in Celebs

Katy Perry Tricked A Young ‘American Idol’ Contestant Into Kissing Her, And People Are Angry

2.1k Views

In our current cultural climate, people are generally becoming more aware of their body language and physical behavior toward other people at the risk of toeing the sexual harassment line. Well, except for Katy Perry, apparently, who recently shocked some viewers by conning an American Idol contestant into kissing her on the mouth before his performance.

20-year-old Benjamin Glaze, from Oklahoma, auditioned for the show in October, and his episode just aired this week. Before his audition, Glaze admitted to the judges that he’d never kissed anyone. Perry immediately called him over to kiss her on the cheek. When she demanded that he try it a second time, Perry turned her head at the last minute and planted a kiss on Glaze’s lips.

Glaze was so stunned that he literally fell over. Afterward, he perform Nick Jonas’ “Levels” on his acoustic guitar, but the audition was not enough to merit a trip to Hollywood. (Although is it really any wonder his performance was flustered?)

People were somewhat concerned about the interaction and took to Twitter to express their complaints. Many asserted that Katy essentially sexually harassed the young contestant.

Perry, however, seemed blissfully unaware of the criticism, joking about the interaction on her Twitter feed.

Glaze later admitted that the encounter had made him a tad uncomfortable. 

“I know a lot of guys would be like, ‘Heck yeah!’” he told the New York Times. “But for me, I was raised in a conservative family and I was uncomfortable immediately. I wanted my first kiss to be special.”

However, Glaze also acknowledges that the interaction was far from a genuine kiss. “(My friends back home) agreed with me that it didn’t really count,” he added. “It was lip contact versus a romantic situation with someone you care about. That’s what a real first kiss is.”

Glaze eventually backtracked on his comments somewhat and took to Instagram to explain his feelings.

In his caption, Glaze explained that many media outlets had misinterpreted his words:

I would like to clear a few things up for anyone who is confused, concerned, or angry. I am not complaining about the kiss from Katy Perry at all, doing a few news reports and being interviewed by many different reporters has caused some major questions. The way certain articles are worded is not done by me, and my true intentions are not accurately represented in every article you read about the situation. I am not complaining about the kiss, I am very honored and thankful to have been apart of American Idol. The main purpose for the show is to find stars and new music artist. I do wish I would have performed better in the moment. I should have picked another song to sing and calmed myself down regardless of the kiss. I should have been able to perform under pressure. I do not think I was sexually harassed by Katy Perry and I am thankful for the judges comments and critiques. I was uncomfortable in a sense of how I have never been kissed before and was not expecting it. My main goal is to reach people through the universal love of music and not cause strife or anger against anyone or about any situation! 

Auditions for American Idol seem nervewracking enough as it is. Perhaps Perry should, at the very least, leave the kissing for after the performances?