There really isn't any need to outline to the harsh double standards created between gays and lesbians in the media. Its all very obvious, lesbians are hot, and gays are not.
Gay men are instructed to keep their sexuality hush hush, and those who do not, "come out" at their own risk. However the intensity of this double standard was brought into open discussion when Adam Lambert grabbed his keyboard player, and violently made out with him for no more than a few seconds.
ABC lost their minds, Parents were upset, fans were shocked and an uproar soon followed about the perversity and vulgarity of Adams performance. Why? Because women are sexual objects and men are not! There were no pitch forks and torches banning Brittany and Madonna from an entire network after their awkward (and planned) "young girl, old lady" make out.
Lesbians are not only accepted but encouraged by the media. Think Katie Perry's "I Kissed A Girl." And lets not forget T.A.T.U's ridiculous single "All the Things She Said" Which entailed more making out than singing in the music video. (which neither are lesbians, one is pregnant.) However their management didn't take their sexuality or the feelings of the gay community into mind while concocting this scheme. Two hot euro girls in school uniforms making out in the rain? Gold!
However the media's "lesbian acceptance" does not extend to all lesbians, only young hot ones! Only ones that can be marketed as sexual pawns to falsely represent the entire lesbian community. And not songs about actual love between two women, but a songs encouraging girls to make out with each other at parties to get boys attention.
Same goes for the gay community, Ricky Martin never sang about men, Elton John never had a single that directly addressed men. It is way too taboo for air play according to the CEO's of these companies, and the of course, the almighty FCC! The single released by Adam Lambert was an androgynous song choice, just like almost every song performed by a gay man.
What does censorship think it is protecting us from? Is a man singing about another man, not family friendly? Is it really so horrible that radio stations would be boycotted into closing and parents would rally outside of studios?
This kind of censorship also suggests that they are trying to create a broad fan base for the artist by not excluding the majority. Straight people just wouldn't relate. Does anyone have a problem relating to the music of Melissa Etheridge or Elton John? Do straight people not find Ellen hilarious? We live in a society that is obsessed with celebrities personal lives and everyone knows who gay and who is not. Censoring gay music is not going to win over fans who do not like artists based on their sexuality. Nothing will change how bigots and homophobic's feel. Censoring gay music only feeds the notion that gay is bad and dirty and should be cleaned up for family friendly American listening.
Brittany Spears can sing "all the boys and all the girls are begging to fuck me" ( I know the CD booklet reads "If You Seek Amy") on the radio, but if a song from a man has even one "he" in the song is on the chopping board for a "single release" on the radio. Explain!
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Thanks Hon, for this little rant!
ReplyDeleteI have been wondering wtf they will "allow" Adam to do in the video for "If I Had You" for many of the reasons you mentioned above.
I also think being friends with Tommy puts you in a unique position to have heard and seen so much negativity aimed at both of them.
It is a sad statement on the US society at large when this kind of bigotry happens.
I myself am Bi although I just prefer Queer.
In the LGBT Community that is something of a dirty word too, like we are undermining the fight. Like I somehow wasn't born this way too.
So many judgments.
I thought we were all taught to respect people, and accept that we are each unique individuals.
I guess I was wrong in so many ways!
VERY well said! You hit on so many good points! The entire situation is infuriating. :( What sucks is that with the whole American Music Awards fallout, some people couldn't understand why a lot of us were upset about the double standards and homophobia that clearly influenced the reaction of ABC and other groups. It's like the naysayers were actively trying to NOT see the truth of the matter. ARGH! So frustrating. :/
ReplyDeleteI firmly believe that the AMAs will be studied in generations to come as a TV milestone like Lucy being "expecting" on TV Ozzie & Harriet sharing a bed, Kirk and Ohura's interacial kiss and Billy Crystal's portrayal of Jody (the first regularly occuring gay character on TV).
ReplyDeleteYes there is a double standard but it isn't about lesbianism being accepted it's about girl-on-girl being accepted. TWO TOTALLY DIFFERNT THINGS. ABC censored the kiss between Rosanne Barr and Mariel Hemingway back in the 90s. And Ellen was forcibly removed from television for a number of years after she and her character came out on TV.
The Adam Lambert AMA kiss is an important move in a very slow step towards unity and acceptance.
Thank you. The media industry is so biased. It's truly sickening. Homosexual men are looked down upon as "scum", while "fake" lesbians are praised with glory. I'm guessing a lot of it has to do with the money, but the rest has to do with religion, unfortunately. Have you ever peeked into a ["holy"] bible? It's rather sexist, to be honest. It plays out into peoples' minds that being gay is not okay, unless "you're hot". This world scares me sometimes. I don't want religion in my entertainment, thank you very much.
ReplyDeleteI so wish Adam's next single was Fever, it is a fun song with an awesome beat. I guess that pronoun is too much for hypocritical radio heads:(
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading your blog Chantala,
ReplyDeleteI only disagree with your statement that the AMA kiss was violent. To me, it was the rawest passionate kiss I have ever seen on TV. It was HOT!
Fever is one of my favorite songs on Adam’s ‘For Your Entertainment’ album. It’s a shame that radio stations have so much control on what will and will not be played. Unfortunately, he has to make sacrifices early in his career if he wants to have the kind of success he’s dreamed about. Adam seems willing to take baby steps now to reach his goal. But he has started the much needed discussion, just as you have here with your blog. Adam is breaking down barriers, even if that was not his intention to begin with. He is the 1st openenly gay singer signed to a major record label. I have no doubt that in five years from now; Adam will have his own chapter in college Sociology text books across America. He will be a Pop Culture icon.
Brava to you for expressing what so many of us think! Thank you :) *hugs*
ReplyDeletethis is an important piece of a dialogue that is critical to our society. many people think that the US is a liberal, accepting nation and this could not be further from the truth.
ReplyDeleteyou said "Nothing will change how bigots and homophobic's feel. Censoring gay music only feeds the notion that gay is bad and dirty and should be cleaned up for family friendly American listening."
bigots and homophobes, often with the backing of their religion, will not change. it's up to those of us who believe in love in ALL its forms to advocate for those who fear speaking out. they have every reason to be afraid.
i don't want matthew shepard's death to ever be forgotten. hate kills.
http://www.matthewshepard.org/
http://www.glsen.org/
bravo, chantala!
So in the past two weeks we got new singles from Christina Aguilera and Miley Cyrus. Christina is "kissing the boys & the girls" and Miley, Disney's latest 17 year old slut, "will not be tamed". The fact that the American music industry in general and radio in particular has no issue with playing and portraying heterosexual acts to the point that some videos are soft-core porn...during the "family friendly" hours? Nothing blew my mind more than Rhianna performing "Rude Boy" at the Kids' Choice Awards. It was 8 p.m AND there were children as young as 5 in the studio audience.
ReplyDeleteSo to hear "there he goes. My baby walks so slow." by a male vocalist? Not a big deal people if you think about it. And apparently there are other airplay issues with some of the best tracks he's recorded. Down the Rabbit Hole? Master Plan and the label held off even releasing Voodoo as a U.S. bonus track and to me it is by far THE best song he's recorded. Oh and did we mention that none of the afore mentioned songs have any homosexual references in them at all?
Having kids your age, I've been hoping since I first observed it, that you will wake this country up. The hippies tried but then somehow became the "fundie generation". You guys accept each other for who you are at face value. No barriers of color, gender, socio-economic status or sexuality. I sincerely hope that with people like Adam becoming more visible and gathering the rest of you around that you can get the message out there and make a difference.
Excellent post. Who gives a shit who sleeps with who???? Love is NEVER wrong but all the hate that is spewed....you think your God is happy about THAT????? I think not. Adam is such an amazing singer/performer and he's damn sexy (makes this straight girl have to change her undies on a regular basis!!!). I just found Voodoo and some of the other songs that were released in the UK but not here in Canada and they are damn good. I am so mad that some record exec decided what I should and shouldn't hear based on whether some loser in the US would get upset or not. There HE goes my baby.....you SING it adam!!!!
ReplyDeleteWhat could possibly be wrong with Down the Rabbit Hole????
ReplyDeleteIt's sad to see that the world has not changed much since the sexual revolution in the sixties when women were finally allowed to have and enjoy sex, well, as long as it was with a heterosexual male. Not with a woman though. Being gay was still very taboo and any acceptance has come slowly.
ReplyDeleteAs someone who was there I'd like to say that I see two problems here and they are related. The world is still controlled by heterosexual men who still treat women as sexual objects and who still are terrified of homosexuality. They seem committed to the path of keeping women down and in their place by sexualizing them, by promoting that as acceptable while also promoting extreme hatred towards anyone gay, but especially gay males. It's really offensive to me to see how little has really changed after all those years on the front line trying to change things in the world at large and particularly in the business world.
Unfortunately, too many women are still being abused by their "men" and willing to stand by their men in projecting and promoting an over-blown hatred of gay men and anything else their "man" doesn't like. I didn't say all women, so don't throw things please. Many of us have learned to love ourselves, but too many women still think they need a man around no matter what the cost.
What has also happened is that too many gay men unwillingly help the power males in their agenda. They are too afraid to come out and rightly so, particularly in Hollywood which I see more and more as the battleground where the cause will be won or lost. I'm proud of Ricky Martin and sad that it took so long in his life before he was comfortable enough to come out. I can't imagine living like that, hiding like that.
This may sound like a simplistic argument but think about it. The male controlled media really rules the world by "allowing" the public to see what they deem is okay in our society. A few heterosexual males are shaping, defining, molding people as to what is acceptable or not. The zealots which come from all the different religions from fundamentalists to catholics to muslims fan the flames by forgetting the most basic tenet of their religion; the idea that it's supposed to be about love, that all people are made in "god's" image and are beautiful in their own way.
I completely understand why, until he got through to appear on American Idol, that Adam Lambert couldn't make it in Hollywood and why no one would give him a chance. His amazing talent wasn't enough. He was too gay for the boys who rule the place. I remember being really surprised while watching the audition to see that the judges basically thought he was too "theatrical." If that's so, what must they think now? I imagine a bunch of men wringing their hands whenever he performs. Bravo, Adam, for being yourself. I think he is braver than anyone I've ever come across. He is unapologetic and that's the way it should be.
As I said up front, this is all very sad, and it's also infuriating. I don't want Matthew Shepard, or anyone else who's been bullied or killed by people who hate to be forgotten either.
It's really past time to stand up, believe in it, and try and do something about it. When your family and friends start bashing someone, call them on it. It's a lot easier just to let it go, to not rock the boat, or if you're younger, to be afraid that the cool kids won't like you, but change will never happen unless people speak out, and sometimes you've got to take a stand. People can change their minds, can learn, and can feel ashamed to hate blindly for no defensible reason.
If you "hate" gays or anyone else then you don't want to know me.
Thanks for listening. Sorry if this got long but I'm passionate about this.