Country singer Miranda Lambert recently made news when she suddenly stopped her residency show in Las Vegas to tell off a fan who was taking a selfie while she was performing. Lambert doesn’t seem to feel bad about making the fan feel bad, even though he has been criticized for it.
The situation happened when Lambert saw a woman taking a picture while she was singing “Tin Man.” Lambert stopped the show and scolded the fan in public for putting taking selfies ahead of listening to the music. “I’m here to perform country music, not be a backdrop for your photos,” she said.
Some fans praised Lambert’s stand, while others said it was embarrassing and pointless. The debate got worse when Lambert stopped her show again to talk to a fan wearing a “Shoot tequila, not selfies” shirt, which made it look like she agreed with the message.
People on social media had different opinions. Some supported Lambert’s attempts to make concerts more immersive. Others said that people should be able to take pictures to remember the event.
Adela Calin, the fan who did what was wrong, has since come forward to share the photos she took and say how shocked she is by Lambert’s public scolding. Calin made it clear that the picture-taking would only last 30 seconds and that they were going to sit down again right away.
Calin said that Lambert’s acts made him feel “appalled” and embarrassed, like getting in trouble with the teacher. She made it clear that she and her friends, who were all older women, were only trying to record a moment and not get in the way of the show.
The event makes us think about the mix between artistic expression and fan participation. Lambert wants to make an engaging experience, but fans also want to keep memories alive. Lambert’s method is still being debated, which leads to more talk about how to behave at concerts and how artists and fans interact.
