Bruce Dickson a contestant on American Idol
Posted on 01/24/2008 1:58:13 PM PST by NYer
Bruce Dickson a contestant on American Idol
Dallas, Jan 24, 2008 / 02:07 am (CNA).- A 19-year-old contestant for the “American Idol” singing competition faced scrutiny from judges and celebrity commentators after revealing he is a virgin who has never kissed a girl, Cybercast News Service reports.
Bruce Dickson, a show contestant from Bostrop, Texas, at the American Idol Dallas auditions was asked to share something interesting about himself. He told the judges he had never kissed a girl.
"What?" Randy Jackson asked. "On purpose?"
“On purpose," Dickson said. "On my wedding day, that will be my first kiss."
Jackson's advice to Dickson after the judges sent him packing: "Go kiss some girls." Simon Cowell, eyebrows raised, told him: "Avoid Ryan (Seacrest) on the way out." Seacrest himself ended the segment featuring Dickson with these words: "Maybe next year he'll come back less a boy and more a man."
Dickson told Cybercast News Service "A real man would rather wait than just do whatever with whoever."
Sarah Preston, a writer and editor for Playboy’s web site, spoke about Dickson’s decision on Thursday on the “Fox Report” television show, asking how he could compete in the contest without “sex appeal.”
"I'm not belittling Bruce's Christian beliefs, but I do think being in tune with one's own sexuality goes a long way in being confident with yourself," Preston said. "Confidence is key, especially for 'American Idol.'”
”These kids become sex objects, thrust into the spotlight," she continued. "And while I know they're all trying to stand out, especially during the audition period, using your Christian beliefs and the fact that you've never kissed a girl is not going to bode well for you while trying out to be America's next big sex object,” Preston said.
Dickson responded to some of the criticisms. "I respect women and don't think of them as a sexual object, and I'm the freak?" Dickson said to Cybercast News Service.
Dickson, the second eldest of six children, said his parents had challenged their children to practice abstinence.
"It wasn't anything they forced on us," Dickson said. "It was something they talked to us about. Something they taught us the importance of."
Dickson wears a key around his neck, while his father wears a matching heart, which he wears for Dickson’s future wife. The jewelry signifies Dickson’s promise to remain abstinent until marriage.
The American Idol contestant won admiration from Jason Burtt, national director of the teen abstinence organization Silver Ring Thing. The organization promotes events and distributes rings for children to wear to symbolize their commitment to chastity.
"What we are all about is supporting kids like Bruce," Burtt told Cybercast News Service. "Most kids are mentally pushed through the media and pop culture that everyone is doing it.
"Bruce has said he's going to walk the hard walk, and instead of lifting him up and praising him, we're mocking him," Burtt said. "I think that's because when someone is up on a chair, it's easier for people to pull him down than to pull everyone else up off the floor. Maybe they feel bad they couldn't do it themselves.”
Dickson is working on a demo album and could return to audition for the next season of American Idol.
I'm pretty sure that Bruce is quite "in tune" with his sexuality and is quite confident in that having the courage to announce it on American Idol of all places.
These overgrown, overpaid losers in the entertainment industry wouldn’t know virtue if it slapped them accross the face. I guess they think the better route is to become another Britney S. or Heath L. or Lindsey L. or ....
I'm sorry but that's just plain creepy. The being a willful male virgin is a bit odd, but admirable. The key and locket around dad's neck is downright disturbing.
Ok, I’m all for abstinance before marriage, but the way the kid portrayed it and himself was really, well, weird. The most interesting thing he could say about himself was that he’d never kissed a girl? Come on, what’s the point, especially in light of the competition he was trying to break into?
Then, to top it off, he showed off his “chastity key” on his necklace...and his dad had the matching lock around his own neck — I just about barfed. I’ve heard of daughters & dads doing that kind of thing, but this was just going a bit too far.
It was. My wife watches that show, so from time to time, I’m subjected to it. They had his old man on there and he showed the locket his old man wore and the kid’s key—that fits in the locket—and it was quite a bit bizarre.
As an aside, when the boy left, they showed what appeared to be his girlfriend in the crowd. He’s doing just fine for himself in that department.
Hat’s off to him. I say good for him.
Agreed. I saw the segment with this kid in it. The key and locket thing was... odd, to say the least.
I don’t think they’re “anti-virgin” — they just highlighted a couple of kids who were virgins, but more importantly, who wrote about their virginity on their entry forms. THEY brought it up, and chose to speak about it at length. I don’t think virginity is particularly uncommon — but generally its a private thing, not an advertisement. It isn’t their virginity that was the odd part, or even the fact that they valued their virginity ... it was that they advertised their sexual practices (or lack thereof) to complete strangers.
Also — the first guy wasn’t just a “virgin” — he wanted his first KISS to be on his wedding day. That’s certainly a noteworthy distinction. It may be difficult to GET to a wedding day without showing ANY affection to your girlfriend.
H
Ledger was probably killed in an accident. How does that demonstrate a lack of virtue?
I was disappointed by the judges responses to something we also teach our children - their first kiss goes to their spouse on their wedding day. There really is no better gift.
I agree. When I saw the key/locket thing with dad wearing the locket?
That was weird.
I know quite a few kids his age who are virgins, but they don’t go broadcasting it from the rafters, and they don’t wear a key with their parent holding the heart. I thought the kid (and dad) were trying to use it as a way to call attention to themselves, but the kid couldn’t sing, so it was all a moot point.
Why go to compete in a contest when you can’t sing...I have no idea, but thousands of American Idol contestants do that very thing.
Most folks who value personal morality don’t bother with American Idol. It’s for sadistic voyeurs who enjoy watching naive, celebrity-obsessed young people get berated on national TV.
“On my wedding day, that will be my first kiss.”
Not kissing before the wedding day? Can’t say I’ve ever heard of that one. Sounds bizarre.
Dickson wears a key around his neck, while his father wears a matching heart, which he wears for Dickson’s future wife.
I'm sorry but that's just plain creepy. The being a willful male virgin is a bit odd, but admirable. The key and locket around dad's neck is downright disturbing.
Yes, it is.
If women learn that, it's not surprising that he's never kissed a girl.
You know I understand where you are coming from, but I can’t agree with you.
We try to keep the sexual activity of our young women to a minimum, and then turn the guys lose with a wink and a nod.
Here’s a dad and a son that made a pact, and the young man is sticking with it. I’m not convinced that is a bad thing at all. I respect the kid a great deal. He is showing honor and maturity beyond what I had at that age, and his dad deserves a lot of credit.
Could it cause some problems for the kid? I think so. And I suppose the case could be made kids who do have sex suffer no problems???? Ahhh, I don’t think so.
What the kid’s chasitity decisions are, is of no consequence to the competition. If people try to make the case he won’t appeal to young women, they better get ready to learn a lesson the hard way. This guy will be adored by women. The right women.
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