I haven’t been following “American Idol” this season, but over spring break I took an hour out of my Tuesday night to play catch-up. Not only did I accurately predict who would be voted off the following eve (Scott MacIntyre, the legally blind one), but I also fell in love.

With Adam Lambert. I actually remembered him from the auditions at the very beginning of the season. It was widely known that he was a professional actor from a company of the musical “Wicked.” As a theater person, this not only gave me premature hot flashes, but prompted some serious thinking.

Thought one: Auditioning for “American Idol” was a step down, but to each his own.

Thought two: Damn, that guy has a nice voice.

Thought three: Wasn’t Adam Lambert on the news because some stalkerazzi reportedly found pictures of him making out with a guy?

Now, as I have learned after discussing Mr. Lambert with a number of “AI” fanatics, I am not the only person who fell in love with his golden pipes. He is apparently a fan favorite to win. However, there has been a lot of controversy about that picture — the tongue wrestling one.

I’m not exactly sure what this controversy is, however. Sure, Idols were kicked off the island because they posed nude or had issues with the law. Thus, they didn’t “make good role models.” However, some will argue that if you check in with any celebrity of notable stature, you will come to see that no celebrity makes a good role model; it is not his or her job. It is his or her job to simply entertain, and “American Idol” seeks the next best entertainer.

However, “Idol” also seeks to make good TV that can suck in demographics, as it is the most-watched television show. Fox seeks to create family-friendly fare, devoid of ex-strippers and ex-drug addicts and people with really crappy records. All the kids watching could be exposed to the notorious underground world … that they will probably find out about at some point in time anyway, but for the time being, they remain safely shielded.

While Lambert has not released an official statement on his sexual orientation, it is safe to assume that regardless of his actual preference, he’s experimented to some extent. Pictures do not lie. So if he is gay, and is on America’s most-watched television channel, what’s so bad about that? (If you Google “Adam Lambert homosexual” you will find a number of people condemning his actions, with hefty support from the Bible.)

While Bible-thumping “AI” fans may turn their back on Fox, it would be unfairly religious and rightist to eliminate him from the competition based on evidence of alleged homosexuality. Having a mug shot means you broke the law. But having a make-out shot with someone of the same sex? What did you break, other than a few personal barriers if you’re a heterosexual?

And besides, had Lambert’s photo been with someone of the opposite sex, would people be so up in arms? How many pictures of normal human behavior do people rush to erase (or quickly tag, depending on who they are) from Facebook every weekend?

It isn’t a big deal. He’s — for crying out loud — a normal person, an employed actor and now a TV celebrity singing for your family in the privacy and comfort of your own living room every Tuesday eve.

That is, provided you still vote for him. Vote for Adam Lambert, a normal, possibly homosexual singer/actor. We are so inclined to dig up controversy that we pass up talent. And damn, can that boy sing. He rocks the eyeliner, too — and not many men can do that.