An Unwanted Kiss on ‘American Idol’

March 14, 2018

The first kiss of an aw-shucks teenager from Oklahoma, delivered by a superstar singer, might have made for a sweet pop-culture moment in a previous era. But as the nation re-examines sexual conduct and power dynamics in workplaces and in the media, the kiss didn’t land well with all viewers.ABC

When Benjamin Glaze, at the time a 19-year-old cashier from Enid, Okla., auditioned for “American Idol,” he had hoped his big moment would come as he belted out “Stadium,” a song he wrote himself. That or Nick Jonas’s 2015 single “Levels.”

Instead, it came when the popstar Katy Perry, a judge on the show, surprised him by kissing him smack on the lips, moments before his audition. He had never been kissed before.

“I was a tad bit uncomfortable,” Mr. Glaze said by phone this week, after the incident aired on the season premiere. His first kiss was a rite of passage he had been putting off with consideration. “I wanted to save it for my first relationship,” he said. “I wanted it to be special.”

“Would I have done it if she said, ‘Would you kiss me?’ No, I would have said no,” he said. “I know a lot of guys would be like, ‘Heck yeah!’ But for me, I was raised in a conservative family and I was uncomfortable immediately. I wanted my first kiss to be special.”

The scene with the kiss was part of the two-night season opener for the new “American Idol,” which is now airing on ABC after a 15-year run on Fox. It is being judged by a new panel of celebrities — Ms. Perry, Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan — and is hosted by Ryan Seacrest, who hosted the program on Fox, and is a creative consultant for the show as well.

In the segments that featured Mr. Glaze, he was shown waiting around in anticipation for his audition with other hopefuls.

After he entered the studio, guitar slung over his shoulder and looking a bit star struck, he said he enjoyed his work as a cashier because it let him meet “cute girls.”

“Have you kissed a girl and liked it?” asked Mr. Bryan, making a coy reference to Ms. Perry’s first hit single, “I Kissed A Girl.” Mr. Glaze said that he had not. “I have never been in a relationship and I can’t kiss a girl without being in a relationship.”

“I wanted my first kiss to be special,” said Mr. Glaze.ABC

At that, Ms. Perry stood up. “Come here,” she said to Mr. Glaze. “Come here right now.”

Ms. Perry motioned for him to come over to the judges’ table and stuck her face toward him. “One on the cheek?” he said and she smiled. He quickly touched his face to her cheek. She asked for another kiss, complaining that he hadn’t even made the “smush sound.” As he moved toward her cheek again, Ms. Perry swung her face toward him and kissed him quickly on the lips. “Katy!” he yelled, as he stumbled backward. “You didn’t!” Ms. Perry raised her arms in victory.

Mr. Glaze then asked for a drink of water, delivered a lackluster audition and was kindly rejected by the judges.

Even though it aired earlier this week, the audition itself took place last October and this has given Mr. Glaze, who is now 20, some time to consider the event with perspective.

The kiss did result in his getting more screen time, which has helped draw attention to his music. “So in that way,” he said, “I’m glad she did it because it’s a great opportunity to get my music out.”

When he returned home, Mr. Glaze worked through his feelings about the kiss by talking to his friends. “They agreed with me that it didn’t really count,” he said. “It was lip contact versus a romantic situation with someone you care about. That’s what a real first kiss is.”

He said he does not feel he was sexually harassed and is grateful to Ms. Perry for tweeting about him.

The show’s producers embraced the footage, using it in televised promos and on social media. On the American Idol website, Mr. Glaze’s performance is posted under the headline, “Benjamin Glaze’s First Kiss and Audition.” The show’s Twitter feed also posted a photograph of Mr. Glaze and wrote, “This journey has just begun, Benjamin. A kiss for good luck from @katyperry and you’re on your way.”

The first kiss of an aw-shucks teenager from Oklahoma, delivered by a superstar singer, might have made for a sweet pop-culture moment in a previous era. But as the nation re-examines sexual conduct and power dynamics in workplaces and in the media, the kiss didn’t land well with all viewers. “It was a forced sexual act,” one viewer posted in reply to American Idol’s tweet: “Imagine if this was from a male judge. Has @katyperry not taken anything from the #metoo movement?” In the same thread, another viewer wondered if Mr. Glaze’s religious convictions had been disrespected. And many other viewers mirrored the sentiment of one fan, who wrote, “Lucky son of a gun.”

Representatives for ABC and Katy Perry did not respond to requests for comment.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3918690&forum_id=2#35605409)

wtf is this faggot complaining about.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3918690&forum_id=2#35605435)

https://goo.gl/images/wGNrtA

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3918690&forum_id=2#35609980)

https://media1.popsugar-assets.com/files/thumbor/PjlJiFlRc0igBoon3RI9BSeTUls/fit-in/1024x1024/filters:format_auto-!!-:strip_icc-!!-/2017/08/27/035/n/1922153/83cf772450d8955c_GettyImages-839974928/i/Katy-Perry-Hair-Makeup-2017-MTV-VMAs.jpg

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3918690&forum_id=2#35610344)

But I already know what they're going to fucking say: But in a case like this, we can't and won't hold Katy Perry to the same standard as a man because the power dynamics are different because men aren't victims of a patriarchy culture blah blah blah.

The rationale always varies, but groups that lean lib are equal when it benefits them to be equal and unequal when it benefits them to be unequal. Libs, you're so full of shit you're not even good sport anymore.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3918690&forum_id=2#35610099)

*ahem*.

Libs, if the genders were reversed a hypothetical "Kevin Perry's" career would be over, he would be accused of sexual assault all over the media, the girl would be the 24 hour poster child for #metoo, and ABC would be raked over the coals for even airing the footage. Where's your anti-Katy Perry outrage?

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3918690&forum_id=2#35610135)

Reverse the genders and there would be outrage.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3918690&forum_id=2#35610150)

https://youtu.be/9HbqcYIH7Z4

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3918690&forum_id=2#35610341)

But now that is called into question. It sucks just as bad as men being forced to behave like boy scouts around women 24-7.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3918690&forum_id=2#35610389)