The Lambert Effect :: Is American Pop Queer-friendly?
Filed Under (article ) by Admin on Monday, March 1, 2010
Posted at : Monday, March 01, 2010
When Adam Lambert made his man-kissing, leather-clad appearance on the American Music Awards late last year he subsequently ignited a backlash of viewer complaints, cancelled appearances and media criticism.
At the time, many in the music industry, including Lambert himself, questioned the degree to which the ensuing uproar had to do with his being openly gay, rather than simply overtly sexual. After all, numerous prominent, heterosexual female performers have performed equally, if not surpassingly, titillating displays on television in recent years. Unlike the provocative lineage these Madonnas and Britneys follow, Lambert does not enjoy the same luxury. When it comes to sexually explicit, openly gay American male pop performers, the precedent is practically nonexistent.
And yet, despite the controversy, it appears Lambert has weathered the storm, rendering the uproar an unlikely publicity victory. Over two months later, the American Idol runner-up remains a hot Hollywood commodity, recently appearing on the Oprah Winfrey Show and registering album sales that continue to hold steady on the Billboard charts.
With all of this in mind, EDGE wanted to put the 1,500 viewer complaints received by ABC following Lambertgate into a new context. Through the fresh lens of the gay idol’s rising star, we ask what effect being openly queer continues for gay and lesbian musicians today? Are we heading away from the legacy of American pop closets? Or does a certain stigma still remain for musicians seeking mainstream success?
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9 comments:
queer?.......why that word? Gay says it all...and who cares? Lambert is true to hisself...
Edge is a gay lifestyle magazine. Gays can call each other qu..r and fa..ot, but straights are homophobic if they use those words. It is the same in the black community. Blacks can call each other ni..er, but whites are racist if they use that word. I think its kind of silly because I've never heard anyone who is not black or gay call another non black/gay person by a derisive word. I just don't get it. And I don't like the ugly words either.
I live in a very progressive city in a conservative state. In fact, Austin is often referred to as a major musical capital, and the University is prevalent in everything. We (and Houston) are blue spots in a very red state. I was surprised a couple of nights ago when the headline news told about a gay group belonging to a gay softball team was confronted and beaten up by a bunch of local rednecks. This resulted in a parade in downtown Austin by people supporting gay rights. So, I don't think we human beings will ever be free and clear of prejudice whether it's racial, sexual or anything else. Many people need a reason to hate or place blame for problems or their own inadequacies. Look at the rest of the world. Hatred, wars, ethnic cleansing, intolerance...everywhere directed at various groups including women.
Adam is a brave soul. I don't think he gets enough credit for his courage. It basically takes guts to stand up there on a stage or on TV in front of millions of people and say, "This is who I am. Love me or hate me. I am going to be me; I'm going to express my opinion and live my life and hopefully give you some entertainment doing what I love." Good for you Adam. You have my respect and admiration!
How desperate to find something to write about! This is old conversation. Nothing is going to stop Adam. He is the total package. The only ones who continue to make sexuality an issue are the ones who write these blogs. You want to keep the controversy going and continue to stir the pot. Let it go. Adam will be a star regardless of your obsession with his sexuality. Just let it go. Move and on...and here's a unique idea...talk about his MUSIC!
This website simple relates everything they can find about Mr. Lambert from any source on the web. Some of it is about his music, but most of it is gossip. That's just the way things are. They list the source for all the articles, and maybe they are doing Adam an unjustice by repeating trash. People seem to enjoy swimming in trash. Just look at success of the tabloids. At this point, there's not very much more that can said about his music. It's all been said over and over and over.
Gay/lesbian people would be smart to stop using the word Q*eer as would black people be smart to stop using the word, n*gg*r. You are all better than that.
Why not write about the epic performance of Whole Lotta Love 3 days ago at his Fantasy Springs concert. People will be talking about it for years to come. It already has over 80,000 hits on YouTube.
All this gay "controversy" doesn't matter. His talent will override anything.
Must we always remind people that ADAM is 'gay'? That's not what defines ADAM. His TALENT & PURE VOCALS are what are important to me so let's just talk about those ATTRIBUTES, along with his CHARISMA shall we?
Adam Gay? WHO CARES! He is so musically talented, all I want to hear is more music, more performances, and where he will be performing. Come on guys, let it go, old news.
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