Tuesday 8 October 2013

Miley Cyrus – porn, feminism and freedom, or just vulgar?

I must weigh in on this one! As a woman who was both a stay-at-home mother, and a working mother, and a single parent, – I earned the right. I was a teen in those heady days of the 70s, when I fought the glass ceiling, wore stupid mini-skirts that limited my activities, struggled with prevailing paternalistic bosses in the workplace, and sexism the public.

Feminists didn't fight for equality and choice, only to be assaulted by porn on prime time TV! The music award performance was ridiculous. With all the creative choreographers in the US, she couldn't find something more artistic? I don't care what she does on her videos, I refuse to watch them, but it sets back the Women's Movement 45 years. Well, I DO care, as young girls are using her as a role model. If this is how a young woman (age 20) attracts men or fans, especially doing a vertical lap dance (AKA twerking) in front of the much-older (married) Robin Thicke (age 36), in front of a roaring crowd, then society really should rethink its values.

Feminism didn't give us permission to celebrate our bodies and ourselves by having virtual sex on TV and in videos. No one is hurt by having limits, rules, morals, and morays. This was over the top.

It is interesting that the older musicians, Annie Lennox and Sinead O'Connor, are speaking out against her choreography. These are both women who have fought to earn a living in those days when women didn't earn the big bucks in the music business.

Now, Sinead O'Connor made some fantastic videos, she also made some mistakes in terms or PR in those days. What I find amazing is that she is trying to share her point of view, as a sister in the business. What surprised me, seeing some of the images in the news (I have not watched Cyrus' video), as that O'Connor just may have a case for plagiarism. You'll notice, in the article, the same shots in either lady's video!

The impact on young woman and society as a whole? Huge. Now, we have young women acting as pimps. Oops, allegedly. This desensitizes young kids to what is acceptable and normal.

Read about the trial where young teen girls are pimping out other teen girls.
The Globe and Mail
  1. Toronto Sun ‎- 4 hours ago
    Miley Cyrus has attempted to end her war of words with Sinead O'Connor by offering the Irish singer high praise days after she poked fun at her ...

  1. Entertainmentwise ‎- 2 hours ago
    Annie Lennox is the latest big name in music to hit out at risque pop videos with the singer blasting modern videos as "pornographic".

6 comments:

Megan said...

I thought the whole thing was just kind of embarrassing. Not particularly sexy: I've seen LOTS of sexy dancing on television. Not particularly unusual: I've seen that dance move on television too many times to count (I don't consider it sexy). Not particularly shocking: it's almost a rite of passage now for child stars to do something stupid when they get to about the same age.

It wasn't that she twerked, it was that she twerked so badly. It was awkward and stupid, and I felt sorry for her. She's growing up in public and all of her dumb choices are on television. Most of us get to make our mistakes in private.

Olga said...

I think that Miley made a seriously bad choice--has made a few, actually. From what little I have seen of her latest performance, I would say it was vulgar and shockingly sad. I hope she takes the advise of those older and much, much wiser in the future.

Hilary said...

Of course, I'm not a teenaged boy.. her targeted (has to be) demographic, but I think the girl is proving without doubt that she's still very much a child in many ways.

She wants to shock, taunt, roll her eyes though life right now. She'll mature eventually, hopefully but right now, she's still transitioning.. poorly.

Yogi♪♪♪ said...

Luckily I missed the original performance but did see a few seconds of youtube video.

I think she made a spectacle out of herself. Hopefully she will grow up.

EG CameraGirl said...

Sadly, I think Miley is struggling with who she is. I hope she finds herself.

hombredelatierra said...

It's too bad. It seems to be part of the general climate of reaction. The word "liberation" seems to have been, effectively, redefined to mean "licence". The old patriarchal power relations are re-established under progressive labels.

One exploits people who are twisted enough to see their as freedom :-0 But isn't this just a reflection of what is happening in the economic sphere: deregulation in the name of "trickle down economics" which will make everyone rich(AKA The Golden Shower)? But HAS it enriched the middle and working classes in N. America???

The same mechanism seems to work in the environmental sphere: buying greenwash products suffices to "save the earth". Much disconnect from reality on all these fronts :-C

What can we do?