Miley Cyrus's "Wrecking Ball"

[Me Myself]

Shock has a value in itself. Art many times has to do with shock.

Its all good.

 

[Poeticus]

I'm not giving my opinion on who is respectable and who isn't, my point is whilst people of colour have had to struggle to get into white dominated fields, white people have found it easy to make money off other cultures. And I can see other examples of this sorts of thing, the history of black people being presented as undesirable with big features, and then Angela Jolie comes along and "omg god she has big lips, she's so beautiful" so it's more acceptable when it's on a white person.
It's taken a long history of struggle to come to a point where a woman like beyonce is desirable and a standard of beauty.

To be honest, Beyonce has nothing on Erykah Badu and Jill Scott. Those two, the latter, are real talent. And, I can say with determination that a majority of RFers have not even heard of them before.

Oh, and Erykah Badu is a much better looking beauty than Beyonce, IMHO

 

[DallasApple]

I think this was part of the reason why Rahkel made her thread that was spun off this. I'm still trying to get where there are white artists who are not "taking" bits of black culture and making money off it, thereby exploiting black culture that might be considered sacrosanct.

Right ...like Elvis was he "taking" parts from blacks like exploiting their "thing" just trying to make money...what about Jerry Lee Louis...I don't think so ...I think they naturally gravitated towards those sounds and had just as much natural inclination and talent as any black person.

Their is sheer talent/natural talent involved its not just like 'copying' black people. Eminem in one example too.He has sheer talent one of the best rappers (IMHO) of all time.Its "in him".

 

[MysticSang'ha]

I'm not giving my opinion on who is respectable and who isn't, my point is whilst people of colour have had to struggle to get into white dominated fields, white people have found it easy to make money off other cultures. And I can see other examples of this sorts of thing, the history of black people being presented as undesirable with big features, and then Angela Jolie comes along and "omg god she has big lips, she's so beautiful" so it's more acceptable when it's on a white person.

Okay. I see your point. You're focusing on the struggles of people of color in the industry. That I don't disagree with, and I would like to see that changed too.

Not everybody finds Angelina Jolie to be attractive, though. I do, but some here on RF think she's butt-ugly. They think she looks like Steve Buscemi. Go figure.

It's taken a long history of struggle to come to a point where a woman like beyonce is desirable and a standard of beauty.

I want to go even further. Where women like Mary J. Blige and India.Arie and Erykah Badu are superstars and a standard of beauty right alongside Beyonce.

Speaking of Mary J. Blige, I can't say how many times I wish I could BE her. Talent and class and style and dazzling beauty.....dang.

 

[DallasApple]

Even though I will say LOL>>>>I don't think Miley has it 'in her".The girl cant really twerk very well...

 

[DallasApple]

Not everybody finds Angelina Jolie to be attractive, though. I do, but some here on RF think she's butt-ugly.

My husband says "she's weird looking"...

 

[MysticSang'ha]

Even though I will say LOL>>>>I don't think Miley has it 'in her".The girl cant really twerk very well...

No, she can't. But she's not just twerking. She's getting naked. She's licking stuff. She's got a new hair cut. She's singing about partying and being scorned and growing up and crying on cue. Her last video had jumping in a pool and twerking and laying down on top of slices of bread. And all this after she left Hannah Montana behind.

Y'all remember when she was 15 and she posed half-naked? She was creating controversy back then too. It's been 5 years, now. She's probably sitting here wondering when the public is ready to move on from her Disney days.

Problem is that the public never does. Ron Howard will always be Opie. Justin, Britney, and Christina will always be remembered as starting out on the Mickey Mouse Club. Miley will always be remembered as Hannah Montana.

Give her 10 more years. When she's 30, she'll probably either go the route of Lindsey Lohan being in and out of rehab, or the route of Britney Spears, where her talent is second rate but she markets herself well and continues to release music and videos with the same formula as she's using now, and she'll be a judge someday on the X-Factor getting 20 million dollars for the season.

 

[Draka]

I believe there may be a lot of reasons that people see her different than those others: the main one being that she used to be sort of an idol for young girls and those young girls still want to watch her. Sure Madonna did it, but she didn't start out on some kid's show on the Disney channel. The same can be said about the others or most of the others you listed. .

She is an adult, now, and what she is doing is for adults, not for kids. There should be some kind of warning (well, there has been now).

The thing is that people who have no talent do that sort of things to sell their records. As far as I could tell, Miley does have potential and she doesn't need to deliberately shock people to sell her records and whatever. (I am not a fan, but my daughter used to be).

I think Sharon Osbourne made this point on The Talk, but the fact is, the kids that grew up watching her show were growing up with her, the same basic age as her. They are mostly around her age as well. I think we are dealing with parents mostly that just expect her to remain Hannah frickin Montana forever. You're not seeing a huge backlash from the former kids who use to watch Hannah Montana, you're seeing judgmental parents flippin wigs because, like OMG, Hannah's not a sweet little Disney girl anymore.

 

[MysticSang'ha]

I think Sharon Osbourne made this point on The Talk, but the fact is, the kids that grew up watching her show were growing up with her, the same basic age as her. They are mostly around her age as well. I think we are dealing with parents mostly that just expect her to remain Hannah frickin Montana forever. You're not seeing a huge backlash from the former kids who use to watch Hannah Montana, you're seeing judgmental parents flippin wigs because, like OMG, Hannah's not a sweet little Disney girl anymore.

I think you made a good point.

It's funny. It's like people don't remember the controversy and the criticism Britney Spears created. How she dressed. How she danced. How she sang "I'm a Slave 4 U" while handling a snake at the 2001 VMAs barely dressed. How her jeans were so low on her hips people could see her vagina (I remember that criticism blasted toward her back in the day).

And that she was a Mickey Mouse Club sweetheart who made 30 year old pedo guys sweat bullets with her "Hit Me Baby One More Time" video as she was 15-16 and dressed provocatively as a schoolgirl.

I swear people have short term memories.

 

[DallasApple]

Miley will always be remembered as Hannah Montana.

Well i had "heard" of Hannah Montana years ago I think my niece and her friends were into her.. ...but I swear I had no idea who Miley Cyris was let alone she was "Hannah Montana" Until this VMA thing..So my "critique" so to speak is completely unbiased.And I see her as making a fool out of herself.And Im certainly not "impressed' with her abilities.Having said that I really don't care if she wants to act like an idiot including people laughing at her if that's how she wants to make money.But my "dissapointment" in her so to speak has nothing to do with any emotional attachment that she was once some innocent idol for my little girl.I don't even have a little girl..

And I stopped watching the Mickey Mouse club about 35 years ago LOL>>>>Like with Miley the first I ever heard of Brittany Spears and Christina Agulera was AFTER they were grown and doing their adult thing (hit songs) .Same with Justin Timberlake was after he was an adult and was writing hit songs.

And Im sorry Miley at least for now..has nothing "special" going for her IMHO..Unlike Christina ,Justin or even Brittany..Other than she has catchy name..she seems clownish on top of her lack of talent.(her voice is decent but nothing spectacular IMHO).

 

[Wherenextcolumbus]

Okay. I see your point. You're focusing on the struggles of people of color in the industry. That I don't disagree with, and I would like to see that changed too.

Not everybody finds Angelina Jolie to be attractive, though. I do, but some here on RF think she's butt-ugly. They think she looks like Steve Buscemi. Go figure.

I would be an idiot if I thought everyone finds Angelina Jolie attractive. I think she is attractive myself.
But I remember the whole media buzz about her and her having big lips which was treated as such a huge deal. Me and my sisters were like "wtf? But what about black women?" And one of them said "black features" are more acceptable when they are on white people.
Just saying something I have noticed, and I'm really not the only one.[/QUOTE]

 

[Wherenextcolumbus]

Right ...like Elvis was he "taking" parts from blacks like exploiting their "thing" just trying to make money...what about Jerry Lee Louis...I don't think so ...I think they naturally gravitated towards those sounds and had just as much natural inclination and talent as any black person.

Their is sheer talent/natural talent involved its not just like 'copying' black people. Eminem in one example too.He has sheer talent one of the best rappers (IMHO) of all time.Its "in him".

I wasn't saying elvis and jerry lee Louis were not talented (well ok I think elvis was overrated in my opinion) but that wasn't my point my point is it was easier for them to sell African American inspired music and to a wider audience because they were white, or in elvis' case, white passing.
The same as me saying it was easier for men to ....(fill in the blank) that doesn't mean I'm saying men suck and aren't talented.

 

[Wherenextcolumbus]

To be honest, Beyonce has nothing on Erykah Badu and Jill Scott. Those two, the latter, are real talent. And, I can say with determination that a majority of RFers have not even heard of them before.

Oh, and Erykah Badu is a much better looking beauty than Beyonce, IMHO

Can I add to that list Aaliyah and Cassie

 

[DallasApple]

I think I'm similar to the poster here who is not in the U.S so 'Hannah Montana" isn't "attached" to Miley Cyris because Hannah Montana wasn't "known" so much there.So he is seeing her with a "fresh view" and more like for the "first time".He said she looks "silly' I think ..same thing pretty much I think.Except for I have stronger words and more to add to my opinion .

In fact it makes sense now..had she NOT already had a fan base/following /fame..acting as a child ....she as an adult now would have NO CHANCE in making big money or becoming famous for doing what shes doing now.

 

[MysticSang'ha]

I wasn't saying elvis and jerry lee Louis were not talented (well ok I think elvis was overrated in my opinion) but that wasn't my point my point is it was easier for them to sell African American inspired music and to a wider audience because they were white, or in elvis' case, white passing.
The same as me saying it was easier for men to ....(fill in the blank) that doesn't mean I'm saying men suck and aren't talented.

The parallel, I think, is when men are appreciated a lot more when they take care of kids or do housework. I think it's hilarious when people find out my husband does the laundry and shops for groceries and cleans the bathroom...and people are all like "WOW! That's so cool that he contibutes so much!" Even though I'd been doing stuff like that for ages and don't get so much as even a passing nod from the same people.

 

[DallasApple]

I wasn't saying elvis and jerry lee Louis were not talented (well ok I think elvis was overrated in my opinion) but that wasn't my point my point is it was easier for them to sell African American inspired music and to a wider audience because they were white, or in elvis' case, white passing.
The same as me saying it was easier for men to ....(fill in the blank) that doesn't mean I'm saying men suck and aren't talented.

O.K I can agree to that.I just wouldn't go from there to "discrediting" these artist as somehow "undeserving" of their recognition simply because they were inspired by black artistic culture and its more difficult for black people to hit as wide an audience.I think that's a separate issue.The goal with be how to bridge the gap not restrict what would be considered black originated 'art" to only black people are permitted to sell it.

 

[DallasApple]

The parallel, I think, is when men are appreciated a lot more when they take care of kids or do housework. I think it's hilarious when people find out my husband does the laundry and shops for groceries and cleans the bathroom...and people are all like "WOW! That's so cool that he contibutes so much!" Even though I'd been doing stuff like that for ages and don't get so much as even a passing nod from the same people.

Good one! Like OH MY GOD YOUR HUSBAND IS AWESOME....while your standing there and its just 'expected' cuz ....you're a girl!

 

[Koldo]

The parallel, I think, is when men are appreciated a lot more when they take care of kids or do housework. I think it's hilarious when people find out my husband does the laundry and shops for groceries and cleans the bathroom...and people are all like "WOW! That's so cool that he contibutes so much!" Even though I'd been doing stuff like that for ages and don't get so much as even a passing nod from the same people.

What they are actually thinking is: How did he become her slave? Poor man.


:run:

 

[Koldo]

The parallel, I think, is when men are appreciated a lot more when they take care of kids or do housework. I think it's hilarious when people find out my husband does the laundry and shops for groceries and cleans the bathroom...and people are all like "WOW! That's so cool that he contibutes so much!" Even though I'd been doing stuff like that for ages and don't get so much as even a passing nod from the same people.

On a serious note now: That happens, probably, because people don't tend to get a compliment for doing what they are expected to do.

In our cultures, it is expected that married women will perform these tasks.

 

[MysticSang'ha]

What they are actually thinking is: How did he become her slave? Poor man.


:run:

I'm skillful with my whip. What can I say? :beach: