Towards A Virtual Williamsburg!

[Not Bob]

Originally Posted by Atticus Grinch

He quoted the song, and then said: "Seriously, only morons listen to garbage like this. Really." And then he makes the point that a MARRIED MAN with KIDS has no business grinding it out on a stage with a woman not his wife. Because such a person has low character.

I do not think any of our most beloved R&B songs could withstand this level of scrutiny. Why feminists aren't burning James Brown records escapes me, or would if it weren't for the obvious answer: too many people like listening to them.

Is Jon Hamm an asshole because he goes home to Jennifer Westfeldt after a long day of playing Don Draper? What do we presume to know about an entertainer by the person they turn themselves into when entertaining?

And the Stones ("under my thumb, a Siamese cat of a girl") and the Beatles ("I'd rather see you dead, little girl, than with another man"). And movies and TV shows and plays too numerous to count.

My point isn't that Robin Thicke sings misogynistic songs, and that wasn't the main thing I took from the article TM linked to. It was the double standard expressed by everyone from the normally delightful Mika Brezinski on Morning Joe to the dude who was in line behind me at the Little General when they blasted 20 year old Miley and gave a pass to the 36 year old Robin Thicke. Sexist? Yup.

[Not Bob]

Originally Posted by LessinSF

Amen. I watched about 30 seconds of the video, didn't get a hardon and moved on, wondering why anyone cared, because it certainly wasn't for the music.

LessinTriesteItaly

You should care because of the slut-shaming aspect of it. If red state girls like Miley can fight through the Patriarchy (literal in her case -- I just read somewhere that Billy Ray is on the board of the Parents Television Council, which denounced Miley and MTV for the set), you are that much closerto victory.

[Sidd Finch]

Originally Posted by Not Bob

You should care because of the slut-shaming aspect of it. If red state girls like Miley can fight through the Patriarchy (literal in her case -- I just read somewhere that Billy Ray is on the board of the Parents Television Council, which denounced Miley and MTV for the set), you are that much closerto victory.

I found the Miley thing (what little I watched of it) pretty disgusting and sad. Not because it was raunchy or sexual, but because it was just so godawful bad. It wasn't sexy or hot in any way -- it was a spastic dancer in a bad getup who was begging people to see her as a grownup. It was like hearing a bad comedian yell "fuck! fuck!" to try and get laughs.

Being shocked or scandlized by this stuff is silly -- it's the frigging VMAs, people. When Madonna kissed Britney, it was hot (poor Chef's tired heart nearly gave out). Raunchy, sure, but hot. Lady Gaga? Not hot IMO, but at least interesting because she's so out there.

Miley was just sad. She didn't look like the next Madonna or next Gaga. She looked like the next Lindsay Lohan.

[Replaced_Texan]

Originally Posted by Hank Chinaski

The Miley angle is actually anti-women. Miley bothers people because she was sweet, and now she is growing up.

Consider this, Thicke caught some shit for the song before sure. But now that Miley gets dragged in, he's very bad. Well Miley is trying to bridge from mega-bucks teen star to mega-bucks adult star, that's all. Sure, it's weird that America likes to see some old guy doing that shit with a girl her age, but that's where the country is at. I think Thicke is simply playing the cash registers himself.

And here's the thing, when I hear the song I see the models from the video (unrated version, thanks T!!!) in my mind. I bet most guys wouldn't be able to tolerate the song if not for that. And those models do not look much older than good ole Miley (looks like they are 22 or so). Why wasn't everyone disgusted then?

Miley had the option of trying to use her talents as a singer w/o selling her, umm, scrawny butt. The models in the video had fewer options, made more money for Thicke AND made a whole lot less than Miley will for having done the show (from sales down the road).

So, if one wants to be indignant I'd start there. But you know what, it may not have been as a big a payday for the models, but it was a good payday, I'm sure. They used their, you have to admit, amazing looks to cash a check that was likely bigger than whatever else they were doing (it looks like the white brunet has the most going on, although all 3 will get some buzz). So who am I or thurgreed's blogger to tell them not to do the video.

And those of you reading this who were bothered by miley, be honest, were you bothered by the young topless women in the video? No one seems to mention them.

FWIW, most of the feminist and girly blogs I read called out the Robin Thicke video, but as much as Gwaker would like to hope otherwise, Jezebel is not mainstream media.

[Not Bob]

Originally Posted by Replaced_Texan

FWIW, most of the feminist and girly blogs I read called out the Robin Thicke video, but as much as Gwaker would like to hope otherwise, Jezebel is not mainstream media.

IIRC, Grantland did, too.

[taxwonk]

Originally Posted by Did you just call me Coltrane?

The problem I have with all of this is that Miley is unattractive.

Miley is unattractive, but more importantly, she isn't talented. She was created by the Evil Mouse's machine. They took her as a girl, dressed her up, manufactured a new personality and told her to sing the songs their little pod-monkeys wrote to be non-offensive and appeal in a mindless way to the largest number of people.

Suddenly, she was a grown-up and Disney couldn't use her any more. They tossed her aside, so she had to reinvent herself. We don't like the reinvention, but there are dirty old men out there who eat this shit up.

It's all sad for Miley, but frankly, I just don't care. I don't like her music. I don't like her looks. I don't like, as a general rule, the people who do like Miley Cyrus.

As for Robin Thicke, he's a pig. Wow, I am shocked, shocked, I tell you. I have never before seen a middle-aged performer whose best years are behind him try to hold on by surrounding himself with some pretty little meat. And make no mistake, in that capacity, they are being used as meat.

It's gross, but the players jumped at the chance to debase themselves for fame and money. In a world where people will whore themselves out, display their worst behavior to millions for the gratification of their overbloated egos, what else can we expect?

[Hank Chinaski]

Originally Posted by taxwonk

Miley is unattractive, but more importantly, she isn't talented. She was created by the Evil Mouse's machine. They took her as a girl, dressed her up, manufactured a new personality and told her to sing the songs their little pod-monkeys wrote to be non-offensive and appeal in a mindless way to the largest number of people.

Suddenly, she was a grown-up and Disney couldn't use her any more. They tossed her aside, so she had to reinvent herself. We don't like the reinvention, but there are dirty old men out there who eat this shit up.

It's all sad for Miley, but frankly, I just don't care. I don't like her music. I don't like her looks. I don't like, as a general rule, the people who do like Miley Cyrus.

As for Robin Thicke, he's a pig. Wow, I am shocked, shocked, I tell you. I have never before seen a middle-aged performer whose best years are behind him try to hold on by surrounding himself with some pretty little meat. And make no mistake, in that capacity, they are being used as meat.

It's gross, but the players jumped at the chance to debase themselves for fame and money. In a world where people will whore themselves out, display their worst behavior to millions for the gratification of their overbloated egos, what else can we expect?

I've achieved all the fame I've achieved w/o abusing or exploiting anyone.

[Pretty Little Flower]

Originally Posted by taxwonk

Miley is unattractive, but more importantly, she isn't talented. She was created by the Evil Mouse's machine. They took her as a girl, dressed her up, manufactured a new personality and told her to sing the songs their little pod-monkeys wrote to be non-offensive and appeal in a mindless way to the largest number of people.

Suddenly, she was a grown-up and Disney couldn't use her any more. They tossed her aside, so she had to reinvent herself. We don't like the reinvention, but there are dirty old men out there who eat this shit up.

It's all sad for Miley, but frankly, I just don't care. I don't like her music. I don't like her looks. I don't like, as a general rule, the people who do like Miley Cyrus.

As for Robin Thicke, he's a pig. Wow, I am shocked, shocked, I tell you. I have never before seen a middle-aged performer whose best years are behind him try to hold on by surrounding himself with some pretty little meat. And make no mistake, in that capacity, they are being used as meat.

It's gross, but the players jumped at the chance to debase themselves for fame and money. In a world where people will whore themselves out, display their worst behavior to millions for the gratification of their overbloated egos, what else can we expect?

Thicke's song gets scrutiny because it is popular but it is so fucking tame compared to so much of the club hip hop out there. Anyone seen the explicit version of Tyga's Make It Nasty? I bet Less has and I bet he didn't turn it off after 30 seconds.

[Not Bob]

Originally Posted by Pretty Little Flower

Thicke's song gets scrutiny because it is popular but it is so fucking tame compared to so much of the club hip hop out there. Anyone seen the explicit version of Tyga's Make It Nasty? I bet Less has and I bet he didn't turn it off after 30 seconds.

Is that what you meant by "Less popular culture"?

Ha! I kill me!

[Hank Chinaski]

Originally Posted by Pretty Little Flower

Thicke's song gets scrutiny because it is popular but it is so fucking tame compared to so much of the club hip hop out there. Anyone seen the explicit version of Tyga's Make It Nasty? I bet Less has and I bet he didn't turn it off after 30 seconds.

I'm giving you two week to get back on track. If you don't I'm making a flower@60 sock.

[Atticus Grinch]

Originally Posted by Pretty Little Flower

Thicke's song gets scrutiny because it is popular but it is so fucking tame compared to so much of the club hip hop out there. Anyone seen the explicit version of Tyga's Make It Nasty? I bet Less has and I bet he didn't turn it off after 30 seconds.

Or stuff that's even more pop-accessible. {Spree: Soundcloud; lyrics NSFW}

[Did you just call me Coltrane?]

Originally Posted by Sidd Finch

I found the Miley thing (what little I watched of it) pretty disgusting and sad. Not because it was raunchy or sexual, but because it was just so godawful bad. It wasn't sexy or hot in any way -- it was a spastic dancer in a bad getup who was begging people to see her as a grownup. It was like hearing a bad comedian yell "fuck! fuck!" to try and get laughs.

Being shocked or scandlized by this stuff is silly -- it's the frigging VMAs, people. When Madonna kissed Britney, it was hot (poor Chef's tired heart nearly gave out). Raunchy, sure, but hot. Lady Gaga? Not hot IMO, but at least interesting because she's so out there.

Miley was just sad. She didn't look like the next Madonna or next Gaga. She looked like the next Lindsay Lohan.

[ThurgreedMarshall]

http://www.lawtalkers.com/forums/sho...postcount=1955

http://www.lawtalkers.com/forums/sho...postcount=1956

http://www.lawtalkers.com/forums/sho...postcount=1957

http://www.lawtalkers.com/forums/sho...postcount=1958

TM

[LessinSF]

Originally Posted by Pretty Little Flower

Thicke's song gets scrutiny because it is popular but it is so fucking tame compared to so much of the club hip hop out there. Anyone seen the explicit version of Tyga's Make It Nasty? I bet Less has and I bet he didn't turn it off after 30 seconds.

No. Yahoo must not have put it on its front pagd, but I will.check it out (I am at pub now)

InVenice

[ltl/fb]

Is the board? I feel kinda weird about posting a lot because I'm not working (and don't really see that changing, after having applied for a few things and been rejected out of hand or whatever that phrase is). But def interested if still generally active because seems like I'm more mentally "me" every day, more or less.