http://dailycollegian.com/2013/09/10/mtv-video-music-awards-expose-racism-and-sexism-in-music-industry-elise-martorano/
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I did watch the VMAs and being a black woman personally didnt feel it was racist or sexist, becasue those dancers and everyone who joined the performances knew what they were getting into. Women know how far they are willing to go, and if they knew how degrading it was then they wouldnt have did the performance, but obviously they didnt care. But i do feel that if miley was black not much would be talked about because ive seen many girls do performances like this (who were black) and not much has been said at all. I feel as black women we get ourselves into certain situations that kind of give people a reason to make assumptions. As a black female ive seen most of us dont hold ourselves to a higher standard its not all the white people who degrade us. It starts with us cause in the AA community we tend to value more superficial thngs than other cultures. Like we value material things ,the way we look,etc. Back to miley wanting to act more hood ummmm i find it kind of racist that she feel that getting entourage of black americans to do so. So that tells me that she thinks most black people are ghetto/hood and we are only good for dancing and being loud and flashy. I do understand in the music industry the black artist do have a certian sound,look, and way they do there music and there is a reason why casue thats their culture that what they grew up doing there whole lives,but when mileyy comes inand tries to do something she is not familiar with at all it comes off as racist or degrading or stupid. I dont think thats what miley;s intentions are. I think the urban life style ,and theu urban/back music is very successful in the industry right now and she wants to be talked about and looked at as one of us/them, but she isnt black and is no where fromt he urban life style in any way she is a country white girl who started off singing country and pop with a kids tv show and no one is going to look past that cause she already made a mark of who she is in the entertainment world ,and people wated her to stay that path.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Ashley. She should stay doing what she was doing before. Her show was a hit and she was plenty famous then. Now almost everyone talks crap about her. I don't think the whole black/urban style is her style.. The few fans that she still got want her to go back to her white country girly ways so I think she should just give up on this whole trynna' be hood thing.
DeleteWell I did watch the VMA awards and after seeing Miley's performance I couldn't help but laugh uncontrollably. Honestly, I didn't feel any racism towards black people and none of the black people I know thought there was any racism towards their race. It is an obvious fact that miley is desperate to act like a black female and look cooler for her few fans. The back-up dancers? well any video or performance puts hot or attractive men and woman to attract the viewers attention. So whether it was a coincidence or not that there were only black back-up dancers I don't think anyone took it as an offence. Miley wants to appeal more to the viewers so that people can forget about her old character "hannah montana" and become a new person. If it's working for her, then I guess it's fine but her "new self" brings me disgust and petty. I didn't get any sexism either though. All I saw was a dumb sexual performance where she and the other dude ended up making a fool out of themselves. Miley might be trying to "act black" because the black music industry is one of the most famous and rich. Whatever she's doing is up to her and I rather stay out of it though, but I don't know much about this topic other than this sooo.. yeah.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree that she's not trying to act like someone else other than herself. Has anyone ever thought that she might relate more to black people?
DeleteI do wonder if she's trying to "shake off" her former Disney character, though. I mean think about it, Selena Gomez used to be Disney, but we don't see her acting the same way. I feel that this is the new Miley and it's due to her be who she wanted to be all her life but couldn't until now.
Her latest video 'Wrecking Ball' is absolutely garbage, though.
yes that video was too extra like other videos ive seen.
Deletei dont agree with sergio miely did purposely but the black dancers in there to make it more hood/urban/black however you want to say it. There are plenty of other races who dance hiphop/twerk or whatever so she couldve easily chose them also but i do see where sergio and tyler are comming from.
DeleteI don't agree with you about the sexism. Robin Thicke used the performance in a way that objectified Miley, not only by their actions but even just by listening to the lyrics of the song. It's disgusting. But Tyler, you're right. She's just herself. I don't think she was trying to be racist.
Delete@tyler, Tyler- I disagree, I don't think Miley can relate to African americans from I've observed, I think she's using the urban culture wagon to ride it to fame and beyond. If anyone can relate to black ppl, I think it's Hispanics. I mean we have a lot in common, both hispanics and blacks were once forced into slavery, and later on some of our favorite pop idols died tragically (tupac and selena)
DeleteElvis?
DeleteI feel that the author is over analyzing the whole performance. Since when is having black back up dancers being racist? Maybe her manager wanted people who could actually dance? Also, I'm pretty sure that the dancers knew what was expected from them and what they would be participating in. I would hope Miley would have more class to tell them what she would be doing during the performance.
ReplyDeleteFor anyone that didn't know, the manager usually sets up the performances and music videos and molds them to what they want. This usually limits the artist's say. This is only done to get social networks all fired up and to constantly be talked about. Kudos to Miley's manager then.
Do I approve of her performance or persona? No, but she's still a human being finding her way. My only hope is that she finds out who she really is in a fast manner.
I understand where you're coming from.
DeleteI was watching an interview a few days ago where Miley is talking about her doing the video. I don't know if it was staged or what not, but she says most of the shooting was an on the spot occurrence same with her performances. But I don't know maybe it was preplanned and that's what she made it to be in the interview.
I believe that even if the manger is planning everything, there is still an opening where the star can say "no" and or "I don't like this, maybe we can do it this way". Whether or not the choice to participate in something that can bring a bad rep to her name is solely on her.
Like i say in my comment, this is more of a personality issue rather than a racism issue. She's trying to find herself and lose the whole Hannah Montana alter ego everyone has tagged her to be.
I completely agree with you ! She is just lookin to find herself and having a hard to doing it. About management if she signed a contract then she can't really decide what's best for her career ,she is forced to do what they say even if it is degrading or she would be forced Togo to court ! But Idont think that it was management I think they allowed er to do this . She was way to Into it to pull the "They made me" card
Deletei dont agree with tyler miley knew everything about her performance even if the manager sets it up or not he does it upon request of what she wants,and she isnt trying to find herself she is trying to appeal to a crowd that is not going to accept her ever. There is a reason why blacks and whites have seperate things sometimes and in my opinion some need to stay in their lane. Music is universal its not about the genre she is choosing it about how she going about it. Miley doesnt need to fit in the urban/black life style thats not her lane. If she wants to do the music thats fine but trying to actually be black is not goin to work out for her real well. One thing i dont like is when white people try to understand the struggles of the black community so they try to be black or get as close as they can. I feel miely isntbeing racist but she is trying to understand the black communtiy which she cant relate to at all and so it comes off as stupid and retarded. But i do agree with tyler that the person did over analyze the whole performance.
DeleteI don't see how she's trying to "act black" as everyone is saying. To me black people do not behave like that.
ReplyDeleteWhat she does, is the behavior of a promiscuous woman (I'd rather not use the other word for fear of it being too insulting and rude.). The fact that she has black dancers, she is twerking, and even making weird faces, has nothing to do with being black at all. This is not a race issue, it's more of a personality issue. The fact that his words are twisted and his prejudiced facts about the way black people act and present themselves, are what's causing the debate on whether it's a racist theme here. Her music doesn't sound black, it sounds like T-Pain gave her tips on how to use Auto-Tune and she took it and ran with it. I see how her outfit may have caused riots because Beyonce and even Rhianna go around walking on stage dressing half naked too. I mean every famous artist i've seen has done it to some extent. Even Katy Perry, P!nk, and Christina Aguilera, has done it and they are white. I think it's just because so many black people as a whole have a negative background, and it's easier to pin these characteristics on people who already have a predetermined image than for someone who doesn't.
Her actions are in my opinion disgusting, and i think they're being done out of rebellion rather than common sense.
She's trying to hard to prove that she's no longer the innocent Hannah Montana everyone keeps tying her to.
i do agree with you and i dont..she is trying to act like the stereotypical black person lol but everything else i agree with
DeleteI saw the videos of her performance... Needless to say i was beyond disturbed . I don't thinks she was intentionally trying to come off as sexist or racist but that's how it seemed . African American women already struggle to show that we aren't all "hood" and "ghetto". I don't put all the blame in Miley . Her backup dancers clearly signed up for this and didn't seem to have a problem with it . What they didn't realize is that the problem is bigger than them ! They could have easily set us back and all the work to not come off as a mass percentage if the world sees us in the first place might har just became harder! She is trying way to hard to rid herself if the name she got back in her Disney channel ways . I think it is safe to say he is fascinated with the African American musical culture but is coming off as stereotypical due to how hard she is trying . She came off as demeaning ,degrading ,and promiscuous. I truly am upset that she sees the music industry in that way,but she isn't completely incorrect ! If the race and industr as a whole would stop degrading themselves , then maybe we wouldn't have this problem to begin with!
ReplyDeleteyes tyra i do agree that she is trying waaaayyyy to hard and it comes off as sexist an racist
DeletePersonally, I didn't really see how the performance was racist. I think that she could have maybe used a more racially diverse group, but some people are just like that. But I do think it was incredibly sexist. Nothing bothers me more than stuff like this. Women, of all different races, are objectified, taken advantage of, and are treated differently than men every day. Miley has people that look up to her and she can use that as a way to show that women deserve respect and should NEVER be looked at as objects. Instead of using her fame for good, she uses it in a sexual way that just gives people an even bigger reason to look at women like they are objects. I agree with the article when it says that they were both viewed differently after the performance. Robin Thicke is looked at as cool and people looked at Miley like she was trash.
ReplyDeleteI do not think it was racist, however, she was trying to show that she can relate to the black generation. How she was dancing and acting, she thought she was getting black peoples attention. But a lot of african american people do not act like that. So i can see if people think the show was racist. Miley is changing and she just doesn't know what she wants to do with herself, and acting like this isn't the right thing to do. I partially agree with Tyler, about the whole manager thing, but I can see what ashley is saying. How Miley has the final word as being the one who is performing. But I think she should have changed some things.
ReplyDeleteI do think that Miley was being sexist by using bigger black women as back up dancers to her advantage which I think was to look better than them. I did kind of get a racist/sexist vibe from her performance, the way Miley would disgustingly touch the back up dancers was almost like saying: "look I'm slapping them around and they don't mind, so I'll just keep doing it because I am above them. Look at the contrast of my white skin against theirs." Also, the way she was prancing around stage and constantly pointing to her nether region was so painful to watch because as a female, I was taught from my preteen years that private parts are the most intimate things you have and you shouldn't flaunt them and throw them all out for the world to see. Miley completely objectified herself in doing so, she was sending out a message that said "the way I'm showing myself off is no big deal, my body isn't important to me because look at how I'm using it in a provocative way" when really it is a big deal, people should respect their bodies because you only have one throughout your whole life. I don't necessarily think that she was objectifying women in general, i think she was objectifying herself and making it easier for other women to do the same. I think that Miley really should have taken this into consideration because not only is she engaged but her family is watching her pitiful behavior. When I watched her performance, I was genuinely concerned for her father's well-being because I couldn't imagine what it must feel like for a father to see his little girl throw herself into the public in such a manner. Some people favor Miley because they say that she's trying to shed her Hannah Montana image as fast as she can. I have to say that there is a better way for Miley to effectively rid herself of the Hannah Montana-ness. Just look at Selena Gomez, she made a smooth transition from Disney star to serious artist. When I hear of Selena, I don't think of Alex from wizards of Waverly place, I think of Selena Gomez and how great she's doing with her career as a pop star. Anyway, even if Miley is seriously being ratchet with a true passion or not, I can see that it's really working out for her. More people are starting to notice her now and are creating a rampant buzz which is maintaining her and her facade a hot topic. I imagine this is what she wants. I just think people should be careful what they wish for because now, I honestly can not take Miley Cyrus seriously as an artist.
ReplyDeleteShe has so much power and potential to influence people and make changes but she just craves fame and money. Paying people to write music and song lyrics for you, all so you can later use auto-tune to make it a hit, perform it using generic meme-like fads such as twerking and then sell that trash to your willing, brainwashed fans, what a life.
I don't believe it was racist at all. I personally think that Miley Cyrus is doing all of this for attention. If she wasn't originally a child celebrity, then the media wouldn't be so upset about this. Then again, as soon as the media has something to write about, they pounce on the meaningless thing and turn it around.
ReplyDeleteI did not watch the VMAs but I did see the performance of Miley Cyrus and I feel that some of the points stated were fair, but on the same hand I feel that much of the blog was kind of blown out of proportion. I do feel that the actions of Miley Cyrus were unacceptable but I did not feel in any way that she was trying to take advantage of the black women's sexuality or race at all.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the opinions of Ashley and Sergio. Everyone in that performance knew what they were getting into but yet they did it anyways so therefore it is nobody's fault but their own. I do feel that miley was trying to push off on the audience as a black persona to try and fit into the "hip hop" culture but if thats the only way that she can feel "accepted" then so be it. I have a feeling that this wont be the last embarrassing performance that miley cyrus will put out to the public
ReplyDeleteI think that Miley's performance was repulsive. Everybody is talking about racism, but I didn't see any involved. "Twerking" is a trend several American girls (and even some guys) are following, because everyone else is making it an appear cool or attractive. I'm also seeing a lot about how Miley "wants to be black". I see it as just her wanting to fit in with the rest of our twisted, upsidedown society, and if you think she was trying to be black, you might as well say all black people are raunchy. The way the media projects what's hip and what's not has a huge impact on everybody. Take Justin Bieber for example. He got into the music business as an innocent, long-haired, boy who sounded like a girl. Now, he has an arm sleeved in tattoos and a rebel, "I'm gonna spit on the beliebers from a balcony" type attitude, and still sounds like a girl. I do think it's a sign that they're just "growing up" (I wouldn't call it maturing), but you don't have to act like you were raised around hoodlums to do so..
ReplyDeletePoor Billy Ray Cyrus..
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ReplyDeleteI niether watched the VMA's but I've noticed everyone see's her like she did something wrong. I dont think it was Racist nor Sexist but it was funny. People were shocked mainly because....SHE DONT CARE! Everybody care about how they are viewed in others eyes, but she couldn't care less! I've read that after Hannah Montana she got engaged and she loved this man with all her heart then he left her. She was devistated and wanted this man to carry her through life becausee it was the man of her dreams. She was heart broken and from then on she stopped caring and she was never the same person. Now you have to think if you judge someone before you know their story then you may end up looking stupid. She crazy, but I salute you Miley!
ReplyDeleteI agree with Nathaniel. Everybody WANTS and TRIES to fit in mostly with the hip-hop society. Over the years, hip-hop/rap has gotten so much popularity it has effected many teenage factors. For example, people sag pants, use a variety of slang language, and a good percentage of the population listens to that genre of music. The media portrays it to seem like if you're not like everybody else, you're a nobody.
ReplyDelete