5.21.2009

Stereotyping

Last night Kris Allen won American Idol. I don't find stuff like this too noteworthy for my blog, but I've been fascinated with the media coverage. I haven't gotten too into this season; it's more background noise, really. But this idea that the voting between the final two will be "red states vs. blue states" or "gays vs. Christians" is nuts. I think it's horribly insulting, quite frankly. Maybe some people think that way, but I certainly don't. To say Kris won because of the Christian vote is just as insulting as saying Adam should have won because he was gay. Who cares? This is a reality show, people. Neither one of these guys is going to have an impact on our world. In a country where we are suppose to be treating people as equals, why does the media always break things down against races, religions, etc?

I've spent a good portion of my last two weeks logging resumes - almost 200 of them for a few positions we are hiring for. We are an equal opportunity employer, so we have to track each person who sends us a resume, the position they are applying for, and the ad they are responding to. Ok, that's fine. What I take offense at is I then have to categorize them by sex and race. Luckily there's Facebook, so it's easy to figure that stuff out when the name makes it a little more difficult. But how is this process making things equal? On a personal level I don't think about people that way, but this stupid process forces me to. I hate it. I think it's ridiculous and does the opposite of what it is supposed to do. It goes against what I was taught and brought up to believe.

You know why Kris won? Because more people thought he would make a better recording artist, and I think they are right. Adam belongs on Broadway; albums are not his thing. I did like Kris more, because I tend to support those who have varied musical talent (the guy can sing and play several instruments) vs. going for the guy who can put on a fantastic stage show. But to say that I'm against gays because I supported Kris is ridiculous. I have gay friends; I'm certainly not against them. And I don't go to church, so I'm certain not the "religious right." And to say the majority of people who voted for him are homophobes is shortsighted and wrong. Again, I'm sure that happened to some extent because there will always be sexists and racists out there, but I'm guessing the impact was minimal. Kris won because he connected with American Idol's core audience. And you know what? In the end Kris will get his album, Adam will get his and probably a lead on Broadway. Both have the opportunity to have successful careers. This show isn't about winning anymore like it was back in season one. If you get into the top 12 and have a good enough agent and high likability, you're almost guaranteed a year-long contract giving you time to prove yourself.

To say this showdown and the end result shows how "backwoods" the American voters are is just wrong. And anyone who does say that sounds like they are the ones with the stereotyping issue, not me. If we want everyone to be equal in this country, we need to stop thinking that equality means someone should get something just because they fit into a certain "minority" class. As a female, it's insulting and degrading. I want to have success in my life because I've earned it, not because it was handed to me because I'm a girl.

I'm stepping off my soapbox now. We'll see what happens from here.

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