American Idol experienced a decrease in ratings this season. New judge Ellen DeGeneres is a lesbian.

Clearly, says Gary McCullough, the director of the Christian Newswire, these two facts are related. In a press release today, he wrote:

I am confident that the producers of American Idol will... find a dozen other reasons for the drop in ratings. After all, what successful television producer could have a clue what wholesomeness is as long as they see promoting homosexuality as a virtue.

If one of the judges was an abortion activist, or a political right winger and continued to insert comments in line with their activism, the same criticism would be true, and the show would suffer.

What a great point. Ellen once joked on air about having loved a woman - that's the exact same thing as a pro-choice judge telling a contestant: "You really killed that song, the same way women across the country should be free to kill their unborn babies."

McCullough added: Network television producers may or may not stop promoting homosexuality; but for certain they will learn to keep homosexual activism separate from the cash-cow of "family entertainment."

There is of course the insane possibility that Hollywood will forsake ratings... and continue down the path of change. Perhaps next we will see the pro-pedophilia group NAMBLA use its influence in Hollywood to have Dancing with the Stars seat Roman Polanski as a judge.

Yes, he just compared homosexuality to pedophilia and statutory rape.

This genius makes unassailable arguments. There's no way season nine ratings were down because the contestants were boring, and the key demographic for Idol - a singing competition whose main, highly-rated season eight attraction was Adam Lambert - is clearly people that have a problem with gays.

What do you think? Did Ellen's sexuality contribute to the show's lackluster ratings?