’American Idol’ Finalists Kris Allen, Adam Lambert Don’t Want Faith-Based Votes

Kris Allen and Adam Lambert made it as clear as they probably could Monday in Los Angeles.

Don’t focus on our faith perspective when you vote tonight for the American Idol winner, they said, loud and clear.

Allen, a worship musician from Conway, Ark., has the most to gain by appealing to a Christian audience. While he may do that during his career, for now he wants the focus on his voice.

“For me, I hope that having the Christian vote doesn’t help with anything,” Allen said, according to the Associated Press. “I hope it has to do with your talent and the performance that you give and the package that you have. It’s not about religion and all that kind of stuff.”

Lambert’s focus on theatrics and a fair amount of eyeliner has helped put him in the middle of seeming non-stop chatter about his sexuality. The latest rumor burning through the blogosphere Monday was that when he and other Idol contestants went out to dinner over the weekend he brought along a guy whom he introduced as his “boyfriend.”

As much as both contestants have enough to worry about without thinking about larger cultural implications, those will be factors. To suggest they will be the only factor is short-sighted.

A Los Angeles Times piece breaks down the cultural avenues Allen and Lambert came from and that all is noteworthy.

But let’s keep it in perspective.

Neither of these guys is running for elected office.

This is not a reprise of the Presidential election.

A year from now, unless one of these guys becomes a megastar overnight like former Idol winners Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood, you’ll struggle to remember their names. If you could remember David Cook and David Archuleta were in last year’s Idol final off the top of your head as quickly as you could remember Barack Obama is President, you might watch a little too much TV.

In the wise words of noted scholar/Idol judge Randy Jackson, keep this sage advice in mind while texting this evening: “Dude, it’s a singing competition!”

 

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  1. I guess I watch too much TV then. As for this year’s competition, I’m watching tonight’s final as I write. My faith will certainly be a factor in my vote(s).

    May 20, 2009
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