Assessment

Why is the public row between the music artists Sinaed O'Connor and Miley Cyrus important in understanding the relationship between artists and between artists and audience? Explore with reference to the representation of women, media institutions and the role of the media.

 

In response to Miley's latest music video, Wrecking Ball, Sinéad O'Conner voiced her thoughts with bitter honesty. Sinéad's rant touches upon numerous feminist controversies within the musical industry. The bitter reality is that the portrayal of women, through media, is, in the long-run, incredibly superficial, and sexualised. Big media industries do capitalise upon the simple fact that... Sex sells. 

Laura Mulvey, feminist media theorist, introduced the concept of the male gaze. Essentially, what it is, is that media texts targeted towards men typically commodify women. More than that, it has become almost expected of the media to present women as little more than sexual objects, to attract the male audience. Lynx is a capital example of this, commodifying females, suggesting to the target audience of heterosexual males that if he were to buy the product, he'll get the women, also. This commodification of women is a fail-safe for advertising companies, and it's extremely apparent in the music industry. 

Let's be honest, music artists that are popular in this day and age are incredibly reliant on sexual image. Artists like Rihanna, Nikki Minaj, Katy Perry, and Miley Cyrus are all designed to satisfy the male gaze. Singing sexual songs, and wearing skimpy clothing. 

"Real empowerment of yourself as a woman would be to in future refuse to exploit your body or your sexuality in order for men to make money from you."

Miley's Wrecking Ball is clearly taking advantage of the concept of male gaze, to grab an audience. But beyond this, what it does is draw publicity, from it's controversy. 

It's unanimous in the music scene, and in any media arts scene, that there is no such thing as bad publicity. Miley's apparent nakedness has captured everyone's attention. Miley's Wrecking Ball is certainly memorable. Perhaps, as Sinéad O'Conner argued, for all the wrong reasons, but the point of the matter is that it accomplishes precisely what a music video is set out to do. To publicise the artist. 

Miley Cyrus has a history. Previously a Disney star, taking the eponymous role in the hit teen series, Hannah Montana, and becoming an idol for young girls everywhere. Here, I believe, is where the majority of the controversy lies. Miley Cyrus's downright turn from child-friendly Disney, to the impure, heavily-sexualized Music Industry. Though it's not unheard of, for Disney stars to turn, it certainly causes a scandal in the press. For example, huge controversies previously surrounded Vanessa Anne-Hudgens (High School Musical), among many others. It seems Disney stars are eager to break free from the fetters of child-friendly programming. 

But this rebellion is much more pronounced in female stars, than in the male stars of Disney. Male stars tend to fade away from the public eye. While male stars, (Zac Effron for example) do go on to more adultish things, they are hardly ostracised, unlike Miley Cyrus with her supposed betrayal of Disney. 

Miley previously being a figure for girls to look up to, causes much outrage in audiences. A common argument being that she 'must continue to be a positive role-model' as her fans may continue to follow in her footsteps. Miley Cyrus has been labelled as a bad influence.

But is she doing any worse than the other powerful women in the music industry? 

The absence of clothes is nothing new to music videos. Many women wear little to no clothes. It's almost the secret to success. Sexualisation is at the core of modern music. So, while Miley's morality may be in question, she's doing little more than what is expected of women in music, in order to get into the public eye. Artists like Björk have used nudity in their music videos, and they're widely acclaimed across audiences, and thought of as inspiring and artistic. Why is Miley different?

The reception of Wrecking Ball has been incredibly skeptical, and arguments have been revolving around how the video is little more than purposeless sexualisation and smut, while other videos have used nudity in a more conceptualised and meaningful way. However, there is meaning behind Miley's Wrecking Ball. It may be hard to grasp, due to the sheer eccentricity and surreal nature of her video, (heck, I don't know what the hammer-licking is supposed to mean), but the song and video are meant to (metaphorically, I hope) convey Miley's relationship with her ex-fiancé. The two separated, which left Miley feeling stripped of love; naked. 

Wrecking Ball may have been received better, had the video been not so horrendously exaggerated. It possessed a relatively meaningful concept, (numerous music videos have little meaning at all, these days), a weighty budget, and a talented star. But, tragically, the music video is not interpreted as meaningful or inspirational, but rather, smutty and scandalous. The video was seen as a farce, and has become the butt of jokes. 

In Sinéad O'Conner's letter, she admits to being swindled into the industry's sex-promotion scheme, and expresses her shame for doing so. Her letter does address Miley with respect and genuine concern, offering her wider knowledge of the industry to advise Miley Cyrus. I personally find it endearing, and it shows that though music is a very competitive business, musical artists can be (though certainly not always) warm-hearted and helpful to one another (not only for their own personal gain). Miley did cite Sinéad's Nothing Compares as inspiration for Wrecking Ball, so for Sinéad to respond to this on such a personal level requires incredible honesty and faith that Miley may listen to her opinion. (I sincerely hope she will.) 

However, it is a great injustice to Miley, for this video to be scandalised and receive such harsh feedback, due to it's content. While it's very easy to take a naked woman swinging on a wrecking ball as it demolishes a small concrete room as a joke, the audience may not fully comprehend the deeper emotions behind the video; the inner toil of Miley, spilled out through the lyrics. 

(We Can't Stop, however, deserves every bit of harshness.)