If you reside in the west and have a penchant for pop
culture, you'll be fully aware of the insane poorformance that went
on at the MTV awards on Sunday. Not Lady Gaga doing her quick
change cabaret routine but former child star, Miley Cyrus. If you've not
yet witnessed the carnage, well you've got Google.
Now I'm no prude. I worked as a dominatrix for ten years and have seen things that'd make your eyelashes curl all by themselves but I found myself agog in front of my computer screen (much like Will Smith's family). I'm not going to do a step by step analysis through the many fails, far superior writers have done so here and here.
Miley has murdered her Hanna Montana persona in a rebellious, highly sexed fashion. Now I adore women who are sexually empowered but the whole things is uninformed, naïve and makes her look a victim of the viscous pop starlet money making machine (that are laughing all the way to the bank, as are MTV what with the heightened media attention) than someone in control of their sexuality. When Madonna pouted and rolled around on a barge in Venice in the 80s, there was a knowing look in her eye and her tongue firmly in her cheek (not hanging out like a gecko).
There are many young people out there who are yet unable to separate Hanna Montana (a character force fed to them through the evil masters of child manipulation, Disney) from Sexpot Cyrus. How are they supposed to view this?
Girls are already force fed by the media that appearance is of utmost importance where you must look like a plastic doll with perfect skin, hair, teeth, tits and vagina to be desirable. Miley's bypassing the inane facade and telling them to shove your lady parts into the misogynist crotch of someone twice your age and 'twerk'. Yeah, that'll get you attention.
I'd hate to come across as a Daily Mail reader but what of the parents that encourage their children into show business? I'm looking at those pushy stage Mums and Dads, living through their children, who hassle them to be a star through kiddy pageants, high endurance disco dance competitions and auditions for endless adverts, TV show and films. Yes there are some kids who love to perform and are destined for a life of showing off, but there have been enough reality shows and documentaries on this subject that show that most of these children just want to have fun and be kids.
Despite the plethora of child stars 'gone bad', it seems we still have yet to learn. Judy Garland, Britney Spears, Macaulay Culkin , Drew Barrymore, Michael Jackson, Lindsay Lohan and now Justin Bieber have all had their falls from grace paraded before us. Growing up is tough as it is, having to work like an adult and do so in the glare of the public eye must be bloody terrifying. There must be a need to maintain the high that comes from mass attention, small wonder so many crack and drive off the cliff so to speak.
Parents who push their kids into this world need to take a look at themselves. Yes their offspring may look cute all dressed up but do you want to have a good relationship with your kids once they've flown the nest or a hot mess? Love them and let them be kids. All kids need and deserve love. Real love, not the fake love and adoration that fame brings.
Lets hope this event stirs up more mainstream discussion about the sexualisation of girls and how they are presented in the name of entertainment. This might just be the tipping point.
In the meantime, Lady Gaga is probably in her vessel, weeping into a baroque hanky made of Dodo skin that someone managed to upstage her so spectacularly.
x
Now I'm no prude. I worked as a dominatrix for ten years and have seen things that'd make your eyelashes curl all by themselves but I found myself agog in front of my computer screen (much like Will Smith's family). I'm not going to do a step by step analysis through the many fails, far superior writers have done so here and here.
Miley has murdered her Hanna Montana persona in a rebellious, highly sexed fashion. Now I adore women who are sexually empowered but the whole things is uninformed, naïve and makes her look a victim of the viscous pop starlet money making machine (that are laughing all the way to the bank, as are MTV what with the heightened media attention) than someone in control of their sexuality. When Madonna pouted and rolled around on a barge in Venice in the 80s, there was a knowing look in her eye and her tongue firmly in her cheek (not hanging out like a gecko).
There are many young people out there who are yet unable to separate Hanna Montana (a character force fed to them through the evil masters of child manipulation, Disney) from Sexpot Cyrus. How are they supposed to view this?
Girls are already force fed by the media that appearance is of utmost importance where you must look like a plastic doll with perfect skin, hair, teeth, tits and vagina to be desirable. Miley's bypassing the inane facade and telling them to shove your lady parts into the misogynist crotch of someone twice your age and 'twerk'. Yeah, that'll get you attention.
I'd hate to come across as a Daily Mail reader but what of the parents that encourage their children into show business? I'm looking at those pushy stage Mums and Dads, living through their children, who hassle them to be a star through kiddy pageants, high endurance disco dance competitions and auditions for endless adverts, TV show and films. Yes there are some kids who love to perform and are destined for a life of showing off, but there have been enough reality shows and documentaries on this subject that show that most of these children just want to have fun and be kids.
Despite the plethora of child stars 'gone bad', it seems we still have yet to learn. Judy Garland, Britney Spears, Macaulay Culkin , Drew Barrymore, Michael Jackson, Lindsay Lohan and now Justin Bieber have all had their falls from grace paraded before us. Growing up is tough as it is, having to work like an adult and do so in the glare of the public eye must be bloody terrifying. There must be a need to maintain the high that comes from mass attention, small wonder so many crack and drive off the cliff so to speak.
Parents who push their kids into this world need to take a look at themselves. Yes their offspring may look cute all dressed up but do you want to have a good relationship with your kids once they've flown the nest or a hot mess? Love them and let them be kids. All kids need and deserve love. Real love, not the fake love and adoration that fame brings.
Lets hope this event stirs up more mainstream discussion about the sexualisation of girls and how they are presented in the name of entertainment. This might just be the tipping point.
In the meantime, Lady Gaga is probably in her vessel, weeping into a baroque hanky made of Dodo skin that someone managed to upstage her so spectacularly.
x
