Miley Cyrus will soon present the MTV VMAs, just two years after causing international shock after twerking on Robin Thicke (while he grabbed her and threw his head back). Controversy is expected, and has sort of been trailed in the mini Instagram videos to promote the show, with Miley in nipple pasties and her tongue hanging out. But she wants us all to take a long hard look at what’s more controversial – nudity, or violence?
Because she’s not happy that Taylor Swift’s Bad Blood didn’t get the backlash her videos have. She told Marie Claire she doesn’t get ‘the whole violence revenge thing.’
She said: ‘That’s supposed to be a good example? And I’m a bad role model because I’m running around with my titties out? I’m not sure how titties are worse than guns.’
And while she might have been talking about Mariah Carey’s Heartbreaker video, or Madonna’s Die Another Day video (where, incidentally, each singer splits into two people, one good and one bad, and they fight against themselves), she means Taylor Swift’s video.
Bad Blood wasn’t hugely violent, if you put it next to a Tarantino film, or an episode of Game Of Thrones. But with the video featuring not only hand-to-hand combat but oodles of guns and flamethrowers and revenge wreaked on Selena Gomez, it’s a far cry from Miley’s _Wrecking Bal_l, which got a lot of stick but was just a pretend-sad naked woman knocking down walls.
Miley’s comments come at a time where mass shootings in America are, The Economist has reported, daily occurrences. While the gunmen might constantly be written off as ‘loners’, they function within a culture that’s anti-gun control, and that sees its glorification across swathes of media. Guns clearly aren’t given the crappy press they deserve.
Far from blaming Taylor for any individual incident, though, Miley’s questioned a culture where trigger-happy music videos don’t get any criticism, while her showing off her body does.
Oh, but all that said – could she also be taking a pop at Rihanna right now? The simple difference is, for all its gore, the only gun in* Bitch Better Have My Money* is a non-violent flare gun…
Like this? You might also be interested in:
Taylor Swift’s Bad Blood Video Stars All Her Friends. It’s Amazing
Miley Cyrus Is A Great Role Model. Twerking, Charities And The Rest
Follow Sophie on Twitter @sophwilkinson
This article originally appeared on The Debrief.