I Have Thoughts About Miley Cyrus

[ayun]

So, a few years back, when it was the thing, I got infected with the Miley Cyrus earworm "Party In The USA." Enough so that I acquired an MP3 of the song, dumped it into my ever-expanding "Cheeseball Pop Hits I Listen To While Running"* and consequently listened to it a bunch of times. While running, which is my go-to forum for overthinking these

Comments

[pyrric]

Watching that video made me feel like a sweet but befuddled old grandmother. I now keenly understand people who turn to their grandchildren with bafflement and say, "Oh dearie, is this what kids these days are doing? What were those teddy bears all about? Where are that girl's parents? What is she high on that she can't keep her tongue in her mouth? Shouldn't she be in school?"

I experienced a complete and total lack of comprehension, cultural and personal, on a never-before-encountered level.

[mishak]

I experienced a complete and total lack of comprehension, cultural and personal, on a never-before-encountered level.

It would be a terrible day when a younger generation does not befuddle and baffle the older, it's kind of their sworn duty. Glad to know they're performing admirably.

[ayun]

All else aside, Miley's not a great dancer. She was 'twerking' at the VMAs like she was 'pole dancing' in the video I linked to - hardly.

There's an excellent video embedded in this handy guide for olds that should help you easily understand the difference:
http://www.eonline.com/news/452781/a-beginner-s-guide-to-twerking-what-is-it-why-is-it-happening-and-how-do-you-do-it

[cris]

I don't listen to enough pop music so my occasional diversions into imagining that celebrities are more interesting than they appear stems from real weird juxtapositions that show up in awesomepeoplehangingouttogether (I mean this pic of Bieber hanging out with Jay-Z and Kanye West? PARADIGM SHIFTING.)

The other thing that APHT taught me is that Jay-Z hangs out with everyone. I am waiting for the inevitable John Lennon with Baby Jay-Z photo to crop up anyday now and I won't be surprised.

Which is all to say that I think your integration future will arrive eventually, but it will be driven by the Kanyes and Jay-Z's and Timbalands in this world. Miley and her ilk and their lyrics (which may or may not be their own) are just signposts.

[vulgarlad]

A few years back I spotted Jay-Z and Beyonce hanging out at a Beach House/Grizzly Bear show at the Williamsburg Waterfront. He's like the Bill Murray of hip hop at this point.

~m

[ayun]

You know Solange hipped them to that. Have you ever heard her version of "Stillness Is The Move"?

[ayun]

Always been the way, right? Minorities have to do the heavy lifting...

(If you've never heard the Grey Album, I'll be sure to give you mp3s on Thursday. It's so good.)

[pyrric]

Also, I'm compelled to take a moment to express some love for the fact that it says this in big letters across the top of the page:

words are all we have
so we must be careful how we use them

and immediately below that is a photo with word DOUCHE in all caps.

[ayun]

I contain multitudes, dude.

[vulgarlad]

I honestly don't understand the "cultural appropriation" argument that's been floating around, since most, if not all, of pop-music-performed-by-white-people historically has itself been cultural appropriation from black culture. So, like, why is this a big deal all of a sudden? I mean, if black culture in america wants to draw a line in the sand at some white chick booty-shakin' on tv, fine, by all means...(though most of the people I know making this argument in the past 48 hours are white liberals, not black people)...but why now? And why this? Why not Elvis or Joe Cocker? Why not New Kids On The Block or 98 Degrees? Why not Woody Herman or Benny Goodman? Why not Blondie or Eminem? Why not Janis Joplin or Joss Stone? Why not Joe Bonamassa or Eric Clapton? Why is Miley Cyrus shaking her rump the straw that's (apparently) breaking the popcultural camel's back regarding white appropriation of black culture? And how is what she did at the VMAs worse than what one sees in your average rap video produced over the last 20 years? Is it

[clevernonsense]

I believe cultural appropriation in music has been considered a *very big* deal for a long time without interruption by a significant portion of the black community, including almost every example you gave under "why not." (check out theroot.com for this very recurring topic.) maybe it's just that the general white liberal community is using it as a weapon against a twerkin' girl they disapprove of but can't exactly figure out how to say so without sounding misogynistic?

[ayun]

From my perspective (and, more importantly, many black people) it's never not been a big deal, but you're right that Miley's antics are getting a different sort of scrutiny than Eric Clapton or Sir Mix-a-Lot

[mishak]

Maybe tomorrow we will talk about my thoughts about Ke$ha. I have some of those too.

Ooh ooh after that do LMFAO!

[ayun]

I have no thoughts on LMFAO.