Susan here. Sinnead O’Connor recently gave Miley Cyrus some “heartfelt” advice in the Guardian. But Sinnead is lying in two ways here:
1) She says that Cyrus has talent. If Sinnead really cared about her, she would tell Cyrus that she has no fucking talent whatsoever, and that she needs to get out of the entertainment business and do something else with her life.
2) Sinnead says Cyrus’ body belongs to “her and her boyfriend only”. Not true. Cyrus’ body belongs to her alone, to have sex with whomever she pleases. If she wants to “pimp herself”, that’s her choice. Sinnead needs to be more conscious of sex-workers’ rights, along with polyamorous people’s rights.
Sinnead O’Connor is still a kick-ass musician, but unfortunately, she’s no longer the radical truth-teller she once was.
http://www.theguardian.com/music/2013/oct/03/sinead-o-connor-open-letter-miley-cyrus
7 Comments.
totally agree with number two. so tired of these puritanical sexists telling (other) women what they’re allowed to do with their bodies. but i don’t agree that she doesn’t have talent. i may not love most of the shit she puts out (nor, obviously, do you) but that doesn’t mean she’s not talented. check this out. 🙂
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iFZsunzjDXU
O’Connor, in her article, comes off as a Victorian schoolmarm. She an issue with Cyrus being naked. But there is no issue whatsoever. Cyrus has every right to be a sex worker and/or exhibitionist.
I’ll add that although I don’t find Miley attractive at all, I don’t see how a guy who wants to see her naked is a ‘dirtbag.’
She’s right when she says the executives are making much more, but that is always true, not just when they’re selling sex. And although most entertainers are far from being artists or musicians, too much focus on image or sexuality does detract from respectability or substance…
And I don’t believe for a second that sex workers or exhibitionists have respect for themselves. For obvious biological reasons, women are supposed to filter ‘who gets in.’
“Cyrus has every right to be a sex worker and/or exhibitionist.”
And O’Connor has every right to shame her, criticize her, and otherwise browbeat her for making such decisions. Stop trying to silence critics with PC bullshit about how “empowering” it is for women to suck cock on camera or take a load on the face. It’s not, and what angers the Susan Starks of the world with respect to O’Connor’s statement is that it came from a woman, not a man. O’Connor’ knows the meaning of the word “empowerment” and that angers women like Susan Stark. Tough shit.
. . . and anyone else would have the right to call O’Connor out for shaming and browbeating Cyrus and call anyone supporting such behavior a worthless asshole, or whatever came to mind.
That’s the thing about arbitrary standards. They’re arbitrary. If you have a standard that isn’t based on a strict moral value, then someone else can have an arbitrary standard that counters yours, so claiming moral high ground in such a circumstance is absolute bullshit. It boils down to not liking what someone else likes.
That all said, Cyrus has either talent or skill insofar as she has managed to make money. Neither that talent nor skill needs be in musical performance or any other fine art, nor need it be a tremendous amount (since she capitalizes on her father’s name), but there is an element of ability there.
@Ex
“And O’Connor has every right to shame her, criticize her, and otherwise browbeat her for making such decisions.”
O’Connor has the right to express her opinions. I’m merely pointing out where I think she’s wrong.
“Stop trying to silent critics . .”
In no way am I silencing O’Connor. In fact, I like her. You must have missed the part where I said she was a kick-ass musician.
“bullshit about how “empowering” it is for women to suck cock on camera or take a load on the face.”
Miley Cyrus has done much less than that on camera, and she’s making a shit-ton of money doing it. So that can be “empowering”. My opinion is that she should invest the money she has into something else, because her lack of talent will only take her so far.
” and what angers the Susan Starks of the world with respect to O’Connor’s statement is”
I am not at all “angry” at O’Connor or her statement. You’re projecting that emotion on to me.
“O’Connor’ knows the meaning of the word “empowerment” and that angers women like Susan Stark”
Again with “anger”. No such emotion. But judging from your tone, there’s a lot of anger in you, Ex.
Who gives a flying F%#K about Miley, Smily or Sinnead? Only losers get involved over crud like this. It’s “Dancing with the Stars” crap.