Whether you watched the 2009 American Music Awards or not, chances are, you’ve heard about Adam Lambert’s risqué performance during the show. Lambert, a former American Idol contestant who is openly gay, made plenty of headlines after performing excessively sexual dance moves and kissing his male keyboard player on network television.
Following the incident, ABC received at least 1,500 complaints. A performance that Lambert was scheduled to complete just days later on Good Morning America was cancelled. Members of the gay community scorned his actions, expressing that they felt misrepresented. However, despite the immediate backlash that Lambert received from the American public and the media, sales of his newly released album, “For Your Entertainment,” were hugely successful following the controversy. Go figure.
Though he admitted to getting “carried away” during his performance, Lambert made it crystal clear that he had no intention of apologizing for what happened on stage. Instead, he claimed that parents should better monitor what their children watch on television, and that he had become a victim of a double standard. To illustrate the latter, he recalled the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards performance by Madonna, Britney Spears, and Christina Aguilera; for those who aren’t familiar, the performance included lip locks between Madonna and her two fellow female performers.
Though there are many differences between the two situations, there are also many similarities. I think Lambert actually makes an interesting point. Does the fact that he is a gay male make him more discriminated against than straight females who partake in curiously similar behaviors? The Madonna/Britney kiss (somehow, Christina managed to fly under the radar on that one) didn’t receive nearly as much negative attention, and it has even become one of those infamous moments in celebrity history. In a way, it does seem like somewhat of a double standard. I guess it leaves me wondering – who owes who the apology here?
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