You can try to justify her performance at the Teen Choice Awards all you want, but Miley Cyrus’ pole dance during Monday night’s ceremony was unacceptable. Sex sells. And societal mores have loosened quickly over the past decade. The stigma that was once attached to pole dancing has lessened dramatically. Health clubs offer pole dancing classes. Porn is a multi-billion dollar industry. Many strip clubs have a higher cover charge than high-end dance clubs do.
And I wouldn’t have a problem with her performance if not for a few major issues:
- Miley Cyrus is 16 years old. If you’re 18 or older and getting aroused by her performance – and considering that she has a 53-year-old stalker who was recently arrested, there are plenty in that demographic who are – you’re a pedophile. In the United States, it’s illegal to be a stripper if you’re under 18. But Cyrus’ performance ostensibly makes it acceptable. Hopefully, the next time a club owner gets caught for using underage dancers, his lawyer is smart enough to whip out this tape to bolster his client’s defense.
- Cyrus and her family are enormous hypocrites. (As if you didn’t know this when she was dating a 20-year-old with their approval; I’m certain it was a completely chaste relationship.) About a year ago, they made just short of a federal case out of photographs that Cyrus took for Vanity Fair with legendary photographer Annie Leibovitz. The family and her handlers cried that Cyrus was exploited and that they did not know that Leibovitz had taken “topless” shots of Cyrus – even though her father was on the set; “topless” shots that were about as titillating as a root canal. That was wrong. Wrong they said. But being an underage stripper is okay. Her parents don’t just belong in the Hypocrites Hall of Fame. They deserve their own wing.
Chris Rock once said:
“Sometimes I am walking with my daughter, I’m talking to my daughter, I’m looking at her, I’m pushing her in the stroller. And sometimes I pick her up and I just stare at her and I realize my only job in life is to keep her off the pole. Keep my baby off the pole! I mean they don’t grade fathers but if your daughter is a stripper you f—ked up.”
When you hear about the Cyrus clan, the stories always mention how religious and god-fearing they are. Miley Cyrus has been quoted in USA Today that her faith is “the main thing.” There are always stories about the Cyrus’ – usually photographed dressed like homeless hillbillies – going to church. Clearly, they missed the sermon about asking themselves, “What Would Jesus Do?”
Now, I’m not a deeply religious person, but I don’t remember the Bible passage in which God encouraged pole dancing. (I’d probably be a more avid reader of the Bible if that was the case.) But if Miley’s church encourages pole dancing, save me a front row pew for the next 500 Sundays.
3. It’s expected that a 16-year-old girl, hormones raging, will act out; however, when you’ve cultivated your career as an innocent, Disney performer, are getting paid millions to foment that image, and, whether you like it or not, are a role model to a generation of young girls, pole dancing is not acceptable. How would you like to be the parent of a 13-year-old who says to their mother that she wants her parents to install a pole in her bedroom so that she can dance like Miley did on the awards show?
Let’s make it clear. I’m no prude. I’ve visited strip clubs and have had lapdances, but never in any of those clubs were the dancers 16 years old. I’m not disparaging the women who choose to dance. There’s great money in it for many of them. But they’re adults. And when you go to a strip club, you don’t see 13-year-old girls in the club idolizing the dancers.
To paraphrase Britney Spears, another pop tart who took full advantage of using underage sex to sell millions of records, Miley Cyrus is not a girl, but not yet a woman. Both touted their purity (though we’ve learned in Spears’ case that that was a lie also) while using sex to sell records. The difference between the two is that Cyrus is still a Disney employee (while Spears was not by the time she released her debut; admittedly a tenuous distinction.)
Regardless, it wasn’t right then and it certainly is not right now. Cyrus stepped it up a notch and in the process, became more of a joke than she already was. Miley Cyrus should be ashamed of her behavior. Then again, considering who raised her, you can’t be surprised.
Disclaimer: Views expressed in this section “Uncensored” are those of the writers and do not necessarily reflect the editorial position of Groovevolt.com or any of its sister publications. Groovevolt.com does not knowingly publish false information and may not be held liable for the views of readers exercising their right to free expression.
August 16th, 2009 at 2:38 am
ok this is alll mileys dads and britnys fault. because miley looked up to both of them when she was little and this obviously had a result on her future. she is only 16 and this…. lets hope she comes down to earth and stops doing what britny did. and i would advice mileys dad to look after her a little bit cuz she need it right now!!!! man he made his dauter like this… i hope she will see the truth and stop this!!!!!!!
August 16th, 2009 at 4:11 am
can we please put this story to REST, this is old NEWS. we have more problems to worry about (ECONOMY) (HEALTHCARE) than worry about if miley was pole dancing, what is pole dancing, wrapping yourself around a pole, hanging upside down on a pole, twirlling around on a pole, did miley do that — i think not — did anyone see sean kingstons performance, i believe 2 of his dancers were performing on stripper poles. miley is growing up — she has accomplished so much in the past few years than anyone can imagine. she’s not perfect, she’s going to make mistakes (she admits) but then again who is perfect. so don’t hate on someone you don’t know or has done nothing wrong to you.
August 16th, 2009 at 7:57 am
I’m not typically one to go out of my way to defend teen pop stars, but did you even see the performance? If that was an attempt to be a pole dance, she failed miserably.. I’ve seen sluttier things done just standing next to a mic stand. When I saw it, no where in my head did I think “POLE DANCE” or stripper or slut of any kind. On your second point, concerning the Vanity Fair “scandal”.. Annie Leibowitz is one of the most talented beautiful portrait photographers that has ever lived, I saw her gallery in DC and the portrait she did of Miley was just that, a work of art. Billy Ray never said that he didn’t know, the Cyrus said that they thought it was artistic, though after reading the story, they were very embarrassed, as the story monopolized on that sole picture, as even the front cover if I remember correctly said “Miley ‘Takes Off’”. The picture, I don’t believe, is the problem. The problem is Vanity Fair’s choice to focus a harmless photo, which wasn’t even topless, she was fully covered by a blanket, minus her back, which any normal dress would reveal, as a promiscuous statement, which it entirely wasn’t. Anyway, that’s enough for me. Though there’s a link from Chelsea Handler who is an actual voice of reason in this whole “controversy” : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KI_R-Jb3ius
August 16th, 2009 at 9:42 am
wow miley, seriously? i watched the video and i was appalled. especially since i know 6 year-olds who idolize miley cyrus and hannah montana or whatever. stupid.
August 16th, 2009 at 12:48 pm
Oh stop it. It’s already been days since the Teen Choice Awards. Don’t you have anything better to do than to talk more bad stuff about people?
August 16th, 2009 at 1:54 pm
enough of all this talk about miley the video wasn’t that bad. if you think it was blame the parents, the manager anyone but a 16 year old kid that all she does is get critcized by the media. The girl if you follow twitter is going through a bad time as well so since your talking about god do you think he enjoys you people bashing a 16 year old kid instead of telling her what is right from wrong
August 16th, 2009 at 6:47 pm
I think Miley is not a slut you dont know shit.Just leave her alone like you know what you where doing at 16.I look up to her shes so cool and I love her
August 17th, 2009 at 4:33 am
hey…nobody perfect right..please dont blame parents….parents never want they child to be bad…do you???so who said her dad is fault you’re wrong…talking about this who is the catgrphy???who set the dance who idea is this???who teach her????
September 13th, 2009 at 6:49 am
wow. Miley’s family are a bunch of jokers. I mean shes a clown-and billy ray is a freakin pimp peadophile. i bet he has raped her. these bunch of fucking hypocrits-christians my arse-IM christian and it is an insult that ppl like this r banging on about being christians theyr a bunch of red necks
October 14th, 2009 at 2:48 am
Well some say there are other important issues to look at instead of this? Well in a roundabout way this type of behavior in the long run will put our society in trouble and it’s sad because I am sure most of you will think I am crazy which will make it more likely to happen.
1.) Morals , Ethics , Values decline
2.) Young Boys learn about sex from online porn websites and now have a twisted view of sex & women.
3.) Young Girls think they have to dress and act like sluts to get attention. Well yes to get attention from the boys in #2 group.
4.) Those misguided views of man & women now creates a terrible shallow relationships directly around visual and surface beauty only.
5.) Unplanned kids pop out, parents never intended on being together long term so now other kid with split up parents that usually end up with parents fighting in front of the kids.
6.) Now little boy or girl grows up in poor excuse for a quality home.
7.) Kid mirrors parents and lack of quality relationships between mom/dad & boyfriend/girlfriend.
8.) Young Boy, has no example to follow, parent is too busy looking for next partner or working full time to support. Boy learns from other friends and Google about sex and women and repeats the ugly cycle.
9.) Young Girl, now lacking most likely father dresses in a way to get attention by using there body, in turn attracts other foolish males that want relationship for no more then visual/physical side. Maybe another kid and cycle repeats over and over and over.
Now imagine the impact that most of these enviroments produce. Most people grow up with deep areas lacking in their life and use stuff to cover it up like alcohol,drugs,sex,depression.
Heathly society starts with a healthy home. Healthy home starts with healthy long term relationships. Healthy relationships produce babies.
I know plently will think I am crazy. I was only googling another topic and I found this.
My point is, kids need both parents modeling respectful behavior and encouraging their kids to grow up with values, morals, ethics.