There was a time when it felt like everyone in America was watching American Idol. It made superstars out of contestants like Kelly Clarkson, Fantasia and Carrie Underwood. But was there also something else going on? Did we ever question how many of the more marginalized contestants were treated? That’s something journalist Nico Lang explored in their article ‘LGBTQ+ Contestants Say ‘American Idol’ Failed Them: ‘I Saw the Worst of It,’ originally published in Rolling Stone. On today’s episode, Newsweek’s H. Alan Scott speaks with Nico about what they found, and to two of the people featured in the article, Jim Verraros, who competed on the first season of the series, and Atläs, or competed on the 8th season of the series. They share their experiences on the show and how it impacted them after the cameras went away.  

Read Nico’s article at https://www.rollingstone.com/tv-movies/tv-movie-features/american-idol-lgbtq-contestants-1235027350/ 

Follow Jim Verraros at https://www.instagram.com/jimverraros/ 

Follow Atläs at https://www.instagram.com/partyxmonster/ 

Visit Newsweek.com to learn more about the podcasts we offer and to catch up on the latest news. While you’re there, subscribe to Newsweek’s ‘For the Culture newsletter. Follow H. Alan Scott on everything at @HAlanScott. 

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