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Adam Lambert: Censorship, Outrage, and Faux Shock at the "American Music Awards"
On ABC's The View this morning, Barbara Walters, was ticked off at her own network because they wouldn’t let her air his performance so they could talk about it. Too racy for daytime, which in the age of DVRs is just silly. Maybe they could hire the pixilator guy from The Amazing Race? I’ll buy that Adam kissing his male keyboardist wasn’t rehearsed. I’ll also state that I went to bed last night thinking the keyboardist was female. The shot was long, the hair was wild, and the costume sparkled. Shoot me. But the rest of it? Staged as all get out. I would bet anything, anything at all, that ABC knew exactly what they were getting with Lambert's performance. There were rehearsals. I guarantee one was in costume, and those costumes scream sex. And not safe, let’s-make-a-baby-sex, but hot, nasty, kinky fun. And besides, when asked to describe the performance, the first thing out of Adam’s mouth is “Sexy.” Look at the interview with KABC before the show. ABC also gave Adam the last slot, basically putting him right at eleven o’clock when there wouldn’t be much that the FCC could say about the whole thing which wasn't airing during "Family Hour". Based on history, that slot would have gone to Lady GaGa and her wild costumes and blood. No, the S&M, the leashes? Choreographed. Approved. Face in the crotch? Debatable, but in my opinion, that dancer wasn't surprised, and the camera had a great angle.
Which performer has a history of shocking during performances? See, if it wasn’t, I don't think we would have seen it on the East coast in the first place. I didn’t hear half of Eminem, or even Jay-Z. The Black-Eyed Peas even went silent at times. But I saw the “simulated oral sex” on my screen. If they can silence words, they can plan a shot. And by doing so, they get the best of both worlds. Because everybody is talking about it. And the clip is everywhere. And nobody is issuing takedown notices for copyright infringement. Why do I think ABC would do that? Well, if I were to speculate, I’d say that it was for ratings. The American Music Awards are time delayed on the west coast. That allowed the intertubez to build buzz. And ABC was rewarded, because the show pulled in 2 million more viewers than last year. And it set the standard that anything could happen on live TV again. Which increases the ratings for all future live shows, especially live shows with Adam Lambert. Like New Year’s Rockin’ Eve next month — which just happens to air on ABC. Adam knew he’d pushed the envelope. Between airings, he managed to get an interview out on CNN saying that if the kiss was censored, it was a double standard. Great advertising that. And free for ABC. It looked like a gauntlet being thrown down. But the kiss aired, a kiss not unlike Madonna/Britney/Christina so long ago. But they lost the crotch smash. He didn't bring that up in the interview with CNN, just the kiss. It’s no longer enough to have a performer fall down to make news (though we had two different acts do that last night). No footage seems to exist of JLo. But the mothership has Adam’s fall. I’ve been listening to Adam’s album this morning. I sprang for the $16.99 iTunes version with the bonus tracks over the $3.99 Amazon MP3 album without them. That whole performance screamed the chorus from “Master Plan.” We are the face of the new generation. We are the ones who have no reservations. Don’t give a damn about your cold calculations. Welcome to the master plan, don’t care if you understand. That performance, minus the kiss, was entirely a master plan. Submitted by on Mon, 2009-11-23 16:30. |
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Ramin must be furious
I see.
You are being sarcastic, right? lol.
I'm sure! But I think
I'm sure!
But I think some of the other readers didn't get that. :(
breeders
i know its sarcasm but i cant help but think there is some kind of truth behind your words, not all straight people are against gays just old polititians and hardcore religious people.
on another note, if millions (or however many) of gay people can come together to fight for gay rights why cant everyone come together and fight for human rights (which are being taken away everyday) and not just for sexual prefferences.
as for adam lambert, there must have been a reason why he didnt win, wheather you dug the show or not he still sucks at singing. and anyone who performs like that should be ashaimed of themselves, they are supposed to be role models, no wonder todays youth are so rude and ignorant towards everyone and everything. if i had my TV set to PG i wouldnt ever get any channels. if someone has to use sex or violence as a selling point they should find another profession.
as for all entertainers, who would rather "bling" or a new "grill" or designer fashion wear or a fancy car than to help feed little children, seriously if every wealthy person were to give say $1000 from their pocket they can end world hunger, but no todays day and age everyone is soooo greedy it makes me sick, money, money, money grubbers, but when one of those money grubbers are dying, holy s&!t every camera in the world is on them and why, MONEY, thats all everything is anymore. Sickening.
i have a bunch of stuff on my mind if anyone cares to ask, if not just fall in like everyone else.
Peace, Love and Groovy
Balls
Expected
i agree with you 100%, this was not shocking to ABC execs, there were rehearsals and every commercial they couldn't get enough of plugging Adam's performance, they put him in the right time slot which we can really say that kids were already in their beds dreaming...
good for the network, i'm not sure if smae can be said for Lambert but still good or bad publicity is still a publicity
whatever...
That's what I was thinking
whatever...
It sure is a shame that Adam
It sure is a shame that Adam has become so tame and has chosen to de-emphasize the fact that he's gay! I'm sure the publicist from 19 Entertainment can be blamed for him toning everything down and playing it safe. I think we need another open letter from Aaron Hicklin. This self censorship just won't do!
Apart from that, I loved the performance. No, the vocal was not that awesome, but I always thought Adam's real talent is as an entertainer as opposed to a singer. A lot of people say he tried too hard. Fine with me! Bring everything you've got! Entertain us! And while you're at it, piss off the right wingers!
I wondered how long it would be before we had a male version of Britney/Madonna, and I wondered who would pull it off. I gotta admit, though, the crotch thing even shocked me a bit. Now THAT is something we've never seen on network TV before!
Anyway, keep on keeping us guessing, Adam, and doing your own thing.
Hahaha
I thought the same thing
It sure is a shame that Adam has become so tame and has chosen to de-emphasize the fact that he's gay! I'm sure the publicist from 19 Entertainment can be blamed for him toning everything down and playing it safe. I think we need another open letter from Aaron Hicklin. This self censorship just won't do!
Oops
Double post - my first ever.
The Fall
I'd heard the fall was staged as well as part of the choreography so that he'd wind up with the other dancer. I wonder if that's true or not.
I agree his voice was a little "pitchy", as he described it in his tweet to Perez, but all in all I thoroughly enjoyed it. I especially love the wailing and gnashing of teeth by the homophobic right-wingers who lost their shit over the kiss.
It IS a double standard. There's been many examples of two women kissing not just on the AMAs but in almost every awards show that airs on TV. That barely gets a blip - in fact, the two guys on FOX & FRIENDS would air it over and over and over ad nauseum whenever either Britney or Madonna's name got dropped.
It IS a double standard...
It IS a double standard. There's been many examples of two women kissing not just on the AMAs but in almost every awards show that airs on TV. That barely gets a blip -
I know.
Eminem mentioning murder and rape? Where is the big deal?!
Shakira and 100 air-humping women? Sure, I can watch that with my 10-year old child. No biggie.
Adam Lambert kissing a boy? Where tf is the holy water?! lol. Yeah.
The fall wasn't staged
Adam Lambert
Whether it was nervousness or excitement, his vocals were definately off in addition to obvious sound problems. I agree 100% that women have gotten a way with this in the past. Im fine with everything except for the oral sex part. I just showed my mom and she was horrified by the whole thing. His album is fantastic though.
"All truth passes through three phases. First, it is considered absurd and is ignored or ridiculed. Next, it is considered dangerous to the status quo and viciously attacked. Finally, it is considered wholesome, indeed, self-evident."
The 'controversial' kiss..
Although ABC might not have known about the kiss beforehand, I am pretty sure that Tommy the keyboardist knew it was coming all along. There was not an element of surprise in his reaction. I think they discussed it prior to the performance and just went for it on stage. I cheered. lol.
The Kiss wasn't the issue
Wait, that was a kiss?
i see..
LOL.
That's kind of what I was thinking...
or, maybe it mistook the keyboardist for a water bottle. Common mistake when dehydrated.
"I paint objects as I think them, not as I see them." - Pablo Picasso
This was not appropriate
even if it were a man and a woman.
I don't find him smashing that guys face into his groin and simulating a blowjow artistic at all. This is ABC not MTV.
Truth is..
I know this is serious to alot of people but..
Not gonna lie, when I saw that I gasped.
And then I laughed.
I don't really see a problem
"hardly the first"?
Faux Munching
Women Do It All The Time
I just think people don't take famale driven "rough" sexuality as seriously or at the very least they don't find it threatening.
Janet Jackson, Britney Spears and Christina Aquilerra, Madonna have all done the exact same simulated forced cunnilinqus move. I wouldn't be surprised if J'Lo or Lady Gaga has done the same move:
It's such a familar move from "If I was your girl" that people use it to teach that piece of choreography for other performers.
Miley Cyrus (who is underage) rode a stripper pole in hot pants and stacked heels during the Teen Choice Awards.
Both Usher and Justin Timberlake have done a "push ups" move where they position themselves in between the legs of a female dancer who is laying on her back with her legs spread.
MTV, ABC, doesn't matter. The separation in populations for a show like the AMA is insignificant.
MTV is basic cable any teen who was watching the AMA on a Sunday night at 11pm has mostly likely seen 87 times more explicit stuff on "real world" or the Internet or even your average prime time tv show or daytime soap.
I've seen some simulated sex on ATWT that made my eyes bleed and the same goes for a whole lot of primetime shows with randy straight couples.
Justin and Rebecca on Brothers and Sisters, naked on a couch, writhing and grinding is simulated sex happening in prime time. On that same show the older sister had completely overt simulated sex in her office storage room and it was explicit.
The ONLY thing that made what Adam Lambert did even remotely "outrageous" is the fact that he is a gay man and most of the sexual moves people are upset about are the ones that involved men. We aren't used to seeing it on tv but we'd better get used to it because he may be the "first" but he won't be the last.
Some people are offended by overt sexuality of any kind. Find, they definitely shouldn't watch any music performance shows that deal with pop music cuz there is gonna be some simulated sex!
Some people are offended only by over sexuality of the gay male man on man variety. That is homophobia.
Briliant analysis
What a wonderful piece of thinking, observation and analysis. A lovely post Crawfish and I agree with every word.
Back in 1972 there used to be a popular music programme called Top of the Pops, which took place at 7.30pm on Thursday evenings on BBC1. It meant that on Friday morning every schoolkid in the country was talking about the music. In one show, relatively new artist David Bowie debuted his song Starman and during the performance he sang directly into Mick Ronson, his lead guitarist's crotch. And then spent the rest of the song with an arm provocatively draped over Ronson.
There was no mistaking the sexual message and even kids who didn't understand what sex was knew that something important had happened. Parents across the UK had coughing fits, harrumphed like farting elephant seals or decided they had to make a cup of tea. Everyone adult agreed there was absolutely no need for that kind of thing on television.
In his sell-out live stage shows following that appearance on TV, Bowie gleedully added the dry-humping of Ronson to the performance.
See http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bhoE5hOfirE for an example.
I think this is a perfect example of the overwhelming power of public decency.
Just look at the terrible affect it's had on poor Bowie's career nearly 40 years later. Lambert should learn from this cautionary tale!
It's facutally incorrect
Same Difference
"It's factually incorrect
Submitted by
the herald (1095 points) (287 posts)
on Tue, 2009-11-24 14:08.
to say there's no difference between MTV and ABC."
My point was that there is no difference in the demographic who would watch the MTV Video Awards and the AMAs on a Sunday night at 10:55pm.
These were not the American Bandstand type AMAs. It hasn't been like THAT for decades. Folks aren't stupid, they knew what they were in for "Eminem, Lady Gaga, Rihanna (who's album is called "Rated R"). PLEASE!
Maybe 10 years ago there would have been a distinct difference in terms of who the target audience was but if you just look at the lineup of performers, they weren't aiming for the "Amy Grant/ Celine Dion" demographic.
Of course there are things you can do on MTV that you can't on a network show but given what happened in the performances previous to Adam's on the night he performed, I don't see a distinct difference between what Janet, JLo Rihanna, Lady Gaga, Jay Z did on the AMAs compared to what occurs on the MTV Video Awards.
I completely support anyone's right to complain about something they find distasteful on tv (particularly network tv), but that doesn't mean that I will ignore the inherent homophobia in people being outraged by Adam Lambert's performance of a simulated bj and a french kiss with a man but NOT outraged by the shenanigans that every other performer that night got up to including Janet Jackson who opened the show with a seriously aggressive sexually provocative number and simulated cunnilingus.
I will also say that Adam Lambert it not an unknown entity. All of his performances before American Idol and since American Idol have been incredibly sexually provocative (and even a few of his performances on Idol straddled the line ).
So anyone who was watching the AMAs who by some strange manner managed to miss the hundreds of provocative teasers about the performance he was planning (he was interviewed all week with rehearsal footage of him dragging the boy on the leash, etc) STILL should have know it was going to be a sexy performance. If they are easily offended or don't want their kids to see, they had ample opportunity to turn the channel or put the kid to bed.
I live in this country too, I'm a citizen and I LOVED his performance and I found nothing even remotely offensive about it. THE AFA thinks anything gay is offensive and is cause to boycott a tv network or an company that provides domestic partnership benefits. They make not distinction between gaysexual or just gay. If it's even gay adjacent, they will boycott and protest and picket till they get their way.
I don't want other people's conservatism to determine what I do or don't get to see and I certainly don't want false propriety to be used as a method to "hide the gay" away anytime two men look like they might kiss or touch in a sexual way on screen.
There was NOTHING over the line about Adam Lambert's performance when you compare him to other performers like him on awards shows including the AMAs (if you look back at previous Justin Timberlake and Britney performances, you'll see that I'm not just whistling Dixie.) Shakira is scandalous, Lady Gaga, Rihanna all of them use simulated sex acts in their performances.
I am disappointed that gay folks can't see that 90% of the negative arguments being made in the media about why this performance was "wrong" or "inappropriate" has to do with the players, not the game.
If the same folks who were complaining about Adam Lambert crossing a line were also complaining about all the other acts that very night that comingled sex and violence on the AMA stage, then I might feel differently about calling them hypocrites.
I would rather see something on television that offends me than have performers censored to suit whatever my delicate sensibilities are because what is or isn't offensive is subject and changes over time and it completely connected to what society thinks is or isn't moral.
There was a time in my life time (in fact many still do) when people found the very sight of a black man and a white women kissing to be completely and utterly offensive. Not just offensive but immoral and a sin. Even more so than a white man kissing a black woman.
I don't think the mere fact that someone might be offended should be the reason a network censors a performance.
I find Eminem and Jay-Z and 50 Cent to be offensive just standing on stage. I can complain and rant and rave but I would never suggest that ABC NOT air their performances simply because I'm offended. I even think they are wrong to bleep them because they are sexist and misogynist and folks should HEAR those lyrics because that's what their kids hear every day at and after school on tv and on the Internet. We should not pretend they are being awarded for singing about sunshine and rainbows and peace on earth.
But my point is, whether it's MTV or CBS or ABC, one can always choose not to watch or watch and talk about how horrible or offensive it was the next day.
Blatantly homophobic and heterosexist censorship and false modesty disgust me more than anything a pop singer could do on stage to himself or anyone else.
The song For Your Entertainment is a hyper sexual song about power and domination and aggressive sexuality. What did folks think he was going to do, sit on a bench in a fuzzy sweater with a harpist to accompany him?
I mean, have the actually SEEN Adam Lambert perform post Idol? It's not hard.
I won't even get to why folks have such impressionable children watching a show like the AMAs where anything can happen and why someone offended by overt sexuality would even watch a show with that particular lineup of performers scheduled.
Appropriate for what?
!) ABC vs MTV what is that?
2) At least you can't claim he has gone back into the closet.
3) I'll bet OUT is having hissy fits.
4) And quite frankly my dear I don't give a darn....welcome to Puritanism 201.
i saw his fall on youtube....
It looked natural. like it was part of the performance. I'm reading it wasn't, so props to adam for being able to fall and pull it off at the same time.
:-)
Not surprised or Shocked
Looking at the camera angles, it's fairly clear that ABC new what was coming.
The folks who run ABC "Daytime" must not be the same folks who run OLTL. If they were they would not have allowed that lovely kiss.
What?
What's all this commotion going on here at AfterAdam.com... errr, AfterElton.com? (Or maybe I had it right the first time?). Who is this Adam Lambert guy? And what does he have to do with Artificial Intelligence (AI)? Who is Lady Gaga? Is she a surviving relative of Princess Di? I'm gay, but that isn't helping here.
Anyway, I'll never understand why people worship entertainers like they're gods.
Oh, and don't forget to check out my Brett Claywell shrine:
http://home.roadrunner.com/~jgglatt/brett/brett.htm
The kiss was fine
I concur...
Its frustrating that the kiss is what people are getting up in arms about, while Adam pushing someone's head into his cock is totally ignored. A kiss isn't a big deal, and getting pissed about that is a double standard no matter how you look at it. But it what world did he think it would be a good idea to choreograph a faux BJ?
Although it doesn't matter as far a gay publicity goes... people only seemed to notice the kiss which is just... illogical.
"I paint objects as I think them, not as I see them." - Pablo Picasso
But it what world did he
But it what world did he think it would be a good idea to choreograph a faux BJ?
My Chemical Romance did that in live shows several times. The only difference here is the level of publicity that comes with the ABC platform, and IMHO that's not really Adam's problem.
It's no more shocking to me than the hundreds of other simulated sex acts performers have included in their shows (Justin Timberlake comes to mind, for "Summer Love")
MCR
Gerard Way and Frank Iero would also often make out on stage, to the shrieking delight of their audience-- who would film it and then get a bajillion hits on Youtube. Seems to be exactly what happened here; those producers knew exactly what they were doing.
"Go, or go ahead and surprise me." -- Rufus Wainwright
They certainly generated
They certainly generated publicity!
It might also make a
It might also make a difference that Frank and Gerard are straight. While they are publically pro-gay and their stage show often includes groping and kissing (and the head-humping), the general public is less likely to feel threatened by their sexuality. It's a show for them, while it's a reality for Adam.
(Also, HI! *waves* I love seeing people that I know in places I didn't expect them!)
Good point
It might also make a difference that Frank and Gerard are straight.
That's exactly what I was thinking.
(Hi! I noticed your account over here last month but I wasn't sure if it was the same person *waves*)
But that's their show, and
But that's their show, and it's really MCR's prerogative if they make out on stage, and because it's not in a venue that is broadcasted to billions of TVs all over the world The AMAs is not the Adam Lambert Coming Out Special, even if his fans wanted it to be.
riposte
But that's their show, and it's really MCR's prerogative if they make out on stage, and because it's not in a venue that is broadcasted to billions of TVs all over the world The AMAs is not the Adam Lambert Coming Out Special, even if his fans wanted it to be.
Sigh..
It's a shame that you may not have accepted your own sexuality, and can only see fit to blast other gay people for trying to cross those frontiers of prejudice
Justin Timbrerlake
That's a good point about JT getting away with a similar act... but I was shocked he was able to to that as well. And I may have thrown up a little in my mouth because it was JT.
I paint objects as I think them, not as I see them." - Pablo Picasso
Lady Gaga before the reflex
Here's an early performance of the Gag before she reinvented herself. I suppose others are already aware of this, but I found it on Facebook. Like Adam, if you can see beyond the flamboyance, she's really quite talented:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NM51qOpwcIM
"The mountain has wings."
Adam Lambert -the Kiss
live it : The photo of the kiss with the keyboardist clearly shows the kiss was being returned-definitely kissing Adam back. so- scripted as a 'maybe' but definitely not a surprise.
iTunes vs. Amazon
So, you'd rather pay $16.99 for 16 songs than $3.99 for 14 songs? Plus if you buy it from Amazon, you can still buy the two extra songs from iTunes and your total for the album (all 16 songs) would be $6.57!
Unless you really want that behind the scenes footage, I wouldn't pay $16.99 for something I can get for $6.57!
(Sorry for the rant, I just found it weird that you thought you got a good deal.)
Actually, even cheaper
Wow!
That's really cheap!
Wish I'd known that yesterday. :)
Let's compare!
Hmmm, I wish I had the time to go through the videos of all the performances and screen grab all the sexual moves in all the performances and post them side by side with grabs of adams routine.
Simulated oral sex: Janet Jackson & Adam
Grabbing the snatch: Janet Jackson & Adam
Pussy thrusting: Janet, Shakira and too many others to count (even Carrie Underwood's dancers put on the stripper moves.
The outrage is only because it was aggressive "gay" sexuality.
Agreed
If the American public can not handle or is not ready for gay men to be as full on sexual in their performances as Justin Timberlake or Pink or even Beyonce, then they'd better get ready. That's what full equality means.
From what I can see, young gays are not having it! They are not trying to have folks tell them to be gay in name only or be heard gay but not seen gay. This is particularly true of gay performers. That cat is out the bag already.
If equality means anything, it means we get to be exactly who we are as gay people in all its multiplicity, doing our own thing, expressing the full breadth of what we can do. We should be treated equally because we are equal citizens under the law, not because we always behave well or never offend others, not because people like us or find us to be "acceptable"
Pop culture is a critical aspect of American life. It drives how we see ourselves and how we see others. It drives how those outside of the US see us because we export more of our pop culture to other countries than any other society in the world (for good or for ill).
It challenges us with new ideas and reinforces things we think we already know. It's a discourse and it's not stagnant. Gay people in all our full on gaytastic glory should get to participate freely.
Of course we want straight folks to see us as 3-dimensional human beings with full romantic, family and work lives and all of that. It’s very important but it’s not all there is (nor should it be) and we can't spend 24/7 of our lives trying not to offend people with our sexuality.
What was the point of Justin Timberlake bringing "Sexy Back" (from the song's lyrics I'm assuming dragged back in chains) if Adam Lambert or Sam Sparro or even sweet innocent Mika can't get to have some too?
There is certainly room enough in the cultural landscape for both the NPH "I'm not an Advocate, I'm a jester" gays and the Adam Lambert "It's gonna be sexy" gays to co-exist without canceling each other out. They simply fill in the framework of what a gay man or gay performer is or can be.
We don't have to go up in arms every time Adam Lambert grabs his crotch. You can't swing a cat on any music awards stage and not hit a crotch grabber of the male/female/straight/gay/bi variety.
Why is it that so many of the people who were so shocked by Adam don't seem to be particularly bothered by the tons of over rough, gentle, dirty, romantic displays of overt and explicit sexuality of the straight variety that proceeded Adam.
Why save up all the "Oh my God, the children!" just for the faux gay sex display?
I loved every single inch of that performance. We hooted and hollered and fist pumped all the way through it over in my neck of the gay woods.
It was fun and full of life and energy it was edgy and sexy and entertaining.
I wasn't obsessed with the vocal quality issues because I've seen Adam Lambert sing over a hundred times now and I know that child can sing his ass off.
I was like "On know this child did not just whip these boys then drag that boy across the stage, GO HEAD WITH YOUR BAD SEX!!!"
Every night on his 52 city tour Adam Lambert did everything BUT grab a member of the band and have his way with them on that stage. It was the most provocative American Idol On Tour set I've ever seen. He road that mic on the Idols Live Tour like it was a bronking bull, stroking it the whole time.
If that didn’t prepare "America" for him, they weren't paying attention. It was entirely and overtly gay sexual.
So anyone who was surprised by Adam Lambert on Sunday night (given his tour performances, all of the rehearsal footage released by ABC the week before and the ACTUAL WORDS OF THE SONG,) was just showing up after the party dishes have been washed.
It is not an artists or performer's job to protect people from their performance.
The AMA is no different than any other music awards show of the last decade.
Anything can happen and given the lineup (and the nature of American pop music) it was bound to be a very sexy and provocative event with or without Adam's performance.
He’s a young gay man doing what straight male performers have been doing for decades, enjoying and exploring and expressing his sense of sexuality on stage.
If folks managed to get through that entire show and not see anything else that they found "too" sexy or offensive or dangerous to the children and their delicate sensibilities until Adam Lambert hit the stage, then I call that Homphobic Poppycock!
this is a very long post but....
Possibly the best post I've ever seen on this forum.
My only qualification being I don't find Adam Lambert's look attractive.