Remember when Adam Levine unleashed some comments about “American Idol”‘s perceived “Don’t ask, don’t tell” policy when it comes to their contestants? Well, The Hollywood Reporter asked singer Melissa Etheridge about the comments, and she said she can see why gay contestants on “The Voice” might have better chances than on “American Idol.”
“That’s what ‘The Voice’ is about,” she said. “You hear the voice first before you make the judgment. I love that with the Beverly [McClellan] girl…a bald, pierced tattoo, kilt-wearing dyke. And shes got this great voice, and you hear the voice first and then your eyes make the judgment.”
She also said she talked to McClellan on her radio show; McClellan told her that one of her reasons for going on “The Voice” was that they would have to judge her voice before they saw her.
With the amount of backlash coming “American Idol”‘s way, it would be nice if it affected how they approached picking contestants. Of course, they can’t do the same thing as “The Voice” because that’d be blatant copying, but, at the very least, they could make an equal stance on how they approach the contestants’ backstories. Either show everyone’s backstory or show none at all. It can’t be that they show some and not show others, especially when it comes to people’s love lives, which is one area where Levine’s statements are stemming from.
You can read more about the interview here.
