American Idol To End Next Season

Via the Associated Press:

The swan song of "American Idol" and heavy doses of comedy and sci-fi will mark Fox's 2015-16 season. The once-blockbuster singing contest, which launched the careers of Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood and Jennifer Hudson, has seen its audience dwindle and age. "Idol" will return next year for its 15th and final season with returning judges Jennifer Lopez, Keith Urban and Harry Connick Jr., Fox said Monday. Ten new series will debut next season on Fox, including the comedy-horror series "Scream Queens" from "Glee" producer Ryan Murphy and with veteran scream queen Jamie Lee Curtis in the cast. The last chorus of "American Idol" will begin in January, with stalwart host Ryan Seacrest ushering the show to a (hopefully) graceful conclusion after a long and influential run that, at its peak, drew 30 million viewers.

American Idol was the top-rated show for eight consecutive seasons beginning with its launch in 2003. The show has produced dozens of chart hits, including #1 pop singles for Kelly Clarkson, Clay Aiken, Carrie Underwood, Taylor Hicks, and Fantasia.

TRIVIA: American Idol is produced by Simon Fuller's 19 Entertainment, which takes its name from Paul Hardcastle's 1985 anti-war dance hit 19. Fuller was Hardcastle's manager at that time.

TRAILER: The Runner-Up

Billboard reports:

The political baptism of Clay Aiken will be explored with the premiere of the new docu-series, The Runner-Up, premiering Tuesday night (April 7) on the Esquire Network. From the very first frame, the cameras follow him from his initial days stumping door to door to the nail-biting drama leading to the results of the primary election as the American Idol and Celebrity Apprentice alum campaigns for a North Carolina Congressional seat in 2014. What the cameras did capture was Aiken-a Democrat- unfiltered. He curses like a sailor, micro-manages his staff -- a key example is when he obsesses over the proper way signs are displayed for oncoming traffic -- and says some politically incorrect statements about his Democratic opposition, Keith Crisco, who attacked him in campaign advertisements stating he did not show up for meetings of a presidential committee for people with disabilities. He also takes selfies on the campaign trail with unsuspecting voters who did not even realize he was running for office, records robo-calls with his cell phone, and stews over how publicity for his campaign is being run. All of this -- and the nail biting drama of waiting for primary results -- is captured in four days worth of footage. And that’s just the first episode.

The Esquire Network used to be the Style Network. Find it on your local cable provider here.

NORTH CAROLINA: Clay Aiken Apparent Winner In Democratic US House Primary

Via the Raleigh News & Observer:

The battle between Keith Crisco, a moderate, business-friendly Democrat, and former “American Idol” runner-up Clay Aiken came down to a very slim margin Tuesday night: As the vote-count neared completion, Aiken led by fewer than 400 votes. At 11:30 p.m., Aiken took to the stage to thank his supporters and say he was confident that he would be in the race in November. Crisco said earlier in the evening that the race was too close to call and didn’t comment further. The winner will face U.S. Rep. Renee Ellmers, a two-term Republican incumbent from Dunn, who handily defeated GOP challenger Frank Roche, a former radio talk-show host and economist who lives in Cary.

State rules require a 40% + one vote finish in order to avoid a runoff.  At this writing, the Associated Press has declined to call the race for Aiken even though 100% of the precincts have reported. A recount may be coming.

TODAY: North Carolina's Primary

Miss Mona Sinclair isn't the only gay man in today's North Carolina primary.  According to the Wall Street Journal, Clay Aiken actually has a shot of winning his bid to be the Democratic nominee for the US House.

Mr. Aiken, 35 years old, faces a crowded field in Tuesday’s election, which pits him against the state’s former commerce secretary, Keith Crisco, and mental health counselor Toni Morris. And even if he wins, Mr. Aiken would face an uphill battle against the incumbent, Republican Rep. Renee Ellmers. Ms. Ellmers is in her second term in a district the Rothenberg Political Report rates as “safe Republican.” Republican Mitt Romney won 57% of the district in 2012. The Idol star has touted a poll conducted by his own campaign that shows him with a 20-point lead over the other two candidates, but no independent polling has verified those results.

Politico paints a less rosy picture.

American Idol contestant Clay Aiken drew plenty of buzz when he announced he’d be running for a North Carolina congressional seat as a Democrat. But he hasn’t gained much traction. Through the middle of last month, Aiken had raised under $300,000, less than half of what his self-funding primary opponent, former state Commerce Secretary Keith Crisco, had taken in. And the singer has found himself on the receiving end of a brutal ad from Crisco that accused the entertainer of skipping meetings for a presidential committee on intellectual disabilities that he’d been appointed to.

North Carolina's polling places close at 7:30PM. I'll post the early returns as they come in tonight.

NORTH CAROLINA: Clay Aiken Officially Joins 2014 Race For US House Seat

American Idol runner-up Clay Aiken yesterday filed the paperwork to officially become a candidate for the US House. The Charlotte News-Observer reports:

The performer, a Democrat, turned in his paperwork at the State Board of Elections to seek the 2nd District seat currently held by Republican Renee Ellmers. Aiken, who lives in the Raleigh-Durham area, announced his bid three weeks ago and must first try to win the Democratic primary in less than 10 weeks. The 2nd District, which covers all or parts of nine counties west and southwest of his native Raleigh, is considered Republican-leaning. But Aiken said the district's voters want to choose the candidate who believes "we're not going to have success just based on one party or the other — that we all have to work together." "They are enthusiastic about seeing change," he added later.

The deadline to file is today. It appears that Aiken's challengers in the primary will be former North Carolina state Commerce Secretary Keith Crisco, and Toni Morris, a counselor who finished second in the 2012 Democratic primary. The winner will face two-term GOP incumbent Rep. Renee Ellmers, who has a 0% rating from the Human Rights Campaign.

Clay Aiken Announces US House Bid

Pop star and openly gay American Idol runner-up Clay Aiken today formally announced his candidacy for the U.S. House.

Aiken portrays himself as someone who is not a politician. He emphasizes his personal story – growing up in a home torn apart by domestic violence – and says it inspired him to be a voice for the powerless. He began on that path by teaching special education students in Wake County and – after a detour in the entertainment world – working with UNICEF. After months of exploring a Congressional bid, he recently decided to put his entertainment career on hold and run. “I saw this as the best place I could serve, because I think Washington, in general, is dysfunctional,” Aiken said. “I think it’s high time we put people in Congress who were not beholden to their party, and not beholden to anything but the people who they live around and grew up around, in my case.” Aiken, 35, said jobs and the economy will be important campaign themes; specifically, emphasizing education as a way to get people back to work, including through adult job retraining programs.

RELATED: Aiken came out in 2008. He has scored five Billboard top five albums, including his #1 full-length debut, 2003's Measure Of A Man. That album yielded the #1 pop single, This Is The Night.  If elected, he will join the late Sonny Bono as the two members of Congress to have achieved a #1 pop single. Bono's came in 1965 with Cher for I Got You Babe.

Candice Glover Wins American Idol

Probably like most of you, I haven't watched the show since Adam Lambert's year, but in case anybody here cares, here's last night's announcement.

Did Chick-Fil-A Franchise Block Adam Lambert From Winning American Idol?

An interesting conspiracy theory has been floated on Yahoo.

While every measurable indicator favored an Adam Lambert victory around the nation, back in Conway, Arkansas Chick-fil-A mounted a campaign to change that outcome. Week after week people gathered to vote at Chick-fil-A sponsored events. It was not just ordinary voting, but power texting with multiple phones and after hour voting with West coast go-phones. Voters were encouraged to vote thousands of times each with free food and prizes. It was an appealing incentive in this sleepy collage town. Keep in mind that they could rack up an impressive number of votes. 10,000 votes from 2,000 people = 20 million votes, 3,000 people = 30 million votes.

There were about 3,000 people at the Vote Party on the night of the final. Allen Kiser attended with his Chick-fil-A cows baring name tags that identified themselves as Vote Party "Staff". For weeks Kiser stuffed his take out sandwich bags with "Vote Party" fliers at his local restaurant, he fed the late night voters free sandwiches, he gave out hundreds of food coupons and Chick-fil-A toy stuffed cows. Kaiser made up gift baskets as prizes for the highest voters and a grand prize of free food for a year. The result was that a very ordinary singer won the contest.

Lambert, of course, got the last laugh, scoring the first #1 Billboard album by an openly gay artist. (Tipped by JMG reader Random Medley)

Beauty And The Beat

Even though it's by miles the most wildly popular viral video of the week, I've resisted posting this "hood take" on Disney produced by openly gay American Idol contestant Todrick Hall. It's funny, clever, inventive, and musically brilliant. But it takes its humor at the expense of the stereotyped, impoverished black community and that makes me uncomfortable behind the laughs. A black reader just told me to let go of my "white man guilt" and just enjoy it. I hate it when I get all "too PC to be cool," so I'm posting to generate some discussion. Yeah, I'm probably over-thinking this....

UPDATE: Hall has posted a "behind the scenes" look.

Quote Of The Day - Carrie Underwood

"As a married person myself, I don't know what it's like to be told I can't marry somebody I love, and want to marry. I can't imagine how that must feel. I definitely think we should all have the right to love, and love publicly, the people that we want to love. Our church is gay friendly. Above all, God wanted us to love others. It's not about setting rules, or [saying] 'everyone has to be like me'. No. We're all different. That's what makes us special. We have to love each other and get on with each other. It's not up to me to judge anybody." - Carrie Underwood.

Clay Aiken Denounces NC's Marriage Bill

(Via Towleroad)

Concerned Women Are Concernstipated About The It Gets Better Project

"Thank you for cleaning up the Viagra commercials Fox, but PLEASE what’s with the new tolerance for homosexuals campaign disguised as anti-bullying? Bullying is wrong. It is wrong for any reason. Apparently, American Idol with the help of Woody from Disney’s Toy Story, thinks that my 4th grader needs to be fully aware of the plight of teens who view themselves as 'gay.' I am sorry, but he doesn’t even know about heterosexual sex yet. Can you give me some room here? I am ticked because I feel tricked. Fox blew it last night. The point is parents felt secure in allowing our entire families watch this show. They lured us into a false sense of security and broke trust with us last night." - Concerned Women president Penny Nance, angry about this week's airing of Google's It Gets Better ad during American Idol.

PhoboQuotable - Gary McCullough

"There is a moral to the story of this DeGeneres-Idol saga. There is a limit to what Christian viewers will tolerate, and I am using 'Christian' in the broadest of definitions. The revenue generating ability of television programming that promotes homosexuality has its limits. If primetime network programming becomes indistinguishable from HBO and Showtime someone else will take ownership of the family-friendly entertainment market.

"The encouragement I take from the firing of DeGeneres is that someone in Hollywood understands what I have been saying; that the promotion of homosexuality and the production of family entertainment do not mix. There is money to be made and there are cultural battles to be fought; if you try to do both you will lose twice. That has been my business advice. Cultural battles have two sides, one of which is immoral. Choose to fight on the immoral side of a cultural battle and any victory you experience will only be temporary. That is my spiritual advice." - Christian Newswire director Gary McCullough, speaking from his wig fitting at Glamor Shots.

According to McCullough, DeGeneres didn't resign voluntarily from American Idol, she was fired because America couldn't take her filthy lesbionic ways. (Ways which America can take, apparently, five times a week for five years on an hour-long one-lesbo show syndicated to 200+ U.S. markets.)

Homoquotable - Ellen DeGeneres

"A couple months ago, I let FOX and the "American Idol" producers know that this didn't feel like the right fit for me. I told them I wouldn't leave them in a bind and that I would hold off on doing anything until they were able to figure out where they wanted to take the panel next. It was a difficult decision to make, but my work schedule became more than I bargained for.

"I also realized this season that while I love discovering, supporting and nurturing young talent, it was hard for me to judge people and sometimes hurt their feelings. I loved the experience working on "Idol" and I am very grateful for the year I had. I am a huge fan of the show and will continue to be." -Ellen DeGeneres, announcing her decision to leave American Idol after only one season.

The Gayken On The View

Clay Aiken appeared on The View yesterday to talk about why he came out when he did and about being a new dad. This clip concludes with Aiken's performance of Unchained Melody, which is from his new album, Tried & True.

Comedian Dane Cook Gets Kanye'd During Finale Of American Idol

I haven't followed this season of American Idol, but I did catch some of last night's finale. The highlight, for me, was when unfunny comedian Dane Cook was performing a satiric tribute to Simon Cowell's final appearance on the show. As Cook sang, a troupe of the show's most infamous weirdos trotted out, including hipster hero William Hung. Watch how one of the crazies, Ian Bernardo, grabs the mike from Cook and screams some nonsense about being the one to replace Simon. This clip will no doubt have a short life on YouTube.

PhoboQuotable - Gary McCullough

"While many entertainers who profess an alternate sexual lifestyle are individually accepted and enjoyed by the public -- when sexual behavior becomes their identifying trait in a specific broadcast, it limits the audience they will draw. Beyond that, it actually drives away a significant market share of parents and teens who used to watch the show together, until mom and dad decided that the subtle promotion of an 'alternate lifestyle' to their kids was not worth the entertainment trade off. Sorry Ellen, you're just not worth it.

"Network television producers may or may not stop promoting homosexuality; but for certain they will learn to keep homosexual activism separate from the cash-cow of 'family entertainment.' There is of course the insane possibility that Hollywood will forsake ratings - and the dollars that follow - and continue down the path of change. Perhaps next we will see the pro-pedophilia group NAMBLA use its influence in Hollywood to have Dancing with the Stars seat Roman Polanski as a judge." - Christian Newswire director Gary McCollough, speaking from behind the gauzy lens at Glamour Shots.

McCullough blames American Idol's declining ratings on the public's distaste for their evil homofascist judge, Ellen DeGeneres. And certainly not on this season's spectacularly dreary contestants.

Too Ashamed To Mention His NARTH Pal, Porno Pete Attacks Ellen DeGeneres

We're into our third week of radio silence about Dr. George Rekers from Porno Pete LaBarbera, despite Petey's voluminous history of citing the "scientific" work of NARTH. Wassamatta, Petey? Rentboy got yer tongue? Or something else?

Instead of manning up to the scandal enveloping his colleagues in the hate industry, today Porno Pete attacks Ellen DeGeneres because she had a female American Idol contest sing a Paul McCartney song. A song written by a man! And containing the lyric "Baby, I'm a man!" Ellen was totally making was a secret statement of butch lesbian power! Or trans power! Or something!

Hilariously and with no apparent sense of irony or the absurd, Petey is calling for Ellen to become "ex-gay." Just like his BFF George "Anal Long-Stroke" Rekers says everybody can!

More gender confusion from Ellen DeGeneres. It is so tiresome to see Ellen mega-hyped as a pop icon despite her immoral and chosen lifestyle as a practicing lesbian and pro-homosexuality activist. The very funny Ellen (who gets very serious when it comes to her public mission of promoting this immoral behavior) is getting more worldly fame than most humans could ever hope to have, but that means nothing before our holy God. She needs to humble herself and repent of her wrong and very changeable lifestyle, as other former “out and proud lesbians” have. Pray that Ellen would find reconciliation with God through Jesus Christ and join the ranks of ex-lesbians. Her worldly, Hollywood star would surely fall following such a godly transformation, but she could then become a truly wholesome role model for American girls, which she is not now, despite her many talents.

Seriously though, Petey, are you ever going to address the gloriously delicious downfall of the man whose organization you have cited dozens and dozens and dozens of times on your blog? We're waiting....

Lady Gaga Does Idol

Towleroad tips us to this clip of Lady Gaga's gay-gay-gay performance on American Idol last night. BTW, some of you have written wondering why I haven't been covering Idol every week this year as I did over the last three seasons. No special reason, other than I figured the nonstop RuPaul coverage was enough silly television for your delicate nerves.

That Sounds A Little Pitchy, Dawg

Christianist groups are so horrified by the rumor that Howard Stern might replace Simon Cowell on American Idol, they've launched a preemptive petition campaign aimed at the show's producers at Fox.

WHEREAS American Idol has come to be trusted by America’s Families as reliable, family friendly entertainment.

WHEREAS Howard Stern is one of the most profane, sexually-explicit and anti-family performers in the history of the broadcast medium; and in discussing the possibility of becoming a judge on American Idol on his radio program gave audiences a preview of what he would bring to the table as a judge, talking about getting “little boys hard.”

AND WHEREAS bringing Howard Stern on American Idol, either as guest or judge would immediately render the program unsuitable for family audiences.

BE IT KNOWN that if the reports about Mr. Stern prove to be true, we will no longer watch the program; we will share our concern with our friends, family and others in our social circle; and we will contact every sponsor and urge them to consider whether they should associate their corporate image with a man who talks about “getting little boys hard.” And if Stern says anything that we feel is in violation of broadcast decency laws, we will take immediate action by filing complaints with the Federal Communications Commission against our local Fox affiliate. We ask you to immediately repudiate these rumors and commit publicly to keeping American Idol safe for family viewing.

I've never enjoyed Howard Stern in the slightest, but WHEREAS the Parents Television Council are douchebaggy busybodies, I hope he gets the gig.