Miley Cyrus' raunchy performance at the 2013 VMAs, and why I hate her now

[Calliope]

She simulated many sex acts, including bending down with her glutes on Robin Thicke's pelvis, and popularized "twerking," which is a disgusting dance, during which she used the foam finger as a phallic symbol, at which the creator of the foam finger is disgusted at. The VMAs seem to attract controversy every year, whether it would be from raunchy performances like Miley's or Lady GaGa's, which was overshadowed by Miley's performance (not to mention Britney and Christina lockintg lips with Madonna a few years back), or other things, such as Kanye West interrupting Taylor Swift after she upset Beyonce for the "Song of the Year" award ("You Belong With Me" beat "Single Ladies"), but this performance was considered by many to be downright crass.

To be honest, I HATE Miley Cyrus now, for what she has become. She used to be nicer as her retired Disney alter-ego, Hannah Montana, and early in her career as herself, she was also pretty good, but seeing what she's become now, I can't stand her anymore. I mean, how in the world did she go from something so wholesome to something so raunchy?!

Her next single is called "Wrecking Ball," and in the video, she goes COMPLETELY NUDE. Now, I haven't seen the actual video, but I have seen screenshots of it, which were too racy to be safe for work (or school, for that matter).

I've also noticed that many of you on this forum have hated her since the beginning, but do you hate her more now than ever, because while I liked her back then, I absolutely despise her now.

You know what I absolutely despise? Slut-shaming judgemental assholes who don't do their research. You hate Miley Cyrus? Well that's cool, just don't listen to her music. I don't. I don't think that there's anything particularly surprising about Miley Cyrus wanting to turn her ultra-controlled, micro-managed Disney franchise childhood on its head as she grows into a young adult, even if I don't agree with her creative choices. In terms of expressing herself as an oversexualized being in her physical prime, that's her choice; and I am free to respond to that by not engaging with her creative content if I don't want to.

What I do take issue with is the fact that she appropriated twerking from West African/hip-hop/ratchet culture, and surrounded herself with black women who she literally used as props during her VMA performance. I cannot stand it when people of privileged fetishize and profit from cultures that they can then choose not to participate in when it is convenient for them. Miley Cyrus gets to slap a black woman's ass for shock value and then profit from it, all the while being "trendy" for stealing someone else's culture. She gets to play at being "ghetto" or dancing like a stripper, when the reality is that she and her family are wealthy enough that she never has to do a day of work in her life, and she shows no respect for people who do have to deal with poverty and abuse.

I hated Britney and Madonna locking lips too - not because it was "slutty", but because they were dabbling in the presentation of bisexuality as something scandalous to entertain others; which is troutty given that they don't have to deal with any of the consequences of actually being bisexual. I also hated the thought of Robin Thicke being on a stage anywhere (why is Miley Cyrus getting all the flack while he still gets to sing his terrible song?) promoting a song about date rape and saying things like "what a pleasure it is to degrade a woman".