Carol
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 |  Subject: New Adam Lambert Video Examines The Downside Of Fame  15.01.10 19:11 | |
| - Quote :
- Fame costs, as Fame's Debbie Allen once warned with an emphatic tap of her cane. Sure, with fame comes the attention and adoration of millions. But sometimes that attention is unwanted, and sometimes it is even cruel. Perhaps no one lately has learned this harsh lesson more quickly than American Idol's Adam Lambert, who only a year ago was just another aspiring singer with a dream, another struggling unknown talent hoping for his big break.
That big break obviously came in the form of Idol, which brought him the superstardom he (and everyone else who auditions for the show) craved. But in a classic case of "be careful what you wish for," along with his sudden success came an army of stalkers, paparazzi goons, and Twitterers who now follow and overanalyze his every YSL-booted move.
The complete and utter relinquishment of one's privacy is something that every famous person must deal with, of course--and considering all the perks that come with stardom, it's hard to feel too sorry for celebrities. But for Idols, the experience can be especially exhausting, due to the intense enthusiasm of the show's fanbase (viewers seem to feel like they know the Idols personally) and the swiftness of the kind of fame that comes from being broadcast into millions of living rooms for months.
And if the Idol in question is someone who's had to deal with constant scrutiny of his sexuality (controversy over same-sex smooches or "risqué" Halloween drag-costume photos, simultaneous accusations of being "too gay" or "not gay enough," etc.), it must be even more difficult to lead any semblance of a normal life. Not that someone as absolutely fabulous as Adam Lambert ever wanted a boring "normal" life anyway, but you get the idea.
When Adam started performing his second single "Whataya Want From Me" on national TV shows right after the American Music Awards scandal involving the above-mentioned same-sex smooch, there seemed to be something imploring and almost desperate in his eyes--as if he was asking both his needy admirers and cutthroat detractors that question directly. This of course made the song's lyrics resonate all the more. What DO people want from Adam Lambert? Sometimes it seems like the public wants more than he can give.
Anyway, this effect is only intensified by the song's brand-new video, which seems to depict Adam's new life in a celebrity fishbowl as he crawls the walls of a penthouse apartment and flees from reporters in a limousine. I'd like to say the video showcases Adam's acting chops quite nicely...but I don't think he's necessarily "acting" here. He seems to be drawing from real-life experience in the video's most angst-ridden scenes.
"WWFM" is definitely a thought-provoking clip, bringing to mind other music videos examining the downside of megafame (Britney Spears' "Everytime," Madonna's "Substitute For Love," Lady Gaga's "Paparazzi"), although its message is much more subtle than those clips and therefore more open to interpretation. Lensed by Diane Martel--whose work not only includes Mariah Carey and Christina Aguilera videos but also the White Stripes' excellent matador-themed "Conquest" and the Bravery's waterskiing epic "Fearless"--the clip showcases a a more somber side of the Glamerican Idol than his Caligula club video for "For Your Entertainment," much like his Idol performance of "Tracks Of My Tears" revealed a different side from "Ring Of Fire." At this crossroads point in Adam's career, a serious video like this is a smart move.
Anyway, the song's titular question cannot be answered easily, but for now my personal answer is: Adam, I want you to make more music videos like this. It's a good one. http://new.music.yahoo.com/blogs/realityrocks/303211/new-adam-lambert-video-examines-the-downside-of-fame/ | |
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