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WaPo: Miley Cyrus is a victim of slut-shaming and racial condescension

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T

ToxicAdam

Member
miley-cyrus-vma-2.jpg


Miley Cyrus is America’s worst nightmare. Last night, with her performance at the MTV Video Music Awards, she proved that many people in this country are still pre-occupied with slut-shaming and coded racial condescension in the context of entertainment.

Her performance of “We Can’t Stop,” a catchy and otherwise seemingly harmless pop song, that transitioned to a duet with Robin Thicke’s “Blurred Lines,” is clearly the most talked about moment of the show, but for all the wrong reasons.

Her bawdy performance, that featured Miley and other dancers twerking on stage, drew criticism as lewd, grotesque and shameful. MSNBC's Mika Brzezinski went so far as to say Cyrus “is obviously deeply troubled, deeply disturbed, clearly has confidence issues, probably eating disorder,” on Morning Joe Monday. But what exactly is so disturbing about Miley Cyrus?

It seems that we still can’t handle what it’s like for a young woman to be able to perform, as she chooses, without layering in a heavy helping of insults as well. While Cyrus was condemned for grinding on Thicke, very little criticism has been laid on the singer himself for his role in the performance. The nastiest of the comments have implied that Cyrus is somehow diseased because of her preferred dance methods.

Add to this the fact that some people feel she is appropriating a certain amount of black culture without proper license and you’ve got a cauldron of ignorance and discrimination that even in 2013 is widely regarded as understandable, if not sensible. It is not.

When the white, 20-year-old, former child star and daughter of a country singer goes on stage and does something that the so-called ruling classes deem unseemly, it starts a firestorm. When scores of young women across the globe take the stage to express themselves in exactly the same way at an EDM concert by Diplo, and plaster their exploits all over social networks, no one bats an eye.

By implying that Cyrus is somehow creating a minstrel act of sorts by including black dancers in her act, you are implying that there is something lesser than about such an act. As if it’s completely impossible that she simply enjoys and respects the talents of those she chooses to work with. In short, it is inherently racist to imply that there is anything wrong with anyone other than black women twerking.

So, in 2013 in America, while we celebrate a young man from Seattle for having the courage make a song out of exploring his thoughts on sexuality as a child, and eventually coming to the conclusion that hate is stupid, Miley doesn't get such a luxury. Even though all she's doing is precisely what we’re celebrating everyone else for: being herself.
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http://www.washingtonpost.com/enter...aee436-0e68-11e3-bdf6-e4fc677d94a1_story.html
 
D

DUFFMCWALIN

Member
Am I wrong in thinking that most modern dance is fucking atrocious and just a front for sex, or is that how its always been?
 
Zoe

Zoe

Member
By implying that Cyrus is somehow creating a minstrel act of sorts by including black dancers in her act, you are implying that there is something lesser than about such an act. As if it’s completely impossible that she simply enjoys and respects the talents of those she chooses to work with. In short, it is inherently racist to imply that there is anything wrong with anyone other than black women twerking.
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What if you think twerking is horrible no matter who does it?
 
M

mernst23

Member
I don't anyone gives a shit about her twerking as much as they do about the fact that her hair, wardrobe, and singing ability are all garbage.
 
M

Mesoian

Member
DUFFMCWALIN said:
Am I wrong in thinking that most modern dance is fucking atrocious and just a front for sex, or is that how its always been?
Click to expand...

How it's always been.

I find it funny how people are asking why Robin Thicke isn't getting any flak when he looked seriously confused and disoriented while and after it happened. It was a reaction I didn't expect; I thought he would follow her lead and just lay into it.

Watched the show with a few girls last night though. They were non stop after Miley when she stripped down. So maybe the article is right. It may not matter because Miley is still going to have a blossoming career for years to come as long as she stays off the dope wagon, but hey, whatever exposes our cultural insecurities en masse right?
 
T

TacticalFox88

Banned
If Miley had an ass AND could twerk, she would've been fine outside of a vocal minority.

Her not so classy look, plus no ass, AND no skills?

Yeah, three strikes.
 
C

Conciliator

Banned
DUFFMCWALIN said:
Am I wrong in thinking that most modern dance is fucking atrocious and just a front for sex, or is that how its always been?
Click to expand...

The history of modern dance is kind of a story of increasingly explicit symbolism for sex.

EDIT: Anyway she's gettin it I ain't gonna hate on her.
 
U

User 100115

Banned
I do think the article has a point in that Thicke isn't getting anywhere near the flack that Cyrus is getting.

But that's about the extent of my commentary on this 'scandal', as I neither listen to the music in question nor watch the VMAs.

ZNAZQ.gif
 
J

jmdajr

Member
I got no problem with pop stars being sexy or provocative...

But that performance had none of that. It was just freaking weird...and well...kind of gross.

If the whole point was being weird then...congrats.
 
K

Karkador

Banned
The only terrible and noteworthy thing about that whole performance was the really really weird teddy bear theme to it. The rest was pretty typical pop music stuff that no one should be too surprised about.


DUFFMCWALIN said:
Am I wrong in thinking that most modern dance is fucking atrocious and just a front for sex, or is that how its always been?
Click to expand...

How far back are you talking about when you say "modern"? And who's culture?
 
G

GK86

Homeland Security Fail
She tries way, way to hard to be edgy. That or her ass looking like a sad Blob fish were my problems.
 
E

Escape Goat

Member
Like Britney before her, she just embarassed herself. The comments by some of the people in the OP are ridiculous but I think for most people she just doesn't know how to be provocative without it coming off as desperate or sloppy.
 
P

peanutbutterlatte

Member
I applaud her that she can cause so much indignation and sensation by shaking her ass provocatively a little. Those calling her pathetic are just so, really.
 
Duane Cunningham

Duane Cunningham

Member
Hey remember when MTV had a show all through the 90's where people danced in a way that looked like they were having sex, just like this? It was literally called "MTV The Grind". That was 20 years ago. Why is this a big deal?
 
O

Omegasquash

Member
I don't watch MTV as a general practice, but my understanding is that she dressed terribly and acted the fool on stage. I'm not interested in how she looks and not in the LEAST interested in what she does, but the chicken comparisons were funny because internet.

Who gives a shit if she came out of her child stardom ready to show off and do what she wants? It's about whether people like the performance. Apparently most didn't.
 
D

Divvy

Canadians burned my passport
Robin Thicke sucks just as much as she does and one of the reasons he's not getting flack is because no one knows who he is aside from being the guy from that one hit wonder song.
 
B

Broder Salsa

Banned
I don't mind the grotesque bordering to the gross, but after those photos of her butt... It was just too much, we have to save the children as ourselves.
 
M

MIMIC

Banned
While Cyrus was condemned for grinding on Thicke, very little criticism has been laid on the singer himself for his role in the performance. The nastiest of the comments have implied that Cyrus is somehow diseased because of her preferred dance methods.
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Probably because she was bent over and grinding long before he even came out.
 
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