Adam Lambert's AMA kiss-off

Adam Lambert is good, but his closing performance on last night's American Music Awards made it pointedly clear why Kris Allen was the winner of last season's American Idol.

Instead of upping the ante visually and theatrically, we got four minutes of co-ed crotch grabbing and genitalia rubbing, capped by a "shocking" kiss with his keyboard player that looked more like Hannibal Lector biting his latest victim's face off.

When Marilyn Manson did it, it was dangerous. When Lady Gaga does it, it's gripping. Adam Lambert just makes it all look goofy and uncomfortable. As for the David Bowie and Freddie Mercury comparisons, show some respect - Adam Lambert can't even get a rehearsed kiss right, let alone deserve to be mentioned in the same breath as two of music's all-time greats.

"All hail freedom of expression and artistic integrity," Lambert said via Twitter following his performance.

Since when is going in for a commando kiss that looked as comfortable as prison rape defined as "freedom of expression"? I call it a whorish attempt at shock value, and the type of cheap publicity that is insulting to the gay community...

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Paul Gargano is the National Music Examiner for eXaminer.com.
Click here to visit his Examiner homepage.

One of the scariest things I've ever read...

"A medium-sized popcorn and medium soda at the nation's largest movie chain pack the nutritional equivalent of three Quarter Pounders topped with 12 pats of butter, according to a report released today by the advocacy group Center for Science in the Public Interest."

That is the opening sentence of an article in the US & World section of today's Los Angeles Times. Quite frankly, that's all I need to read to never eat movie popcorn again. If you need more convincing, click here to read the rest of the article...

Now I know why every time I eat popcorn at the movies, I feel like Jabba The Hutt has taken residence in my stomach.

Since I'm feeling like a killjoy today, you know how Cold Stone Creamery tastes so fantastic? It also makes you look ass-tastic, and in need of pants with e-lastic. Yahoo's report on best and worst ice cream nutritional values wasn't remotely as shocking as the popcorn piece, but it's definitely worth a glance - click here to read.

For more fun and excitement, please join me on Twitter (@PaulGargano) and Facebook. You know you want to...

LIVE REVIEW: Slipknot at the Palladium

Slipknot aren’t sneaking up on anybody at this point in their career. They’ve spent the past decade turning the metal world end-over-end, their reputation preceding them as a highlight reel of masked vomit, broken-bones, head-banging, hair-whipping and apocalyptic mayhem plays in the background.

They became a product of their own hype before their hype even had a chance to prove itself, to the point where their biggest story is often their mere survival

At the recently re-opened Palladium in Hollywood, CA, Thursday night, Slipknot not only lived up to the challenge of their hype, but they left it broken, beaten and scarred into submission. No, Slipknot aren’t going to sneak up on anybody… But the sheer power and razor-sharp onslaught of their performance just might.

To finish reading this review, please click here.

Paul Gargano is the National Music Examiner for eXaminer.com.
Click here to visit his Examiner homepage.