Musings on Adam Lambert
I am a fan of extreme, a devotee of deviance and an admirer of raw charisma. I have played the video of Lambert’s performance at American Music Awards a number of times and I love it. It is a “fuck you” to every narrow-minded viewer (be he/she homophobic or merely uneasy) and revealed the raw talent that is Adam Lambert, the guy who didn’t win last season’s American Idol but should have.
He pulled a fast one on ABC, refusing to perform unless they promised it would be unedited. It wasn’t (even though I suspect there are execs at the networks tearing out their hair over that promise) but it did have a few things blurred and bleeped, as it should have. ABC, rightfully, did not cut the boy-on-boy kiss lest they prove the double standard Lambert has pointed out.
But since doing the act, Lambert has pulled back a bit on his performance, saying he was caught up “in the moment.” That is a troubling statement for a young performer clearly on his way to superstar status. Because, if I may speak to Adam directly for “my” moment, there will be so many moments you will be in center of.
There will be drugs, and groupies, and those that will tell you that you are fabulous even when you are being a jerk. Take your hint from Whitney Houston and from the late great Michael Jackson, both honored on Sunday night, and be aware – you are in charge, Adam. You will have to be the rational one. Once you hit a certain level in your career, no one else will do it for you.
Now – Entertain Us!
