Hooray, Sexual Double Standards!

Hooray, Sexual Double Standards!

I'll be the first to admit that I don't really care about American Idol. But I'll also be the first to admit that Adam Lambert got my attention way back when. He can sing & he knows how to perform. Now, I'd be willing to bet my life that he lost the competition because of the gay rumors, but naturally, my focus here is going to (unfortunately) be the same as what the rest of the world is talking about: the AMAs.

I care just as much about the AMAs as I do American Idol, so I didn't hear about anything until after the fact & didn't actually watch the full performance until literally just now, but this is all dumb.

1) The song is called "For Your Entertainment." You have to expect some kind of spectacle. Seriously.

2) A dude on a leash is not very offensive. I once saw a production of Jesus Christ Superstar where "King Herod's Song" was sung by a woman backed with dominatrix dancers where a guy crawled down a flight of stairs on all fours on a leash. I wasn't personally bothered, but if you want to call that offensive, I get it (and for clarification purposes, it was the only scene done that way & the production itself was one of the best I've ever seen). But a music award show at night? And the arguments that "children were watching" doesn't fly with me. What kid cares about the AMAs?

3) The blowjob simulation. I'll grant that even fake BJs on a major network are a pretty big deal, but it wasn't really that bad. Besides, ever watch daytime TV? It gets pretty racy. But I guess straight couples all out screwing is okay.

4) What about that cane that gets to at least third base! The stage also made it that far with Madonna's VMA "Like a Virgin" performance, before my time.

5) The guy-on-guy kiss. This is what drives me the most insane. Britney Spears tongued Madonna on the VMAs, then Madonna tongued Christina Aguilera. Yeah, that was a pretty big deal, but it feels like not one of them got the amount of backlash darling Adam got. So what you're telling me is it's okay for a girl-on-girl kiss, but not guy-on-guy?

Seems like sexually, girls can get away with almost everything. Madonna's been shocking people her entire career. Miley Cyrus did a glorified pole dance, & she's not even legal.

The backlash he's getting is ridiculous. The FCC has its panties all in a bunch (to which I say, fuck the FCC) & a few of his appearances on ABC have been canceled. Seriously? He's not Janet Jackson. He didn't flash his parts...and even if he did, I probably still wouldn't really care.

I get that not everyone is comfortable with homosexuality right now. I disagree with a lot of the reasoning behind that, but that's a debate not entirely relevant to this. But really, it's 2009. It's not new. As a country, we're engaged in a debate over gay marriage. Can we seriously not handle this performance?

I give Adam Lambert tons of credit for being willing to go there & push the boundaries. I love him even more now.