What's That Spining Sound?

Miley as Hannah Montana

Despite the persistent rumors that he had himself crygonically frozen, I can assure you that Walt Disney was interred at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Glendale, California., along with dozens of other Hollywood legends.

And even though I said on Facebook that I wouldn't watch Miley Cyrus' performance at last night's VMA's, the great cry and hue about said performance pretty much left me feeling like I had to watch it and comment further. And so I did. Now comes the further commenting.

All day I've been wondering why I heard spinning sounds from the west. Having watched Cyrus' performance, it has become apparent that whatever remains of Mr. Disney is spinning fast and hard enough to be heard nearly 3000 miles away. The man who once asked Annette Funicello to keep her navel covered in her Beach Blanket movies must be vomiting ectoplasm all over the place.

As I am sure you must know by now, I am hardly a prude.I like sex as much as any other red-blooded American male. And it honestly takes a lot to offend me. Still... when America's Sweetheart turns herself into America's Slut, even Uncle P has to take notice. 

It's not that I am opposed to a young woman growing up and reinventing herself. Nor am I opposed to any young person's sexual awakening. Far from it. Go for it! I certainly wish that at 20 I had had the balls to be myself (though 20 for Uncle P was well into the last century - a very different time). Still, I don't think I would have been nearly as overtly sexual as the former Disney star was last night. If you haven't seen it (and I may be the last American to actually subject myself to it), here's the clip:

WTF?!?!

I don't blame parents who are upset that their children's idol gave such an exploitative performance. I don't even blame Robin Thicke (though he was obviously complicit) for his part in Cyrus' lascivious performance. Cyrus is legally an adult and can do whatever she likes, as long as it's legal and doesn't harm anyone else. Still, I have to wonder how all those tweens and teens who watched Cyrus' wholesome Disney show and expected an equally wholesome performance from their idol (not to mention their parents' reactions) reacted to her rather lascivious performance. Were I a parent of a 12 to 15 year old girl, I imagine I'd be rather incensed, myself.

Here's the thing: Your television's remote (or when I was a kid, dial) has a button that allows you to change the channel if you see something you don't like or don't want your children to see. If you didn't change the channel last night, you have no right to complain about what was aired. If you let your children watch that mess, you have no right to complain about its overtly sexual images. If you let your children play violent video games, you have no right to complain when they act violently in their social play. And if you take your 8 year old to see an "R" rated horror movie, you have no right to complain when said 8 year old wakes you up because he or she had a nightmare.

Change the channel. Hire a sitter. Don't buy 'Street Murdering Pimps' for X-Box. Don't complain when you allow your children to be exposed to things which you find offensive.

Get over it, already.

More, anon.

Prospero

"...and then I wasn't so excited..."

This is not a post about bashing Kanye West. There are plenty of people out there doing that already, and even if he is an ego maniacal asshole who completely deserves the bashing he's getting both online and the "legitimate" press (which he totally is and does), this post is rather about an unassuming young, beautiful C/W singer who was more surprised than anyone by her win at the VMAs.

19 year-old Taylor Swift had won Best Female Video for her song "You Belong with Me." Imagine the excitement and joy, at 19, you would have felt upon winning what has become a pop-culturally iconic award, only to have some dickhead, who exists only to promote himself and his own agenda, jump up and snatch your joy away by proclaiming that someone else's work was better than that for which you had just won a pop-culturally iconic award. Ms. Swift has been quoted as saying "At first I was excited because I won the award. Then I was excited that Kanye West was on the stage... then I wasn't so exited..."

Today, at my age, I would have punched that jerk in the nose (or at least not relinquished the mike). At 19, I would have had a very similar reaction to Ms. Swift's.

And then there's poor Beyonce Knowles - obviously both flattered and embarrassed - who did the only thing she could and demonstrated the true meaning of "class" when upon winning an award of her own, called Taylor Swift out to finish her speech. Beyonce continues to prove that beauty, talent and graciousness always wins the day. You can see sweet Taylor Swift's adorable, award-winning video here. Beyonce's video may have been hot and oh-so-parodiable, but Swift's video was charming, funny, romantic and fairly universal.

In other news... I had a sort of breakthrough tonight (well, technically last night). I think I may finally have found this character's voice. The rest should soon fall in place. I thank my director, who allowed me to figure it out on my own. I may still really dislike the play, but I think I finally figured out how to play the role in a way that will satisfy everyone - even me. Whew! Talk about cutting it close! We open this Thursday night...

More, anon (very anon, actually)
Prospero