CBS Blurs Lambert Kiss, Not Madonna's

MYFOXNY.COM - CBS's Early Show, didn’t skip a beat when they swooped down to grab the Adam Lambert concert and interview after he was ditched by ABC’s Good Morning America, but during the network morning news show CBS treated video showing a lesbian tongue kissing differently than it did Lambert kissing his male keyboardist.

Just after 7:30 AM EST, during a brief pre-taped segment outlining this weekend’s AMA performance controversy, Lambert was shown with a dancer’s face thrusting into his crotch and kissing a male band member from the award show. Presumably not to offend, the video chosen by CBS showed both moments in the AMA performance blurred out, completely obstructing the controversial gyrations and the male on male kiss from morning viewers.

However, moments later the Early Show's viewers could watch an unobscured close-up of Madonna's tongue entering Britney Spears' mouth from the famous MTV’s Video Music Awards show from a few years back. The controversial female on female kiss did not get the same blur treatment chosen by CBS for Lambert's controversial kiss.

In the live interview immediately following the segment, CBS’s Early Show anchor, Maggie Rodriguez raised the question of a “double-standard” for male performers. To which Lambert responded, "If it had been a female pop performer ... I don't think there'd be nearly as much of an outrage at all." Asked by Rodriguez if he thought he was being criticized because he was a man or because he was gay, Lambert said, “Both. I think it’s a double whammy. I think it’s because I’m a gay male, and people haven’t seen that before.”

Wednesday afternoon, CBS released a statement:

"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."