Gene Simmons on why he’s telling Adam Lambert to stop being gay:

I don’t think I’ve been talking smack at all. In fact, if anything, I’ve been soft-peddling. He’s enormously talented, best talent ‘American Idol’ has had, but I think he killed his career because now the conversation is not about his talent but about his sexual preference. He’s done. You’re forcing people to deal with issues they may not be interested in. Life is unfair, and the masses don’t all live in L.A. They live in Wisconsin and Nebraska, and you’re on crack if you think the same rules apply there. My advice is still the same, shut the f*** up, just sing and let people say whatever they want. But I do wish him the best because he’s got all the talent in the world. If only the world was not homophobic, but it is. I would be the first one to vote for equal rights for gay women and men, and get the church and the state to stop telling everybody how to lead their lives, but do I think he’s killed his career? Oh, in an instant. I hope I’m completely wrong. I hope he becomes the next Beatles and proves me wrong.

I wonder if Gene realizes that by asking someone to be untruthful about his/her sexuality he is only perpetuating homophobia. Adam isn’t “forcing” anyone to deal with his sexuality. No one has to deal with it but him! The media speculated and people were obsessed; Adam chose to acknowledge the obvious. Big deal!

If Simmons really was a supporter of gay rights and wanted to help he should have said something like this:

“Adam Lambert is a talented musician whom has an amazing career ahead of him. I’m glad he felt comfortable acknowledging the rumors and was honest about who he was. Hopefully people will realize that none of this is a big deal and understand that Adam is a gifted human being.”

Instead we get: Shut the fuck up!

Gene Simmons is a tool.

I’m listening! I found this a while back, but just realized they now have the track available on iTunes. I can’t stop listening/watching this and thought I’d share. It’s from the musical The Ten Commandments, which apparently wasn’t that great. However, I think this song is phenomenal. Adam, of course, delivers a wonderful performance and reaches notes I’m not sure Mariah could hit (in her early days that is). If you want to buy the song, click here to download it from iTunes.

I had trouble writing this post all week and have erased it and started over many times. I first wanted to write a scathing review of the heartbreak that was Wednesday night. I had, and still do, a lot of feelings toward the debate on sexuality that was present throughout this season. My good friend Tony over at queer messages wrote a few things about the American Idol results that I tend to agree with. There is a large part of me that believes that many voter weren’t ready to crown a flamboyant, presumably gay and gender-bending boy who wears makeup as their “american idol.” The Danny Gokey loyalists probably switched in high numbers to Kris Allen for many reasons. When I see the likes of Ted Haggard and other reverends and spiritual leaders twittering their love for Kris and having a “believer” win, I have to think that there is a lot of truth to all of this. While I was upset by the results, I do happen to like Kris Allen and hope that people can have a reasonable discussion about this without alienating him. A few days of reflection has caused me to be a bit more diplomatic than I originally intended to be in this post.

My main fear in having the discussion of the effect of Adam’s sexuality is that it’ll unfairly peg Kris as a homophobe. Guilty by association, I guess. But Kris showed multiple times his appreciation for Adam as a friend and competitor, almost so much that it makes me think he might have been quickly trying to squash any rumors of a feud. Kris was humble and respectful in his win and I hope those who are upset with Adam’s loss recognize that. Did middle America swing from Danny to Kris because of sexuality? I have to think it’s highly likely. But this isn’t Kris’ fault. The media spent months trying to tell a narrative about their relationship that wasn’t truthful or honest. Though it is sad to think that many Americans are still harboring prejudices toward the LGBT community, I’m going to move on. Kris was a great competitor and should be congratulated for his win. He was one of my early favorites, second to Adam of course, so I can only be pleased at his success. 

That being said, those of us in the Glambert Nation should be happy for many reasons. Adam is a true performer and I’m certain he’ll have incredibly success regardless of the Idol loss. Additionally, he might not be as boxed in attached to AI and will be able to be a bit more authentic and creative than past winners. Adam gave us multiple tremendous performances this season, including an incredible moment with KISS in the finale. I can’t wait to see what he does as he continues in his success. Bitter as we could be, we should take lessons from the runner-up himself, who seems only grateful to have gotten this far.

Theme: No real theme tonight as it’s the showdown between my two favorites, Adam and Kris. The contestants sing their favorite season performance, a song picked by Simon Fuller, and a crappy ballad that the show will make the winner produce as his first single. Here we go…

Round 1: Contestant’s Favorite

Adam Lambert – “Mad World” by Tears For Fears/Gary Jules: I called this one at the beginning of the show. I had said that if the contestants were to pick a favorite performance to re-sing, Adam would do this song. After all, it’s the one that brought Simon to his feet! No surprises here, Adam performed this amazingly well. I won’t take points off for the cheesy fake smoke, as I’m sure that was the producers’ decision and not his. Great start for Adam. 

GCT Rating = 9/10

Kris Allen – “Ain’t No Sunshine” by Bill Withers: I thought he might do “Falling Slowly” but this was probably a good pick for him. I’m a big fan of Kris singing this song and thought he did amazing as well. I actually think this might have been better than the first time he sang it, especially that last note. Kris is in this to win it. 

GCT Rating = 9/10

Round 2: Simon Fuller’s Choice

Adam Lambert: “A Change Is Gonna Come” by Sam Cooke: This is a favorite of mine and I was a bit nervous with the song choice for Adam. However, after listening to it, it’s very clear that Adam can make the most out of anything he’s given. I absolutely loved this and felt he nailed it. I couldn’t help but think about all the gay haters when he sang this song, but perhaps I’m making too much of it. Adam totally delivered raw emotion and amazing vocals on this one. This might be my favorite performance of the year. 

GCT Rating: 10/10

Kris Allen: “What’s Goin On” by Marvin Gaye: Meh. Kris sings very well, and he looks cute with his guitar, but this was a bit boring for me. I know he didn’t pick the song, but I didn’t feel like he really went after it. He played it cool and safe and delivered a pretty good performance. But it’s the last show of the season and I’m looking for more. By the way, I’m sensing a theme from Simon Fuller with these feel-good, socially conscious songs! Hmm…

GCT Rating: 7/10

Round 3: “The Single” 

Adam Lambert: “No Boundaries” by Kara and some other people: I really didn’t like this song, and won’t blame either contestant for this performance. Adam did alright, but nothing about this performance excited me. 

Kris Allen: “No Boundaries” by that other girl and some of her friends: Again, bad song, too big for Kris, blah. 

GCT Rating: I refuse to rate either of these because the song was terrible and it’s not fair to hold them accountable. Sorry for the ambivalence toward this round. 

Prediction: I do have a feeling that the majority of Danny fans will vote for Kris. Depending on what the disparity was between the three last week, it could make a difference. That being said, I think I’m pulling for Adam to win this thing tonight. I love both of them, but have always been cheering on Adam from the beginning. I think it’s going to be a close one, but I’ll just go ahead and call it for Adam.

Theme: The Sausage Fest that is the top 3 will be singing a judges choice and their own choice. Here we go…

Danny Gokey

“Dance Little Sister” by Terrence Trent D’arby: I’m not sure why Paula picked this song. Poor Danny had to dance around stage like only a true white boy could! I hate it when he dances. Why did they make him dance? Regardless, I’m not a huge Danny fan and this was just okay for me. I feel weird about giving him bad reviews as he didn’t pick the song. It was a little boring, a little hokey but decent vocals.

“You Are So Beautiful” by Joe Cocker: Simon was right, the vocals here were brilliant. It was one of the first times since the beginning of the season where Danny actually sang the crap out of something. When he’s good, I like him. But when he’s average, he bores me.

GCT Rating: 1st song 5, 2nd song 9

Kris Allen

“Apologize” by One Republic: I wasn’t crazy about this song choice but anticipated he could do something cool with it. I hated how he sang falsetto in parts and not in others (in the places where it’s usually used). It made it sound disjointed and odd. I didn’t love him behind the piano, and I’m not actually convinced he was playing much. I watched his hands and he was playing some very basic chords. Go back to the guitar boo, please.

“Heartless” by Kanye West: Talk about a brave song choice! I loved this! I think it might have been the best performance of the night. Kris definitely made this a competition with that song.

GCT Rating: 1st song 6, 2nd song 10

Adam Lambert

“One” by U2: Like Simon, this is one of my favorite songs as well. I’m not sure he did the best with it though. Watching it back this morning, I enjoyed it more than I did last night. It was decent, but the arrangement was weird and the end seemed extremely rushed.

“Crying” by Aerosmith: I really don’t understand this song choice. You know I love Adam to death, but I really wanted to see an interesting pick. He played it safe and picked a song he could do a little Screamy McScream with and it was just ok. The backup vocals were off-key as well, anyone notice? They made him sound worse in the beginning than he was. Again, an okay performance. I’m a bit dissapointed in Adam tonight.

GCT rating: 1st song 7, 2nd song 6

My ranking:

1. Kris

2. Danny

3. Adam

Prediction: I hate that Adam came in last, but based on the average score that’s where he’s placed. He really underwhelmed me tonight, and I’m a little pissed off. If he gets voted off I’ll be upset, but I’m thinking he has enough pull from the whole season to stay. Based on the last few weeks of trends, I’m going to assume that Kris will be voted off and will have an Adam/Danny final. I’m hoping Danny goes though…we’ll see.

Theme: It’s down to 4 and we’re doing Rock & Roll. Hmm…there are duets. This should be interesting. 

Adam Lambert – “Whole Lotta Love” by Led Zeppelin: This was the perfect song choice for him. He picked a song where he could do Captain Screamy and no one could argue with it. This was bound to be his night, and he delivered. His vocal range is insane and sick. I can’t believe half the notes this boy can hit. DAMN! 

GCT Rating: 9/10

Allison Iraheta – “Cry Baby” by Janis Joplin: I think the verses slowed down in tempo a bit and were a tad choppy, but her chorus made up for it. She has unbelievable power and I think was unbelievable. I also think she commanded the stage tonight. I would have loved something different (Joplin=predictable), but I can’t argue with the girls pipes. 

GCT Rating: 8/10

DUET: Danny/Kris – “Renegade” by Styx: I’m not sure how to judge these. The two had great harmonies, but didn’t mesh will at times. It was an awkward performance. I could tell Kris was pissed off at Simon’s comments. I honestly thought Kris sounded better. I’m not sure why Simon is attached to Danny’s sack, but he needs to get over it. Overall i suppose it was a decent performance.

GCT Rating: 6/10

Kris Allen – “Come Together” by the Beatles: I think Kris did as much as he could with this night. He didn’t try to do too much, which was fine, but this ended up sounding a bit safe and boring. Overall the vocals were great, but I’m not sure he showed anything different tonight. He might be in trouble tonight, as sad as that makes me. 

GCT Rating: 6/10

Danny Gokey – “Dream On” by Aerosmith: What? Why the song choice? What? Are you kidding? Gokey? Are you insane? This was a wreck. 

GCT Rating: 4/10

DUET: Adam/Allison – “Slowride” by Foghat: This was great. I’m not sure I loved the duet format tonight, but I’m glad these to sang together. Stellar vocals and I’m thinking Allison totally helped herself tonight. I think it might be these two in the end. They both have the strongest vocals. 

GCT Rating: 8/10

My Order of Hotness:

1. Adam

2. Allison

3. Kris

4. Danny

Prediction for Bottom 3:

I’m not sure they’ll pick a bottom 3, perhaps 2. I’m guessing Danny and Kris are the most likely to go. I have a feeling Kris is in trouble. However, based on tonight, I think it should be Danny. Therefore, I’m going to pick Danny in hopes that the cosmic forces will turn this blog into reality. I’m over Gokey. Yeah, I said it. 

Theme: The kids are singing standards from the Rat Pack era. Should be pretty exciting. I’m very disappointed that the 5 are not singing two songs each, as this is what most people assumed and how the show has gone in the past. But oh well. Here goes…

Kris Allen – “The Way You Look Tonight”: It was very nice to see him without his guitar tonight. As much as I love this kid, he was beginning to get a bit predictable. I’m glad he didn’t touch the arrangement really and just sang the song. He didn’t need to put his touch on this and get all cute with the guitar because this is standards week. Standards are standards for a reason. I digress. Overall I think he did a pretty good job. I’m not sure I loved it as much as some of the judges (i tend to agree with Simon), but overall it was a pretty good performance. There were a few rocky transitions in the vocals, but nothing that major. 

GCT Rating: 7/10

Allison Iraheta – “Someone To Watch Over Me”: This was fantastic and I completely disagree with Simon. I thought she sang her heart out on this one. It was nice to see a softer side of her and something a bit different. I am still constantly amazed at how good she is for just 17 (happy birthday Allison). 

GCT Rating:9/10

Matt Giraud – “My Funny Valentine” : I really thought Matt had some glimmers of hope with this one. There were parts of it that were absolutely fantastic and parts that were a bit of a mess. Overall I think he’s a fantastic singer and a great musician. He happens to be in one of the toughest seasons of Idol I’ve ever seen. He sang this well, but his shaky moments will probably hurt him tonight.  

GCT Rating: 7/10

Danny Gokey – “Come Rain Or Come Shine”: I think this is the moment Danny fans have been waiting for. He showed some personality and finally connected with a song he was singing. I have been finding him a bit boring since Hollywood week, but last night he really shined. I think he’s really trying to give Adam a run for the money. Overall a pretty great performance. 

GCT Rating: 8/10

Adam Lambert “Feeling Good”: You can take the boy out of the theatre, but you can’t take the theatre out of the boy! With Adam, we’ve come to expect theatrics and drama, something he always delivers. This is who he is and I love him for it. Was this his best performance? No. However, every time he’s on stage he delivers flawless vocals and a bit of originality. I really can’t see anyone beating him this year. 

GCT Rating: 8/10

My Order of Hotness:

1. Allison
2. Adam
3. Danny
4. Kris
5. Matt

Prediction for Bottom 3:

This is an extremely difficult week to pick someone for the bottom tier. I’m not even sure, if because there are only 5 left if they’ll do the bottom three. But if so, I’m going to venture a guess and say Matt, Allison and Kris. I think Danny and Adam have momentum on their side. That being said, I think it’s pretty clear that Matt will go home this week. He has avoided elimination for weeks but it doesn’t seem likely he’ll stay. He did well last night, but the competition is just too tough. I love him, will miss him and appreciate Kalamazoo representing! But who knows, maybe we’ll get a shocker…

*watch the above video if you’re in the mood for a laugh at some ridiculous girl’s expense. what a tool.

And then there were 7…again…

Theme: So Matt was saved last week and returns with the other 6 for a night of Disco. Blah. Not excited about the theme. Here we go…

Lil Rounds – “I’m Every Woman” by Chaka Khan: I’m done feeling bad for her. She’s a sweet girl, but she picks dumb songs that don’t show what she can actually do with her voice. I really wanted her to do well but it’s time for her to go home. The vocals were shaky, she screamed the song and overall just can’t seem to become comfortable on stage.

GCT Rating: 2/10

Kris Allen – “She Works Hard For The Money” by Donna Summer: I have nothing but respect for this guy right now. Getting past my school girl crush, Kris is giving Adam (percieved frontrunner) a bit of a competition. Did anyone think that Kris would have picked a Donna Summer song? No one did. No only was the song choice courageous, but he completely pulled it off. The song was a tad boring at times for me, but overall I really enjoyed the performance. Bravo! (ps: Kris if you’re reading this, I want to have sexytimes with you).

GCT Rating: 7/10

Danny Gokey – “Yesterday” by Lionel Ritchie: Hmm. Well I thought he sang it really well, but my god is he uncomfortable to watch on stage. It’s like he’s doing a really bad version of the humpty dance while he sings. I’m really torn about Danny. I like his voice, but I’m not quite sure I love his performances. I thought he did well last night, but I wasn’t blown away. Dogg.

GCT Rating: 5/10

Allison Iraheta – “Hot Stuff” by Donna Summer: I love Donna Summer and I kind of hated this arragement (updated rock sound), but this girl tore it up. I really like Allison and still can’t believe how talented she is at such a young age. I have a feeling she’s going to be in the top 3. Overall, amazing performance from Allison. 

GCT Rating:8/10

Adam Lambert “If I Can’t Have You” by Yvonne Elliman (written by Bee Gees): I think everyone assumed he’d do a Bee Gees song, though this one wasn’t actually sung by them. Another terrific performance from Adam. I realize now that you either love him or hate him, and i LOVE him. His vocal abilities are insane and he seems so polished as a performer. I loved the arrangement of this song and really enjoy him changing things up a bit. He’s definitely my winner tonight.

GCT Rating: 9/10

Matt Giraud – “Stayin Alive” by BeeGees: Oh Matt, why? Why the BeeGees? When you sing in the style of the Gibbs you have to sing an extremely high falsetto all the time. This just didn’t work. He hit some awful notes but had some decent moments in there. He had to come out strong this week and just fell flat. I really want him in the competition but this was painful to watch.

GCT Rating: 4/10

Anoop Desia – “Dim All The Lights” by Donna Summer. I really don’t know how i feel about this one. I think his vocals were decent, with exception to that awful last note, but I’m not sure I got this performance. It had its moments but was overall a bit boring and blah. He could be in trouble after this. I also hate the softened arrangement for this song. It just didn’t work for me.

GCT Rating: 5/10

My Order of Hotness:

1. Adam
2. Allison
3. Kris
4. Danny
5. Anoop
6. Matt
7. Lil

Prediction for Bottom 3:

There will be two going home tonight. I think Lil is a pretty safe bet for one of the slots. I think that it’s a tossup between Anoop and Matt for the 2nd. I’m going to go ahead and guess that it’ll be Lil and Matt, but don’t be surprised if something wacky happens tonight.

And then there were 8! Thank goodness Megan went home last week. Here’s my review of last night’s show.

Theme: Songs from the year in which the contestants were born. Pretty much all 80s with the exception of Allison who was born in 1992. This night could be amazing…or really awful.

Danny Gokey – “Stand By Me” by Mickey Gilley. Danny really did well last week, and made me remember why I loved him so much in the beginning. However, I wasn’t exactly crazy about this. The arrangement was super weird and extremely boring. As my good friend Zac said last night, the song missed it’s usual swing that you think of when you hear Stand By Me. His vocals were fine and he can definitely sing. But I think he’s losing his luster. Bottom 3 might be calling his name tonight…we’ll see.

GCT  Rating:6/10

Kris Allen – “All She Wants To Do Is Dance” by Don Henly. I’m so glad my part time lover Kris decided to follow up his hotness with the weirdest most awkward performance he’s had. I mean really? Why this song? I’m kind of shocked after the week he had last week that he would do something so substandard. The whole thing was weird. I’m very disappointed in my boo. Damn him!

GCT Rating: 6/10

Lil Rounds – “What’s Love Got To Do With It” by Tina Turner. I don’t even know what else to say. I really agree with the judges. Every week she tries to sound exactly like the artist she’s singing and ends up losing her personality. I have no idea who she is anymore. I loved her in Hollywood week but she has not been on for some time now. I hope she sticks around a few more weeks to redeem herself. Come on Lil!

GCT Rating: 4/10

Anoop Desai- “True Colors” by Cyndi Lauper. Eyebrows aside, Anoop was hot last night. His vocals were amazing and it was so nice to not see him trying to act like a rapper. He should learn from this and stick with what he does best. PS: His parents are totally adorable.

GCT Rating: 8/10

Scott MacIntyre – “The Search Is Over” by Survivor. Sigh. Can we just end the misery. I know he’s blind and he’s overcome adversity in the face of unbeatable odds, but my god he’s terrible. He is awkward on stage, picks cheesy songs and is not destined to be a recording artist. Let’s all stop pretending that he can just because we feel bad about his plight in life. He sings well, but this competition is not for him. There, I said it.

GCT Rating: 3/10

Allison Irraheta – “I Can’t Make You Love Me” by Bonnie Rait. Amazing song choice and amazing vocals make up for a stellar performance. She toned down the rocker and brought out something different. I still can’t believe a 16 year old can sing like this. I really enjoyed this and think she rocked it out! I know she’s been buried by the guys, but I hope she makes it pretty far.

GCT Rating: 9/10

Matt Giraud – “Part Time Love” by Stevie Wonder. Kalamazoo was represented last night! Matt came back after last week’s disappointment with something pretty fierce. I’m so happy for him. I loved his performance and he’s totally redeemed himself. I hope he can maintain the momentum!

GCT Rating: 8/10

Adam Lambert – “Mad World” by Tears for Fears. I love Adam Lambert. He was unbelievable and I love that someone in the family might win this show! LOVE LOVE LOVE Him.

GCT Rating: 10/10

My Order of Hotness:

1. Adam
2. Allison
3. Matt
4. Anoop
5. Danny
6. Kris
7. Lil
8. Scott

Prediction for Bottom 3

Scott, Lil & Danny with Scott going home.

my boo

I’ve been wanting to do this for a while now. Better late than never! Here’s my review of last night’s show.

Theme: Any song as long as it’s a “top download on iTunes.” I love the show, but can we get anymore arbitrary? So in essence, sing any song you want. I might sound like a gay Simon Cowell (i know, it’s too easy to go there, please). My ratings will be scored using British words I love. Here goes…

Anoop Desai – “Caught Up” by Usher. I liked Anoop in the beginning of the show, but he’s become a bit ridiculous. I enjoy that he has a strong need to sing R&B but he’s not as smooth as Usher. Perhaps he could try tweezing his eyebrows first, it might make him more convincing.

GCT Rating: Wonky (wrong, awry)

Megan Joy Corkrey – “Turn Your Lights Down Low”  by Bob Marley. Sigh. This was the most uncomfortable thing I’ve ever seen. I’d rather listen to Ann Coulter sing the blues. Can Megan go now?

GCT Rating: Bobbins (lacking ability, low quality)

Danny Gokey – “What Hurts The Most,” by Rascal Flatts. Ok so my love for Danny has returned with this one. I really like this song and really felt like he did the damn thing tonight. It wasn’t a hard song for him to sing and might have been a bit safe, but he sang well.  It’s really nice to see him not have to dance so much either.

GCT Hotness Rating: Squidy (Soft and Soggy)

Allison Irraheta – “Don’t Speak” by No Doubt. Hmm…This had potential in a lot of places but she was a bit screechy. I generally like her and am still wowed by the fact that she is only 16, but this didn’t completely do it for me. This song might have been a bit of a risk. The girl can wail though! She was ok…but her outfit was a mess.

GCT Rating: Suck it and See (took a chance…we’ll see)

Scott MacIntyre – “Just The Way You Are” by Billy Joel. I really don’t know what to say about this one. I find Scott endearing and uncomfortable at the same time. I hated the song choice, but thought he sung it well. His hair was atrocious, and reminded me of something out of the 80s. I really want to like him, but I just don’t.

GCT Rating: Dodgy (unstable, unsound)

Matt Giraud – “I Found You” by The Fray. I love Matt so much but this wasn’t that great. I’m not sure I hated it as much as the judges, but he was definitely trying to sound like something he wasn’t. He could have sang this song in his normal voice and with his normal style, but he retreated from himself a bit. Btw, is that a zit on his forehead or has that always been there?

GCT Rating: Higgledy – Piggledy (in disarray)

Lil Rounds – “I Surrendor” by Celine Dion. I really feel like Lil Rounds is under-performing and becoming swarmed by the boys. She’s amazing, but this song choice didn’t do it for me. It was quite ordinary. Everyone knows she can sing the shit out of anything she tries but it’s time for her to do something interesting and memorable. Sigh.

GCT Rating: Bog-standard (ordinary, run-of-the -mill)

Adam Lambert – “Play That Funky Music” by Wild Cherry. He can do no wrong. Even when he’s cheesy (like this) I love him. His vocal abilities are insane and you know I have to support my gays.

GCT Rating: Randy (as in he makes me…)

Kris Allen – “Ain’t No Sunshine” by Bill Withers. Anyone who knows me well enough to have done karaoke with me, understands that this is my jam. Kris tore this piece up and looked ADORABLE doing so. I could sop him up with a biscuit. By far the winner of the night…

GCT Rating: Fittie (one who is sexually attractive)

Here’s hoping we get a better theme next week! (and a show that doesn’t include Megan).