform as a judge on a dumb reality show. And so? We can’t all do everything well.