Adam Lambert Has Our Attention

"Oh, do you know what you got into?
Can you handle what I'm 'bout to do?
'Cause it's about to get rough for you
I'm here for your entertainment"

These are lyrics from the now-infamous title track that Adam Lambert sang for his AMA performance. Lambert's performance has been criticized because of the controversy surrounding some of Lambert's onstage antics. This includes simulating receiving oral sex from a male dancer as he sang:

"I'ma hold ya down until you're amazed
Give it to ya 'til your screaming my name."

The lyrics were muted for this part of the video, and the camera hastily cut away, but too late, we all saw it. Now, Adam Lambert had mentioned in advance that his performance would be "sexy." But perhaps producers were not concerned, since many female artists have pleased crowds with envelope-pushing edgey acts. Lambert is now claiming discrimination on these very grounds. He is defying critics with the claim: "If women can do it, why can't I?" Besides the fact that Lambert's vocals and stage presence hardly need any help or attention-grabbing gimmicks (sex) to hold an audience, perhaps part of what he is saying is true in that we the audience are not accustomed to male seduction. Allow me to explain: Let's say Rihanna had given this performance. Well, she may have still taken some heat for the head-in-crotch stunt, but probably much less for the performance itself. So Lambert may have a point in that as a nation we can take rough seduction onstage from women, but squeamishly hedge when it comes to men. I noticed something as I watched the video that I had never gotten from any similar women's performances: the whole thing felt like a sexual threat. As Lambert crept about the stage amongst his dancers, (who were all outfitted for an S & M session), it really felt wrong...not even so much dirty, as just plain frightening.

Perhaps everyone (including Lambert) needs to admit that the song, costumes, choreography, let alone the impromptu stunts; were just a wrong choice for a live music awards show. He has said that his performance was not: "for everyone." As Lambert kneels amongst his dancers holding a black cane prop and singing:

Take the pain
Take the pleasure
I'm the master of both
Close your eyes
Not your mind
Let me into your soul
I'ma work ya 'til you're totally blown

It felt dark bordering on the satanic. Maybe just a bit too dark for a live performance on national television.
There's no denying that Lambert is a talented vocalist and performer. This recent performance was not his best, but thanks to the hyper-sexuality, few have mentioned the sloppiness of the vocals or Lambert's minor stumble near the beginning. Lambert's career will not be destroyed by his show, but if he continues on this path of ramming a sexual agenda down our throats and claiming discrimination, the fans may eventually get annoyed, as we fans do when any artist tries to promote agenda before talent.