Sinead O'Connor's wise words to Miley Cyrus

[whatdoesittake48]

Apologies for the DM link...

www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2442321/Sinead-OConnor-writes-open-letter-Miley-Cyrus-response-similar-video.html

A somewhat rambling but heartfelt letter.

You can't say you are influenced by Sinead O'Connor and then promote your sexuality in the way Miley does without it seeming incongruous. A young woman who seems to have her concepts of female power somewhat skewed.

Buffy, I am just as clear on the subject in my own mind...

Yes, women ought to be allowed to dress and behave however they wish, particulalry if they express themselves in a performing art.
But, society I will judge them.

I suppose the added 'frisson' with Miley is her former persona of Hannah Montana, much beloved and squeaky-clean All American girl. The contract is quite... starteling .

Wrt older woman telling younger woman to be in charge of her own destiny: good advice, surely?? I suspect that Sinead has less of an agenda than Miley's record company. Even thought the cynic in my is very interested to hear of her upcoming US tour....

Annie Lennox has joined in now.

www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/music-news/10358956/Annie-Lennox-disturbed-and-dismayed-by-overtly-sexualised-pop-performances.html

I love Annie Lennox

I was just thinking about Annie Lennox when I was reading about SOC and MC on Friday. She's another performer (like SOC) who succeeded due to talent despite being very beautiful.

Oh gawd, I love that woman.
She is so right. Yy to commercialised self-harm.

I watched the Rihanna video last night (after a MN thread about how awful it is) and it just made want to yawn and weep at the same time.

FWIW, I do think a lot of Madonna's stuff was done to shock and titillate (and sell units), but she did have influence on her artistic choices, whether I happened to like them at the time or not.

Tracey Emin's unmade bed and all it means was an artistic choice and expression, not simulated wanking in front of a camera to create shock value (and sell units).

I may have had/still have a bit of a Girl Crush on Annie Lennox

I wish I had her cheekbones...

Sinead O'Connor is speaking about the people behind the scenes in the music business, she knows this very well.

YY to Annie Lennox.

I think the contrast between SO's "nothing compares to you" video and MC's "wrecking ball" couldn't be more startling.

The simplicity of SO's video was what made it so moving, unlike MC's over produced over commercialised over materialistic bullshit.

The only thing they have in common is that they seem to be sung by a woman on the edge. MC is rebelling in a totally conformist way.

In fact just to remind us of the awesomeness that was SO's video when a woman could just sing great music and not take her clothes off.

Here's an interesting take on it- the writer asks why Sinead didn't think to write to the cock-grabbing, shirtless Justin Beiber, who's traded off his sexuality since he was 15.

Fwiw I think MC is cleverer than most are giving her credit for. In a few months time she'll have grown back her hair, stopped wearing latex and will have a complete image overhaul, just in time for her next album. Her response to SOC was awful though- she's needs to learn you can't carry on like that.

I'm guessing the reason that SO didn't write to JB is co he didn't say, like MC did, that she was an idol of his.

But yes, no one seems to accuse the likes of JB and OD of the same manipulative exploitation of their sex appeal. That's because the general mistaken and misogynistic belief is that women are the ones who possess sexual power and men are left drooling in their wake.

Overall I think SO makes valid points, but they were only ever going to provoke an "up yours" reaction from a person with limited range of vocabulary, experience and manners.

Cyrus's actual response is stomach turning with the cruel and unnecessary reference to mental health. Not cool.

Lenox has hit it on the head beautifully. The good thing about Rihanna and Cyrus is that they've reached the end of the road. We've literally seen it all now. Unless they find a way to actually turn themselves inside out or eviscerate themselves for our "entertainment" that's it.

They have reduced their shelf life exponentially, even Gaga and Madonna have had to tone it down eventually. In the case of Cyrus she seems destined for a blow out ending. In 2 years she'll be reincarnating Hannah Montanna for Dancing With The Stars, because all those hangers on will have bled her white.

men have the amazing ability of staying in the entrainment industry despite not staying sexy. If Miley were half as clever as people are saying she is she would at least heed SC's advice on not trading on your sexuality because you will get old and no, society doesn't want to see you being sexy then. Beiber can get fat, bald and god knows what else and in 10 years time he will still be able to sell out reunion tours with out close ups of his cellulite on the cover of Closer. Women need to actually have a talent and trade on their talent to stick around.

Also if I'm wrong please correct me but has beiber ever actually stripped down to his pants and did a weird little sex show?

It's the inequality in all of these videos that make me angry. Men stay fully clothed in the videos while women dance around in submissive of gyrating motions. Miley's twerkathon was the epitome of that. I really do NOT need to practically see vulva to buy your record and listen to it.

Not as far as I'm aware, but he has posted plenty of pictures of himself on Instagram/twitter wearing barely any clothes, showing off his "amazing" bod, did a recent photo shoot where he appears to be glassing another (male) model, got a DUI, spat on his fans and generally amassed fans by appealing to the opposite sex. As role models go, Miley isn't doing that bad.

But as women will always be keen to pay to see him in concert to relive their youth, I guess we can let him crack on.

I'm no keener to see justin beiber's sexuality expoilted for the financial gain of others than I am to see MC's. Men can be victims of the patriachy too.

Maybe- genuinely sorry if anyone feels I'm trying to derail the discussion. It makes me sad that what MC is doing sells, that she feels that this is her best and "edgiest" option. But the fact is the entertainment business has been exploiting male performers for years, without questions being asked of their morals or choices, or if there are shady hangers on influencing them. Why are women being held to a higher standard? What's the difference between Miley trading on her boobs and Bieber flashing his abs during concerts?

Justin Bieber got his advice doled out by Mark Wahlburg. It amounts to the same thing: you're very talented in a throwaway world, exploit the fame and gather the cash whilst you can, but be able to look back and be proud of your actions.

I wondered why no one had mentioned the madonna/gaga angle on this thread already but just noticed it's because it was well discussed on Rhinna thread -not as clever as I thought

Sadly, these antics DO sell music... fairly run of the mill, slightly meh music IMO, but it sells like hot cakes .
So, as long as the buck rules, anything that will make the cash roll in will be exploited. And young artists who maybe have lived in some kind of artificicial 'entertainment' bubble since they were presenters in the Mickey Mouse Club (Britney anyone?) will earn handsomely and pay the price. While the record companies high heedjuns make even more money without getting their kit off