A Response to the VMAs (and Miley)
The MTV VMAs (Video Music Awards) were this past Sunday. Guess what was trending earlier this week? Sure, artists won awards and gave speeches as you would expect. I saw some articles about them. Bigger than that though? Two words: Miley Cyrus. You see, she had the privilege of hosting these awards. The audience saw plenty of her outfits and a lack thereof. She tussled verbally with Nicki Minaj, performed a new single, and at the end of the show, announced that her new album was now available for free. Who does that? Most artists love to create art and perform it. But release an album for free? Even with her often inappropriate fare, it was a smart business move.
But won't people pay for quality? Yes. So is Miley cutting herself short? Is she trying to make a statement? She already does that and has addressed the issue of copyright laws regarding music in the past. This album is a "side project" and is something she wanted to "share . . . with her fans directly" ("Miley Cyrus Says New Album Cost $50,000 to Make, Label Was Out of the Loop" by Lars Brandle, Billboard.com).
We may be tempted as followers of Christ to dismiss her, but music reflects culture, and if the world around us listens to her music, then what does that say about the culture we live in?
"It is a commonplace that what shocks one generation is accepted quite calmly by the next. This adaptability to change of moral standards is sometimes greeted with satisfaction as an evidence of human perfectibility: whereas, it is only evidence of what unsubstantial foundations people's moral judgments have" ("Religion and Literature" by T.S. Eliot).
Thanks for reading!
But won't people pay for quality? Yes. So is Miley cutting herself short? Is she trying to make a statement? She already does that and has addressed the issue of copyright laws regarding music in the past. This album is a "side project" and is something she wanted to "share . . . with her fans directly" ("Miley Cyrus Says New Album Cost $50,000 to Make, Label Was Out of the Loop" by Lars Brandle, Billboard.com).
We may be tempted as followers of Christ to dismiss her, but music reflects culture, and if the world around us listens to her music, then what does that say about the culture we live in?
"It is a commonplace that what shocks one generation is accepted quite calmly by the next. This adaptability to change of moral standards is sometimes greeted with satisfaction as an evidence of human perfectibility: whereas, it is only evidence of what unsubstantial foundations people's moral judgments have" ("Religion and Literature" by T.S. Eliot).
Thanks for reading!
Comments
Post a Comment