How Far is Too Far?

That's the question a lot of people are asking after Adam's Lambert's racy performance at the American Music Awards last night. It's one of the top headlines on every news website right now, and everybody's talking about it. Which I'm sure Adam loves.

But here's the thing. I watched the show live. I saw the entire performance, in all its crotch-grabbing, thrusting, make-out session, oral sex-simulating glory. I also watched Adam on American Idol, where his "revolutionary" performances on that stage look like a church music pageant compared to last night.

I'm all for standing out, proving a point. I'm a fan of Adam's, flaming gayness and all. I think he's extremely talented and extremely unique.

But he went too far. I mean, fall-over-the-edge-because-you-went-too-far too far. This was prime time television. Those on the east coast saw the entire performance live before it was edited for west-coast audiences. It was rauncy. There's no other word to describe it. To say it was inappropriate would be an understatement. Not only were the movements and innuendos completely uncalled for and over-the-top, but Adam's heralded vocals were nothing to get excited over. Everyone was so busy having a WTF moment while he was gyrating, nobody paid any attention to him as an artist. The song was mediocre and his vocals were no better. And, should I mention the fact that he fell? Major, major oops.

This was the first time Adam's been on TV since Idol. His album hits stores soon, and this was his chance to pop back up on everyone's radar. In a positive way. This was his chance to remind everyone why his loss to Kris Allen was the biggest Idol upset ever. Instead, he turned off a lot of people. Let's face it; you either love Adam or you hate him. He could have taken many people off the fence last night with a rousing performance. Instead, he puts on a show so insulting to many Americans that he could have just ended his career.

Adam's defending the performance, of course. He says the west-coast editing was wrong and discriminatory. He believes he has the right to express himself as he wants. And it's true, he does. But America's not going to change overnight and suddenly accept a performance like that. He knew he was going to piss people off. But he did it anyway.

He's free to be the artist he wants to be. But he should expect, and accept, the backlash. Let's hope, for his sake, that after the stage smoke clears, he still has a career to talk about.