Is it me
or are we going on about the wrong things?
For example:
1) Miley Cyrus in the (red satin) sheet(s.) Okay, maybe it’s because I’m not a mom (of a teenage girl), but I don’t get it. Miley poses for an artistic lovely shot by one of the world’s best photographers and it’s a National Crisis. Meanwhile, Jamie Lyn Spears (same approximate age) gets pregnant and gets a RAISE, not to mention keeping her spot on her Nickelodeon show; girls a few years younger than Miss Miley are half-naked regularly (go to the mall, the jr. high dance, a bar mitzvah for pete’s sake); and today I turned on tv at 6 p.m (SIX!) to girls baring their breasts on an “E wildest spring break moments feature.” Oy.
Yes, maybe those girls are 18 in the spring break shot, maybe they’re 20. Still.
And no, I’m not condoning the prostitot-ization of our world. It actually disturbs me, greatly.
But an attractive young adult, on the brink of womanhood, showing a tasteful glimpse of that in an artistic way? it doesn’t offend me. In fact I wish the Britneys, Tila Tequilas and Kim Kardashians of the world could have a sliver of this art and grace in their long-since-emerged sensuality.
To hear a counterpoint that considers a lot of sources and perspectives, please check out Mir’s Miley Cyrus headed down a slippery (half-naked) slope? | BlogHer (and yes, I’ve just discovered “Blogher” in case you haven’t noticed by all the blogher references on my page lately.)
2) Obama and Wright
I swear an MS NBC special on this Big Controversy played the same portions of the same speeches (Obama’s race relations and Wright’s apology and then not and … well you get the picture) over and over in a one hour special. Type it in on google and you get a bazillion hits including this from our pal Christopher Hitchens Is Michelle Obama responsible for the Jeremiah Wright fiasco? – By Christopher Hitchens – Slate Magazine.
Again, I just don’t get it. I thought parts of The Historic Race Speech were intelligent, articulate, thought-provoking. I think some of what Rev. Wright says is similarly thought-provoking and afflicting in all the best ways that would hope a guide or leader would do, especially a spiritual one. But… as a Scandal? Controversy? I don’t get it, I really don’t.
Why should Obama control what his preacher might have said, ever, on any subject. And if he should? Shouldn’t John McCain
McCain’s Pastors: Same Questions, Different Answers – America’s Election HQ answer at least the same questions?
It seems only fair.
What should we be paying attention to?
The Associated Press: ‘D.C. Madam’ apologized to mom, sister in suicide notes. Modern day lynching indeed. Eliot Spitzer’s call girl gets a record deal, he enters rehab, nobody even remembers David Vitter’s crimes and the DC Madam’s the one going to jail? I don’t get it – why are escort services illegal? Why is there STILL this mentality that only the women are to blame?
It seems our priorities are still out of order.
But maybe it’s just me.
Oh no, it’s not just you.
Liz
May 5, 2008
Oh, the sad state we’ve sunk to. During the
Democratic debate in Pennsylvania, they
went to questions from “ordinary people” in
the state once or twice that had been
videotaped earlier. One woman, who is going
on television in front of millions of
people and could have asked any thought-
provoking question on huge national issues,
chose to ask Mr. Obama why he doesn’t wear
a flag pin. This is where we are: war,
poison environment, out-of-control fuel
prices, health care in crisis, and this
person is concerned about lapel pins. Mr.
Obama says that he believes Americans are
smart enough to discern real issues from
fluff, but I fear he gives them too much
credit.
gilahi
May 6, 2008
I don’t get the Miley thing either, and I AM a mom. I didn’t think they were provocative. And anyway, big deal, her dad’s out there pimping her, riding her success to try to rejeuvinate his own sagging career. She’s cute, she’s today’s flavor, and bully for her. ‘Nuff said.
soupisnotafingerfood
May 6, 2008
For Points 2 and 3 (and I guess point 1 too) you need to read “Amusing ourselves to Death.”
It explains TV, and the new TV world, better than anything else ever. Here are my thoughts on it:
http://thesoftlounge.com/blog/?p=471
With Cyrus-I think the bigger issue is that her show/music represented a choice to specifically avoid the Prosti-tot world. Disney had afforded some sort of alternative to the spectacle and I think while it IS blown out of proportion, in the minds of a lot of parents they have to explain now to their kids what is going on with Hannah Montana. If the press hadn’t made a stink about it, of course, most kids who watch her show weren’t going to read Vanity Fair anyway-so it probably wouldn’t have come up for a long time.
I do figure that if you have a contract with an employer where you are specifically held out to the public as a role model you should at least clear what you do with employer first. Sports figures get in trouble with their clubs all the time for infractions that reflect poorly on the organization, so it seems Disney has a right to hold her feet to the fire too.
Frank L
May 6, 2008
And in the “women are to blame” vein, you’ll notice from the newspaper coverage that the prosecution called THIRTEEN women to the stand but only THREE men. That’s 13 women who will now forever have the taint of this social stigma on them, despite the fact that there was at LEAST one man who employed each one of them. Even if you count the three high profile men who were outed as former clients that’s still a 2:1 ratio.
In thinking about it, I wonder why Palfrey’s lawyer didn’t end up calling Vitter to the stand, given that he kept insisting he didn’t have sexual contact with the escorts – only massages.
Don
May 6, 2008
very good points, all. thanks for the links and suggested reading, frank; and welcome to the newbies. Hope you’ll keep sticking around!
As for Disney and her contract, I do hear what you’re saying but the thing is… really? DISNEY’S mad at her for pimping herself out… hmmm;) not that i don’t take contract law seriously but… really?
finally, actually going to some of the pictures revealed something new to me… uhh, is anyone else as creeped out/disturbed as me about her snuggling up to her daddy in such a creeparama way? actually the whole daddy-n-me-while-i’m-wearing-miniskirts is a lot more shudder-worthy than any towel shot, to me. borderline “your mamma can’t dance” as mocked by The Soup, among others (your mama). But I guess that’s the kind of pimping disney likes?
washwords
May 6, 2008
I hear you! I think, in all cases, we should be honest. Miley Cyrus is budding on young womanhood and she wanted to do the shot and probably thought it was okay to do since Annie Leibowitz requested it. Her parents should have known the pose wouldn’t fly well with Disney. For that matter, VF is an adult publication and she didn’t need to be in there anyhow.
I believe people should say what they believe and I can decide how much of it resonates with me.
I think the mainstream news media aids in distracting us from the real issues in the world because we might all get too depressed or too activist.
It’s definitely not just you.
Candelaria
May 7, 2008