Shock and Awe minus the Awe

If last week's post on Nigerian attitudes towards sex was "adults-only," this one is even moreso. Parents, moderate your children's internet usage....starting now.

Obviously I wasn't in the States last night to enjoy the AMAs (American Music Awards), but I checked out pictures and news reports today...and I am pretty shocked, to say the least.

For those of you who missed it, Adam Lambert (American Idol Season 9 runnerup) gave ABC a run for it's edit-this-quick-before-it-goes-live-on-the-West-Coast money.

I didn't watch the video, but the pictures and news reports suggest that Lambert channeled some S&M in his black leather costume, simulated oral sex with a dancer wearing a harness, grabbed his own crotch several times, flipped off the audience, and, in a burst of what can only be interpreted as rating-mongering, forcefully kissed the male keyboardist in the middle of the song.

And it happened on prime time television.

His response? "It's all for a laugh...it's really not that big of a deal."

Um, I'll respectfully disagree. It is most certainly a big deal.

I am pretty disgusted with the on-screen behavior, and, news flash: it's not because he's gay. All homosexual overtones aside, what Adam Lambert does in the privacy of Adam Lambert's home is none of my business because I'm not Adam Lambert.
But, Adam, my dear, you just MADE it my business because you did it on prime time television for millions (hundreds of thousands?) of people to see, including children. It's the not-having-a-choice-in-the-matter that disturbs me.

My second point of contention with Mr. Lambert is his claim of a double standard in the industry:

"Female pop artists have been doing things provocative like that for years, and the fact that I'm a male, and I'll be edited and discriminated against could be a problem."

Um, I'll disagree again.

Which came first: Janet Jackson's wardrobe malfunction, or Britney Spears' and Madonna's kiss? (Oh how far we've come from the chicken and the egg...) Chronology doesn't matter; I was just as repulsed by these provocative actions from women in the industry. Again, it was the unedited, shock value, let's-boost-the-ratings attitude behind each event that unnerved me.

In a moment of confession, I really like Lambert as a musical entity. I find him a very captivating entertainer. I liked watching him on American Idol, and I was proud of his Broadway roots in the Wicked cast. I'm even fascinated by the guyliner and faux-hawk.

But really...thrusting into some guy's face? Nobody wants to see that at the AMAs. Stick to music, please.



I apologize that this update has absolutely nothing to do with Nigeria. Sometimes news from the States is more interesting than my life in West Africa.