On a recent episode of American Idol, 19-year-old Benjamin Glaze auditioned, and faced the most dreaded, nerve-wracking moment. No, not the singing part. The painfully awkward small talk with the three judges. After mentioning that he had never kissed a girl before, judge Katy Perry invited him to come over to the desk and plant a kiss on her cheek. When the aspiring singer went for it, she turned her head at the last minute, tricking him into kissing her on the lips. Stunned, Benjamin stumbled backwards, and a good laugh was had by all.
However, in an interview with the New York Times, Benjamin said he wasn't happy about that kiss, because it happened without his consent. "I was a tad bit uncomfortable," said Benjamin. "I wanted to save it for my first relationship... Would I have done it if she said, 'Would you kiss me?' No, I would have said no. 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." (Personally, I think getting getting your first kiss on national TV with Katy Perry is pretty special, but to each his own.)
Benjamin's interview was widely reported, with many "He kissed a girl and didn't like it" jokes. Now he has responded to the media coverage on Instagram, saying he wants to clear a few things up. Having never been kissed before, he was truly uncomfortable with the kiss. However, he is not complaining about it and he does not think Katy Perry was sexually harassing him. All in all, he had a good experience on the show.
"I would like to clear a few things up for anyone who is confused, concerned, or angry....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... 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! Please take into consideration that I don’t believe my views have been appropriately communicated through the media!"
Now that those views have been appropriately communicated, he can hit the studio and record his new single: "I Kissed A Girl, And I Didn't Like It Because It Was Unexpected And I Felt Uncomfortable But I Am Not Complaining About IT And I Was Not Sexually Harassed." It's really catchy.
