By Meg Chu, Contributor, Emerson College
When I was informed that the new Miley Cyrus music video for “Wrecking Ball” was released, I pretended I didn’t care. “Oh, that’s her new song, right? Yeah, I think I’ve heard of it…”
I then proceeded to politely excuse myself from the current conversation, run to the bathroom, lock myself in a stall, plug my earbuds into my phone, open Youtube, and watch the video.
I loved the video for “We Can’t Stop.” I thought it was provocative, completely absurd, and highly entertaining — essentially, it embodied the new, “post-Disney Miley,” which I think was a great career move - so, naturally, I had high hopes for “Wrecking Ball.”
While waiting for the video to load, I took bets with myself on how long it would be into the video before Miley licked something. But when the video began, and I found myself staring at a teary-eyed Miley Cyrus, I was nonplussed. Could this music video possibly be… emotional? Sans twerking, sans licking, sans party-girl chaos?
For the first thirty seconds, I thought she was fucking brilliant. A beautiful, emotional music video after “We Can’t Stop” would be fucking genius. People would eat it up, and, without a doubt, fans would use it to their advantage in arguments over whether or not she’s completely gone wild. (“See? Miley has a sensitive, serious side!”)
But alas. At exactly :48, Miley moves her mouth suggestively towards a sledgehammer.
When I was informed that the new Miley Cyrus music video for “Wrecking Ball” was released, I pretended I didn’t care. “Oh, that’s her new song, right? Yeah, I think I’ve heard of it…”
I then proceeded to politely excuse myself from the current conversation, run to the bathroom, lock myself in a stall, plug my earbuds into my phone, open Youtube, and watch the video.
I loved the video for “We Can’t Stop.” I thought it was provocative, completely absurd, and highly entertaining — essentially, it embodied the new, “post-Disney Miley,” which I think was a great career move - so, naturally, I had high hopes for “Wrecking Ball.”
While waiting for the video to load, I took bets with myself on how long it would be into the video before Miley licked something. But when the video began, and I found myself staring at a teary-eyed Miley Cyrus, I was nonplussed. Could this music video possibly be… emotional? Sans twerking, sans licking, sans party-girl chaos?
For the first thirty seconds, I thought she was fucking brilliant. A beautiful, emotional music video after “We Can’t Stop” would be fucking genius. People would eat it up, and, without a doubt, fans would use it to their advantage in arguments over whether or not she’s completely gone wild. (“See? Miley has a sensitive, serious side!”)
But alas. At exactly :48, Miley moves her mouth suggestively towards a sledgehammer.
I was literally holding my breath. I thought to myself, “Don’t do it, Miley. Don’t.” But by 1:23, she licks the sledgehammer. And at that point, I was ten thousand percent done with the music video.
Oh, Miley. You’re going to lick a sledgehammer? That’s not even hot. (Don’t do it. Don’t lick it. Don’t. No. Why. Stop. Stop licking. Bad.)
Probably one of the most controversial elements of the video is that Miley is naked while swinging on a wrecking ball in a vaguely erotic, kind of slow-motion manner, like she was in a really, really REALLY terrible porno with emotional singing.
I’ve seen people argue that her nudity is unnecessary, and that Miley is selling her body as a sex symbol, not selling her music. From a feminist standpoint, it’s true — she’s essentially objectifying herself.
I’ve also seen people argue that her nudity is not something that should be shocking: nudity symbolizes things other than sex; for example, it symbolizes vulnerability. From a feminist standpoint, it’s true — a woman’s naked body should not automatically be assumed to be sexual.
So basically, as a feminist, I have no real say, because I honestly don’t know what the fuck to think. I’m completely baffled.
Oh, Miley. You’re going to lick a sledgehammer? That’s not even hot. (Don’t do it. Don’t lick it. Don’t. No. Why. Stop. Stop licking. Bad.)
Probably one of the most controversial elements of the video is that Miley is naked while swinging on a wrecking ball in a vaguely erotic, kind of slow-motion manner, like she was in a really, really REALLY terrible porno with emotional singing.
I’ve seen people argue that her nudity is unnecessary, and that Miley is selling her body as a sex symbol, not selling her music. From a feminist standpoint, it’s true — she’s essentially objectifying herself.
I’ve also seen people argue that her nudity is not something that should be shocking: nudity symbolizes things other than sex; for example, it symbolizes vulnerability. From a feminist standpoint, it’s true — a woman’s naked body should not automatically be assumed to be sexual.
So basically, as a feminist, I have no real say, because I honestly don’t know what the fuck to think. I’m completely baffled.
Feminist lens aside, the music video fails in that it is inconsistent with the song. “Wrecking Ball” is, lyrically, quite emotional. Yes, Miley is expressing vulnerability through her lyrics, and video director Terry Richardson may have been trying to express that same vulnerability through Miley’s nakedness. But Richardson did it in the wrong way. It wasn’t artistic. There are other ways to express vulnerability. Miley could have been naked, sure, that’s fine - I don’t have a problem with that. Did she really have to be swinging on a wrecking ball? Yes, that’s the title of the song. But her swinging on it naked does nothing to enhance the song’s meaning. And if the video really is about vulnerability, then what does the goddamn sledgehammer-licking have anything to do with it?
It is unarguable that “Wrecking Ball” is a Youtube record-breaking hit. But let’s be real – if Billy Ray were the one riding naked on a giant wrecking ball, he probably would’ve gotten that many Youtube hits, too.
It is unarguable that “Wrecking Ball” is a Youtube record-breaking hit. But let’s be real – if Billy Ray were the one riding naked on a giant wrecking ball, he probably would’ve gotten that many Youtube hits, too.