Adam Lambert: Savior

Adam Lambert holds the key (Pic: Getty)

He can do sincerity and ridiculosity all at once, exactly the algorithm Idol has been striving for all these years. Lambert combines the different Idol archetypes, delivering the complete star thrill heretofore doled out one sliver at a time. He has the burning "say my name, bitch" thing of Chris Daughtry, the cutthroat vanity of a Carrie Underwood, but also that innocent desire to give pleasure à la Kelly Clarkson. He packs a whole Gong Show of Americana into one pair of striped spandex tights.

He also takes on Adam's sexuality, or rather, how his sexuality is being perceived:

We don’t know for sure if Glambert is gay - all he says is he has nothing to hide or deny - but if not, it’s the gayest embodiment of flaming youth by a straight guy since Bowie sold the world. Glambert plays off the new gay stereotype that has been reality TV’s gift to our culture: the hyperfunctional gay dude who has his s--t together in contrast to all the neurotic, insecure straight guys around him. He reverses the joke from Mean Girls - he’s too gay not to function. Somewhere along the line, this has become an iconic gay image in the mainstream - seen more recently in I Love You, Man, where the only person with any confidence is the gay Andy Samberg character, who gets to be strong while all the straight boys are sulky little bitches.

I think Rob might be on to something here ... although not even Adam can compete with the cutthroat vanity of Carrie Underwood.

I worry though, that too much pressure is being put on Adam's shoulders. Yes, he's revitalized American Idol (and it's the first time I've ever watched more than a few episodes in a row), but are we expecting too much? How long will it be before someone comes forward with an Adam image on a fried Tofu burger?

Do you think Adam's exposure is a turning point in gay visibility on television, or just a flash-in-the-pan?