Speaks The Voice Of Youth

FLIPSIDE: Adam Lambert incident fallout demonstrates gender double standard

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- As most people know, Adam Lambert did a wonderful job creating plenty of controversy during his raunchy American Music Awards performance on ABC. His display from the November awards show consisted of simulated oral sex, a make-out session with his male keyboardist mid-song, groping and bondage.

While the singer's performance was a bit wild, I couldn't help getting a little angry at the people who were saying that his performance was the end of his career. I thought back to the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards when Britney Spears and Madonna had their infamous kiss. People didn't think it destroyed their career. If anything, it boosted their popularity. So why are people declaring that it's over for Lambert?

"I think this is such a controversial topic because women are portrayed as sex symbols in today's society, whereas men are the dominant sex," said Nitro High School sophomore Megan Osborne.

She agrees that when men are the ones with the racy sexual performances, people go into shock because it isn't what they're used to seeing.

"Good Morning America" was obviously not a fan of the performance. The Wednesday following the AMAs, Lambert was supposed to sing during the popular morning show. However, ABC, which received 1,500 viewer complaints after the awards show, wasn't happy with Lambert's first performance and wasn't about to have another one occur on their network.

"Given his controversial American Music Awards performance, we were concerned about airing a similar concert so early in the morning," an ABC spokesperson explained.

Luckily for the singer, CBS's "The Early Show" picked him up to perform that morning. But is it fair that ABC dropped him from their morning show?

Brittany Smith, a Nitro High School senior, doesn't think so. "The [AMA] performance was quite inappropriate because of the simulated oral sex, but I definitely think [dropping him from the show] is discrimination against him being gay."

"It wasn't a big deal for people when Britney and Madonna did it because people knew they weren't gay," she added.

I believe Adam Lambert's sexual orientation did have something to do with the controversy. Whether it's a man who is gay or straight or a woman who is straight or a lesbian, there's always a double standard when it comes to such public sexual displays and the gender of those involved.

Why is it OK for two women to experiment with their sexuality while entertaining the masses, but it's not OK for one gay man to do the same? Both are taboo, so why is one subject touchier than the other?

Society needs to get over this double standard.