What did Adam Lambert do exactly? Did anyone see it?

[closeupready]

I understand that he kissed a male member of his act onstage or something - so what. Is this still controversial in 2009? Was it more flesh-exposing than a Victoria's Secret commercial? If not, I don't see the problem.

[Mojambo]

1. I didn't see the kissing.

I did see him grab hold of a dancer's head (not sure if it was male or female) and basically grind his crotch in their face.

I was fine with it, frankly, but the music itself was fucking horrible.

[meegbear]

2. ...

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/11/22/adam-lambert-falls-at-ama_n_367149.html

[closeupready]

7. Okay, so then if those photos are representative of the performance, Michael Jackson lives.

:D And as for the remainder, it's (sorry, Adam) not only neither shocking nor pushing the envelope, it's actually a bit derivative of Madonna's Confessions tour.

And also, observers were surprised why...? I mean, he's openly gay and a young, ambitious vocal artist, right? Is this stuff really any more strange than what the talented Lady Gaga comes up with?

[hlthe2b]

3. Someone posted a link to the youtube here somewhere...

Just a feeble attempt to shock, IMO--been done before, just not on network tv, so I guess that is the reason for the sensation. :shrug:

Frankly, I am not a fan of any of those American Idol overnight sensation "creations," so, I'm probably not the one to ask for an unbiased impression.

[dbonds]

4. Here is a link so you can see.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZ24PYmpNbs

I thought it was an 'okay' performance. Nothing too bad. I'm an Adam fan, but this song isn't exactly my cup of tea. I was expecting him to be a bit more rock-ish than dance-ish.

[closeupready]

8. Thanks, much appreciated.

n/t

[Ian David]

26. That link was taken down. You can get it here now

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ulhy_8wmrvM

[endless october]

5. link to performance

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1h5byMa8cqI

[queerunity]

6. media is shocked its not anti-gay bias

I don't think the media is treating him differently because the act was a gay one. I think the media would try censor a straight 'oral sex' act and someone on a leash as well. I think it's just the state of our nations comfort with regards to sexuality but not necessarily homosexuality although that adds to the fear and taboo aspect.

[tekisui]

9. I disagree.

I have seen far more explicit sex simulation and on stage make outs from straight performers.

[queerunity]

10. it depends on context

I think at a big event like the AMA this is considered "inappropriate" I have seen straight celebs like Janet Jackson called out among others, I really think that it's just overt sexuality and non-heteronormative displays that are the problem as opposed to it being about homosexuality. If he just kissed a guy it would make press but it wouldn't be censored most likely.

[Bluenorthwest]

17. Well this wasn't censored either. Is that the mark here?

I remember attending the Rock Music Awards in 76 or 77. Alice Cooper, who was very kind, did "Only Women Bleed" during the televised performance, complete with whip, choreographed beatings and S&M, his crotch stained red, a woman in fish nets writhing on the floor. So I have to disagree.

[FreeState]

11. You saw the opening last night were Janet Jakson did the same thing ?

Followed by a dogy style possition?

[ronnykmarshall]

15. She sure did.

And is she ever boring on stage.

[FreeState]

16. She looked very uncomfortable with the whole thing to me

Shes one of the few Jacksons that has any integrity and I think she feels bad and even worse that she is being pushed because of her brothers death. It all looked painful to me...

[ronnykmarshall]

20. On the other hand we have Jermaine.

Who will show up at opening of a car wash if there's cameras.

His kids (who he owes back child support for) looked very uncomfortable at the AMA's.

[Jamastiene]

29. Don't forget when he trots out his sons, including one he named Jermagesty.

He does that every chance he gets. :eyes:

[Jamastiene]

28. Yeah, right. I just imagined Madonna swalling a wine bottle whole.

Get real.

[PVnRT]

12. It's been done

[GodlessBiker]

13. Like Madonna and Britney kissed?

[LeftHander]

14. HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!! Awesome!

You hate ICKY HOMO GAY SEX.... YOU GOT IT NOW FUCKERS!!! Right Wing haters!! Fuckin' A..

YEEEEEAAAAHHHH BABY!!!!

HAHAHAHAHAHA WHITE BREAD AMERICA GETS A STICKY PRIME TIME BUTTLOAD OF HOMOEROTIC ENTERTAINMENT...

[Jamastiene]

30. Seconded. n/t

[Prism]

18. He sucked. It really bothered me.

Yeah, he made out with a keyboardist, too, but it was the sheer atrocious nature of the performance that truly scandalizes. After all the hype surrounding his solo debut, I wasn't expecting crap karaoke, seemingly unrehearsed choreography, and an outright dependence on not-entirely-shocking shock value to promote himself when it was his talent that lifted him to his vaunted position.

I was disappointed.

Yeah, kissing, meh. I haven't really seen it in the media anywhere. I don't think anyone really cares outside of the usual internet chatter. But, I don't watch cable news, so I could be wrong. Then again, cable news talks about everything, so, really.

[alp227]

19. Our best friends at the Parents Television Council have decided to hold ABC legally accountable!

http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/390281-PTC_Upset_Over_Adam_Lambert_AMA_Performance.php

PTC Upset Over Adam Lambert AMA Performance
by John Eggerton

The Parents Television Council has asked its members to complain to the FCC where they can, and ABC, Dick Clark Productions, and advertisers generally, about the American Music Awards broadcast on ABC Sunday night.

The group was not happy with the final performance of last year's American Idol runner-up Adam Lambert, which they complain included an oral sex simulation that was edited out of the West Coast version.

Lambert performed after 10 p.m. East Coast time, so there are no implications for the FCC on that coast. But PTC is encouraging those where the last hour aired at 9-10 p.m. to contact the commission.

It was PTC's complaints about Janet Jackson's Super Bowl reveal that helped spur an FCC crackdown on broadcast content.

An ABC spokesperson was not available for comment at press time.

The PTC says:

In those areas where the explicit material aired before 10 pm, PTC members are being urged to contact the FCC.

While the costumes and profanity throughout the broadcast were enough to alarm any reasonable parent, the final performance by Adam Lambert of “American Idol” fame included everything from S&M bondage with the singer leading leather-clad male performers around on leashes to another dancer simulating oral sex on Lambert. The show aired live at 8 pm ET/7 pm CT and was given a TV-14 L rating. The oral sex scene was edited out of the West Coast broadcast.

“American teenagers – and especially teenaged girls – are literally under siege by the entertainment media. It is outrageous that children today cannot watch a televised awards program for an industry that is built squarely on their backs. Teens comprise a huge portion of music sales, yet this is how they are treated? It is beyond contemptible,” said PTC President Tim Winter.

“Last night’s ‘American Music Awards’ broadcast was nothing short of tasteless and vulgar. Adam Lambert, the second-place finisher in last season’s ‘American Idol’ competition, chose to treat American families to simulated oral sex and other demeaning behavior. ABC and Dick Clark Productions had every reason to know what to expect, as Lambert himself proclaimed that his performance would be ‘very sexy’ and would include leather and chains. But the producers and the network chose to bury their heads in the sand.

For those in the Heartland (y'know, the Mountain and Central Time Zones): Was Lambert's performance before 10PM local time? And for those on the Eastern/Pacific zones, did Lambert's performance ('specially the raunchier stuff) run after 11PM? If so then chances are the PTC will have to retract their complaints.

I was studying for today's calculus test all day Sunday, so I missed the Raiders game (they won haha) and the AMA's except for Jay-Z, Green Day, Lady Gaga, and Timbaland performances. So I come home from college and get online and find out just now. That's pretty much how I get to know pop culture: Not up to the minute but rather way after the fact.

[JustFiveMoreMinutes]

21. So Adam doesn't want to be a Tweener Idol

Taylor Swift and the others have that all tied up.

WHEREAS I am an 'old fogey' and thought it was way over the top for general viewing... I personally thought it was great.
Altho, I wish he'd concentrated more on the Vocals instead of the Staging. Pitch problems, etc. But it is what it is, and if he wanted to come out swinging... Kudos!

But at any rate, this 'shock & awe' by the 'general public' is just outrageous.

If you saw Family Guy, The Cleveland Show, and American Dad on the same evening, it was far more sexualized than a 3 minute 'skit' on stage.

As far as simulated sex... yeah, it's been done. By all the major headlinders.... but moreso than that, GENERAL Broadway is in on the act. In 'Les Miserables' there is a song where the prostitutes are 'servicing' their clients. Similuated oral and other sexual acts displayed on stage.

If anyone wants to 'complain' about Adam they really should complain about the rest of the songs/staging on the AMAs since he was NOT the only one. Singling him out for this uproar is petty and hypocritical.

[Mimosa]

22. IF the guy could really sing and dance he might have gotten by with it

Lambert is less than mediocre. No real voice, can't dance. People with a great deal of talent can get by with more. Bowie, jagger, et cetera.

However Lambert is a flash in the tin pan. The choreography was inept, strictly amateur. There's a way to do 'sexy' and not have it come across as vulgar.

[Metric System]

23. His vocals were off Sunday night but it is utter insanity to claim he can't sing!

[Mimosa]

25. Each to his/her own *smile* n/t

[Metric System]

24. Adam Lambert is outselling new releases by Rihanna and Lady Gaga! Likely will debut at #2, behind

Susan Boyle juggernaut. Billboard.com says Adam's album is exceeding sales expectations and will like sell around 225, 000 copies or more. Any other week that would have guaranteed a #1 debut (Bon Jovi debuted at #1 a couple of weeks ago with sales of 163, 000). And for comparison, the winner of AI, Kris Allen, sold around 85, 000 copies in it's first week of release.

I personally find it exciting to see an openly gay new artist achieve this kind of success. While you could say they paved the way for him, even Elton John and George Michael were closeted when they first made it big.

[FreeState]

32. hes not outselling GaGa - sorry - but he is doing very well

GaGa's new album comes in two formats. One is on track to sell 180-200K and the other format is on track to sell 130-150k. That combined is 310-350K. Lambert is on track to sell 210-230K.

http://hitsdailydouble.com/news/newsPage.cgi?news07851m01

The controversial gender-bending Idol runner-up Adam Lambert proves to be the real people’s choice—at least those who prefer their music a cross between Freddie Mercury and Anthony Newley—with a first-week total in the 210-230k range for his 19/RCA/RMG bow, For Your Entertainment, unfortunately, not named after the retail chain.

Interscope provocateur for all seasons , a seven-song addition to the deluxe edition available on its own, will do 180-200k, while the new version (now merged on the charts with the original album) should do another 130-150k.

[Metric System]

33. Oops, my mistake. It was the combo package that tripped me up.

[Jamastiene]

27. OMG, he kissed a boy and 1500 people complained.

Ban all awards ceremonies and Adam Lambert from everything ever again. :yoiks:

Uhm, a bunch of stupid people complained and now they won't let him on TV any more. God, I have totally lost faith in humanity. We are surrounded by idiots.

[Raster]

31. Didn't Madonna and Brittany do a lip-lock on television?

Did any of the knuckledgraggers complain about that one?

[TexasObserver]

34. Of course, "I kissed a girl" is fine for such events. It's because it was between MEN.

It's a measure of the way homophobics in America seems to fear male homosexuality more than female homosexuality.

[Sebastian Doyle]

35. I'm sure they'll complain about his album cover art next.

Not like it's any "worse" than anything Boy George or Poison did in the 80's of course.

[dickthegrouch]

36. Looooooved the stage show!!!!

Hated the song
All those bondage straps and body suits fair made me swoon :)
I think I'll buy the album anyways - the song might grow on me when I concentrate on the words rather than the entertainment (pun intended).

[Metric System]

37. There are plenty of better songs on the album, at least in my opinion. I love Sleepwalker.

[Metric System]

38. ABC has just canceled Adam's scheduled appearances on Jimmy Kimmel and their New Year's Eve special.

[closeupready]

39. ABC trends conservative/GOP, so this doesn't surprise me.

n/t

[Thickasabrick]

40. ABC sucks and this is just one more reason not to watch them. nt