Should Adam Lambert apologize for his American Music Awards performance?

Former American Idol contestant Adam Lambert is at the center of a lot of controversy over his performance at the 2009 American Music Awards on ABC.  He kissed a guy, groped male and female dancers, dragged a girl around by a leash, and gyrated (with a guy’s face against his crotch).  Oh ya, and he flipped everyone off too.

According to Rolling Stone Magazine, Lambert said, “Female performers have been doing this for years — pushing the envelope about sexuality — and the minute a man does it, everybody freaks out.”

Is he right?

The Parent’s Television Council urged viewers to complain.  About 1,500 complaints were promptly phoned into ABC about the AMA performance and Adam Lambert’s performance on Good Morning America was canceled.

I totally think we had this coming, and don’t understand why we are complaining NOW.  Why are we so shocked when we’ve become so permissive and accepting of behavior that pushes the limits.  Our current society is built on the notion that that sex sells and advertising messages are everywhere and get bolder every day.

I’m not trying to be a prude.  I can understand sex as art.  However sex is often disguised as art or freedom, when it’s just being used as a tool to sell or influence.

Anybody look at the little girl’s sections of clothing stores?  When I was younger I would have thought most of it was hooker attire.  I bet you know a little girl under eight who has mastered the art of gyrating like their favorite artist (and their moms are so proud).  It’s okay for women over 35 (even married women) to want to be cougars or a MILF (and purchase things to help them become one).  Some daytime soap operas come pretty close to soft porn. How many times in everyday life have you seen the image of a woman or girl sensuously licking a lollipop, popsicle or their own finger?  Or a woman straddling something in a sexual way?  How many little kids see it?  We seem to accept this.

The line in the sand has been moved time and time again.  Sex is to entertainment and advertising as sugar, salt and fat are to fast food.  They are all lures they hope we are fish-brained enough to bite.

Is Adam Lambert’s behavior at the AMA performance unprecedented?  Madonna has shared open mouth kisses with Brittany Spears and Christina Aguilera.  Madonna and Janet Jackson are crotch grabbers and have had their dancers in submissive sexually-suggestive positions with groping.  During a live performance at the MTV Video Awards the musical act t.A.T.u. included hundreds of young-looking girls dressed as school girls who stripped down to what appeared to be underwear and they gyrated and interacted in ways that were suggestive of an orgy.  The act concluded with lots of girl-on-girl kissing.

Katy Perry’s song “I Kissed a Girl” (and I liked it) has enjoyed much commercial success and was nominated for a Grammy.  It was even nominated for favorite song at the 2009 Kid’s Choice Awards.  This is a song that includes lyrics like “I got so brave, drink in hand, lost all discretion”  and “No I don’t even know your name. It doesn’t matter.  You’re my experimental game.”  What if Adam Lambert had tried to sing “I Kissed a Boy” (and I liked it) at the AMA’s?  Would it be nominated for a Kid’s Choice award?  I have a hard time seeing that.

So why did the malleable line in the sand become a barricade for Adam Lambert?  On Wednesday, Sherri Shepherd of ABC’s The View offered an explanation on the controversy:

Shepherd said, “The thing about Adam versus Janet and Madonna, is he hasn’t earned that position yet.”  This was met with applause from the audience.  She continued, “He just came off American Idol.  I’m not saying you earn a right to do that…but what I’m saying…is we’ve grown up with Madonna.  We didn’t even know Adam Lambert.”

Say what?

I agreed when Whoopie Goldberg responded that was bull and that it should be one standard for everybody.  However I don’t remember that drawing much applause from the audience.

Lambert’s actions certainly aren’t hurting his album sales and he is a hot topic now.  The stunts by Madonna and Janet have helped them pull through stale moments in their careers.  Art or manipulation?

When Lambert’s appearance was cancelled on ABC’s morning show, CBS snatched him up for the Early Show.  However, curiously, it’s been reported when they showed clips of both Lambert’s and Madonna’s same-sex open-mouth kisses, Lambert’s clip was blurred out.  Madonna’s was not.  According to Extratv, when questioned why they did that, a rep for CBS said, “We gave this some real thought.  The Madonna image is very familiar and appeared countless times including many times on morning television.  The Adam Lambert image is a subject of great current controversy, has not been nearly as widely disseminated, and for all we know, may still lead to legal consequences.”

Did Adam Lambert cross the line, or did the novelty of his maleness show a problem we had become blind to in a new light?  He feels the outrage is due to being a gay male.  Maybe.  I think it was more of a shock to see a male, with all the perceived physical power that entails, than a woman committing those acts.  It’s become so “uncool” to bring up questions of what is too sexual for the general public, that we’ve let so much slip through the cracks in a non-threatening way.  But is it fair?

I wasn’t offended by the performance, rather it induced eye rolling.  These music award shows usually feature something shocking so I expected something like it.  His antics reminded me of a high schooler resorting to sex jokes or sexy dress for easy attention when they have nothing else to offer.  Hmmm, reminds me of many current music videos.  The thing is Lambert did have more to offer and the performance itself actually suffered, but the statement he’s trying to make is a valid one.

I’m the type of person who has TMI (too much information) limits regardless of who it is.  I don’t want to see anybody groping and slobbering over each other in public, regardless of sexual orientation.  I wouldn’t want me, my parents, or my best friend to show off  sex moves in a public venue aimed at a general audience as Lambert did.  However, he is definitely not the first and it is not uncommon.

In spite of the controversy, Lambert refuses to apologize.  Should he?  I don’t know.  As I wrote before, I think we asked for it and it’s our own fault.

PS:  I think I need to mention, Lambert claims the moves were unrehearsed and unplanned.  Did the dancers know they were going to be grabbed, fondled, and a face planted into his crotch?  I haven’t seen that question raised.  Hopefully it’s because most of us don’t believe him.

The Twit Crew from the Ellen DeGeneres Show stopped in Tucson on Wednesday, recorded a portion of the show and handed out 10K in prizes:  90 $100 gas cards and one $1000 gas card.

Her Twit Crew (short for Twitter crew) is traveling across the country and making surprise stops along the way.  Prizes are often gas cards, but there is a chance to win a brand new GMC Terrain.

Twitter messages are sent from Ellen, alerting followers of locations.  Early Wednesday a message was sent identifying Tucson as the next stop.  Around 1:00 p.m. another message was sent telling followers to go to the Shell gas station on Speedway & Alvernon at 4:30 p.m. with a current O Magazine (with Ellen and Oprah on the cover)  and to subscribe to the ThisIsGMC Twitter feed.  Once at the location, Ellen would give participants instructions to “do” something to win a bigger prize.

I stopped at a drug store on the east side of town and grabbed a magazine before heading to the station in central Tucson.  When the clerk saw the magazine, she simpy asked, “You going?”  “Yes,” I replied.  She closed her eyes and nodded and handed me the magazine as if it were an ancient scripture.  It was obvious she really wanted to go.

My friends and I arrived an hour early and missed out on the first 90 prizes.  A couple hundred people were already there.  I overheard a crew member say they had expected only 50ish people and they were surprised by the turnout.  I think by the end of the event, there could have been 500 people there.  Maybe they didn’t think we have Twitter in the Old Pueblo.

There was quite a bit of waiting and finally the big moment came where we became a live remote location and Ellen spoke to us.  She said hello to Tucson.  We screamed.  Then she gave the instructions: Come back in a bathing suit and cowboy hat.  The first one back would get a $1000 gas card.

Hundreds of people flocked across Speedway and Alvernon á la “It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World.”

They returned as requested – in bathing suits and cowboy hats.  There were even men in bikinis.  One person creatively fashioned a cowboy hat out of a silver car sunshade.

In the end, it was Frank Landino in flame swim trunks and a green cowboy hat with a light-up tiara and feathers who was awarded the $1000 gas card.

His wife, Christina Landino, says, “It was really quite an accident that he came about winning.”  They discovered the contest not via Twitter but because they live next door to the gas station and Kat had walked over to buy a soda and heard Ellen’s voice over the speakers giving the instructions.

She ran back home and told her husband to throw on a swimsuit and put on her sister-in-law’s cowboy hat.  When all was said and done, this was the result:

Winner Frank Landino on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. Photo: David Tellez

His wife says, “He’s such a ball of energy anyway — this was right up his alley!”  Congratulations Frank!

"Writing Fren-Zee" poster

I attended a screening of two locally-made low-budget films:  “HUNNYBEAR” and “Writing Fren-Zee.”

HUNNYBEAR a short comedy horror from local filmmaker Peter Leon exploited some of the worst fears I’ve had of remote desert areas at night.  Those fears were more tangible seeing the familiar dirt roads, mesquites and dry washes on the screen.  I had a “wow, that could really happen” feeling in the pit of my stomach.   For a low-budget film, it was very well crafted and acted, and it had all the earmarks of a good hacker and slasher flick.  The plot:  People running away from a killer.  What more do you need from a comedy horror?  I was very satisfied with my fear level after 20 minutes.

HUNNYBEAR was followed by “Writing Fren-Zee.”  The latter did not wash HUNNYBEAR completely off  my palate.  Let me explain.

I attended the screening with my sister.  Leaves and trash swirled around the car on the way home while the howling wind shook and tried to penetrate the car.  It was a spooky night.

At her house as we chatted and giggled about the night, the front door swung open very slowly.  Suddenly silent, we both held our breath in surprise and looked at each other and started to crack up.  The wind.  We began to hear knocking on the side of the house and what sounded like car doors opening and closing.  Each noise paused our conversation and we stared at each other wide-eyed.  “Damn movie,” I said.  “We should write a script for a movie about two ladies who go see a scary movie and get scared by the wind but then something real gets them.”  Right when we should have laughed, something hit the window behind me – HARD.

Now there was no more laughter and I told her I was going to use the bathroom and go.  As I entered the dark hallway, I pleaded, please don’t let the cat or her husband come out of the darkness and scare me.  I flipped on the light in the bathroom and glanced at the frosted window to the outside.  Again I thought, please don’t let a gecko run across that or I’ll be having a heart attack.

Having survived the hallway and bathroom, I told my sister to walk out with me.  I scanned the dark streets and bushes.  I looked at the window for a clue to what hit it and saw nothing.  I quickly got into my car and started to back out.  Then my brain kicked in:  Hadn’t I heard a car door before? Was someone in the back?  I was too embarrassed to get out and look, so instead I tried to listen and ascertain whether I smelled anyone hiding back there.

In the midst of scanning, listening and sniffing while simultaneously backing out and shifting into drive, I  suddenly saw a man right outside my car window.  My heart clenched and my skin started to crawl with adrenaline.  I went into a mindless panic, floored the gas and started to scream.  I maintained eye contact with the man while my back tires spun and screeched.  They finally found traction and my vehicle shot off, almost losing the suspension on a speed bump.

I looked into the rear-view mirror and the man’s hands went up in a “what the hell” gesture.  He was on the sidewalk and a party was going on.  He apparently had been wanting to cross the street, waiting on me to back out.

“Bjay, you idiot!” I scolded myself.  “That man probably thinks you are insane.  Ohmygawd!”  I pulled over a block later to reassure myself nobody was in the very back.

When that was over, I was able to reflect on “Writing Fren-Zee” a romantic comedy written and produced by Clif Campbell and Marty Ketola of Pondo Enterprises, and directed by Marty Ketola.  This film had a $2000 budget and was filmed entirely in Tucson over a span of 13 days.  The film premiered at the Crossroads Festival and the 200-seat theater was almost packed.

I don’t know Marty Ketola personally – but I have to say, I’m very proud of him.  He started out with shows on Access Tucson in 1990.  They weren’t works of art, but you could see he was experimenting and learning.  You could also tell he loved it.  Later he started to dabble with short films.   I saw his previous films “Marijuanos” and “La Llorrona.”  They all have developed a cult following but they aren’t masterpieces by any means.

I had seen the trailer for “Writing Fren-Zee” and it didn’t do it justice.  The movie went beyond my expectations, and I’m very happy and excited to see how Marty Ketola has progressed.

The story is  about a writer nearing a high-pressure deadline to write a script based on a comic book series.  He’s out of touch with the material and suffering from writer’s block.  He ends up seeking help from two guys who own the comic-book store where the comic book author died (and perhaps still resides).

There were some really good laughs throughout and it was entertaining.  Stiff acting reared it’s head a few times, especially  in the supporting cast, but with $2000 you aren’t going to get Meryl Streep and you have to remember projects like this are about learning too.

Local prominent actors  Jonathan Northover and Eric Schumacher played the writer and a store-co-owner, and they did very well.  Northover is a delightful Hugh Grant/Dick Van Dyke smoothie.  I look forward to seeing more of his work.

I was very impressed by newcomer Nate Campbell who played Pete, one of the store owners.  I was suprised to learn this was his first role.  His delivery is very natural,  relaxed yet funny and he has a very strong presence.  He seemed uncomfortable in a scene where he visits the girlfriend of his partner, in an attempt to explain he was at fault for a misunderstanding (that she overreacted to) and begs her to give his partner a second chance.  I personally don’t know any men who would do this in real life, so he probably didn’t have any experiences to draw from, haha.

Marty has come a long way from his beginnings at Access Tucson.  I am very excited to watch as he continues to grow and experiment.  His work has developed a cult following and the fact that his low-budget films actually make a profit is an accomplishment itself.  If this film had a bigger budget and more resources, I wonder at what he could have done.

I am no stranger to Access Tucson, and I am thankful it is there for people like Marty to provide a learning lab and outlet for expression.  Eons ago I was a cast member of a soap opera that aired regularly on the station.  I also did a karaoke show (hopefully those tapes remain buried forever).  I wish I could have taken advantage of that opportunity more but I was suffering from the logistical problems of a car-less teen and young adult.

The future of Access Tucson has been questionable, and recently some shows aired good-bye episodes when it was thought Access Tucson would close.  I hope when my son is older and he wishes to express himself this way, that the opportunity is still there for him to learn just as Marty did.