Sanjaya Malakar on "Jimmy Kimmel", Defends "I'm Not Gay"

Everyone reading pretty much knows that we usually avoid all things American Idol, but Sanjaya Malakar's recent proclamation of his heterosexuality and the resulting hostility has been too difficult to avoid.

After Elton has You Tube video of Sanjaya's appearance last night on Jimmy Kimmel, where the frat boy talk show host referred to the soft-spoken pop phenom's "soft, luxurious hair, compared him to 'My Little Pony', showed less than flattering drawings of him and then asked Sanjaya about his recent interview with People." (In the print interview, the American Idol star said "I got teased in school because people figured I must be gay because I understand women" and disclosed he recently "had a girlfriend but she became clingy.") Here's their transcript, which is just the tip of the iceberg of Kimmel's insults:

KIMMEL: You did an interview with People and you almost went out of your way to tell them you’re not gay. Why did you do that?

MALAKAR: I didn’t go out of my way to do that.

KIMMEL: You didn’t? Because it seemed like you specifically…I told them a similar thing but they didn’t believe me. Do you feel like you had to say that?

MALAKAR: (shakes head)

KIMMEL: No, you didn’t? It was just something you threw out there?

MALAKAR: Yeah.Edit Post | Post | Rod 2.0:Beta | Your Weblogs | TypePad

KIMMEL: Okay, because it a little bit odd to throw out there like you feel you have to clear the air. And, of course, as you hear, not that there is anything wrong with that if that was your thing. And you’re a kid. You don’t even know what you are. At this point in your life. I was humping furniture at this point when I was your age.

The bottom line is that the Sanjaya Malakar is a kid—he is only 17-years-old.Maybe he is gay, maybe he is straight. More than likely, at 17-years-old, he is not sure. (Some of us come out in our 30s, 40s, 50s or never.) But the last thing he needs is that point driven home by the likes of homophobic frat boys on network television.

More and You Tube video at After Elton.

Jimmy Kimmel Quizzes Sanjaya About Gay Comment [AE]

Sanjaya: 'I Understand Women' [People]

Comments

[Tyrone]

He may only be "17" but, this kid is quite mature for his age, and I don't and don't care if he is gay, as he would never be my type when he is legal, but, there is no way he would admit to being gay. His reps have made sure that he denies it, a la Clay Akins, to appeal to those women who love asexual, non-threatening men.

More power to him, and how he has lasted 16 minutes after his 15 minutes of fame should have been up is amazing, but, he had better get ready for the gay thing to dog him for a long time to come. When you are that effeminate, the questions are always there, sadly, even in 2007.

[robert c]

Tyrone, I'm sorry but I wholeheartedly disagree with you. Saying that a 17 year old boy is "is quite mature for his age" still doesn't give us license to openly speculate about his sexuality and tell him that it is only a matter of time before he is in the club.

And I won't even go into those gay men who are obsessed with him in a sexual way.

One more thing...Clay Aiken is an adult. This is a "kid."

[taylor Siluwé]

For some crazy reason, my ears were itching.

When you go on American Idol ... you have no privacy. We the people want to know everything about you. We eat you up and that's our right. That's the price you pay for such celebrity.

He knows that. Don't sleep on this 'kid' and fall prey to his doe-eyed innocence.

Seventeen. Puh-leeze. At seventeen I was one big hormone with a wicked innocent smile, just like Sanjaya. But I dropped to my knees in church for more than prayer.

Please. Stop whining. He won't be the last hot property to be eaten alive by his adoring fans.

Hmmmmmm, and he's quite tasty too ... just like chicken.

[Derrick from Philly]

Thank you, Taylor. I try to respect all gay people's opinions, but these pious gay folks just amaze me. They musta' grow'd up messin' with nobody but the priest.

[joseph b. a.]

Taylor, maybe you were sexually active at 17 years old or had come to terms with your sexuality. That does not mean that every other gay man did or should have.

No one is being "pious." It's just creepy that so many gay men are obsessing over a 17 year old and ready to claim him as gay. On that tip, Taylor, your blog is more or less a shrine to barely legal young men. What's wrong, not enough adult gay men to discuss or obsess over?