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Adam Lambert (Reality TV Star) arrested for drunk fighting in Finland

2011 December 23
tags:
by TopIdol

Another Adam Lambert Glambert tattoo

Happy holidays, everyone! Let’s ring it in with Adam Lambert and his boyfriend, Sauli Koskinen, were arrested after a drunken altercation outside a nightclub in Koskinen’s native Finland. They were subsequently released. News reports followed. As did apologetic Tweets and hamburgers or something.

So how to approach this one? These are the types of stories TopIdol loves, mainly since it will illicit asinine defenses on behalf of those damn Glamberts. Honestly, when Adam Lambert behaves badly, I’m not always rolling my eyes at him, but laughing hysterically at his over-invested fanbase.

But this was a tricky one which required a bit of thought.

First: Punches against one another were likely not thrown. So Adam Lambert probably does not abuse his boyfriend. Physical violence is nothing to laugh at. If he did punch his boyfriend, then that would be a whole other horrible matter. Unless someone has footage of punches being thrown, I’m going to give Lambert the benefit of the doubt. And the fact I’ve seen a few outside-the-club/bar-at-closing-time brouhahas in my day.

Second: Who hasn’t done something drunk and stupid? One time I slept outside my door for 3 hours. That was also the last time I spent an evening drinking champagne (that shit is the devil’s urine). Who hasn’t done something drunk and stupid outside a bar? Or at least SEEN something drunk & stupid outside of a bar.  I’m the last person to pass judgment on having a chaotic night followed by a dreadful hangover. Granted, I’ve never gotten into a bar brawl but I’ve done some stupid things and a few of them past the age of 30.

But I’m not condoning Lambert’s actions. Getting into a drunken altercation with your boyfriend outside a club in Helsinki doesn’t make you edgy. It just makes you look like the guy that’s trying really hard to prove they’re edgy and different. That you’re bad ass. If you may be reported on for doing bad behavior in the international [gossip] press, you should pick & choose carefully. You don’t want to be portrayed as a trainwreck until you prove you have the talent to make being a hot mess a-ok.

Getting arrested for a drunk fight with your boyfriend doesn’t make you an alcoholic, but it doesn’t make you look good. It just makes you look like an overly-dramatic mess. For someone who claims they want to be taken seriously as an artist, your actions are working against you. While I’ve never been a fan of her voice, Xtina has often been hailed as a vocal goddess, yet she’s talked about more for her inebriated sloppiness and Snooki-like appearance than her talent. And this is a woman who’s has the awards and records to back it up.

This isn’t Lambert’s first misstep. Hell, he got kicked out of Lady Gaga’s birthday party. If you’re gonna be a trainwreck, you gotta do it right. You gotta do it once you’ve proven yourself and no matter how many people think Adam Lambert is a one-of-a-kind talent, he hasn’t achieved the sort of career milestones that get you a free pass.

Lady Gaga likely does a lot of stupid things while under the influence, but she makes headlines for her whacked costumes and um, actual music. She’s got talent. She’s devoted to her art above all else. While Amy Winehouse’s career was cut tragically short, she was a revelatory talent, one that may endure despite her tabloid infamy. Yet her messiness will always be a footnote. Lindsay Lohan’s early promise, on the other hand, would barely earn a paragraph in her obituary. It is now a non-issue. At best, in life or death, Lohan will always be remembered as a cautionary tale.

Adam Lambert, however, achieved fame in an era where talent is secondary, where entire magazines are devoted to the bad behavior of reality TV stars. Lambert is a reality TV star, but it wasn’t a show throwing a bunch of famewhores together in a house and watching them behave badly with one another. He was in a singing competition, a show that may still be a cash cow and ratings powerhouse, but one that has historically proven to not be a definite career catalyst. If you wanna build off American Idol fame, you have to have the talent to overcome the fact that you were on American f**king Idol. Just because people watch the show doesn’t mean they buy records. Most of the viewers forget your name within days of the season finale. The chances of you becoming a superstar are highly unlikely and frankly, you’re not getting multiple seasons. The cast of Jersey Shore technically has more staying power, even if they’re famous for um, just being on a reality TV show.

Lambert might be confused. Perhaps he equates reality TV notoriety to actual fame, but that doesn’t cut it when you’re a guy who sang on American Idol. It has nothing to do with being an out-and-proud gay male, although there will be people who ridicule you for this behavior and deem it “typical homosexual.” Who wants those people as fans, anyway? It has nothing to do with being gay. It has everything to do with career ambition. Because getting arrested for drunken fighting may be a typical career move for a reality TV star, it is not one for someone who claims to want a legitimate career in the music industry. And the more famous you become for being a reality TV star, the less people will ever take you or your talent seriously.

 

from → American Idol

  • ross

    When I was younger I got into a few crazy situations caused by being drunk – not a drunken ‘brawl’ – but, whatever. Nobody’s perfect. Thing is, I usually felt ashamed for acting like an ass, and I mean, extremely embarrassed. I think eventually you learn from your mistakes, but Adam’s tendency not to seem to want to take responsibility (or so it seems to me) always bugs me, it’s not an attractive quality in a person. He usually has an “oh well, shit happens,” attitude that sort of turns me off.

  • Salleyanne

    Hey TI if you are around I see KK is alive and kicking at Idol Worship and Yahoo.

    http://voices.yahoo.com/adam-lambert-was-eligible-compete-10413027.html

    She’s baaaaaaccckkkkkk!

    • B York

      She’s back and she’s wrong, Salleyanne. She used her legal expertise to claim AL’s innocence blah, blah, blah.

      But at MJs, it was reported that both parties agreed to settle out of court. I’m no legal beagle but that sounds like neither party had a slam dunk case.

  • Lamberkitten

    Hi TI, good to see you are posting again and providing a debate on my favourite RAWK GOD!!!11!!

    I enjoyed reading what you had to say regarding this unfortunate episode and could agree with most of what you said. Except for the end bit where you suggest this could have been a publicity stunt. Not an unreasonable assumption and I did wonder the same initially. However, given his remorse and that this happened in Finland (not known for its carnivorous paps, unlike LA) I think it unlikely. He knows that he is talked about with an “eyeroll” by some, and on the eve of launching his second, more serious album makes this negative publicity even more unwanted I would have thought.

    With that out of the way, it is good to see you writing again (your Amy tribute was the BEST and had me emotionally on the kitchen floor) and for eliciting some lively debate – particularly for unleashing the mighty force of the awesome and legendary 8sourcandy :)

    Happy holidays!

    • http://topidolblog.com TopIdol

      Happy New Year, LK!

      In general, the art of the publicity stunt is worth discussing in general. With celebrities taking to Twitter, often without a publicist watching, it is kind of interesting to see what’s real and what’s fake, what’s spin and what’s sincere. Honestly, I don’t think it was a publicity stunt as handed down by a record label, or manager, or publicist. But it could be. As could anything. (Case in point: Courtney Stodden. WTF is that all about?)

  • muzikizmi

    Mike Judge is a visionary. Post a pic of Adam and Sauli next to a pic of Beavis and Butthead. How did he know they would surface years later, with Butthead still wearing the same hairstyle. This was simply the ‘Beavis and Butthead do Finland’ episode.

  • B York

    @8sourcandy, sadly my tea leaves are not good enough for lottery ticket wins :-)

    I don’t think Adam is talentless and I thought he did a great run on American Idol. I just find him too theatrical for a pop career. He has a good voice and great range but nothing distinctive imv. He’s no Rufus Wainwright who I absolutely adore. And I still stick by my perception that he is more concerned with success (in whatever form that comes) than he is about making exceptional music.

    • 8sourcandy

      If he wanted to make exceptional music he wouldn’t have gone into pop. lol! It seems he wanted to make music he liked. He really does like pop music. He tweets about pop songs all the time. This is his jam. I like alternative music. I listen to NPR. I’m not a pop music person. I do like his new song (even though he’s not Courtney Taylor Taylor). I’m expecting some surprises on his new album. I liked his last album, not the popular songs but Voodoo, Down The Rabbit Hole and Soaked, were my favorites. But because I like the sound of his voice, I could listen to him sing anything. If GaGa can string together a Madonna medley and get acclaim, and Katy Perry can sing about peacocks/aliens and out perform Michael Jackson, Adam has a shot. lol!

  • 8sourcandy

    DeeDee,

    The fact that Perez Hilton reported third-hand information and media outlets lazily reported it without fact-checking, only to retract and correct much of what was reported, substantiates Adam’s claim. I’m not saying he’s innocent of all accusations but there were exaggerations and misinformation. Look, I don’t want Adam to end up like Lindsay Lohan. I was not pleased by the reports. I am not an “enabler” kind of person. My ex-girlfirend is a recovering alcoholic, I get it. He exhibited bad judgement. He apologized. I’m fine with it because he’s an entertainer, not my friend, lover or child. I really don’t care about his private life. Public life, if it impacts his music, does concern me because I’d hate to lose access to his talent. However, this is his shit to figure out and speculating about his intentions as if anyone who posts here knows, is asinine. It’s no different then when the cray makeup excuses. No one knows his motives or triggers but him.
    That’s my point.

    Now I have to get back to work. Thanks for the chat. :)

    • DeeDee

      I never said that Adam’s claim that the media gets things wrong was incorrect. My point was if he would stop giving them things to exaggerate, he wouldn’t have that problem to deal with. If he keeps doing them then he shouldn’t complain about it.
      I think you know from my posts that I do not dislike Adam. I like but do not love his music, but I think he is going to have great success with this new album.
      I also don’t really care about his private life because, as you said, he is not someone I know or care about on a personal level.
      Hope you get all your work done. I am lucky to be off today with nothing to do. :)

      • 8sourcandy

        I’m too distracted by gossip to get anything done. lol.

        If perez hilton didn’t have a personal vindetta against Adam no one would have known about that incident, imho. Perez also leads with lies and lets other people worry about the details. He is a bitch that way. Media is lazy and they’ll print anything it seems. We also live in a
        time where everything is sensationalized. The fact that the Kardashians are famous demonstrates my point. This could just be jetlag and too much drinking. Or it can be part of a bigger problem. But Adam doesn’t owe me or anyone an explanation about his private life. Does he? I dunno, I like him and wish him the best, I hope it’s not a problem. But it’s none of my business if it is.

        • B York

          Well it seems that at some level, Adam likes the Kardashian type of media attention so what does he expect when he behaves badly publicly. He seems to like and welcome the media attention.

          That’s his call but I don’t think it’s doing him any favours if he really takes his career as a performing artist seriously. Maybe he will manage to prove some of us wrong and become a serious, respected artist. But so far, I don’t see that in the tea leaves.

          • 8sourcandy

            While you have your tea leaves out can you give me
            some lotto numbers? lol!

            If I could run his life he’d be way more successful. :) But I don’t know what goes on in his head. I straightened out in my early thirties and I really was a party girl; 5 nights a week at clubs until 4am then after hours, then work. I had blackouts; once my friend and I ended up in Boston (Lived in NYC at the time) on a drunken binge with some guys we met. Reckless, stupid and immature. I grew out of it. I hope he does too.

            If he goes the Kardashian route, well at least he’ll be rich! And maybe have a shoe collection. (that’s a Glambert silver lining) lol.

          • DeeDee

            8sourcandy, I thought Perez Hilton was a friend of Adam’s?
            I’m pretty sure he linked to Adam’s single on his blog.
            Personally I think Perez is a blight on humanity so if he
            has a vendetta against Adam that speaks well for Adam, lol!
            As a not at all invested fan of Adam I am very curious to
            see how this album cycle goes. He seems to be on the brink
            of becoming a major star imo and if it doesn’t happen
            I’ll be very surprised. I also think he is under a lot of pressure right now.
            RCA has invested big bucks in him, I think he knows that he had
            better come through for them. Not that he won’t have
            a very good career anyway, but he probably won’t get
            this opportunity again.

        • http://topidolblog.com TopIdol

          You know who I don’t like at all? PEREZ HILTON. But then again, who does?

          • DeeDee

            Well if you’ve never seen the video of Perez complaining when he got punched by the Black Eyed Peas guy, you should. That is some funny sh*t.

          • http://topidolblog.com TopIdol

            When Perez “It Gets Better” Hilton called him a derogatory gay slur? Oh yes.

            I haven’t visited his site in at least 2 or 3 years. Do not want to give him the hits. Plus, there’s no need. He’s not creative, nor is he funny. Now DListed, well, I visit that site several times a day.

  • Salleyanne

    Sorry the Glamberts think I’m judgemental. Typical “he can do no wrong” behavior. Public intoxication, landing in a drunk tank then laughing about it (his own words) aren’t something most people would be proud of. “Lesson learned”? I doubt it. This wasn’t the first time.

    I never proclaimed to be a fan. Guy is talented just not my cuppa. JMO so if you don’t like it don’t read my posts. He wants to be a celebrity at all cost. He is a 30 year old man and not a teenager. He really needs to get the drinking under control and grow up, but Glamberts think this is acceptable behavior. Any other job and his a$$ would be out the door.

    • 8sourcandy

      Sallyanne,

      Is this comment for me, or a rhetorical rant? It doesn’t align with anything I stated so I’m not sure.

      Oh, what the hell, I’ll just adress it.

      “Sorry the Glamberts think I’m judgemental.”

      I don’t represent all the Glamberts. This is my opinion.

      “Typical ‘he can do no wrong’ behavior.”

      I’ve stated repeatedly he exhibited poor judgement and that I was concerned about his behavior. But like I said, it’s his problem. I can’t help what he does.

      “Public intoxication, landing in a drunk tank then laughing about it (his own words) aren’t something most people would be proud of.”

      He expressed embarrassment and remorse. It seems he and his boyfriend made up and recalled funny moments. I imagine there were funny moments too. No one died. They were drunk. (Plus I heard some translated reports that included behavior (you probably would not condone) that struck me as hilarious.) He never stated he WAS PROUD of his behavior. (Your words, not his.)

      “’Lesson learned’? I doubt it. This wasn’t the first time”

      No, and I imagine we will live through a few more episodes before he sees the light. I partied hard in my twenties too but by time I reached my early thirties I had other interests and responsibilities. If he matures, he may see his behavior as detrimental. If he actually has a drinking problem then it may require more than just wanting to stop. Alcoholism is a disease, not a hobby.

      “I never proclaimed to be a fan. Guy is talented just not my cuppa.”

      You not liking him has nothing to do with him. He’s not a one-size-fits-all kind of performer. He, is at his core an outcast, a rebel, a misfit. I relate to that. So do more than 1 million other fans. He’s exists for our entertainment, not yours, apparently. I might not like entertainers you like, but I wouldn’t wish them harm or attack them for not being to my liking. (I’m completely lying I can think of two people right now I hate with a passion and have no problem attacking, so I’m gonna have to work on that. lol) But seriously, I don’t know why you and some others feel like Adam is being pushed on them.

      “JMO so if you don’t like it don’t read my posts.”

      You are entitled to your opinion, however if you misrepresent information in a public discussion I should be able to point that out to you. If I misrepresent information than you should point that out to me. Debates needn’t be bitch-slapping and name calling. Sticking to the facts and articulating our points allows for continued engagement. We don’t have to agree, just be respectful. ( I had to learn that.)

      “He wants to be a celebrity at all cost.”

      He does want to carve out his place. Again, I don’t know what his motivations are regarding this because I don’t know him personally. All I see is someone very talented, working very hard to succeed in a very competitive field. I admire his ability to take it on the chin and move forward.

      “He is a 30 year old man and not a teenager.”

      I agree with you there, a more mature outlook would be welcomed.

      “He really needs to get the drinking under control and grow up, but Glamberts think this is acceptable behavior.”

      I suspect some Glamberts are as outraged as you are. Others, are enablers and will continue to overlook his shortcomings. Some, like me are concerned, but aren’t so invested that we think we can help or change what he does.

      “Any other job and his a$$ would be out the door.”

      Actually by law an employer can’t fire you if you’re an alcoholic because it’s a disease. They are required to send you for treatment.

      I hope I this has helped you to have a better understanding of my position. This site has been a ghost town for too long. If we can engage in a mature way and allow everyone to have a voice then maybe it won’t be such a chore for Melinda to moderate and she’ll post more often. Adam isn’t the only one who needs to act more maturely. No hard feelings?

      Enjoy your evening. :)

      • 8sourcandy

        lol. sorry for all the typos. I remember the worst thing about posting here is the text hiding behind the ads, I thought I got all the errors, I see several glaring ones. Oh, well.

  • Carolyn

    Welcome back TI! Missed your snark.

    I think Mr. Lambert has a problem. I too have had my drunken bouts but I never entered a brawl/fight outside a bar and I never found myself in a drunk tank and I never tweeted after about blacking out. Those are big time red flags for me.

    But eh. It’s his life and he can do whatever he wants.

    The Glamberts are amusing. Not all – some who’ve posted at MJs, etc are saying it doesn’t look good, etc. But the ones that are over-the-top in their support of him… amuse me.

    • Salleyanne

      I agree with you Carolyn. Anyone that tweets about blacking out and spending time in a drunk tank has a problem. He can do what he wants but you would think his parents would have some influence over him (or maybe they just don’t care). His lack of embarrassment and making light of it is unbelieveable.

      I too am amused by the “he can do no wrong” Glamberts. They are quick to condemn anyone else for making a misstep but when it comes to the “rawk god”, nothing is out of bounds and they let everyone know he is perfect or he is “just human”.

      He apparently has an anger problem when he drinks as this is not the first time he has caused a problem. He needs some help or a swift kick in the butt by his family.

      • 8sourcandy

        “His lack of embarrassment and making light of it is unbelievable.”

        Adam’s tweet regarding the incident.
        @adamlambert
        “Violence is not to be taken lightly. Embarrassed by drunkenness.
        No punches thrown, no injuries and no charges. Media always exaggerates.”
        22 Dec

        Facts.

        • Salleyanne

          “Jetlag+Vodka=blackout. Us÷blackout=irrational confusion. jail+guilt+press=lesson learned. Sauli+Adam+hangover burgers= laughing bout it. :) ”

          His initial tweet. FACT. Doing damage control with the second one.

          • 8sourcandy

            The first tweet was to address the concerns of his fans wanting to know that he and Sauli were all right. The second seemed more of a public statement. Both tweets indicated remorse and responsibility (“Guilt” and “lesson learned”). So I’m not sure what point you’re trying to make by posting the first tweet.

            The bottom line is that both statements addressed your concerns, the second one more specifically. Therefore, your misguided accusation that he’s taking this situation lightly is incorrect and I really enjoyed pointing that out to you because your remarks where so pearl-clutch-y and judgmental.

            Thanks; it’s been a while. ☺

          • DeeDee

            I think we will only know if it is a “lesson learned” if it
            doesn’t happen again. I also am a little tired of his claiming
            that the media is exaggerating stories about him or
            making things up. Shut up, don’t get yourself in trouble
            and they won’t have the chance to make up stuff about you.
            But Adam wants people to notice him and wants to be
            in the public eye and if that’s what you want you need to
            expect that your actions might be taken out of context.

  • cimi

    Adam Lambert is, and always be, someone whom I have utter respect for. He lit up my world in o8? I think it was o8. So, it doesn’t really matter to me what he does now, for the most part. I just have, and always will consider him a very entertaining, and awesome, personality. Watching him do his thing on AI was probably thee most enjoyable time of my life. i looked forward to his every move. What ever he does now doesn’t really matter to me as long as it’s not totally bad. I just like the man. He is an entertainer and a very lovable one at that. stop the hating! He’s not perfect, no one is. I think he was the best thing that ever happened to AI.

    • Carolyn

      The most enjoyable time of your life was watching Adam Lambert on AI? Really?

      Wow. Just wow.

    • Salleyanne

      If our questioning his making light of ending up in a drunk tank and blacking out as “hating” then so be it. What little respect I had for him as an entertainer is quickly diminishing.

    • 8sourcandy

      Cimi,

      It was season 8, the year was 2009. :)

  • B York

    Hey Top Idol, I checked in to wish you a happy holiday and was delighted to see a new post.

    Adam Lambert exudes an arrogance and entitlement that makes it hard for me to take him seriously at all. I found his “ha ha we’re hungover and having burgers and laughing” tweet to be really annoying. Yes, many of us have had drunk incidents that we would love to have erased from any collective memory that exists out there so I don’t care about his getting out of hand on principle (at least after learning that there was no real physical violence). But his piss off, get over it attitude is just jarring.

    After every one of these embarrassing events, he just responds to each of them with an insufferable “whatever”. I would be mortified to be caught by the media in such awkward and unflattering ways. Hell, I feel awkward just knowing there are witnesses among my friends who have seen me at my worst. He seems to think that his bad behaviour gives him cool cred or something.

    Anyway, I think he could work his way up the ladder to be a Broadway musical star but that’s about it. I think that avenue would be more respectable than becoming some sort of 21st century Liberace, although the money was pretty good. And maybe that’s just it – Adam Lambert is more about making the bucks than making good music. That’s my sense. That’s why he took on his American Idol gig – he had an established career but it just wasn’t raking in the big bucks.

    Anyway, good to have you back in the saddle here, TI.

    • Salleyanne

      Well said.

  • 8sourcandy

    Hello Melinda,

    Merry Christmas!

    I actually agree with most of what you said. I’m not happy about the publicity, I even thought (just for a moment) it was intentional; 600 some-odd stories about “Drunkenness” beat 63 about his new single. I don’t think he’s abusive, he was crying during a lover’s spat. I’m not going to lie, I don’t like this pattern and as a bystander I worry that he may have a problem. I can’t condem him, for the same reasons you didn’t; we’ve all been drunk and stupid. I also agree that SOME fans are ridiculous; Q3 allegedly tried to contact Adam Lambert’s lawyer (WTF?). However, most fans are just supportive of him and are attempting damage control. CNN and other legitimate news outlets have cleared up rumors regarding violence, so it’s just what it is, another episode of living life in the fast lane. On a happy note, I love his new single (I hear you do too) and do think that in spite of his “tabloid escapades” he’s truly talented. He’ll be fine. He always bounces back.

    PS
    Your Winehouse piece was very well done.

  • Salleyanne

    Glad to see ya TI.

    Did ya’all see this? http://i43.tinypic.com/kd48bs….

    Just when I think he can’t get any more ridiculous, he does something like this. Looks like a pimp to me.

  • scoutfinch

    P.S. I’m glad you’re back, TI!

  • scoutfinch

    “I read an interesting quote from Adam recently in which he says that he feels the general public and the media view him with a “collective eye roll” except for his “beloved Glamberts””

    Wow. I guess I sometimes forget that Adam is so much more realistic, grounded,and…well…intelligent than the more vocal Glamberts.

    I think the average person DOES view him with a collective eye roll b/c of all the hyperbole & hateful diatribe his “beloved Glamberts” have spewed. I’ve always liked the guy (even though I’m not a fan of his high-pitched voice), and I don’t think he deserves some of the ill-favor his fanbase has generated.

    I do have to say, though — repeated drunken escapades when you’re THIRTY? I do hope he matures a bit!

  • MariaMouse

    I have inkling his label orchestrated this stunt.

  • DeeDee

    Hi Top Idol. Happy holiday!
    I don’t believe this will hurt his career at all, at least in the short run. RCA is pushing his single and appears to have invested quite a lot of money in his album (top collaborators, world wide release) so I’m sure he will get top notch promo for that as well. In fact I just got an email from Amazon with a gift of his single. I’ve never had that happen before-no clue why.
    I do think someone at MJs had an interesting point. Replace Adam’s name in the story with Ace Young, Kris Allen or Paul McDonald and replace Sauli’s name with Diana Degarmo, Katy Allen or Nikki Reed and there would have been an entirely different reaction. I’m sure people at least would have said they should be in counseling.
    I read an interesting quote from Adam recently in which he says that he feels the general public and the media view him with a “collective eye roll” except for his “beloved Glamberts”
    Well when he pulls stunts like this, what does he expect?