So I anticipated RuPaul’s Drag U (her newer television show, hot on the heels of Drag Race) with some excitement. The premise of Drag Race was for twelve or so drag queens to compete in an America’s Next Top Model-type competition. But with lip-syncing and more cattiness. It’s a fun show and it’s frequently hysterical. RuPaul’s Drag U is a make-over show hosted by the titular queen and with the assistance of a coterie of favorite (or otherwise out-of-work) queens from the previous two seasons of Drag Race. The concept is to take down-trodden and homely women and give them fabulous drag make-overs and inject them with self-esteem and fierceness. Watch out Oprah, RuPaul’s gunning for you. As a concept it didn’t strike me as anything other than fun and harmless.

…and then I actually watched the show. The season premier was yesterday (available to watch on Logo) and it was kind of awful. First of all, the women they put on the show are not only “homely” and decidedly un-fabulous but they’re also generally very, very butch (although they are all ostensibly straight). The impression given is that in order to make their lives better and to improve their self-esteem they need to learn how to walk in heels, work a dress and wear make-up. Right off in the first ten minutes of the show I was offended and appalled that these women would subject themselves to the implication that the root of their failures is their lack of traditional feminine inclinations.

The show got a little better after that. There was much talk on RuPaul’s part of, “you ARE a beautiful woman” and other Oprah-inspired affirmations and the queens helping the women with their make-overs were generally supportive and doing their best to make a positive change for the women. And then the end of the show is their “Drag-uation” where the women are critiqued by a panel of judges on their walk, their look, their bearing and their lip-sync/dance number. And the bile rose in my throat again. Take three women who are depressed about their lack of feminine wiles, tell them they are beautiful and deserve all the happiness in the world and then when they step out in a dress, heels and make-up for the first time in twenty-odd years, have a panel of judges critique them and give them a letter grade. The producers of the show no doubt wanted to give the show some suspense by making it a competition. Whichever woman makes the most successful turn-around from dowdy wretch to fabulous queen wins and gets a prize. The other two are now confirmed in their fears that they’re failures as women and they’ve had a panel of judges tell them exactly why. “All the elegance and poise of a grizzly bear” was one of the critiques given to a woman from a panel judge.

RuPauls’ Drag Race is about drag queens competing to show that they’re the best, most versatile and most resilient queen on the show. They go into it with confidence and generally an aggressive will to win mentality. Judging a person in that situation is commonplace on reality tv. Television overflows with such cat-fighting, back-stabbing, sideways looks, and elimination rounds with suspenseful music and dramatic commercial breaks. However, to purposefully take three women who are vulnerable and unsure of themselves and put them before a panel of judges to tell them what is wrong with their expression of womanhood is discomfiting and irresponsible.

Since I first heard “Tits on the Radio” all those gay years ago I have had a deep love for Scissor Sisters. I can confidently say I have most every song they’ve recorded, officially-released or otherwise (thank you, illegal downloading). I frequently butcher my way (enthusiastically!) through, “Take Your Mama” at karaoke. I was at Borders on the day Ta-Dah! was released to buy the delux hard copy and I loved that album. I still love that album. It’s eccentric, fun, moody, diverse and funky. I even downloaded some of Del Marquis’s solo music! (Actually not bad at all. He has a very sexy, unexpectedly deep voice. But that’s another post).

Here’s the video.

Now, ostensibly these are “straight” men who have been driven to gay porn by the troubling economic times. In reality, (and evidenced by the GAAAY reaction given by all parties involved) you and I and everybody else knows they’re just gays looking to make an easy dollar. Regardless their pretense of masculinity, the video brought a smile to my face, so enjoy and please share it share with your friends and family.

So I’ll confess; I am not an American Idol fan. I have never watched anything beyond the first couple episodes where they showcase the bouquet of tragedies in the preliminary auditions. I am a big fan of Kelly Clarkson and I’ve sung, “Before He Cheats” once or twice at karaoke (badly, of course) but beyond that I couldn’t even tell you who any other winners of the show have been. Mr. Lambert here was apparently the runner up on the most recent season of American Idol. I have no idea to whom he lost. The internet tells me that he may have lost the win because it came out mid-season that he’s an open homosexual (because the hair and the eyeshadow were only circumstantial evidence, apparently).

I heard the name, “Adam Lambert” a few times here and there and did not pay it much mind. I had a vague notion that he was a musician and that his relationship with MAC products might be a little too friendly. I heard that he was openly gay and became only mildly curious. He was mentioned on our favorite fashion blog Go Fug Yourself wearing a particular pair of couture black leather fingerless gloves that are ALSO owned by yours truly (purchased for an amount of money that I will not disclose at a small shop in San Francisco but TOTALLY worth it). Then he caused a big ruckus by kissing a boy during his performance on the American Music Awards (because boys kissing each other on network television is still a big deal. Go figure). At this point I threw my hands up and said, “okay universe, fine. You win, I will listen to his album on iTunes” and so I did.

Somewhat to my surprise I was pleased. The songs are catchy and his voice is good if not overly taxed by the slightly generic pop-rock quality of most of the tracks. For Your Entertainment sounds like exactly what it is, a very calculated pop album with hooks meant to be driven forcibly into your brain, taking up residence there while you try in vain to go about your day and think about other things. Some of the tracks such as, “For Your Entertainment”, “Fever” and, “Strut” have that kind of sexuality often witnessed in songs by the Train Wreck of Our Generation, Miss Spears; that is, risque and sexy without being overly interesting. Other tracks like, “Soaked” and, “Sleepwalker” are I’m sure supposed to be deep and meaningful but are in reality muddy, incomprehensible and ultimately a little boring.

All of that said, I’ve been listening to For Your Entertainment for two days at the exclusion of everything else. My “Glee” playlist has been pushed to the side and even Our Lady Gaga has taken a back seat for my walk to and from work. Those things in themselves say something for how catchy this album is. There are gems to be found on the sixteen-track list like, “Music Again” and, “If I Had You” and listening to the album as a whole is to hear what a well-orchestrated pop attempt should be. Yes it’s a little generic but that doesn’t make it bad. Pop music is generic by it’s very definition, it’s what’s popular and therefor it’s what’s going to be reproduced until it is not popular any more. I look forward to future albums by Mr. Lambert, perhaps upon which he’ll have a little more freedom of creativity to create something interesting.