Seven Things We've Learned from .......

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Wait! Stop! I know you're probably as sick to death as I am of Adam Lambert and the controversy surrounding his November 22nd performance at the American Music Awards.

But before you run screaming from the computer at the sight of another article about this, I think it's worth asking: what did it all mean? More importantly, what does the rapidly fading moment in pop culture say about America, 2009?

Here's how I see it:

Being an Openly Gay Singer is a Much Less Big Deal Than it Used to Be

For most of the time while he was lead singer for Culture Club, Boy George downplayed or denied the fact that he is gay.

Boy George! The make-up wearing cross-dresser who everyone assumed was gay anyway!

Why in the world would he do that? Probably because he'd seen the devastating career fall-out in the 1970s and early 80s when male singers like Elton John, David Bowie, and Johnny Mathis were honest about who they are.

Lambert's sexuality has been controversial, but it is nothing like it would have been 20 or even five years ago. The fact is, a top American singer is proudly gay — and has even embraced and promoted an openly gay sexuality the way virtually every straight singer embraces and promotes his or her heterosexuality.
Which leads us to the fact that...

Gay Male Sexuality is Still Very Threatening to a Lot of People

If Lambert had been female and done the exact same dance moves at the AMA — the kiss and the "simulated oral sex" with one of the dancers — would there be a similar controversy?

No.

How can I say that with such certainty? Well, Janet Jackson grabbed the crotch of a male dancer in her opening number, and Jennifer Lopez was groped by a group of bare-chested men. Virtually all of the other numbers were sexually charged (which, frankly, was tiresome).

But it was Adam's performance that got people upset. ABC received that famous 1500 complaints for Adam's performance, not for the others.

Why? Because it was GAY. Duh.

There is nothing Adam did that hasn't been shown on TV before, many times. Madonna and Britney Spears kissed during the 2004 MTV Music Awards, and Pink simulated oral sex at the 2003 Billboard Music Awards (although it was blurred out by Fox). ABC even showed (simulated) real oral sex in a recent episode of Cougar Town.

Okay, I can't find an example of anyone flipping off the audience on live TV, but it has to have happened at least once before.

Anyway, it was Adam, not these other stars, who was subject to ABC's performance blacklist (since rescinded), with canceled appearances on Good Morning America, Jimmy Kimmel Live! and New Year's Rockin' Eve.

Much of the commentary in conservative circles condemning Adam was preceded by some variation of "This has nothing to do with my being anti-gay! I'd be just as upset if two heterosexuals did this!" (and I actually see this caveat as a sign of some progress, although I guess bigots have always said, "Some of my best friends are XXXXX").

But the thing is, straight and faux-lesbian female singers have been doing this kind of thing for years, and it hasn't caused an uproar. Heterosexual male sexual fantasies aren't just noncontroversial, they're usually wildly applauded — as American Idol judge Kara DioGuardi was when she stripped down to a bikini during a performance earlier this year.

Lambert himself called the reaction "a form of discrimination and a double standard" because, for decades,"women performers have been pushing the erotic performance envelope."
Self-serving? Absolutely, but even the ladies of The View (Elisabeth Hasselbeck excepted, natch) saw the obvious double standard. Is there anyone who's ever seen Britney Spears or Beyonce perform who actually wants to argue otherwise?

Don't Make ABC Angry. You Won't Like Them When They're Angry

ABC has a long and proud pro-gay history, airing most of the most "gay" shows on television, including One Life to Live, Ugly Betty, and Brothers & Sisters. So why did they get so upset that they subsequently banned Adam from their other programs?

This part depends on who you believe, but the network maintains it wasn't his actions per se, but the fact that Lambert blindsided them by changing his act between rehearsal and live performance.

And surely, it was also the magnitude of his transgressions. Yes, it's possible to justify any one single act of sexual defiance — the kiss, the simulated sex, the middle finger. But all together?

Let's face it: Lambert was pushing it. And since he's no fool, he had to know exactly what he was doing.

Truthfully? I think ABC has a point to a certain extent. In any event, I think they were motivated by more than just anti-gay prejudice (or worries about an audience backlash).

Networks Sometimes Say the Darnedest Things

When CBS' The Early Show, which booked Adam after Good Morning America canceled his appearance, showed the AMA performance, they blurred out the infamous same-sex kiss — even as they showed the Britney/Madonna kiss from 2004 unblurred.

How did the network explain that?

"We gave this some real thought," a spokesman for The Early Show told EW.com. "The Madonna image is very familiar and has appeared countless times including many times on morning television. The Adam Lambert image is a subject of great current controversy, has not been nearly as widely disseminated, and for all we know, may still lead to legal consequences."

Does that make any sense to you?

Yeah, me neither.

Controversy is Still a Good Thing (Most of the Time)

Kris Allen has lots of fans. We know that, because he beat out Adam Lambert (albeit by a slim margin) to win America Idol, in the largest number of votes ever cast for the show.

And yet his debut CD, released November 17th, sold under 85,000 copies the first week — the poorest debut by an Idol winner ever — and then it did even worse the following week, falling out of the top 20 altogether.

By contrast, in the midst of the AMA controversy, Adam's latest CD sold almost 200,000 copies its first week.

Now it might be that some people voted for Kris mostly because Adam was widely perceived to be gay, and maybe these viewers — probably older folks, Mormons, and conservative Christians — are less likely to actually buy CDs.

Or it might be the fact that Adam has been dominating headlines for weeks.

So there's never any such thing as bad publicity? Well, I've always thought that was a stupid expression — and I'm sure David Letterman and Tiger Woods would agree with me.


Openly Gay Celebrities Are Damned if They Do, Damned if They Don't (Even Among Gay People!)

I'd argue what happened to Adam had something, probably a lot, to do with his sexuality. But here's the thing: even if he had (most of) his gay fans on his side this time, he doesn't always.

What was Adam Lambert doing a month ago? Oh, that's right, he was in the middle of a controversy in the GLBT community involving Out Magazine, which was alleging that his PR team didn't want the publication to make him look or sound too "gay." Before that, there was a controversy around a photoshoot for Details magazine where Lambert was posed with a naked woman, prompting cries that he was trying "heterosexualize" himself.

That's all kind of forgotten now, isn't it?

And since the brouhaha at the AMA, one prominent gay writer even accused him of setting back the cause of same-sex marriage with his performance.

Heavy.

The point is, once a major celebrity comes out, he or she is going to really upset some people — straight and gay — no matter what he does.

That's just the way of the world, of course. But I'm still shocked that some people wonder why celebrities are reluctant to come out (or are annoyed when they're involuntarily outed). As great as it would be if being gay was a "non-issue," like a person's eye color, it isn't, not really.

But this leads me right into the piece of pure speculation I mentioned in the title of this article. What is it?

Adam Did His Career No Favors With This Controversy

Yes, Adam sold more CDs than Kris Allen. But was that ever in any doubt? He's possibly the most buzzed-about performer in American Idol history. In fact, given all the buzz and publicity over the course of the whole year (and even the week of his CD release!), his sales figures actually don't strike me as all that impressive. He wasn't even number one — he was number three.

Compare that to Susan Boyle, who was number one, setting records by selling almost 700,000 copies of her debut CD. She had all of Adam's buzz this year, but none of the controversy.

Adam, on the other hand, did land himself a spot right in the middle of this country's simmering culture wars. And as Ellen DeGeneres learned after she came out in 1997 and her sitcom was canceled the following year, that kind of enormous controversy does little for one's immediate career.

Then again, being an artist is about much more than just television ratings or CD sales, or at least it should be. Adam's actions at the AMA very clearly seemed to be an example of pure artistic expression for him, and an important one at that.

Barbara Walters says that Adam is one of the Most Fascinating People of 2009. I couldn't agree more. If nothing else, he's proven that he's willing to take major risks with his career.

A willingness to takes risks doesn't mean he's absolutely going to succeed — or even that he's going to produce good art. But it does means that at least it's a possibility.

Editor's note: USA Today is reporting that For Your Entertainment dropped 74% last week and had the biggest drop in the top 200.


http://www.afterelton.com/people/2009/12/things-learned-adam-lambert?page=0%2C3

I am sad to learn that the sales have dropped off and I suspect that it is the result of the AMA performance. I believe that most of the sales were from pre-orders placed before the AMA show. After that performance there was quite an outcry over the internet from angry fans who stated that they were not buying the CD "now". Some went so far as to say that they were throwing the CD in the garbage, cancelling orders, etc. I am glad that I had one day to listen to the CD without the influence of the AMA performance. The songs are excellent, I love the CD, and it is to everyone's loss if they do not listen to it. Also, with radio stations not playing Adam's music, it limits the chance of someone's hearing his music and seeing that it really is good. Here's hoping that the radio play will increase and that Adam will get more chances to perform on the biggest stage, network television. I love Adam and hope that he might re-think some of his strategy, especially where TV is concerned. Since his big success is a by-product of a national TV show, he would do well to be conscious of his whereabouts during performances. A little 'risque' goes a long way in the USA.

It was reported on the net yesterday that those members of the audience for The View were giving their free copies of the CDs away

When will people forgive him I wonder

where is the "free"America,we all look up to?i'm very dissapointed!it seams that Europe is more free than the "free"America-"the land of freedom" lol!Adam should come to Europe to performe as he wish,and he will be soooo appreciated!he already is and we're waiting for him!how can someone criticise a tallented,passionate,sexual artist for being himself on stage,and for "living"the song???he was an actor before,so of course he will act brilliantly on the words of the song!!!thumb down America!what age r u living in people??stone age?? ANGRY
i beg forgiveness from open-minded americans that will read this..this is not for them.

and don't worry Carol,any publicity is GOOD publicity!!it's BECAUSE many people don't like him,he will be even MORE famous!hahahaha!

rainy wrote:

and don't worry Carol,any publicity is GOOD publicity!!it's BECAUSE many people don't like him,he will be even MORE famous!hahahaha!

EXACTLY!!! You know, someone I know reckons this is all set up.and took me back to the story of Elvis and the Colonel. It does have touch of that story about it.

sorry,i don't know the story of the colonel!i was not an Elvis fan .can u tell the story please?

Terrible about people giving away their CD's. I saw some people standing and applauding (on a video I saw of the View interview), but others were just sitting, like they were really there to protest. Yes, I think Adam will find more acceptance overseas, except in the middle east, of course, where stone age families kill their own sons for homosexuality. We are hardly more enlightened here in the U.S., where it is assumed that homosexuals are being 'sinful'. However, people commit murder all the time and few think of it as sinful, just mean.
I don't recall the Elvis and the Colonel story and will have to look it up.