Burger with Relish

Here is the full transcipt of Adam Lambert's interview on CBS this morning:

Transcript:

MAGGIE RODRIGUEZ, CBS NEWS’ “THE EARLY SHOW” ANCHOR:  What does Adam Lambert think of all of the controversy?  Let's ask him.

Good morning, Adam.

ADAM LAMBERT, SINGER:  Good morning.

RODRIGUEZ:  Did you have any idea your performance at the AMA's would ignite this fire storm?

LAMBERT:  No clue.  No clue at all.

You know, I was really looking forward to it.  I worked hard with my dancers and my band for two weeks putting that together.  And I admit, I did get carried away, but I don't see anything wrong with it.  I do see how people got offended and that was not my intention.  My intention was just to interpret the lyrics of my song and have a good time up there.

RODRIGUEZ:  Did you plan when you were rehearsing, did you include those sexually charged moves in rehearsal?

LAMBERT:  Those kind of came from more of an impromptu place.  No, those were not rehearsed.  I think ABC was taken a little by surprise.  And that wasn't my intention.  I wasn't being sneaky.  It got the most of me, I guess.

RODRIGUEZ:  I think that people take issue with the fact that it did happen on network television where a lot of families were watching.  As you know, you have tons of fans, especially children who have followed you since "Idol." Can you imagine their parents sitting down with them to watch the AMA's and without warning you are kissing another guy simulating oral sex?  Can you understand why they would be upset?

LAMBERT:  Yes, I suppose I could understand why they were upset.  And honestly, it didn't cross my mind -- children.  It was almost 11:00, I was there in the audience full of mostly adults.  Sometimes I forget, oh, there's a camera on.  I come from the theater.  And I'm programmed to kind of look at who's in the live audience and that's kind of where I come from.  And so, I was looking out in the crowd and saw some of my favorite pop stars and thought, I want to let loose.  And it just kind of got the best of me.

And I had a great time, unfortunately, there were people upset, but I think there are people who really enjoyed it.  Like "Idol," I have a tendency to divide people.  Apples and oranges, you either like it or you don't.

RODRIGUEZ:  Now that you have had time to think of the children, your child fans, do you feel you need to apologize to them?

LAMBERT:  I think it's up to the parents to discern what their child's watching on television.

RODRIGUEZ:  Well, but they had no idea they were about to see something like that on network TV.

LAMBERT:  And you know, just to play devil's advocate with you, Lady Gaga smashing whiskey bottles, Janet Jackson grabbing a male dancer's crotch, Eminem talked about how Slim Shady has 17 rapes under his belt.  There's a lot of very adult material on the AMA's this year and I know I wasn't the only one.  I'm not using that as an excuse, and I didn't take any offense with those performers' choices.  I'm saying I think it's up to the parent to watch the television.  It was almost 11:00 at night.  If they're concerned with certain material maybe TiVo it and preview it before your small child is watching it.

RODRIGUEZ:  So you don't feel that it's your responsibility to issue an apology?

LAMBERT:  I'm not a babysitter.  I'm a performer.

RODRIGUEZ:  Do you think, be because I know in the previous days you said you think there's a double standard when it comes to male performers.  Why do you feel that way?

LAMBERT:  I believe there's a double standard.  I think that if it was a female pop performer doing the moves that were on the stage, I don't think there'd be nearly as much of an outrage at all.  Like I said, there were other performers doing -- I mean Janet Jackson crotch grab.  I haven't heard one peep about that.

RODRIGUEZ:  Do you think it's because you're male or gay?

LAMBERT:  Both.  I think it's a double whammy.  I think it's because I'm a gay male and I think people haven't seen that before.

RODRIGUEZ:  But I don't think people said specifically they were upset about the fact that you're gay or kissing a guy.  Again...

LAMBERT:  I think some people were upset I kissed a guy.

RODRIGUEZ:  The venue is what I've heard the most.  Is that not what you've heard?

LAMBERT:  The what?

RODRIGUEZ:  The venue; the fact that you did it at that time.

LAMBERT:  I suppose that makes sense, yes.

RODRIGUEZ:  OK.

LAMBERT:  Again, when I got up on stage, I don't think about things like this is network television, what time is it, what children were watching?  I just was in the moment.

RODRIGUEZ:  If you had it to do over, would you do anything differently?

LAMBERT:  I would sing it a little bit better.

(LAUGHTER)

LAMBERT:  The adrenaline took hold of me and I went back and reviewed it and went, it wasn't my best vocal performance.  But, you know, no one's perfect.

RODRIGUEZ:  But you admit that you got carried away with the other stuff?

LAMBERT:  Yes.  It -- you know, it got the best of me.  I'm obviously learning.  This was my first performance post "Idol" on television.  The song lyrically is sexual, and I just was performing the lyrics of my song.  And I think in the future I will probably make a little bit more of an effort to stay consistent with what I do during rehearsal to what I do during the show.  That's something that I'm learning now.  And that way if anybody has any problems with what I'm doing they can be explored during rehearsal.

RODRIGUEZ:  What is the image you want America to have of Adam Lambert?

LAMBERT:  Well, and that's the funny thing is that this is one song.  This is one production number.  This song on the album is one of the few songs that really explores risqué, dangerous kind of edgy sexuality.  There's other songs on the album that are completely different.  So for me, I hope that people don't put me into a box saying oh, he's nasty and going to be that way all the time.  That was one performance.

RODRIGUEZ:  All right.  And Adam, I know you're going to stick around, perform two songs and take questions from the audience.

LAMBERT:  Yeah.

And parents, this is appropriate.  I promise.

RODRIGUEZ:  All right.  Good.  Good to know because it is early.

LAMBERT:  It is early.

RODRIGUEZ:  Adam Lambert, thank you.