'Idol' Judges' Comments Stir Response From GLAAD

Comments by judges Simon Cowell, left, and Randy Jackson on last week's fifth-season premiere have attracted the attention of a gay rights group. (By Stephen Shugerman -- Getty Images)

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Associated Press
Tuesday, January 24, 2006

NEW YORK, Jan. 23 -- Fox's "American Idol" drew an objection from the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) after judges Simon Cowell and Randy Jackson made what the gay rights group deemed questionable comments on last week's season premiere episode.

On last Tuesday's show, seen by a Nielsen-chart-topping 35.5 million viewers, Cowell told one male contestant to "wear a dress" and Jackson asked another, "Are you a girl?"

Damon Romine, a spokesman for GLAAD, said in a statement posted on the group's Web site that "the real offense here was in the producer's decision to add insult to injury by turning a contestant's gender expression into the butt of a joke."

On Monday Romine updated the situation with another statement: "We've spoken with Fox and have entered into what we hope will be a productive, ongoing conversation about the show's representation and discussion of sexual orientation and gender expression."

A spokesman for "American Idol" said Monday that Fox had no comment.

The popular Fox show, now in its fifth season, airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m.