Megan West(erby)

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The one moment during which “Idol” viewers agree to pretend that we all love the same music/personality/cultural baggage is that moment when the winner is announced. That’s why I wanted Lambert to win. Not for him but for those many people who see themselves in him and, even with all the progress we’ve made as a nation, still don’t often see themselves within the looking glass of “ordinary” America.

Some of them could be gay or bisexual. Others might just be, as Lambert said, “weird.” Proudly weird — weird by choice — but still defined, and sometimes trapped, by their outsiderness, especially when they’re young.

People find ways to live with being different. Some retreat into themselves, hiding their desires and spontaneous selves. Others flaunt their strangeness in gestures that can seem arrogant but are often learned as defense mechanisms. Many seek out their own communities and create happy lives within them.

I appreciate Adam Lambert for his great vocal talent and also for his ability to calmly and assuredly be himself, as if it were a totally fine way to be, which it is. I thank his parents for openly loving him. I thank rock and roll and theater for giving him legacies and communities to tap into. I thank the Southland for giving him a place to grow up. And I thank the massive “Idol” viewership for letting him almost be their hero — just for one day.

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~ Ann Powers: Why I really wanted Adam to win | Idol Tracker | Los Angeles Times

21 May 2009 ·