We've all seen the video by now - the crotch grabbing, the man-on-androgynous-man kiss, the faux blow job - and yes, it was shocking. But get real, isn't that what rock n' roll is all about? It's been happening for decades. Why is it such a big deal now?
I can see why people were upset. The masses are generally uncomfortable when someone pushes the envelope in the name of art or entertainment - especially is homosexuality is involved. The idea of a man having sex with another man is deeply offensive to a lot of people, even if those same people getting their tightie-whities in a bunch have a library full of lesbian porn in their closet. Would there be the same outcry if Madonna had been holding the microphone instead of Adam Lambert? Well, maybe.
Most of the hoopla seems to be about the simulated blow job as opposed to the Madonna/Britney Spears/Christina Aguilera style kiss. People don't want their kids to see this sort of thing, but let's be honest. What age kids are we talking about here? Anyone high school age knows what a blow job is and has likely, at some point, looked it up on the internet and seen the real deal. That's something I don't think parents are understanding. Kids know all about this stuff, whether you want to believe it or not. You can thank the internet for that - and while you're at it, add television, movies and the kids at school for their early sex ed lesson. If they're young enough that they're coming and asking Mommy and Daddy what a blow job is, they aren't old enough to be up at the hour this performance was on. It wasn't late night, but it certainly wasn't family TV hour either.
Are kids growing up too fast? Yes. Is Adam Lambert and his fellow shock rockers to blame? No! Talk to your kids, people. They need to hear this stuff from you so you can explain condoms and STDs and teen pregnancy and all the other evils that come along with making the decision to have sex because guarenteed, that side of the story is a perspective they rarely hear about.
I don't think the controversy can be blamed on the fact that Adam Lambert likes boys and not girls. He crossed the line, but people, that's what performers do. He wants people to talk about him because that talk translates to album sales and that's the bottom line. Adam is getting exactly what he wanted - publicity. If we keep making a big deal out of it, he's going to keep pushing the envelope further and further until there's not even an envelope to speak of. It's his job.
Stop complaining. Stop trying to shield your kids from the real world because like it or not, you can't put blinders on them and keep them innocent and pure forever. And hey, stop hating on the gays. Being gay isn't a choice. If God hated gays, he wouldn't have made them. God loves his children - the boys that love boys and the girls that love girls included. Love thy neighbor - not love thy neighbor unless he's gay.
In the end, the controversy will die down and Adam Lambert will either succeed or fail and it will have nothing to do with his performance on the American Music Awards. Shock will only get him so far without the musical chops to back it up. I think he's got it but only time will tell. I'll definitely be checking out the album, but not because he pretended to get a little oral action from a few backup dancers but because I think the guy can really sing. In the end, that's what matters.
