Last week, I tuned into Channel 5 to watch the American Music Awards for the perfect ending to a quiet, lazy Monday. The award show was great, and Adam LambertâÄôs performance was getting quite the hype due to the release of his upcoming debut album. I knew how talented he was from his âÄúAmerican IdolâÄù stint, yet what I saw when his act began made my jaw drop: a raunchier, male version of Lady GaGa. He pranced around on stage, thrusting his crotch into kneeling members of his entourage and kissed not only the women but also the men in his song âÄúFor Your Entertainment.âÄù I couldnâÄôt help but think his performance was a bad publicity exploit. During past singing acts throughout the years, weâÄôve seen Madonna and Britney kiss, Eminem grab his goodies and Janet JacksonâÄôs breast rebound âÄî a âÄúwardrobe malfunction.âÄù Even before this generation of stars, celebrities have been known for pushing the sex envelope. ElvisâÄô 1956 gyrations on âÄúThe Ed Sullivan ShowâÄù certainly shook things up. As a kid in the âÄô90s, the most sexual icons were the Spice Girls âÄî extremely mild by todayâÄôs standards. Pop icons âÄî ample role models for todayâÄôs youth âÄî are acting in despicable ways, and I am sure many could do a much better job of setting an example. While I do think LambertâÄôs actions were far from excusable, it is not because of his preference for one gender over the other (LambertâÄôs red herring defense). According to the Huffington Post, Lambert believes his performance sparked such controversy because of his sexual orientation. He admits to getting carried away but is unwilling to offer any apology since he was just trying to âÄúinterpret the lyrics to his song.âÄù If that was the case, maybe he should have picked a different song to perform âÄî one that wasnâÄôt so sexual. I think gay prominence is great for our society, and personally, I would love to have a Will to my Grace, as long as my Will is not Lambert. Among his celebrity peers, he has been coined âÄúGlambertâÄù because of his edgy style consisting mainly of black nail polish, eyeliner and an intense swagger. As I watched his performance, I couldnâÄôt help but think LambertâÄôs actions didnâÄôt really matter; he was going to have the gay community backing him either way, purely because of his sexual orientation. I remember seeing Janet Jackson perform in California after her mishap and seeing many members of the gay community rebel against the backlash she received with sayings like, âÄúChill out America, itâÄôs just a boob.âÄù While Jackson is considered an icon in the gay community, so is Lambert. But the fact that he prefers men to women does not justify the vulgar act. Actually, because he is gay, he should strive to set a respectable example for young, closeted gays in America. The model of vocational success as the penultimate criterion for âÄúrole modelsâÄù is ready for revision. This year, Lambert was named one of the sexiest men alive by People magazine. This performance was all too synchronized. LambertâÄôs post-show to the American Music Awards was to be a stop on âÄúGood Morning America.âÄù After seeing his performance, the producers called to cancel his appearance. A spokeswoman for ABC said, âÄúGiven his controversial American Music Awards performance, we were concerned about airing similar content so early in the morning.âÄù According to MTV, Lambert was quoted saying that the performance televised at the AMAs was not the âÄúoriginal choreography.âÄù While it may have been improvised, he knew what he was doing, because the controversy behind his performance seems to be fueling record sales for his newest album. The stunt drew in a whopping 1,500 complaints, according to Rolling Stone magazine; itâÄôs hard to believe he was simply getting caught up in the moment. The trouble with these incidents, whether they are accidental or purposeful, is that adults are not the only viewers behind the television screens. If it were only adults watching, celebrity boob shocks and air humping would not need to be taken as seriously. It is not as if we are handing AmericaâÄôs youth a copy of Playboy while sitting in the sandbox: Primetime television isnâÄôt somewhere you would necessarily expect to see these types of behaviors. The counter argument for children seeing LambertâÄôs risqué number is that the kids should have been asleep, but that argument casts blame where it should not be placed. It is blindingly apparent why kids would want to watch the American Music Awards simply because of Glambert. âÄúAmerican IdolâÄù is a popular show that targets AmericaâÄôs youth. This audience tuned in to track the starâÄôs professional growth. It does not matter if Lambert, or any other star for that matter, intends to or even wants to be a role model. The fact of the matter is that they wield celebrity; they command example and therefore should strive to exhibit model behavior to the young, adoring fans. Hopefully, now that he knows what an impact he is capable of making, Lambert will think twice before rubbing his pelvis in his backup dancersâÄô faces. Other celebrities will begin to follow suit if we consumers of spectacle are willing to shun those who assist in the corruption of AmericaâÄôs youth. Sex is definitely a great sales technique if administrated to the right target market. It can only sell if we let it. Paige Vigil welcomes comments at [email protected].