I am a died-in-the-wool old fuddy-duddy, and i don't get all the fuss over Miley Cyrus.

[hedgehog]

Did she make any movements that haven't been seen a dozen times before from other stars? The bikini she wore was considerably more modest than some I've seen.

Her hair style was unflattering, and the teddy bear motif a bit creepy, but all in all, what I've seen has been the norm for the music industry for years and years.

[Xipe Totec]

1. She commited the ultimate sin

She bored me.

[trof]

2. Yeah, 'pretend' doggy style f*cking on live TV is SO last year.

[Hayabusa]

3. I just think that she's trying a bit too hard

to get away from the Hannah Montana imagery.

[blogslut]

4. Madonna knew she was/is a weak singer

That's why she added all the libidinous gyrations and backup dancers. Fortunately, she's always had decent taste when it comes to choosing songs.

As for Ms. Cyrus' performance last night, I watched the video this morning, having never heard or seen her perform before. I'm pretty sure she was doing what Madonna does: Compensating for inferior material and talent. I think her singing voice is adequate but she's not a very good dancer and that song is just bloody awful. She added libidinous gyrations, a suggestive outfit and backup dancers in wacky costumes. She got people talking and I'm pretty sure that was the objective.

Production values and sexuality have trumped talent since forever and let's not forget Elvis' wayward leg or Mick Jagger's skintight pants.

[Warpy]

5. It's mostly parental slut shaming, I think

She gained fame starring in a kiddie show and I guess they want her to stay a kiddie forever.

Heaven forbid she do something sexual!

ETA: I just visited a usually sane site and I was right, it's mostly people who watched with their kids who are raining shit down on her.

Uh, folks, some things are kid safe but adult pop extravaganzas aren't in that category and child stars do grow up. Yes, your kids wanted another look at Hannah Montana, but honestly, that train left the station a few years ago. You really should have put the kiddies in another room with Disney DVDs.

[HappyMe]

6. I think you are right.

People want her to stay 12 forever.

Not gonna happen. Girls become women..get over it. She's an artist, let her do her thing.

[HappyMe]

28. Kiddie attire?

WTF are you talking about?
Dear?

[HappyMe]

39. That's your take.

You want to see it that way, then go ahead. She can do whatever the hell she wants. Why the fuck does everyone have to worry about 'oh no! what will the mommies think?!!1'.

Why would you take away her right to do what she wants. It's her choice. Is it not?

It isn't all about the damn kids. It isn't all about the pc.

[HappyMe]

44. Okay.

For one thing, little kids shouldn't be watching. For another thing, if you want to think it was 'sexualing' kids, that's on you. There's a whole bunch of people out there that are 'furries'. They aren't kids. Get out more.

[HardTimes99]

25. She's an 'artist'? I consider my tastes fairly eclectic and wide-ranging, but I'm

not sure I'd want to dignify what she does with the label of 'art'. Maybe I'm becoming the old fuddy-duddy I always accused my parents (who actually liked the Beatles) of being.

[HappyMe]

29. Hey, she's what passes for 'artist' today.

What do you want from me? The age of the Beatles is long gone.

[HardTimes99]

32. My tastes among young female singers run more towards Avril Lavigne and Adele and each is

probably considered passe now anyway.

Give me my Billie Holliday and Ella Fitzgerald singing Cole Porter and I'm good to go. (Well, I can always enjoy a little Carole King, Joni Mitchell and Sade also.

[HappyMe]

37. Avril is long over.

Adele ...meh. Bellowing and braying as far as I'm concerned.

I have always liked Melissa Etheridge, Stevie Nicks, Amy Winehouse, and Ella. I love Carole King. Some of the folk singers are just too damn whiney for me. I like a woman's voice.

[LostOne4Ever]

7. Bingo!

We have a winner!

[joe_sixpack]

8. Not sure I'd call it sexual

About as sexual as the stuff horny old men use to pay a quarter to see before the invention of the web.

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

16. The problem there is two fold....

People want her to stay a Disney star forever which is idiotic, and she's desperate to break that mold by doing things that really just come off looking kinda pathetic.

If she was going for some sort of absurdest comedy, then maybe it worked, but I guess she wasn't.

[Warpy]

21. Oh, I think she finally succeeded

in killing off any vestige of Hannah Montana. She's also let parents know that they shouldn't be watching adult fare with the kiddies because a former child star is going to make an appearance.

They do grow up, you know.

[JVS]

24. Every child star worth their salt knows that they're supposed to vanish from public view and never..

be heard from again until they're found dead in a fleabag motel.

http://www.amazon.com/Former-Child-Star-Americas-Wanted/dp/155022428X

[Bluenorthwest]

50. Tell it to Jodi Foster or Peter Billingsly or Ron freaking Howard or Anna Paquin or

Jason Bateman or Natalie Portman or Drew Barrymore or....well I think you get the idea.

[whathehell]

58. Yeah, and the funny thing is

I don't remember ANY of them publicly simulating doggy style sex to announce their adulthood.

[comrade snarky]

66. You havent seen True Blood then.

Anna Paquin's been doing a lot more than twerking in unfortunate shorts.

[whathehell]

69. I don't need to, because Anna Paquin is 31 years old

hardly, thereby, just "announcing" her adulthood.

[comrade snarky]

70. Wasnt this about publically simulating sex?

And how that's a bad thing for former child stars? Or is this OK but the "forbidden dance" is not?

Linked to protect the delicate.

Though how anyone could be offended by a naked Alexander Skarsgard is beyond me.



*edited to add, it's a slightly NSFW Rolling Stone cover so... relax.

[whathehell]

73. Um, no.

Last edited Tue Aug 27, 2013, 09:28 AM - Edit history (1)

It was a response to one of BlueNorthwest's about child star's disappearing,

and that was in a larger context of kid stars trying to break with their early image,

Hint: Before telling people to relax, you might try actually reading their post.

[trumad]

74. uhh.. I watch True Blood

And that is an untrue statement.

Does she have sex scenes? Yes...in HBO .... but she aint twerking.

[comrade snarky]

92. So it's just the dance that's forbidden?

[richmwill]

36. Not just teens- Some people expect all others to retain their original characters forever...

Anyone ever check out Bob Sagets stand-up act? He's told stories of audience members getting pissed at him because they thought they were bringing their kiddies to see good ol' Danny Tanner crack some jokes, and instead got a rude awakening. So, I agree with your point, but it happens to all "family entertainment" actors and actresses.

[Sissyk]

48. I agree with you.

And it's MTV! What did everyone expect? Is this the first year they've ever watched these awards??

[icymist]

78. Something sexual?! That costume was simply awful!

I cringed in embarrassment for her!

[stevenleser]

86. +1 I'm waiting until a guy is slut-shamed before I criticize a woman again for being to risque'.

I think I will be waiting for a while.

[kysrsoze]

9. I just think it's completely lame and pathetic attention whoring

And it's utterly predictable and not sexy at all. It's just stupid. She's the next Britney Spears. Maybe she'll look sexier when she shaves her head and ends up committed after realizing how vacuous she's become.

I like it when women are confident enough not to have to resort to lascivious behavior to get notice. Florence, Toni Halliday, Sheyl Crow, Siouxsie and Santigold and many others didn't have to make fools of themselves to get noticed.

[WorseBeforeBetter]

41. Predictable, not sexy and stupid... yep.

And I don't have kids and couldn't care less re: her past life as Hannah what's-her-name. I dislike all that pop shit -- Britney, Gaga, Miley, Beyoncé, Rihanna, etc.

Siouxsie!

Kate Bush, Mary Travers, Cass Elliot, Emmylou Harris, Joan Baez, Etta James, Tammi Terrell, Hope Sandoval, Neko Case, Ann Wilson, Sarah McLachlan, Natalie Merchant... success without humping the stage.

[opiate69]

61. So, Siouxsie never did anything outragous or "lascivious"??

[Raine]

71. Totally agree. nt

[whathehell]

75. I agree completely.

and I would advise you to ignore the self-consciously unfazed crowd here

currently trying to out do each other in the "Cooler Than Thou" Stakes of Affected Indifference.

[Puzzledtraveller]

87. ^^this^^

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

10. She looks like a 14 year old girl trying to be "sexy"

You either are or you aren't and she's not. And she doesn't have the modern day vocal or pop song writing talent to be Mariah Carey or Taylor Swift.

[Egnever]

14. I like the song

Not sure she sings it after that debacle.

I agree she is pretending to be sexy without being sexy.

It was like a parody of sexy combined with horrible singing from everyone involved. Up until I* saw this performance I actually believed she might be a decent singer despite me not really liking many of her songs, after seeing that mess it is clear she has very little real talent and is purely a construct.

I think she is likely aware of that herself and is why she is trying so hard to remain relevant.

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

17. My feeling is she's mostly auto tuned

If she wanted to break a mold, she could come out with an acoustic guitar and sing a ballad and blow everyone away....but again that talent thing gets in the way.

But I admit, "Party in the USA" was a catchy song.

[joe_sixpack]

27. You're exactly right

Coming out and singing with only a guitar would be more shocking and unexpected compared to the ho hum route she chose.

[brooklynite]

11. It's not what she did....it's what she USED to do.

Miley Cyrus started out as a Disney "cute kid", so the transition is jarring. Imagine Annette Funicello going on to be a go go dancer and you'd get the same reaction.

[leftstreet]

15. Eeeeew gross

I haven't seen any of the videos

So you're saying it wasn't just the sexualizing of her act, but she did it attempting to look like a little girl?

Eeeew!

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

22. Whoa. She didn't smash up her hotel room....

....or rip off a jewelry store. She's not Amanda Bynes or even Britney Spears circa 2005.

She just kinda crapped all over her career, that's all.

[HappyMe]

47. Oh FFS!

Watch the damn DISNEY channel or fucking ABC Family all the time then.

Who the hell are you to assume she is going to be a crack head or drug addict in any way? You don't know shit about her personal life. Should people spread shit about your personal life? Even though nobody doesn't know anything about it? STFU.

[hedgehog]

23. I guess I don't see much difference between that and other

acts -

For example - I was't really offended by Janet Jackson's accidental (?) nipple slip, but the rough treatment she was receiving from the Justin Timberlake character was very nasty, IMO.

[leftyladyfrommo]

18. I felt like it was not so shocking but it was very inappropriate

for the venue. There were families and children there.

Would have been pretty mild in a strip club.

Like I said previously. the over the top sexual stuff has just been done to death. If she wants to really be counted as an artist she needs to find something that is a lot more creative.

[LittleBlue]

20. It's because she was Hannah Montana

and now she's sexualizing herself. She's shaved her head and has tattoos all over her body, dances around the stage provocatively and molests a guy twice her age.

The transition is shocking people, I guess.

[WorseBeforeBetter]

43. I'm not shocked, I'm just sick of the trashiness...

and yet another mediocre talent being propped up by Corporate America.

[liberal N proud]

26. What I saw just looked trashy.

[Egalitarian Thug]

30. My personal disgust stems from the fact that she's nearly devoid of talent and takes up a spot

because her daddy's famous.

[Neoma]

64. I thought the voice was Dolly Parton in this first video.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1018&pid=465322

[HockeyMom]

31. How soon people forget

Madonna. Like a Prayer????

[HappyMe]

42. Exactly.

I can't believe people are losing their damn minds about this.

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

59. Madonna has been shocking since day one, because when she does it, it works.

And dare I say, people WILL remember Like A Prayer a lot longer than this performance.

[hatrack]

62. Or "Justify My Love"? To quote John Goodman, "Whoa, look at the UNIT on that guy!"

Makes you long for the days when 2 Live Crew was going to destroy Western Civilization.

[whathehell]

63. I haven't forgotten...I thought she was trashy too.

Still do, although she's probably turned it down a bit, dunno.

I never followed her because because I never liked her.

[Bobbie Jo]

85. Madonna can pull it off

Last edited Wed Aug 28, 2013, 12:29 AM - Edit history (1)

Miley....not so much. She looked awkward, like she was trying too hard. This isn't her thing, IMO.....

[bravenak]

33. She just ended up embarrassing her dad. That was probably her intention.

Maybe I'm just twerkalicious but she should hit me up for some dance moves. It was like a kid trying to be sexy and I just wanted her to stahp! Like a stripper giving her first lapdance. Awkward.

[KharmaTrain]

40. The PR Axiom...

...say good, say bad, just say. This was a stunt to get attention...mission accomplished. I don't watch the VMAs but knew that there'd be someone who'd say or do something outlandish that would splash all over the cables and tabloids. In this case Ms. Cyrus is trying to stay relevant in a world that moves past yesterday in a hurry. Unfortunately these kind of stunts rarely have long term results...I'm sure Ms. Cyrus will now get a Playboy photo shoot and a reality show and then fade off into oblivion (with a bunch of DUIs and detox along the way). I've seen this movie before...

[Bluenorthwest]

51. Yeah that's really dated and untrue these days. What a performance at that moment could have been?

Michael Jackson at the Grammys 1988. So great they are still talking about it. If her mission was accomplished, it was a tawdry and overly small mission. A person with the spot she got could make showbiz history.

[KharmaTrain]

57. That Assumes She Has Talent...

...which apparently she doesn't. The song she was in wasn't even her song...she was just a prop...and a poorly used one at that. She's destined to be another one of those celebrity personalities that are only famous for being outlandish...not for talent. Those who were tuned in for talent saw other performances, such as Bruno Mars, but this was a PR stunt that accomplished one thing...to get attention. Unfortunately good talent is buried behind visuals and theatrics these days...

[Bluenorthwest]

60. No, I'm just knocking your view that all publicity is good and that her goal was just attention and

that's the whole thing and 'accomplished'. My point is that it was a wasted moment, not a 'mission accomplished'. Anyone whose goal is just to get attention has a very easy job set for themselves. And I don't buy for a moment that that's what she wanted just attention. For her, attention is surfeit stuff, hers without effort.
She and her collaborators of whom there are many and who are more experienced people, failed to do with the piece what they could have done. So today lots of talk, not much sales and not much in the way of new thinking about her by other creative entities.
I like Bruno Mars. Did not see this show however.

[KharmaTrain]

68. I Agree On The Wasted Moment...

...I cited a PR "chestnut" that I do feel can be applied here as her antics were purely to generate "buzz"...something she's lacked as she's grown out of the cute "Disney girl" mold. Time will tell if this stunt pays off...or how if she'll join the long list of young stars who are exploited for all they can get at the expense of a person's dignity. Hollywood has a long and sad list of child stars who are used by parents, agents and others and then when their value is gone they are dumped...wrecked on drugs or alcohol and becoming a public freak show. I'm hoping this isn't Ms. Cyrus' fate...that she's strong enough in her own self to avoid being exploited any further.

The VMAs have become a magnet for the outlandish...so much so that good performances are all but ignored....

[justiceischeap]

45. For me, it was the simulated rimming that was a bit much for me

There aren't many singers I appreciate these days (Adele is an acception) and I have to wonder if she'll look back on this moment in her career and wish she could have a do-over.

[William769]

46. It's Faux outrage.

Certain people are upset because she helps break the mold on stereotypes & some people just have a stick up their ass!

[SaveAmerica]

49. File it under "People need to know actors have lives outside their character"

I said the same thing to my husband, I didn't see the big deal and we watched with our kid who grew up with 90's Disney Channel and Miley Cyrus. Some people said their childhoods were ruined when they heard that Raven Symone came out a month or so ago. I think people are just so egotistical; I want Miley Cyrus, Raven Symone, whoever to act in a way that suits me.

[Throd]

52. Meth-addled hooker is not a role model I want for my daughters.

[Vashta Nerada]

53. It was all fauxrage.

Nothing more.

[Marr]

55. "It’s not 'fuck me', it’s 'fuck you."

http://themidtwentyjoys.wordpress.com/2010/12/15/third-post/

lol.

But whatever-- shows like that are all about a bunch of plastic attention-clowns trying to out-outrageous each other. I couldn't care less.

[The Straight Story]

56. Probably because it sucked and people expected better

Some of her videos are really well done.

In this case: Her hair sucked, her outfit sucked, her singing sucked, everything about that number was a train wreck.

Still like her, check out her tweets and such time to time (although this one was a bit weird: Having a moment with Boo ❤ http://instagram.com/p/dc7AieQzFC/# )

She seemed liked a talentless hack. I liked Lady Gaga's performance better and I don't even like her music all that much (I don't go out of my way to listen to it).

Glad she had fun. I think she is trying to find her way and is having a blast doing it but she didn't exhibit any real talent last night.

Just another old dude's opinion.

PS--- Music VIDEO awards. Where were the videos?

[Zen Democrat]

65. Too each his own, but I saw her tongue hanging out of her mouth about 25 times too many.

The whole thing seemed a touch desperate to me. Trainwrecks have always had a gawk factor and this is no different. To me it's the last refuge of the fame needy, wrecking the train, that is.

[Texasgal]

67. It's annoying to me..

Michael Jackson grabs his crotch.. Red Hot Chili Peppers go on with only socks covering their penis's and Miley gets shamed to hell.

UGH.

[hedgehog]

76. Exactly!

[snooper2]

84. I guess you forgot who Tipper Gore was

[steve2470]

72. I found her a source of endless amusement yesterday

Yes, I admit, the simulated doggie style sex raised my eyebrows a bit but I fully expect live sex shows eventually on those programs or something close to it. They're all consenting adults and we can turn the channel.

Any parent that thought for one nanosecond that that show would be "family friendly" was out of their fucking mind. Pop music has not been family friendly for at least 45 years, or if you're really a fundamentalist Christian, since 1956 when Elvis shook his hips on camera.

I laughed my ass off.

[Boom Sound 416]

77. It's not about you, it's about 13 year old girls

That are the target

[Avalux]

82. The target of what?

If parents allowed their 13 year old girls to watch expecting a wholesome performance, they're idiots. Parents need to parent, and talk to their kids. Plenty of other stuff to worry about than this.

[Boom Sound 416]

83. Demographic target

We're parents stupid for letting them watch Janet Jackson perform the Super Bowl halftime show.

Do parents get a run down and script of vma's before they broadcast

Is it unreasonable to let a 13 year old who grew up watching Hannah Montana watch Cyrus perform during prime time, not 2am.

[AnotherMcIntosh]

79. You're an "old fuddy-duddy" but who know who Miley Cyrus is?

Who is she? And why should any of us care?

She is certainly no Margaret Whiting.

[Avalux]

80. People feel betrayed. She is, after all, Hannah Montana!

That's where the outrage is coming from; not necessarily what she did or how she looked onstage. I've been around long enough to have seen Madonna humping the stage in a wedding dress singing Like A Virgin. So nope, Miley didn't do anything new.

What she did however, was shatter the perception of how she is SUPPOSED to act and look. Parents are outraged they weren't warned so they could have prevented their daughters from viewing such a sexually charged performance. How dare MTV do that to them! Thousands of emails to MTV said as much.

I agree with you that this is much ado about nothing, but people do tend to get personally invested in celebrities.

I tend to think Miley has to go extreme so she can free herself from Hannah and public expectations that could very well haunt her forever. If that's what she's doing, good for her.

[joe_sixpack]

89. I don't think that is where all the outrage is coming from

This is about corporate powers that controlled her at Disney and control her now. They are the one's telling her that now that they've scammed millions off of little kids, this is what she needs to do to break away from "Hannah Montana" and attempt to appeal to an "older" audience. It's a formula they've followed before, it's not as if she thought of it on her own. It's also an insult of the intelligence of whatever audience they're after; but who knows, maybe 18 - 25 year old males won't mind much.

As a male, I admit to having enjoyed a strip club now and then. While this performance might have warranted a dollar bill slipped into a stretch of elastic somewhere, I don't see how it shows she's worth a future investment of time or money beyond that. As a publicity stunt, it was very effective. People will talk about you for good things or bad things you've done. My guess is that these days, it doesn't matter as long as they're talking.

[Islandurp]

81. She tried to twerk with no butt

and it angered everybody.

[PasadenaTrudy]

88. This...

http://feministing.com/2013/08/27/a-not-so-tiny-criticism-of-mileys-huge-cultural-appropriation-problem/

[Glitterati]

90. WITH a simple solution, no less

Don't like what is on your TV? Find it offensive? Just find it tasteless?

No biggie. Easy solution. Here are the steps:

1. Find the remote control for your television

2. CHANGE. THE. CHANNEL.

[ChazII]

93. I am like you.

I am also a fuddy-duddy who does not understand the fuss. Now I will read all the responses to you question and perhaps I will learn something. Through my college years and raising my son (now 28) I was told I was too narrow minded when it came to some of the videos or movies. When I saw this I shrugged my shoulders and thought so what is the fuss.

[hedgehog]

94. It's not something I find attractive at all - but

it fits right in with the rest of popular culture, so what's the big deal?

[NuclearDem]

95. The amount of slut-shaming on this has been (unfortunately) expected.

All under the guise of "won't somebody think of the children?!"