SleepinIn, you wrote:
I'm not saying that they knew it was going to be that risque, but really when you hype something as the most shocking thing ever. You have to own your own actions. Especially as Adam is a really new performer. They knew this was his first big thing on his own after Idol, they had a press conference a day about it (or it seemed like it) I think the onus was on ABC to make everyone aware that the most shocking thing ever can not include that. And maybe they did, and maybe that's why they're so mad.. who knows?
Basically I think what happened is that Adam did a dress rehearsal of his number, and the people who approve such things for the network, approved. Obviously, they must have approved the number. Then, in performance, he changed it. He's admitted he did. Included things that hadn't been agreed to. That's called misrepresenting yourself, or lying. You tell people you're going to do one thing, and they trust you, and then you do another thing, and they feel like you weren't honest with them. If he did that, they have a right to feel they can't trust him. They also have a right to slap him down, since they're the boss and he's not. They're hiring him and paying him, and if he screws with them, well, what do you suppose they would do?
So I think he's the one who has to own his actions.
It's true, the network was hyping something wild, and then when it was wild, and they got complaints, they suddenly acted innocent. That seems hypocritical. Maybe it is. I guess I still think he did something you shouldn't do. On live TV he went off script and rather than following the rules he did whatever he wanted to do. So I think the network has had to assert itself. They can't let some upstart kid screw with them. I don't expect you to agree with that! No problem if you don't! That's what makes life interesting.
He also very skillfully averts getting mobbed by fans.