Look out... long post coming through! I'm now discussing this topic in two threads; the other is in 'Movies, music and tv'. It would be better if we decided on *one* thread to continue. I leave it up to you.
ajmrowland wrote:2. Being optimistic, but the slutty ship hasn't sailed quite yet. There may be hope for her.
I wouldn't call her 'slutty'. Ever. No matter what she wears or how she behaves. In my opinion, 'slut' is a mysoginistic word that's being used by hypocritical males (mostly), as a means to keep women in line; to decide how a woman should or shouldn't dress or behave. If they don't obey, they'll be labeled 'sluts'. There's no male equivalent to the insult. A man can do whatever he pleases and never be called a similar thing.
So that's why I won't call her that. I was not attacking you, by the way, ajmrowland. Just some general thought I felt I should share before I continued the discussion.
I'm wondering how much of this 'new image' was really Miley's own decision. I think it's dangerous that some people on this board are applauding Miley for it, since we don't know whether it's something she wants, or if it's decided for her, by her father. She's only 17 years old and thus underage. And we've seen in the past what her father will do for money. He even exploited Miley's little sister. Go back a page or two and you'll find the horrible pictures of a 9 year old dressed up like a... Well, let's say with that outfit and those photo's made public, you wonder why they just didn't move next door to a registred sex offender and opened the windows at night...
blackcauldron85 wrote:I knew I was going to get some flack for my thoughts.
I hope you realize I wasn't attacking you personally.
blackcauldron85 wrote:I'm more praising her for going the route that she wants to. Even a year ago, if she put out this video, I'd be like, "Wow, I can't believe her parents let her do this," but she'll be an adult soon.
That's just my point: I'm not sure we can know this is her own decision. And even if it is, what does that say about her upbringing and her judgement that she thinks the only way to be 'mature' is to put out?
blackcauldron85 wrote:It's not like she was stripping or anything. I mean, she showed a little more skin, but Britney and Christina were at this age, too.
Yes, they were, but that doesn't mean that's a good thing, or an excuse. She (or her father) probably 'learned the trick' from Britney and Christina. And I would be a hypocrite if I denied that, to this day, I like the 'Baby hit me one more time'-clip. After Polizzi confessed his foot-fetish, I'm willing to confess I have a thing for the schoolgirl uniforms (*not* the schoolgirls themselves, of course!). But does that mean I think it's appropriate to dress up like that to sell your music? No. Remember, that was Britney's first hit, and after that it even got more suggestive. Like I said, I'm not a prude and I will never say to a woman how to dress or behave, but I just think it sends the wrong messages to teenage girls about 'how to be taken seriously'.
blackcauldron85 wrote:I think that, especially as a product of the Disney machine (which I am a huge fan of), Miley could've had a hard time of being taken seriously when it comes to her post-Hannah career.
But how seriously do you think she'll be taken with this new song and videoclip? Don't you think people are going to say: "oh, there's yet another former teen star who thinks she's going to make it big by posing in sexy outfits"? There have already been so many of them. Why not make a mature *song*? Mature lyrics, mature sound. I know it's hard to pull that off if you're only 17. You haven't really lived by then. Maybe she should just wait a little longer.
blackcauldron85 wrote:1. Miley can sing. Very, very well.
Everybody has different tastes, but I think we can establish what's good singing and what's not. Miley sounds good because they've run her voice through the computer a zillion times to make it sound better; at least that's how I judge it. I would put her on the same level as your average American Idol-finalist. (I wouldn't want to be caught ever watching that program, but it's on when my sister's home, unfortunately.) Oh, and just so you know, that was not a compliment.
blackcauldron85 wrote:2. I hope that Miley doesn't go the alcohol/drug/sleezy route that Britney and Lindsay did (and I'm a fan of them). I hope that her parents have raised her well enough, and that she has enough self-respect, to stay away from things like that. I'd hate to see her go the bad-girl route. But dressing up a little doesn't mean that she's whored herself out.
Do you remember her pole-dancing during a show aimed at teenagers? Including the half-dressed dancers in the background? Hvae you seen how she behaves in the 'Party in the USA' clip? (Again, I curse my sister!) Do you think that shows self-respect? Have you seen how her father dressed up his 9 year old daughter? Do you think that's good parenting?
blackcauldron85 wrote:I'm a Christina fan, too, but hell, that girl shows skin and is provocative, and she has the best voice of this generation.
Then you've never heard Alicia Keys sing.
blackcauldron85 wrote:I think that there's definitely a balance to be had, of more serious songs, and fun dance songs that aren't as serious. The world would be a lot more boring without fun dance songs.
Oh, you're certainly right about that. I just wrote it to make a suggestion about how she could show maturity in another way, instead of putting out.
blackcauldron85 wrote:Not all fit into those categories. I mean, going back to the Mickey Mouse Club, at least the '90s version, [...] And they don't have mugshots, and I wouldn't call them obscure.
Not all of them are obscure. Justin Timberlake and Christina Aguilera have been succesfull. But most of the others... would anybody who doesn't follow 'that' circle know even half of those people? I mean, I don't know half of them. The ones I do know have starred in teen-oriented tv series, movies or made teen-pop music. In the bigger picture, that's still rather obscure.
