Opinion
Time to stop the hypocrisy on freedom of expression
Well folks, looks like we're discussing music again this week. Things are heating up in the world of mainstream pop these days, and last week was no exception. I'm talking, of course, about Sunday's American Music Awards. The show was pretty much like most of its kind, chock full of performances from the radio's biggest artists, most of whom are unable to put on a live performance that sounds anything remotely like their albums. But, the biggest talk of the night came from the provocative (some say raunchy) performance from this year's “American Idol” runner-up Adam Lambert.
The artist, whose insane vocal range, glam-rock aesthetic and questionable sexuality lent him fame and a huge fanbase on the show, performed the title track to his debut album, “For Your Entertainment.” The song itself is pretty standard fare from the folks at AI, that is, a catchy chorus with some strategically placed electric guitar strums and synthesizers to fill out the rest of the tune. The performance, however, is a different story.
While Lambert was on “Idol,” he was labeled as “edgy.” In all honesty, he wasn't really, but the fact that he was homosexual and dressed flamboyantly in goth and glam attire lent him the characterization. But for his performance at the AMAs, they gave him that persona. In all honesty, I wouldn't call it edgy as much as I'd call it overtly sexual. Lambert pranced around the stage, thrusting his hips, at one point grabbing the crotch of a backup dancer and then not long after giving a full on smooch to another backup. Both of these dancers were male. Therein lies the problem.
On Tuesday morning, Lambert was scheduled to appear on “Good Morning America.” But, because his performance was too outlandish, GMA cancelled Lambert's time on the show in an effort to save their rear ends. And that's when I got mad. I'll be the first to tell you that I was cringing during Lambert's performance, staring in open-mouthed shock when he was grabbing crotches and then wincing a bit when the kiss happened. But, and see if you can stay with me here, I did the same thing during Rihanna's performance. The pop star, who was performing for the first time since taking a break after getting assaulted by then-boyfriend Chris Brown, also performed a sexually charged song, but she got to keep her appearance on “Good Morning America.” The show invited the pop star to perform again, and guess what she was wearing? Not much. Her skirt was extremely short and her top (if you can call it that) threatened the entire time to let loose her breasts. But, since she's not gay, she got to keep performing.
It's time to stop the hypocrisy. Either let Adam Lambert come on the show and perform in gloriously man-on-man kissing fashion, or cancel both his and Rihanna's performance. I know there are many out there who find Lambert's actions despicable and can't stomach what he stands for, but there are just as many out there who think Rihanna parading around half-naked is just as bad. We claim to have freedom of expression in this country, but we all know it's a lie. Artists and people are still held down because of many, many things, while others get to flourish. It's time to decide ABC: what's your move? Do both get to perform, or neither?
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Robert Rich is a senior journalism major at the University of Texas at Austin. He graduated from Westwood High School in 2006. He can be reached via e-mail at robert.rich@mail.utexas.edu
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