ABC says more than 1,500 people have called to complain about Adam Lambert's S&M-themed sexually charged performance at the American Music Awards.
Ryan Seacrest may have been there to introduce Lambert on Sunday night, but his AMA performance was a long way removed from the family-friendly confines of 'American Idol'.
The shock and awe demonstration saw Adam doing everything from fondling and gyrating against female dancers to simulating oral sex, kissing a male band member and leading two leather-clad men across the stage on leashes.
"The energy felt good. Adrenaline is a crazy thing to feel," Lambert said after the show. "That's what I love about performing. I'm hoping people were entertained. For those who weren't, maybe I'm not their cup of tea."
"I'm just trying to have a good time onstage. It’s a sexy song. It's 2009, it’s time to take more risks. It's about entertainment. People want to be surprised. It's too bad that people are so scared. I just wish people could open their minds up and enjoy things, it's all for a laugh, it's really not that big of a deal."
When asked how he would react if some of the more risque moments were edited out of the West Coast broadcast, Lambert said it would be unfair.
"If it's gonna be edited, then in a way that's discrimination. I don't mean to get political, but Madonna, Britney and Christina weren't edited," he said. "It's a shame. Female entertainers have been risqué for years. Honestly, there's a huge double standard."
Before his performance, Lambert had hinted that he wanted to "break down that double standard" that existed for male and female performers.
But in an interview on Monday, perhaps due to the backlash, he claimed that the kiss was "in the moment."
"Part of what I love about being a live performer is that sometimes you just are in the moment and sometimes things just happen," he said. "Adrenaline is a crazy, crazy, crazy feeling. 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."
ABC says more than 1,500 people have called to complain about Adam Lambert's S&M-themed sexually charged 
