Lambert/ABC controversy dangerously close to blacklist

We were planning to address this on Subject:CINEMA's next episode, but it's gotten out of hand and it's time to call a spade a spade, as it were…

ABC has gone beyond the boundaries of censorship when it comes to their recent actions concerning  singer and American Idol runner-up Adam Lambert. Way beyond. It is now bordering dangerously close to blacklisting the performer. And it has to STOP. NOW.

After a particularly raunchy performance on The American Music Awards, ABC recieved 1500 complaints about the singer's antics. Immediately, ABC began censoring Lambert, which is their right – where the American Music Awards were concerned. ABC had every right to tone down Lambert's performance for the west coast broacast of the show.

However, it's gone beyond that. They cancelled an appearance on ABC morning show Good Morning America set for that Wednesday. And now they've continued their abhorent behavior, booting Lambert from scheduled appearances on the Jimmy Kimmel show next week, and on Dick Clark's New Years Rockin' Eve December 31st.

Lambert has acknoledged that he got carried away at the AMA's but refused to apologize, saying that he wasn't a baby sitter and that his performance, after 10:30 PM on both coasts, was not designed for children.  On an appearance on CBS' Early Show last week, on the same day that he had been scheduled for GMA, he accused those who were complaining of discrimination. In case you were unaware (and I don't know who would be), Lambert is openly gay. 

You know what? After careful consideration, I agree with him.

Outside of the usual over-the-top cronies who always freak out when they feel things go too far, nobody else really cares. Look around – is anyone talking about it at the watercooler? No? Then GROW UP, ABC! Grow Up, Bob Igor and the rest of you in the executive staff. No one gave a damn when Madonna and Britney Spears pulled the same kind of thing on MTV's Video Music Awards a couple years back. And NO ONE Pulled the same kind of shit you're now trying to pull on Lambert to either of them. No one gave a rats' butt that Michael Phelps smoked weed last year except one sponsor, and they're now finding out that dropping Phelps may have been a huge mistake.

We live in a world where shocking things sometimes happen after 10 PM at night. For pete's sake, everywhere else in the world EXCEPT the U.S., the "F" word is acceptable on FREE TV after 9 PM.  ABC is showing the rest of the world how backwards and prudish we can really be.  Don't give me the Central Timezone bullshit, it won't wash with me. It's time to grow some balls and stand up to the FCC and the complaints from a conservative christian organization who has made it their life's mission to hassle gay performers.  It's time the long-antiquated FCC was abolished, anyway – they clearly are completely out of step with television in the rest of the world.  And I've got news for Liberty Counsel, the group who filed the complaint – i'm a born again Christian, and have been for 34 years. And even I can see what you are doing is flat out WRONG.

Lambert made the only statement he's going to make on this, and the entire incident should now be OVER. Drop it. EVERYONE ELSE HAS. If you don't stop this shameful behavior, you're inviting the kinds of boycotts from GLAAD and other gay and lesbian groups that could really cause problems with your network.  Do you really want that? DO YOU?

Rumors are flying that people in the executive suite are trying to talk (or even force) Barbara Walters into dropping Lambert from her "10 Most Interesting People Of 2009" special next week, and maybe finding someone else to replace him. If that rumor is true, the entire ABC/Disney board should resign in shame. I'm sure Ms. Walters is quite capable of making her own decisions, and standing up to ABC's strong-arm tactics. But if the rumor is true, and she also caves to pressure, then we have a REAL problem. But I think she'll do the right thing and allow his piece to air.

And then I hope she turns to the camera and lets ABC execs have it right in the balls. They have it coming. Never did I ever think I would see this kind of deplorable, ruthless, and ILLEGAL behavior return in a town that has been so devestated by such actions in the recent past. And I hope ABC comes down from their high horse soon, and realizes that all they're now doing…is making themselves, their entire network, and the legacy of Walt Disney look like one gigantic ass…