LOS ANGELES -- A sexually suggestive performance by 2009 "American Idol" runner-up and San Diego native Adam Lambert on the American Music Awards that included groping and walking a man and a woman on leashes was called tasteless and vulgar Monday by the Parents Television Council.

Lambert "chose to treat American families to simulated oral sex and other demeaning behavior," Tim Winter, president of the group that bills itself as advocates for responsible entertainment.

"ABC and Dick Clark Productions had every reason to know what to expect, as Lambert himself proclaimed that his performance would be 'very sexy' and would include leather and chains. But the producers and the network chose to bury their heads in the sand."

ABC declined to comment.

Lambert told CNN following Sunday's performance at the Nokia Theatre "there's a bit of a double-standard" in television and radio.

"I feel like women performers have been pushing the envelope sexually for the past 20 years," Lambert said. "All of a sudden, a male does it and everybody goes, 'Oh we can't show that on TV.' To me, that's a form of discrimination and it's a double standard. That's too bad."

Lambert said that during a live performance "sometimes things just happen."

"Adrenalin is a crazy, crazy, crazy feeling," Lambert said. "It's one of the things I love most about performing when you are up there and all of a sudden you just have this rush that comes over you."

The performance, which came a day before the release of Lambert's album "For Your Entertainment," was shown live in the Eastern and Central time zones. It was edited when the American Music Awards were showed on a delayed basis in the Pacific and Mountain time zones.

Winter said the group is asking its members who live in the Central time zone to complain to the Federal Communications Commission because the performance aired before 10 p.m., when looser standards go into effect, Winter said.

The group also plans to contact the show's advertisers, Winter said.

"Advertisers spend billions of dollars on television every year to influence viewer behavior," Winter said. "Their behavior influence does not cease when the commercial break is over. Every advertiser will be held accountable for underwriting the AMA program's content, including the simulated oral sex scene."