NEWSCBS is "Hypocritical" for Blurring Adam Lambert's Kiss
Nov. 26 2009, Published 1:26 p.m. ET
A fresh controversy surrounds Adam Lambert's provocative kiss with his male keyboard player at the American Music Awards on Sunday. This time CBS' The Early Show is under fire for blurring the lip-lock in a segment yesterday, just moments before showing unedited footage of Madonna and Britney Spears making out.
"I think there's obviously a double standard when it comes to gay male entertainers," Jeremy Kinser, The Advocate magazine's Arts and Entertainment Editor, told Extra.
"It's ridiculous they can show two women but can't show two men," he says. "I think it makes them look kind of silly. That's what's so ironic: The Early Show decided to put him on after Good Morning America canceled him, and they seem really hypocritical to blur the moment that has everybody talking."
A rep for CBS explained why they chose to blur out 27-year-old Adam's kiss, but kept Madonna and Britney's smooch untouched.
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"We gave this some real thought. The Madonna image is very familiar and has 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."
Jarrett Barrios, President of GLAAD, also released a statement: "The Early Show's decision this morning to blur Adam Lambert's kiss from the American Music Awards reinforces an unfortunate double standard that is applied to openly gay performers.
"I would have hoped CBS would provide the same treatment for images of gay and lesbian people and not create an unfair double standard that treats our community differently."
A defiant Adam appeared on The Early Show yesterday but refused to apologize for the adult content of his AMA performance.
