A few things discussed after last night's American Music Awards: Taylor Swift winning everything, Lady Gaga getting shut out by otherwise literally obscure band Gloriana, and of course, Adam Lambert's first major performance. And that, as expected, as raised eyebrows--his performance of his first single, "For Your Entertainment", saw him simulate oral sex with a back-up dancer, plant a kiss on a male keyboard player, and flash the finger at the audience. And folks in the West Coast didn't even get to see the more controversial part: Adam rubbing a male dancer's face in his crotch.

Now, ABC, which aired the awards ceremony last night, confirmed that it received at least 1,500 complaints about the American Idol runner-up's performance. Dick Clark Productions, the producers behind the event, also added that they were unaware of what Adam planned basing on rehearsals. "We did not expect the impromptu moments," a spokesperson said.

Adam, who publicly declared he was gay via a Rolling Stone interview in June, eventually told CNN that the erotic actions on his performance was spontaneous. "Adrenaline is a crazy, crazy, crazy feeling," he said. "Some of the things I love most about performing is when you're up there and all of the sudden you just have these feelings, this rush that comes over you."

His goal, he said, was "not to piss people off. It was to promote freedom of expression and artistic freedom."

The verdict is still out on whether Adam managed to do just that, or instead put himself back in front of the publicity line. It is also unclear whether the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will uphold complaints regarding the performance. The agency, which has strict rules surrounding profane or indecent material--especially after Janet Jackson's "wardrobe malfunction" at the Super Bowl in 2004--won't confirm nor deny whether it has received complaints regarding Adam's performance.

It is unclear, too, whether ABC could face a fine, since the performance aired at around 11pm, way past the FCC's 6pm-10pm time frame banning broadcast of indecent material.





(Image courtesy of ABC)