Adam Lambert

Whereas many people fear having to articulate themselves by speaking in public, for reasons I do not entirely understand, my frustration lies in NOT having opportunities to speak up and be heard. This week, my frustration was evoked, not just by Adam Lambert’s American Music Awards (AMA) performance, but by things I heard him say in subsequent interviews.

As you likely already know, Adam Lambert won first runner up in the last season of American Idol and recently took the stage at the AMA. According to Lambert, his performance was motivated by a desire for equality – if women can have sexual themes in their performances, why can’t men? He went “above and beyond” to accomplish his mission and included elements of bondage, oral sex, some oh-so-romantic genital groping, and to top off his routine, he and another man exchanged what I would call a gnarly kiss. The response to Adam’s display was mixed. Many people were appalled and disgusted while others celebrated his originality and willingness to take risks. My reaction was something else entirely. I wished, more than anything, I could sit down and talk to the guy because I have some genuine questions I would like him to answer:

• For starters Adam, when asked if you feel regret about having exposed our nation’s children and youth to such blatant sexual themes, your response was, “I’m not a babysitter; I’m a performer.” Did it ever dawn on you that it was those same “babies” who voted for you on American Idol and made stardom possible for you in the first place? Have you no concern for them now?
• Does the word “performer” mean you can use your celebrity influence however you want without any concern as to how you are impacting our country’s young people? What is your responsibility to your fans and our nation?
• In your performance, you dressed like a man, wore more make up than a pageant girl, grabbed a female between the legs, then exchanged a sloppy wet kiss with a man. What exactly are you trying to communicate to your audience about manhood and sex?

Adam's 2009 AMA Performance

When questioned in interviews about his offensive performance, Adam does what comes natural to every preteen – he names other artists who have explicit lyrics and have been sexually graphic on stage (“I thought it was okay mom because Johnny did it too!”) Despite Adam’s attempts to brand himself as an industry trendsetter, he obviously clings to a follower’s mentality.

Perhaps you’re reading this and thinking, “Wait a minute blogger lady! You’re being mean!”  To that I say that it’s time someone confront celebrities like Adam Lambert who get rich off of America’s youth yet walk around with the attitude that what happens to them as a result of his influence “isn’t his problem.” His AMA performance glorified casual sex, promiscuity, and perversion – the very things that are devastating our nation’s teenagers.

Adam expresses gratitude for his newfound fame and influence.

If only Adam could have been with me last week when I sat across from high school students who recently gave birth to babies. Maybe that would shed some light on how “cool” casual sex can be. Then again, I guess it’s not his problem. After all, he’s just a performer.