So much has been made of the Miley Cyrus MTV twerking and foam finger performance, the naked hanging from a wrecking ball video, and the continuing flow of various pictures of the pop star.
Really? Every so often young pop stars who just discovered their sexuality try to shock us older dumb asses with some display of flesh or the sucking of a phallic symbol as if these are things we have never encountered before. In this day and age of the Internet a little shock is not that hard to find. A quick search for women and something like “carrots” will generate plenty of shock if that is what you want.
During my old comedy days there was an old rule; if you are going to be offensive make sure that it is funny. That’s were the Miley thing fell short. If she wanted to shock us with sexuality it just wasn’t very sexy. A truly shocking display of sexuality is something us guys want to enjoy with our wives or girlfriends nowhere around. The Miley Cyrus MTV performance just did not garner that type of salacious desire. Frankly it came off as silliness.
That’s not to say that the performance didn’t work in terms of publicity. Miley’s sales are strong and the interest in her is brisk at the moment. Underscore at the moment. It is a misnomer that sex sells in some reliable fashion. Using sex in marketing is kind of like sugar in your diet. It gives you a quick short burst of energy. However, if you truly want to be strong a good diet coupled with exercise over time is what makes for a resilient body. Adding a little sugar and spice at that point does make everything nice.
Cher has been a provocateur but is also widely accepted as one of the most talented women in show business history. Elvis was criticized for his gyrating hips but is more remembered for his contributions to show business as a live performer and an artist whose work is recognized in numerous musical genres.
If Miley is going to have that kind of staying power she is going to have to demonstrate a strong healthy diet of solid performances and material. You can only take off your clothes so many times.
If I want to watch a woman using a foam finger as a dildo I can do that on the Internet. As a matter of fact I can watch a woman using a dildo on the Internet.
As a matter of fact, I gotta go…
No matter how much nudity you put out there, talent wins in the end. Good one, Billy.
Thanks Mario – nothing beats just plain good work.
Too bad her parents didn’t impress a little modesty and class on her when she was growing up.
Billy Ray’s daughter is a disappointment.
Thanks for the comments Kathy. She is certainly a success at this point with all of the controversy. However, you can only surprise people so many times with this type of behavior. My opinion is she did this too soon especially considering her young audience.
Very well put.
Thanks Thomas. I really don’t understand the attention this got.