Miley Cyrus continues to be a hot topic of discussion, and has been on a media blitz taking the entertainment world by storm. First, she gave a controversial, whirlwind of a performance at the last MTV Music Awards. Next, she released yet another risqué music video. Most recently, she appeared and drew in high ratings on Saturday Night Live as both the musical guest and host. Depending on who you talk to, Cyrus is either a marketing genius, or just another sad case of a young girl whose become a mind-numbing pawn or ‘puppet’ of the music industry.
Cyrus fits the profile of a young female entertainer who seems to be heading down the wrong road. She’s an ex-Disney star who appears destined to follow in the footsteps of other former Disney stars that have made poor lifestyle choices and suicidal career moves. However, there are some signs that point to a young entertainer that isn’t inching her way towards having a mental breakdown similar to the one Britney Spears had, or experiencing a complete career crash-and-burn, like Amanda Bynes.
However, her actions and choice of musical expression has alarmed various entertainers in the industry, and has prompted some to make their commentary public.
First, Sinead O’Connor (of ‘Nothing Compares to You’ fame) penned an open letter to Cyrus, who gave fair warning about the dangers of the music industry. She likened the higher ups in the music world to pimps. O’Connor stated: “I am extremely concerned for you that those around you have led you to believe, or encouraged you in your own belief, that it is in any way “cool” to be naked and licking sledgehammers in your videos. It is in fact the case that you will obscure your talent by allowing yourself to be pimped, whether it’s the music business or yourself doing the pimping.”
She then went on to point out how the music industry appears to have a reputation of using talented artists (especially females) to do their bidding with no real care for their wellbeing: “The music business doesn’t give a s-– about you, or any of us. They will prostitute you for all you are worth, and cleverly make you think its what YOU wanted.. and when you end up in rehab as a result of being prostituted, “they” will be sunning themselves on their yachts in Antigua, which they bought by selling your body and you will find yourself very alone.”
O’Connor also expressed concern about the kind of message Cyrus is sending to youths: “And it’s sending dangerous signals to other young women.”
Is Cyrus acting of her own accord, or are the music execs pulling the strings of the singer a little more than the public suspects? We already know that the wealthy and those with a questionable agenda use young and popular celebrities to spread their messages, and market their products. If you want the young public to loosen their morals and blindly accept whatever is thrown at them…Cyrus would be that person right about now to lead the way.
Sinead is not the only female musician to speak their mind about Cyrus and the current climate of the music world. Annie Lennox (from the group, The Eurythmics) also recently chimed in to address the evils of a music industry that doesn’t think twice about exploiting their female money-making machines. Lennox made her thoughts known in an interview with BBC Radio 5 Live, as well as through postings made on Facebook that have since gone viral. Referring to the industry as being ‘dark’ and ‘pornographic,’ Lennox suggested the creation of a ratings system for adult pop videos.
While Lennox did not directly refer to Cyrus, we’re sure that the recent headlines involving the entertainer played a role in the singer’s commentary, as she noted that many female performances and music videos are a “glorified and monetized form of self harm.” Once again, the pimp and prostitute analogy was also used to describe how Lennox viewed the relationship between the music industry and female artists.
At the moment, it seems that Cyrus is persevering and that her career has only progressed as a result of her recent actions. However, it remains to be seen if Cyrus can truly overcome the negative criticism, or if she falls victim to the pressures and consequences of being used, brain-washed, mind-controlled, or steered in a career direction that doesn’t benefit herself but instead, serves the questionable intentions of the entertainment industry.