Adam Lambert works at getting beyond 'the kiss'
Filed Under (article ) by Admin on Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Posted at : Wednesday, January 27, 2010
It was David Bowie who first cannily reasoned that if you look and act enough like a rock star, you might actually become a rock star.
The same thinking paid off in spades for last season's American Idol runner-up, Adam Lambert. He might have lost the final vote to Kris Allen, but his attitude, his charisma and his gift for playing rock 'n' roll dress-up – not to mention a supple voice that can really wrap itself around the high notes – marked him as one of the few true, born entertainers ever to grace the series. He arrived a star. He just needed a venue.
Granted, Lambert's cockiness has since cost him a few fans on the "family values" side of things. Two days shy of the release of his debut album last November, the neo-glam extravaganza For Your Entertainment, he earned the ire of puritanical TV viewers and conservative pundits when he kissed a male keyboardist and shoved a male dancer's face into his crotch during a live performance of the title track on the American Music Awards. One of the most ridiculously overblown epidemics of gay panic this side of Brüno erupted, and America still hasn't completely gotten over it.
"The TV networks have been punishing me for it. They wouldn't let me do any live TV. They still haven't," says Lambert, 27 (until Friday), reclining beneath a painting of Marilyn Monroe in a trendy Ossington Ave. boite. "I'm not bothered by it anymore. It is what it is and I do think it'll blow over. Time heals and people are fickle and all that. But it's even made some other networks nervous about other projects, ones I shouldn't talk about for `political' reasons.
"It's too bad. Especially because, I feel, the media has a responsibility to progress society. It would be really nice if the media tried to open their minds and desensitize certain parts of the U.S. to certain things. I see straight people kissing all the time, so why is two men kissing obscene?"
Lambert – in town this week for a Monday MuchMusic appearance and some interviews before he heads to the Grammy Awards Sunday night as a fashion correspondent for Entertainment Tonight – has earned innumerable cool points by refusing to apologize ever since. Still, there's been some speculation that For Your Entertainment has stalled about 40,000 copies shy of gold status in the States because of lingering homophobia.
For his part, Lambert is just incensed that 1,500 angry letters to the FCC in a nation of 300 million can have such repercussions. Team Lambert, for instance, is still trying to figure out what scale of tour it should mount this year, if any.
Ideally, of course, he'd love to go big and theatrical, with "costumes and video and lighting and explosions: the whole thing."
What he'd prefer not to do in the meantime is become a crusader for gay rights in pop music. "On the one hand, I think it's cool because there isn't a lot of visibility for a young, gay, male musician. But ... I do resent slightly the fact that when I'm presented in the media, it's `openly gay singer and American Idol runner-up Adam Lambert.' ... My occupation is not `openly gay guy.' I'm a singer. My sexuality should be a sidebar, if anything."
SOURCE
Newer Post
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
11 comments:
I was wandering why we don't see any live performances of Adam on t.v..and now I know..that's really crazy....
yes, Adam is a singer, a very special singer..
This is the first statement from Adam about the "punishment" for his AMA performance. I had no idea that the networks were imposing this boycott on Adam's performances. I wonder what projects he is referring to when he says other networks are nervous. Do they honestly think that Adam can't control what he does on stage after appearing for almost a year on live TV doing his AI thing? I am very insensed at the attitude of the networks and many Americans. It's a reflection on this country's phony puritanism that Adam makes this huge statement in Canada.
In his interview in Canada, he says his album has gone Gold in US and Canada, so I wonder about the accuracy of the statement that it's stuck short of the half million mark.
I know. How can I? I mean look singing pop songs and being on stage is something that he always wanted to do. How could he control himself? I wouldn't be able to do it.
canada gets it! so does the rest of the world... i like the comment about "phony puritanism". adam is totally brave and strong, he stands his ground with great integrity. bravo adam! and happy birthday!!
dana
adam is smart. he would not alienate himself by doing another ama performance. man, people act like he stripped down naked and paraded around or something.
I knew that he was being boycotted! He should have been on the hope For Haiti and the other award shows and definately the grammys! These big networks make my stomach turn! They could care less what the American public wants to see! It's all in the hands of the "big pocket" sponsors and Executives. They are SUCH hypocryts! It's OK for them to have their "INDISCRETIONS"! Then they try to act
holyer-than-thou when someone is performing on tv! (Draw the attention away from them selves & their indiscretions by making a big deal out of someone)! JERKS! (a nice word for what I'm really thinking)!
I agree with all of you. This country is very puritanical, judgmental, and hypocritical. I don't think other countries around the world understand us. It's sad that someone like Adam, who has so many beautiful qualities, is giving, loving, honest, and accepting of others, has to endure the wrath of these people who find sex disgusting and dirty. He took responsibility for his performance and explained himself, but they're still not satisfied. As far as children are concerned, I find situations like the AMA to be teaching opportunities. If children are too young to understand what's going on, then it's a non-issue. If they do understand, it's a good time to explain about sex and let them ask questions. The bigger deal you make out of it, the bigger deal they'll make out of it. And sex is not a big deal. Everybody does it. All Adam wants to do is entertain people and share his incredible voice with us. He's very harmless. He only dresses like a bad**s when he's performing a bad**s song, like FYE. Go Adam!!!
Since I live in Asia and can see from outside I can tell you most of the world views the US treatment of Adam as a joke and Adam is a victim or hero of sorts. Many in the world no longer respect the US for a lot of reasons, but one of them is our hypocritical puritanism. Adam will be very welcome in Asia and no one cares about the AMAs.
It is a shame that a few narrow-minded, ignorant people can have so much power over networks. I took the time to read the posted complaints. Most represented an uneducated, (judging by their spelling and grammar)hateful minority. I found the language in the complaints crude and not fit for public posting. The FCC should put a warning on their complaint forms that complaints will be posted. I suppose the majority does not rule -
This so showcases the hateful hypocracy of the liberal left media who pretends to be for gay rights and then shows it's true colors when the rubber meets the road. They are hateful and spiteful and I find conservatives are way more accepting than this group of frauds. Obama is just a talking facade for left causes. He's not for gay rights... "don't ask don't tell" for example. I am tired of the media painting independents & moderates as the bad guys. It's the far left that deserves that. Look into the true history... well you really can't because they are rewriting history books your kids are reading. I hope this country wakes up. Adam you should to because I think you have fallen prey to the left's charade.
I love you Adam and your music and hope you don't paint independents & moderates as homophobic as you'd be wrong in so many cases.
Post a Comment