2 very different comments from the same media:
Jennifer Vanasco: Why Adam Lambert is hurting guy marriage
And yes, Adam Lambert, your performance on ABC’s American Music Awards this week was not really all that raunchy. (…)
What I’d call it, instead, is misguided.
Here’s my problem.
When you were worried about winning a contest, you didn’t want to openly attest to being gay. BUT, when you wanted to make a splash in public, when you wanted to get noticed – suddenly you were all about gay sexuality.
And what is the mainstream most worried about, Adam Lambert? Why are they afraid of our partnerships, our service to our country, our working lives, our families? They are worried because they think gay life is exactly what you portrayed on the American Music Awards: focused on the kind of sex that turns people into animals, geared toward enticing children (ABC is a network owned by Disney, for heaven’s sake), degrading, rapacious, empty.
(…) Because of people like you, who use sexuality thoughtlessly in order to advance your own agenda, instead of thinking about the very real consequences your actions will have on others’ civil rights.
Jim David Adam Lambert, My Hero
When Lambert said that a double standard exists that allows female performers to give highly sexual performances and not male performers, he’s right. Come to think of it, he wasn’t doing anything that Jim Morrison didn’t do in the late 60s. Was his performance a bit much for prime time TV? Probably. But, as I posted here and here, a lot of negative reaction to Lambert is based on homophobia. Trust me, it is. A brief glance at reader postings on conservative sites such as Free Republic show the most vile, hate-filled antigay comments imaginable that have nothing to do with his performance and everything to do with his sexuality.
Lambert is not only out of the closet, he’s out of the closet and in your face. Rock stars have shown in your face sexuality for years, but it’s never before been so gay. Lambert is unafraid to push this particular envelope. That’s never been done before, especially by an artist at the very beginning of his career. This guy has major, major cojones. He wears more eye makeup than an 80 year old Jewish lady at the Friar’s Club, for God’s sake.
I can’t wait to see him live.
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#1 by anja - November 25th, 2009 at 02:32
Jennifer is missing the point entirely. This was first and foremost a piece of entertainment not a political statement. This particular song went with those movements, and there was no song that he did on AI that called for such moves. Furthermore Adma did do out of the box things such as ring of fire on AI.
#2 by Beverly Garcia - November 25th, 2009 at 13:02
I won’t be watching the AMA again. With few exceptions, beginning with Janet Jackson and ending with Lambert the production deteriorated into a porn show as the night progressed. I love music and I wanted to hear and watch real talent, not entertainers degrading themselves into outrageous spectacles. They need to clean up their acts!