 by Ed Kennedy
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Adam Lambert: One Week Later
It's been a week since Adam Lambert made much of the world collectively clutch its pearls and gasp in shock. Nearly everybody and their brother has managed an opinion on the subject, including me. Now that we've all said something, have we, as a society, reached a consensus on what happened, and what it means? The short answer is no. We're all still clueless about the broader societal meanings of The Great Crotch Snorkel of 2009. It would probably have been over by now if not for CBS blurring out the kiss, which really wasn't at issue, at least not until their lame excuse for doing so. (Their silly explanation was destroyed by the man who had the first gay kiss on a morning show.) So as things stand, we're still talking. The anti-gay Liberty Counsel has filed an official complaint with the Federal Communications Commission about the performance. It reads somewhat scattershot as they attempt to make something stick under either obscenity or indecency laws. Their success hinges on the fact that the broadcast aired in the Central Time Zone at 9:54 P.M. as opposed to 10:54 P.M. in the Eastern Time Zone (and was edited for the west coast). Ten o'clock marks the cut-off point after which more adult-themed programming can air without risking penalties from the FCC.
These arbitrary lines may decided if what happened was "indecent" So if by the community standards of, say Dallas/Ft. Worth in the Central Time Zone, the east coast broadcast could be considered indecent and the Liberty Counsel may actually have a legal leg to stand on by about a minute. If this was the Bush administration, I might be concerned, but the FCC tends to reflect the administration it serves. So how's the mainstream media handling what happened? Believe it or not, fairly well. The New York Times had a marvelous piece which managed to sum up the entire network television policy on gay men into a single sentence: "Do tell, just don't show." The Los Angeles Times suggests that Adam is likely to laugh all the way to the bank, selling 225,000 copies of For Your Entertainment in the first week, compared to squeaky-clean Kris Allen's 80,000 copies.
There are nearly 50 slots between their albums. One could debate whether Entertainment Weekly's Michael Sleazak is the mainstream press or the gay press, especially since part of his video interview with Adam started with "One gay man to another gay man" but he writes for EW, which is mainstream. And more than anything, he let Adam talk about what happened. In the additional EW videos released late Wednesday we get to see Adam trying to resolve his statements about "not being a politician" with his performance, which is being labeled political. What about the gay press, you ask? That's where we find a mixed bag on our rock star. Our last post grabbed nearly 70 comments over the long weekend, and ranged from highly supportive to accusations of onstage "rape." Over at The Advocate, the article was supportive of at least Adam's right to perform as he saw fit, but reader comments were not so positive. Meanwhile, fab Magazine had a long audio interview that discussed the divide in the gay community and tried to paint it as generational. Our own sister site, 365gay.com was picked up in a Reuters article, with editor-in-chief Jennifer Vanasco being quoted as saying:
Anyone who's read my work before knows that I personally chafe a bit at that statement, because I think it presumes too much on a few fronts:
Psychology Today actually tackles a lot of that on their blog. They attempt to draw a line between the gay representation that already exists on ABC, with the gay parents on Modern Family being essentially inside a box -- partnered, raising a baby -- with which most viewers are comfortable. Sure, they're technically homosexual, but there's really nothing sexual about them. Topping off the outrage, we have the fact that ABC's 20/20 is going to air a Robin Roberts interview with Chris Brown, who pled guilty to assaulting Rhianna earlier this year. Portions of the already-taped interview will also air on Good Morning America, which canceled Adam's interview and performance last week. The possibility of a song from Chris Brown's new album being performed on the show was being discussed, though that was scrapped this morning.
Part of the reason for the Chris Brown interview is "equal time" since Rhianna was interviewed. The Lambert/Brown brouhaha highlights the complicated relationship America has with both sex and violence, which is pretty much opposite most of Europe. For the most part, Europeans are fine with nudity, and sexuality. Take the French soaps Clara Sheller and Les Bleus for example. On Clara Sheller, the French are fine showing Gilles and J.P. having fairly explicit sex. But the gay bashing on Les Bleus happens in shadows and from a distance. In the U.S., we'd have seen every single punch and kick of the beating in slow motion and blood flying, but we'd be lucky to see J.P. and Gilles in the afterglow much less actually doing it. Regardless of where you stand on the subject of Public Displays of Affection (PDA), one thing has happened here - we're talking about a double (triple?) standard between straight sexuality, girl-girl sexuality, and gay sexuality. And that can't help but be good for the cause because discussing an issue desensitizes it and helpf people see inequalities previously accepted. On The View this morning, even Sherri Shepard managed to grasp that if not for Adam Lambert's performance last week, Chris Brown would have likely performed without comment. So didn't several constituencies win there? I'd argue that as long as we keep talking, we all win. Submitted by on Mon, 2009-11-30 15:04. |
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Adam
ellen:airing 2m.Singing ‘whatya want from me’! AMA performance was a one time event. Goin in a new direction now. Focus back on the music.
Don’t worry friends: I’m still gonna be me. Always. W/o appologies. Just gonna experiment differently w how I present myself.
And thank you all for your kind and supportive tweets. Means more than you can imagine. It was a looong week
And it seems he is moving on a new single soon, Whataya want for me, is having some loving from big pop stations (the same that seems to reject FYE, wich a think it could work well in europe), so probably he move on and will do WWFM on his tv appareances and left his OTT for live performances.
And about Kris, it's true that he had the worst first week for an AI winner, but his single is slowly growing on spins and itunes chart, and i think he'll do well on the long time (and his album has at least a couple of possible hits)
Re: Kris
Yes Kris's single is doing pretty well and his album did sell well digitally.
I'm wondering why Jive hasn't released another single for Kris since he has at least 5 other songs on his album that would make good singles.
But the media wants to bury him as bland and boring compared to Adam, which makes some of Adam's most fervent fans jump up and down with glee.
Great Reporting
Here, here.
Nice work Ed.
BTW, your freak flag is showing, better tuck that in under you vest brotha ;)
Cheers
I agree
After reading his tweets I
After reading his tweets I think he's a hypocrite. He said in an interview he wouldn't apologize and now he's doing just that. Although he didn't cough up the words "I'm sorry" he might as well have.
I'll have to remember this for the next time I argue with someone and need to apologize. I'll just say I'm going in a new direction.
Really?
Adam Lambert has never apologized and he didn't do so in his tweets today. I'm sure he's getting it from all sides and since he's human, I'm sure he's feeling it. But being tired of the whipping doesn't mean you're ready to call yourself "Toby"
Going in a new direction might just mean, well, anything really. Who the frack knows?
He said he wants to go in a new direction about how he presents himself. He also said that he is learning and that his fans needn't worry because he ISN'T changing who he is.
How does that make him a hypocrite?
If he wanted to say "I'm sorry" or "I regret what I did" or "I made a mistake" he could easily use those actual words.
Being a hypocrite is not about realizing when you've made a mistake and saying sorry.
But let me be clear, I don't think he did make a mistake and I don't think he is sorry or is saying he's sorry. In every interview I've seen he's said he's not "sorry", he's surprised at the uproar and wishes he could just get back to talking about the music and focusing on his album.
Adam Lambert also said he is happy to be part of the larger conversation about the double standard exhibited by both ABC and CBS.
Maybe THAT'S the new direction.
Any human being who can't learn from an experience or incorporate new information into their knowledge of the world and apply it according is an idiot who is doomed to be stuck on stupid in perpetuity.
Adam's performance was intentional. He tried something out to see how it felt and how it was received. It doesn't mean he has to now prove something by having every performance push some envelope (if he did, that would be fine too but I don't think that was ever his ONLY intention)
He has consistently said that each performance will reflect the song he's singing and the mood and vibe that song it meant to communicate.
Since FYE is the only song set in an underground sex club with an S&M tinged aggression, I doubt any of the other performances would warrant the same set up or delivery or staging.
But again, who knows? The video for "Strut" could be set in a 1970'sish bath house or a kids talent show. It's all up for grabs.
FYE at the AMAs is one moment in time and I hope that Adam Lamber doesn't feel like every future performance or interview has to reference that moment or jump off from that moment or pay homage to that moment or provide an antithesis to that moment.
Every performance that I've seen of Adam Lambert on AI and on the AI Tour and on previous performances before AI ran the gamut from smutty, sexy, dirty to sweet, earnest, heartfelt.
I would expect his album and performances from this point forward to reflect ALL OF THAT because he's an eclectic kind of guy.
People are allowed to learn and grow and if he DIDN'T learn something from this past week (both the stuff WE saw and the stuff we DIDN'T see) then I'd lose respect for him. I haven't.
He's paying attention which is as it should be.
It's HIS career, HIS life and none of us can live it for him.
I think he DOES have to think more about how he is represented but that doesn't mean he has to change who he is or desexify himself or apologize for his actions.
I don't live inside his head so I couldn't begin to actually know what "new direction" means for him.
But given his past performances and how consistent he has been in every interview (video, radio, print) including as of today, I find nothing hypocritical in his response.
I think his tweets were meant to be comforting to fans and to give fans a sense of the fact that he is "going through it" not just floating above it. He's taking it in.
I do wonder though, why does it seem to make so many people so angry angry angry. Adam Lambert being who he is doesn't take anything away from any other performer or gay person being who they are.
There is something very OTT about the way people are responding to him as a person (not even as a performer).
He's like one singer in a sea of out gays in all areas of entertainment who are all over and up and through the US cultural map right now.
The same people who say he is insignificant and doesn't represent them and shouldn't be paid so much attention to write comment after comment on multiple blogs about how much he doesn't matter and how they wish he'd just go away.
I find that counterintuitive.
But mostly, the visciousness of folks' responses to him surprises me and gives me pause.
I'd love to know what that's about.
I would be a lot less suspect of my fellow gays if they applied the same rigorous analysis and level of scrutiny to all out gay men in the entertainment public eye.
I would have a lot more respect for folks who take Adam Lambert to task if those same folks (particularly gay journalists and bloggers) were as quick to put some of these longer standing gays in the media (film, television, music) under the same microscope.
Agree
I pretty much agree with your whole post.
The ott hate and responses directed at mr. Lambert is disturbing to me.
To me it sounds like he was
Hmmm
People always say an artist or a performer or a celibrity "created" controversy. That's bollocks. The media creates the controversy. The response to whatever they did creates the controversy.
If the media had responded to Adam Lambert's performance in the same manner that it did Rihanna's or Lady Gaga's, we would never have had to have this conversation.
If ABC/CBS hadn't flown their homophobic flags of double standards and hypocricy so incredibly high, folks would probably mostly be talking about the vocals of Adam Lambert's peformance (I personally think every singer is allowed some slack if they aren't lip syncing) or maybe not talking about it at all. Who knows?
If people would stop asking him about the AMAs, I bet he wouldn't bring it up. And as far as I've seen, he's never the first to do so in these interviews.
If his label was concerned enough to "bitch slap" him into some kind of submission, they would have simply not supported his performance in the first place OR he would have immediately and unequivocally apologized within 24 to 48 hours (which is the standard for scandals these days).
Adam has been interviewed on TV, radio, in print, Sirius satellite and on the Internet and he has been completely consistent in his attitude and opinions. He's done some reflecting and communicated things he's learned or whatever since last week.
At any point in time during the last week of relentless interviews, Adam Lambert could have actually apologized. As far as I know, he hasn't yet and doesn't intend to.
His label isn't stupid and neither are his fans (nor is ABC)
If you saw the rehearsal footage released by ABC and the interviews ABC conducted about the AMA performance, every single aspect of that performance was exactly staged except the 2 seconds of faux blow job and the kiss. The dancer being in the position to have his head that close to Adam Lambert's fly was rehearsed, the actual "man handling faux bj" with said dancer was spontaneous.
Again I say, once you've got a guy on a leash on his knees straddled in front of a singer with his face a few inches form the crotch and THAT part is rehearsed, claiming "OMG, I HAD NO IDEA" about what might happen next or even just what is implied is ridiculous on ABC's part.
I have no doubt that even without the actual kiss and bj and with all the other staging, there would have been just as many fan complaints because the fact is it was just too overtly gay sexual for some viewers.
The "kiss" in rehearsal involved Adam grabbing Tommy by the back of his head by his hair and pulling his face towards him then stopping (there are photos of THAT from the ABC released rehearsal footage).
If the label was worried after the fact, they would have been worried then.
Adam is accompanied by his label reps everywhere he goes. They saw his video and the staging of his performance. They went with him to most of his interviews.
If they were worried about "scandal" they would have simply asked him to cut anything and everything that could cause a scandal and I don't think the "Trolley Stop" or the boys on their knees on leashes was exactly a "safe" bet for so-called family entertainment.
If you hate the guy and don't like his music, hate him and don't like his music. To each his own.
But don't act as though all of a sudden everything you hold dear and precious about Adam Lambert has somehow changed because of a tweet that you are interpreting to mean something it may not, in fact, mean or for some as yet unsubstantiated "bitch slapping" you think happened but can't prove happened (and that is at best, unlikely to have happened at this late stage).
Adam Lambert's label wants him to sell records and make money for them. So far, he's doing just that. What exactly could they possibly have to complain about? They knew what they were getting into when they signed him.
His voice and musical talents are exactly the same now as they were a week ago and 6 months before that.
Again, if you can't stand the site of him and the sound of his voice makes your ears bleed, that's totally your right.
I'm not a fan that thinks everybody had to like what I like.
But I do think that liberation takes all kinds and it's messy and frustrating and folks who are on your side aren't always gonna "represent" the way you'd like. That's life.
that's not hypocrisy
Going in a new direction for subsequent performances doesn't mean he is apologizing for his AMA performance. What, you thought he was going to kiss guys and simulate bjs every time he sings now?
At most, you might say he caved to the pressure, even though I would disagree that he's done anything of the sort. Unless you believe every time someone says he's changed his mind on a issue that he's being a hypocrite (as opposed to just flip-flopping on the issue)?
Here's the definition of "hypocrite" (from dictionary.com):
1. a person who pretends to have virtues, moral or religious beliefs, principles, etc., that he or she does not actually possess, esp. a person whose actions belie stated beliefs.
2. a person who feigns some desirable or publicly approved attitude, esp. one whose private life, opinions, or statements belie his or her public statements.
Since everything being discussed here about Adam has been reported extensively, do you have access to private statements that are at odds with the public ones?
change
Well, you don't really know what it is he is going to change.
His AMA perfomance was pretty much overall slammed by his fans, from the vocals to the busy choreography. He received only bad reviews from critics. So he could be talking about the general artistic direction of his performances. The fact is, we don't know. So I'll withhold judgment for a little while...
It did make me a little sad reading his tweets. Cause I want him to follow his dream...and the theatrics is part of his dream.
Well
I think people may be projecting their own feelings about the AMAs onto other people who don't agree with their assessment.
I think there are some people who hated the performance and desperately want him to say he's sorry or be sorry and they are just waiting for that to manifest.
I think there some who think he's a hack and couldn't stand him before and can't stand him even more now and are just wishing and hoping for something to happen that will give them an opportunity to call him out.
I think there are some who just loved the performance and enjoy him as a person and performer and are kinda just riding the wave, supporting his music and going with the flow to see what happens next.
Adam Lambert did NOT receive overall bad reviews from critics and his fans did NOT overwhelmingly disapprove of his performance.
SOME critics didn't like the performance and SOME fans dissaproved.
LOADS of fans loved every second of it and loads of critics loved it as well.
As with everything, the squeeky wheel gets the grease so folks are more inclined to talk about the negative responses because THAT'S where the controversy lies.
That is going to be true of every single performance Adam Lambert (or any performer) gives from here on out.
People were split down the middle on Lady Gaga and Janet Jackson as well. Goes with the territory.
There were Adam Lambert performances on American Idol and during the tour that split critics and fans right down the middle with some of each on either sides.
If everyone like everything he did on the AMAs or anywhere else, IMO, he'd be doing something wrong.
Some folks love the BALLS TO THE WALL glam stank of AMAs (I did) and some folks would be happier if he just showed up in arm warmers a tiny bit of eye shadow and jeans and sang on a bench every time.
Some people love the whole package.
I don't think we should assume that we know what Adam Lambert means or is going to do. I'm not even sure he knows.
I think every performer no matter how accomplished or famous has a moment (hopefully many) of reflect and self assessment and it can only make them better performers.
But I'm not sure "tweets" are the place we should be looking for a person's inner most thoughts about anything.
Adam
heh. i am a fan that loves pretty much everything he does. I have no expectations and "go with the flow". I liked his AMA. I was glad that he provoked and was banned, cause it gives him publicity, eg. here in Europe where I am. I also think it gives him "rock-cred". For example, my brother said he likes him now because of the scandal. I guess that's how we work here in Europe.
But when I went to the fansites there weren't many positive reactions. Sure, they liked the kiss. But mostly they were disappointed with the vocals.
Agree
Bullshit. The fact that you
Bullshit. The fact that you somehow discerned an apology in series of tweets that actually contains the phrase "I'm still gonna be me. Always. W/o appologies." tells me you are projecting your own preconceived ideas and feelings onto the guy. WITHOUT APOLOGIES. It couldn't be any clearer.
This fledgeling performer has been at the center of a media shitstorm for a week and has remarkably kept his cool. The tweets are not for you, they are for the QUARTER OF A MILLION fans that follow him on twitter and send him thousands and thousands of tweets of support and concern. He's reassuring them that he's come through this okay, he's using the whole crazy situation as a learning experience, and now he really wants to focus on the music.
Liberty Counsel hypocrites
I never thought I would say these words...
but I think Kathy Lee Gifford is right.
No. Seriously, at the risk sounding cynical, I think the whole thing was planned out with relatively sucessful results.
They rehearsed it and in the moment Adam's actions may have been a bit more emphatic but the participants knew it was coming.
Did they pay off? Hell Yeah! Instead of having to ACTUALLY go on every boring morning show, talk show, radio show, etc. - all Adam had to do was do a little raunchy performance and he gets talked about for a week even on shows that never would have discussed him before, his album gets a big bump, and he even gets the rep for being"dangerous" and an "uncompromising" artist.
It was buzzworthy; even though no one except the religous right and uberconservatives can really find anything offensive about what he did. They might say it was risque or daring but if you take out the fact that it was two men it was nothing that hadn't been done before. So it plainly it becomes a spotlight on homophobia, even in the gay community, although I think for Adam it was just about selling his album.
Next week I expect a leaked photo of Kris Allen kissing Chris Brown, in hopes of boosting their own album sales, to surface.
Thanks for this post Ed. I'm
Thanks for this post Ed. I'm exhausted from the bruhaha but have had many conversations that would never have occured if not for Adam Lambert's performance. This managed to at once give me a sense of closure and hope for the future. And, if nothing else, I'm happy that Chris Brown does not get to use his TV time to promote his music with a performance (we'll see what else ABC lets him get away with....if they play his music in the background, I'll be ticked off all over again).
That said, you are an evil, evil man. I watched that gorgeous clip from Clara Sheller and now I want to see the whole show. Are english subtitled DVDs or downloads available anywhere?
Just for the record, Ed
Not all gay people who want to get married (or at least want to have the right to do so) think that Adam's performance damaged the cause of gay marriage. On the contrary, I think that we (people who would like to have the right to gay marriage) should get behind Adam and see this fight to the end, because homophobia is the same whether it's applied to on-screen same-sex kisses or the right to marriage.
I do hope that all people who are into gay rights are in support of gay marriage, 'cause even if you don't want to get married it's just discriminatory that you're forbidden to do it.
And most important of all, at least some gay people who want the white picket fence do feel grateful to those who fought for gay rights. And though those same people may not like to dress in drag, that doesn't mean we want sweep drag queens under the rug. I think the gay rights movement is (or should be) about every gay person's right to live their own life in whichever way they see fit, without being subject to discrimination or abuse of any kind. And that means, that you should be able to get married, have kids and live in a white picket fence if you want or be a drag queen if you want. Or both (which is not unheard of to me).
So, though I also disagree with the Jennifer Vanasco's quote, I do feel a bit uncomfortable with the way you addressed the subject.
_______________________________________
We are the lucky ones. Don't forget that.
I was fairly precise
I was fairly precise in what I said - every "all" "presumes" and "people" was placed to walk a fine line, trying to not lump all marriage people, all freak flaggers, radical faeries or drag queens in. Lots of variations in every group, and the main point is that if we lose that variation, then we totally lost the fight, because we're not us anymore.
I also walked a fine line with Jennifer, because she's a sister Logo site, and I had a single sentence that Reuters pulled which may not have told the whole story on what she said. Out-of-context quotes are deadly in print.
So I'll stand by what I wrote, as I wrote it, but recognize that everything I tried to juggle there can make some people squirm.
My Two Cents
Much as I want to support Adam, I was one of those who didn't like Adam's performance on the AMA because I don't feel comfortable combining sex and violence.
And I strongly feel that Adam knew exactly what he was doing and is using the media for his own benefit. Which I guess is smart if he wants to sell his album.
If Adam wants to concentrate on his music now, that's great. But I don't believe him.
consensual S&M =/= violenceI
consensual S&M =/= violence
I mean it's cool if it's not for you, but condemning dominance play by equating it with crap that is actually a crime seems very closeminded.
Lane
Excerpts from ellen
I said it before...
....I think pretty much the whole thing was staged, except for the singing off-key. Adam admitted that right away. The rest is just a media shit storm that I don't believe even Adam saw coming. He has handled it all with grace and dignity. I have much more respect for him in the consistant way he has handled all the negative publicity. His tweets today show that he is listening and learning. He is sticking to his guns, but he is not a diva. He has danced on the straight rope all week and he's still in the game. Good for him.
Puritanism: The haunting fear that someone, somewhere may be happy.
Adam
Adam Lambert: 1 Week later
Adam 1 week later
195K 1st week sales of debut album -- Great if you don't consider that it's just around 10-15K higher than last year's runner up, David Archuleta. With all the hype surrounding him up to his album release, he should have been getting Carrie or Taylor Swift numbers. Also, his album is falling a little quickly while SuBo and Gaga are still up in the top 10 of iTunes.
A new single. Supposedly he's going in a new direction. Well, that's because radio bitchslapped his first single (and IMO a Sam Sparro copycat) and would hardly play it.
And this non-apology is brought to you by his label and management, IMO. I think they realized that while some applaud his no-regrets bitchery last week, others were not so welcoming and asked him to eat a little crow so that he won't come off like a dick.
Get real
It's silly compare Adam Lambert to the likes of Carrie Underwood and Taylor Swift who have mainstream appeal. Adam is very polarizing, his singing/performing style is loved or hated to extreme levels. His sexuality is not universally accepted by everyone. There is no male pop star like him on the music scene today.
The media may be all over him, but it doesn't mean he can become a succcessful recording artist immediately. The majority of Idol viewers are over 35 and those people are more conservative than they are accepting of someone like Adam. He also does not easily appeal to the young teens because his image is too mature and blatantly sexual for 12 year olds. It's easy to dismiss his sales but you need to acknowledge the fact that he is facing some big challenges.