American Idol - Simon and Ryan repartee

[Jack Scribe]

I raised my eyebrow a little at this exchange (courtesy of Towleroad) last night on AI:

 

A joke about Ryan Seacrest's sexuality sparked a minor uproar on American Idol last night, as Simon Cowell urged host Seacrest to come out of the closet.

 

Seacrest: "We have a question from Georgia. What do you consider the hardest part of this contest?"

 

Melinda Doolittle: "Wow. I would have to say the high heels and these dresses. I like my tennis shoes and my sweat pants. I'm sorry."

 

Seacrest: "Simon, any advice on the high heels?"

 

Cowell: "You should know, Ryan."

 

Seacrest: "Stay out of my closet, Simon."

 

Cowell: "Well, come out."

 

Seacrest: "This is about the top twelve. Okay? Not your wishes...We're friends."

 

Of course the whole thing was a joke. Really.

 

I'm not sure gay-baiting is the best way to generate jokes, however impromptu, on national TV. My feeling is that this is really NOT a harmless joke. These two guys have been going at each other for a while. What do you think?

 

Jack

[Graeme]

If you can't laugh at yourself, then I'm sorry for you.

 

I looked at the above exchange and a lot depends on the way things were said -- body language and intonation. I could easily read it as teasing, which I don't think is wrong. It's like teasing someone who is a womaniser -- it is not meant to be a condemnation, but is playing with a single attribute of a person in a way that is supposed to be fun, not offensive.

 

However, if the way it was said was sarcastic, then that moves the exchange into insulting, which is wrong.

 

It is TOO easy to get offended on behalf of other people. It is also true that almost every joke can offend someone, but that doesn't mean we should stop telling jokes.

 

Just my opinion....

[AFriendlyFace]

I definitely agree with Gaeme. Anyway only time (and the National Enquirer ) will tell definitively if Ryan is gay or not.

[Krista]

Lol... Well it's hard to tell if anything other than joking is going on behind the scenes between them four. They're always arguing and such, but eh, if he was trying to be malicious (and it is... Simon Cowell) then yeah, everything about it would be wrong. Either way it makes for good Television??

 

 

Krista

[Bondwriter]

I didn't see American Idol, but we have an equivalent program. It seems humiliation and scorn are the basic elements that drive this type of show (see Krista's post above). Plus the jury people feuding are also a feature of this show. So using rumors/ innuendoes are just a way to get the show going. Do they avoid making fun of people's background in general?

[JamesSavik]

I don't watch American Idol. I can't imagine anything more boring. Golf maybe?

[Bondwriter]

I can't imagine anything more boring. Golf maybe?

Go check out this guy's movies. Then you'll find AI exciting.

 

My problem with most reality TV is that it seems to exist to format people's brain for a fascist world in which 99 people exist for one to shine. This sucks. Big time.

[Umbathri]

I avoided idol like the plague for a long time, but it is a little interesting sometimes when there