Taking a page from the MTV playbook, ABC has canceled American Idol runner-up and gay icon Adam Lambert’s scheduled appearance on Good Morning America after he kissed a male musician on live TV, yet booked a sitdown with convicted Rihanna face-breaker Chris Brown.
At least one person inside ABC acknowledges the problem in this scenario:
Brown will do a taped tell-all with Robin Roberts, followed by a performance of songs from his new album. But TV insiders say the appearance, slated to air the week after next, has outraged feminists and gay activists who wonder why a convicted girlfriend abuser is more palatable to the network than an openly gay man who broke no laws with his raunchy performance on the “American Music Awards.”
An ABC source said, “The network is giving a mixed message — that it doesn’t trust someone who shocked with an unpredictable show and a gay kiss, but then it is happy to go ahead with Chris Brown, who was convicted of felony assault.”
ABC News has insisted that Lambert’s sexual orientation did not play a role in its decision to pull the plug on his “GMA” appearance this week.
ABC insiders said they ruled the “American Idol” star’s sexed-up shenanigans on Sunday’s awards show — which included him groping a female dancer, kissing a male musician and shoving a male dancer’s face into his crotch — were inappropriate for morning TV. One said, “He was not canceled over a gay kiss. He showed himself to be unpredictable on live TV.”
As opposed to Chris Brown, who has only showed himself to be unpredictable in the front seat of a rental Lamborghini. And in most of his inappropriate defenses of his behavior since he pleaded guilty. But at least he didn’t kiss a boy!
(Hat tip to Jos at Feministing for her finely tuned bullcrap meter.)
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I don’t like either guy, for totally different reasons, but this is screwed right through the gitalong. Lambert is so nelly that none of my gay friends can deal with him AT ALL. But old girl didn’t beat up anyone and then act like a giant feathered asshat about it. Plus, Lambert presumably has some iota of vocal talent, whereas Brown can’t string together two coherent syllables. Lambert at least can articulate his position on something, but Chris Brown can’t find his own butt with both hands, a flashlight and a GPS butt-finder.
what BS. i have hardly any idea who adam lambert is but chris brown? please. and i thought rihanna was late “speaking out”..
Doesn’t Adam Lambert sorta look like Britney Spears in that picture? I guess to him that’s be a compliment. She’s more muscular though.
Totally getting my sister a GPS butt-finder for Christmas now!
Somehow the Brown appearance wouldn’t be quite as bad if it were just him talking, but allowing him to sing definitely pushes it into “what are you thinking?!” All of that and then Lambert wonders why America didn’t vote for him to win…
I didn’t know who Adam was until I heard about Adam and Steve…Sorry couldn’t resist. Who cares. Lets face it, until I see an award show for best under-paid receptionist/waitress/desk clerk/retail worker I am not going to watch an award show for over paid narsaccists who get even more attention.
As for Chris Brown.. Anyone who wears a bow tie and sweater to an interview looks more offensive than a man wearing gold glitter on his face and nipples in a performance.
Apparently TEH GAY is more contagious than TEH WOMANBEATING.
I hate to even seem to defend a woman-beater, but I do find Adam Lambert’s crap offensive. Maybe groping his dancers was consensual, but implying that such behavior is appropriate in public is not okay in my book. Call me a prude, but objectifying either sex onstage offends me, and by including such acts in his show, Lambert is sending the message that it is acceptable to treat people like that. If he is so talented, why does he have to resort to “shocking” the audience? In interviews, he has refused to take responsibility for any fallout and claims that parents should prescreen awards shows so that he and others can do whatever they want without worrying about what impressionable kids/teens might see. Maybe he should worry about the behavior he is showing off, such acts have often been used to humiliate women and gay men. Does he really want to glorify that? Yeah, ABC is probably scared of the “gay” boy, but they made the right choice (even if it was for the wrong reason). No network should be condoning simulated sexual assaults, even if they are supposed to be “consensual”. Which they weren’t, if you buy Lambert’s claim that he was being spontaneous. I don’t love the man kiss, but the other stuff pisses me off.
I don’t love Chris Brown or what he did, but in theory, he is paying for his crime (via the court system, whether the sentence is enough, that’s another can of worms) and has expressed remorse (again, another can of worms). Should the network penalize him despite this? There are plenty of people still working in the industry who have assaulted men. Is beating a woman that much worse?
Discuss.
*I really don’t condone violence against women. It does interest me that we tolerate men beating each other up, but (sometimes) the same behavior directed at women is considered so vile (rightly so). I can’t decide if this attitude is really hypocritical or not.
Whatever else you want to say about Chris Brown, he’s definitely predictable. I predict that the next thing he says in public will be really stupid.
Per David Sedaris (in “When You Are Engulfed in Flames”, I think), a bow tie is a signal to the world that you can no longer get an erection. So…SNERK. That explains the girl-beating.
And Allykat, I didn’t think about Lambert’s objectification of the other people onstage, but you’re right. Yuck.
While I admit that Adam has a great voice, he is way too gay for my taste or for my friends taste. Huge flamer. HE is trying to push the envelope too far, which is why I won’t listen to Lady Gaga or similar acts.
This does not surprise me about the All Barack Channel as they have always been and will be hypocrites.
AllyKat,
Being that Ma “seaweed arms” donna, Broccoli Spears, and Christina Aguilara (sp, and I’m too lazy to verify) had a near-threesome on stage some time ago, any parent worth their weight in salt should absolutely screen these stupid awards shows.
There’s a favorite lyric of mine that goes “Burn me once, shame on thee but burn me again, shame on me”.
Don’t leave it to others to decide what is good for your child’s viewing. Do you really NOT expect sleaze from these awards shows? Really? That’s like expecting something of value to come tumbling from Paris Hilton’s jaws. Hey, technically it could happen… but I doubt it.
As for the punching fag, I personally do not care what our “justice” system has done for – I mean TO – him. I’ll still speak out and rail against him from here on out regardless, and I hope others do the same if they feel as such. WE have the final say. It’s still “we the people”… right?
It’s like that deal with the Dickme Hicks a few years back… how they were whining that people were having CD burning parties and that doing such “violated their right to free speech”. Cry me a swamp. Funny how they were claiming all the 1st Amendment stuff, yet did not want others to speak THEIR minds with throwing said bonfires. Screw THEM, too.
People still watch Good Morning America? That’s so like 1993, the Today Show is where it’s at now.
Chris Brown shouldn’t even have a career after what he’s done. Though, refresh my memory, did he have one BEFORE?
Still trying to figure out which one looks more gay.
I get so tired of hearing that the gay kiss was offensive. To me,it wasn’t the kiss so much as Lambert shoving faces into his crotch stimulating oral sex on ABC, a “family” network. NO ONE needs to see this on network TV.
Ha! At first glance, I thought Lambert to be Rihanna.
My bad!
Once again a minority group is upset that they are not treated as a majority. It falls back on the old adage that all gay groups believe they have the right to force their views on people whether they want it or not. But don’t try to tell them they don’t have a right to date same ex individuals. Double standard as always.
Hmm. I was “Anonymous” and I didn’t even mean to be.
I wouldn’t want either one of them on a t.v. morning show.
Oh, I’m right with you on voting with my pocketbook/viewership/etc quigonkick. I think that there are certain things/crimes that aren’t forgivable, and I tend to place beating the crap out of women in that category. I just think it is odd that most people (and I include myself in this) probably wouldn’t be that upset about the whole debacle if Rihanna was a guy named Roger. Stupid sociology class has me overthinking everything. Regardless, I’m with Strawberry Girl. I don’t want to watch either of them on TV.
It’s a good thing I wasn’t drinking anything when I read the “seaweed arms” comment. LOL.
I can see it now, folks. Liberace will be droppin’ an official apology to ABC on YouTube anyday now.
Dah-links, I beg of you. Please do not allow yourselves to be such haterz!
Ally, while I agree that it wouldn’t have been as sexy a story, I don’t think that had the “Roger” instance happened that it should have garnered just as much attention or offended the same amount.
Unless Rihanna was pointing a gun at Ms. (yes, MS.) Brown, there really is no reason for him to have gone off like he did. It is – and should be – different when it comes to man-to-man fisticuffs.
Not a thing against women, but you can’t tell me that there is no difference between a man/woman fight and a man/man fight (again, not counting firearms, pepper spray, nude pictures of Al Gore, or any other non-fleshy weapon). Perhaps if there was an physical equality in the realm of fight, I’d agree with your point.
I’d take a boy-kissing Adam Lambert over a girl-beating Chris Brown ANY DAY. Love and peace over violence. And besides, what were expecting from a performer like Adam Lambert? I’m guessing it wasn’t “nothing less than unpredictable”.
-Denise
Eh, “love and peace” may or may not include trying to forcefeed someone a goolie sandwich onstage. YMMV, I guess.
@Beige
Teehee. I get your point. My “love and peace” comment was merely a general thing. =p
-Denise
I’m stunned that so many people have chosen NOW, specifically THIS event, to complain about sex on network TV. Why now, folks? A glance at any network sitcom, awards show, TV movie, or even newscast would give you plenty to complain about. Sure, there hasn’t been any simulated gay oral sex before Mr. Lambert, but there’s been so much equivalent crap for so long that I’m amazed that anyone even notices it anymore. How is this any worse? Anyone who’s ever seen even a ten-second YouTube clip of Mr. Lambert on American Idol would have seen this coming (pardon the pun, not intended) from a mile away. I think ABC put a notoriously flamboyant performer on TV and then acted shocked when he was–gasp!– notoriously flamboyant. It’s like inviting Steve-O on your show and then being surprised when he acts like a jackass. Wake up, people.
And I am completely unimpressed with people who say “that shouldn’t be on TV, I don’t want my kids watching that.” I don’t want my little cousins watching “Two and a Half Men”, either, but I don’t whine about it being on TV. I vote with my remote. If you don’t like it, shut up and TURN IT OFF! C’mon, take some personal responsibility for once! You can do it!
And a note to Chris Brown: shut your piehole and go the hell, woman-beater. The less positive attention you get, the better.