Miley March madness countdown

The countdown to "getting our twerk on" has begun! 

In exactly 24 days, me and the Rens get to see Miley Cyrus ride a giant hot dog at the Bell Centre. 

If that isn't something to look forward to I don't know what is!

I've professed my love, and admiration, for Miley on this blog before (like here, and here). Despite this fact, and the fact that she is a very talented singer, I regularly get met with inquisitive, shocked and even judgy looks of disapproval when I tell people that I'm a fan.

People act like she's the first woman to use her sexuality (in addition to her tongue and teddy bears) to sell albums.

Beyonce? Check. Britney Spears? Check. Katy Perry? Check. Lady Gaga? Check. Madonna? Check. Rihanna? Check. Shakira? Check. Xtina? Check. 

Etc.

The difference between her and them (apart from Xtina) is that she actually has the vocal talent to back up "her antics."

miley performing lana del rey's summertime sadness

What never ceases to amaze me is how people aren't critical of men who use naked women (I'm talking to you Robin Thicke in Blurred Lines!) as accessories, but are quick to judge women who... use themselves.

Or as Lily Allen puts it, "it's hard out here for a b$#*&!"

Gender inequalities aside... here's to fans of Miley including Bastille (who perform a decidedly "turnt up" version of We Can't Stop) and Sarah Blackwood, of Walk off the Earth fame, who delivers a a hauntingly beautiful version of Wrecking Ball with her equally talented friends. 

Much ado about Miley

“To live in a culture in which women are routinely naked where men aren't is to learn inequality in little ways all day long. So even if we agree that sexual imagery is in fact a language, it is clearly one that is already heavily edited to protect men's sexual--and hence social--confidence while undermining that of women.”  

The above quote is from Naomi Wolf's (in my opinion) brilliant book The Beauty Myth: How Images of Beauty are Used Against Women.

Here's another one: Women could probably be trained quite easily to see men first as sexual things.

But they aren't. 

And therein lies the Great Double Standard. 

The battle around the GDS has recently resurfaced, thanks in large part to Miley Cyrus' VMA performance. I say "thanks" as opposed to "due" because I think Miley has done us all a great service, as opposed to a disservice, by showing  that we've not, in fact, "come a long way, baby."

If anybody seriously thinks we've really come a long way... I have just one thing to ask: where the hellz are we going, yo?

The GDS is glaring when you examine the reaction to Robin Thicke's VMA performance and unrated Blurred Lines video.  He was the "victim" and everyone like boobs, respectively.

Double ick for Robin Thicke.

Miley's co-conspirator quickly sold her out on Oprah by the way, which is just one more reason he's a huge douche kabob.

Here's another one.

the very married mr. ick giving a young fan a colonoscopy

But I digress.

I am honestly surprised, nay shocked, at the amount of controversy stirred up by Miley's twerking, latex outfit, foam finger, Wrecking Ball video, Rolling Stone cover, movement. 

I mean... I can't walk down St. Catherine Street, open a magazine or watch a movie without having 10,000 tits rammed down my throat.

And that includes so-called feminists'. 

That's right, I'm talking to you Femen...

If supposed feminists think the only way to have their voices heard (ha!) is by putting on red lipstick, wearing a vinok and going topless then... let me repeat... where the hellz are we going, yo??

Femen was actually founded, and is controlled by, a man (big surprise right?) who thought young, pretty, topless blondes (that he personally "hand-picked," kind of like mr. ick) would be a good way for him to get his point across.

So Femen's point, just like pop culture's, pornography's, etc's, is to capture the male gaze. 

Excellent.

Does ojectification really equal empowerment? I don't think so. Even though Britney and Rihanna clearly disagree.
 

Strip clubs and dollar bills... double excellent! I feel so... empowered! 

The GDS debate is even more relevant in Quebec, where a new Charter of Values is threatening to disrupt the delicate (pH) balance reestablished since the last... ummm... incident.

Some Quebecers are saying the charter is being enacted to protect "oppressed women" who are being forced to wear religious garb such as the hijab and burqa. What they don't realize is that these same women will now have to choose between their faith and the economic independence provided by their jobs. 

The underlying message is that women who cover up are oppressed and woman who let it all hang out are empowered.

Good one male gazers! I see what you did there! 

Mathangi Arulpragasam, Maya, or MIA sees it a little differently.

Even though she's covered up, she's expressing herself. And that's as opposed to empowering oppressing herself. You see what she did there?

A recent spoof entitled HBO Should Show Dongs is a great comeback to the male gaze because feminists (such as myself... loud and proud) aren't saying we shouldn't show boobs. We're just saying the "dumb double standard," the one that purports that different moral structures should be applied to men and women, is as antiquated as the people who believe in it.

So "don't give us the shaft, show it to us!" We demand genital equality and the end of the GDS. For those of you who disagree with me, I hear Carl's Jr. just came out with a great new ad...

Triple ick. Covered in cheese.

One last word about Miley and the surrounding controversy.  I promise.

If Sinead O'Connor really wanted to do something in the spirit of "motherliness" and "love" she wouldn't have written an open letter with the word "prostitute" smattered all over it. She would have made a private phone call and shown a little respect, woman to woman. 

But I guess that's too much to ask from a famewhore.