Sinead O'Connor pens open letter to Miley Cyrus: 'Don't let the music business make a prostitute of

[busybeeburns]

 

Sinead O'Connor pens open letter to Miley Cyrus: 'Don't let the music business make a prostitute of you'

 

Irish singer-songwriter Sinead O’Connor is no stranger to controversy (she famously tore up a picture of Pope John Paul II while saying, “Fight the real enemy!” on Saturday Night Live in 1992), but the 46-year-old musician finds nothing amusing about Miley Cyrus’ headline-grabbing antics — or her recent willingness to strip off her clothes.

 

O’Connor has penned an open letter to the artist formerly known as Hannah Montana in response to Cyrus’ recent Rolling Stone cover story, in which she explained that O’Connor’s iconic music video for “Nothing Compares 2 U” helped inspire her own “Wrecking Ball” clip — you know, the one that features Cyrus licking a sledgehammer and swinging naked on a wrecking ball.

 

“Nothing but harm will come in the long run, from allowing yourself to be exploited,” O’Connor warns, “and it is absolutely NOT in ANY way an empowerment of yourself or any other young women, for you to send across the message that you are to be valued (even by you) more for your sexual appeal than your obvious talent.”

 

“The music business doesn’t give a sh– about you, or any of us,” she continues. “They will prostitute you for all you are worth, and cleverly make you think it’s what YOU wanted… None of the men oggling you give a sh– about you either, do not be fooled.”

 

O’Connor’s words are harsh, but she weaves in moments of sincere admiration for Cyrus’ musical ability throughout the piece. “You have enough talent that you don’t need to let the music business make a prostitute of you,” O’Connor argues. “Your records are good enough for you not to need any shedding of Hannah Montana. She’s waaaaaaay gone by now. Not because you got naked but because you make great records.”

 

Read the full letter below:

 

Dear Miley,

 

I wasn’t going to write this letter, but today i’ve been dodging phone calls from various newspapers who wished me to remark upon your having said in Rolling Stone your “Wrecking Ball” video was designed to be similar to the one for “Nothing Compares” … So this is what I need to say … And it is said in the spirit of motherliness and with love.

 

I am extremely concerned for you that those around you have led you to believe, or encouraged you in your own belief, that it is in any way “cool” to be naked and licking sledgehammers in your videos. It is in fact the case that you will obscure your talent by allowing yourself to be pimped, whether it’s the music business or yourself doing the pimping.

 

Nothing but harm will come in the long run, from allowing yourself to be exploited, and it is absolutely NOT in ANY way an empowerment of yourself or any other young women, for you to send across the message that you are to be valued (even by you) more for your sexual appeal than your obvious talent.

 

I am happy to hear I am somewhat of a role model for you and I hope that because of that you will pay close attention to what I am telling you.

 

The music business doesn’t give a sh– about you, or any of us. They will prostitute you for all you are worth, and cleverly make you think its what YOU wanted.. and when you end up in rehab as a result of being prostituted, “they” will be sunning themselves on their yachts in Antigua, which they bought by selling your body and you will find yourself very alone.

 

None of the men oggling you give a sh– about you either, do not be fooled. Many’s the woman mistook lust for love. If they want you sexually that doesn’t mean they give a f— about you. All the more true when you unwittingly give the impression you don’t give much of a f— about yourself. And when you employ people who give the impression they don’t give much of a f— about you either. No one who cares about you could support your being pimped.. and that includes you yourself.

 

Yes, I’m suggesting you don’t care for yourself. That has to change. You ought be protected as a precious young lady by anyone in your employ and anyone around you, including you. This is a dangerous world. We don’t encourage our daughters to walk around naked in it because it makes them prey for animals and less than animals, a distressing majority of whom work in the music industry and its associated media.

 

You are worth more than your body or your sexual appeal. The world of showbiz doesn’t see things that way, they like things to be seen the other way, whether they are magazines who want you on their cover, or whatever.. Don’t be under any illusions.. ALL of them want you because they’re making money off your youth and your beauty.. which they could not do except for the fact your youth makes you blind to the evils of show business. If you have an innocent heart you can’t recognise those who do not.

 

I repeat, you have enough talent that you don’t need to let the music business make a prostitute of you. You shouldn’t let them make a fool of you either. Don’t think for a moment that any of them give a flying f— about you. They’re there for the money.. we’re there for the music. It has always been that way and it will always be that way. The sooner a young lady gets to know that, the sooner she can be REALLY in control.

 

You also said in Rolling Stone that your look is based on mine. The look I chose, I chose on purpose at a time when my record company were encouraging me to do what you have done. I felt I would rather be judged on my talent and not my looks. I am happy that I made that choice, not least because I do not find myself on the proverbial rag heap now that I am almost 47 yrs of age.. which unfortunately many female artists who have based their image around their sexuality, end up on when they reach middle age.

 

Real empowerment of yourself as a woman would be to in future refuse to exploit your body or your sexuality in order for men to make money from you. I needn’t even ask the question.. I’ve been in the business long enough to know that men are making more money than you are from you getting naked. It’s really not at all cool. And it’s sending dangerous signals to other young women. Please in future say no when you are asked to prostitute yourself. Your body is for you and your boyfriend. It isn’t for every spunk-spewing dirtbag on the net, or every greedy record company executive to buy his mistresses diamonds with.

 

As for the shedding of the Hannah Montana image.. whoever is telling you getting naked is the way to do that does absolutely NOT respect your talent, or you as a young lady. Your records are good enough for you not to need any shedding of Hannah Montana. She’s waaaaaaay gone by now.. Not because you got naked but because you make great records.

 

Whether we like it or not, us females in the industry are role models and as such we have to be extremely careful what messages we send to other women. The message you keep sending is that it’s somehow cool to be prostituted.. it’s so not cool Miley.. it’s dangerous. Women are to be valued for so much more than their sexuality. we aren’t merely objects of desire. I would be encouraging you to send healthier messages to your peers.. that they and you are worth more than what is currently going on in your career. Kindly fire any motherf—er who hasn’t expressed alarm, because they don’t care about you.

 

http://music-mix.ew.com/2013/10/02/sinead-oconnor-miley-cyrus-open-letter/

[busybeeburns]

O'Connor wrote a letter to Cyrus warning her about her "dangerous" behaviour

 

Miley Cyrus and Sinead O'Connor row escalates

 

Pop star Miley Cyrus has hit back at Sinead O'Connor, after the Irish singer warned her not to be exploited by the music business.

 

In a series of tweets, Cyrus mocked O'Connor, comparing her to US actress Amanda Bynes before alluding to O'Connor's mental health problems. O'Connor responded with another open letter to the singer, accusing her of "irresponsible" behaviour. The Irish singer told her to "remove her tweets immediately".

 

The tit-for-tat conversation began after Cyrus, 20, cited O'Connor's video Nothing Compares 2 U as an inspiration for her explicit Wrecking Ball video.

 

O'Connor, 46, said she was prompted to write, "in the spirit of motherliness" after "phone calls from various newspapers" who wanted the singer-songwriter to comment upon similarities between the two videos.

 

In the video for Nothing Compares 2 U, O'Connor sheds a single tear as she performs the Prince-penned break-up ballad.

 

Cyrus cries in the promo clip for Wrecking Ball, which shares similar lyrical themes to O'Connor's song. But the video also finds her licking a sledgehammer and swinging naked on a metal demolition ball. O'Connor said she was "extremely concerned" that those around Cyrus had led or encouraged her to believe "that it is in any way 'cool' to be naked and licking sledgehammers in your videos".

 

Cyrus, who found fame as the child star of Disney children's show Hannah Montana, has been criticised in recent weeks for her controversial performances, particularly at the MTV Video Music Awards in Brooklyn last month.

 

O'Connor continued: "The message you keep sending is that it's somehow cool to be prostituted.. it's so not cool Miley... it's dangerous. It is in fact the case that you will obscure your talent by allowing yourself to be pimped, whether it's the music business or yourself doing the pimping," added O'Connor.

 

Responding on Twitter, Cyrus wrote: "Top of the mornin to ya."

 

She added a screen shot of O'Connor's tweets from 2012 in which the Irish star, who has bi-polar disorder, referred to her own mental health problems, asking for Twitter followers to recommend a psychiatrist.

 

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>Before Amanda Bynes.... There was.... <a href="http://t.co/6JZPVnunPc">pic.twitter.com/6JZPVnunPc</a></p>— Miley Ray Cyrus (@MileyCyrus) <a href="https://twitter.com/MileyCyrus/statuses/385794622641160193">October 3, 2013</a></blockquote>

<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

She compared the singer to former child actress Amanda Bynes, who is currently undergoing psychiatric treatment. "I don't have time to write you an open letter cause I'm hosting & performing on SNL this week," Cyrus continued.

 

Cyrus also tweeted a picture of O'Connor ripping up a photograph of the pope, an infamous on-stage stunt by the singer, before asking her to "meet up and talk".

 

Responding to Cyrus in a third open letter, O'Connor said she would take legal action against her if she did not remove the tweets. "You have posted today tweets of mine which are two years old, which were posted by me when I was unwell and seeking help so as to make them look like they are recent. In doing so you mock myself and Amanda Bynes for having suffered with mental health issues and for having sought help," said O'Connor.

 

She added: "It is most unbecoming of you to respond in such a fashion to someone who expressed care for you," O'Connor added.

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-24395755

[Alien Radio]

Wow.

[Coldplay]

You know she's really a lost cause when she can read something like that and not even fucking comprehend what the point of it is.

[Jack Bauer]

I was with her until she started talking about Miley having talent and making good records.

[Ouch]

Didn't think Miley would be this ignorant and insulting. Losing hope in humanity every day xD

[Jonny and the cake]

Jack Bauer and Ouch, are you two retarded?

 

First thing: The article is not about her talent, because she clearly has talent, she can sing and very well, and the song Wrecking Bell can prove it, it's a fact. You can dislike her music but can't say that she has no talent.

 

Second: Lost faith in humanity because a 20 years old feels like a rebel? Oh god there are 20 years old girls that kill people, do me a favour and grow up

 

Her behavior was disresprectful and the letter was meant to warn Miley not to comment her talent.

[busybeeburns]

Sinead O'Connor: "Miley Cyrus is nasty and poor Amanda Bynes... music is being MURDERED"

 

 

Sinead O'Connor: "Miley Cyrus is nasty and poor Amanda Bynes... music is being MURDERED"

 

Sinead went on TV in Ireland and gave Miley a tongue lashing

 

Sinead O'Connor may have written more letters to Miley Cyrus than anyone ever has for decades but she isn't stopping there. The 46-year-old Nothing Compares 2 U singer went on Ireland's The Late Late Show to give Miley a tongue lashing, branding her "nasty" for mocking her issues with mental illness and dragging "poor" Amanda Bynes into the mix.

 

She told host Ryan Tubridy: "I don’t pitch myself as a role model. I was upset on behalf of Amanda Bynes. I thought it was a nasty thing to do to Amanda Bynes because she had nothing to do with the conversation. And also the poor girl is in hospital at the moment receiving treatment."

 

Although 3am have been told by a very reliable source Sinead wasn't too sure who Amanda was when she saw Miley's venomous tweet and had to Google her. Later on in the conversation Sinead added Miley didn't mean to insult Amanda, who is udner psychiatric hold after she setting fire to a driveway in Thousand Oaks, California in July and dousing her dog with petrol.

 

But although everyone was listening to what Sinead was saying, we couldn't help but look at her new B and Q (not like the shop where your dad buys nails) cheek tattoos. They are believed to be a painful nod to Brendan Quinlan, a man she alludes to on her website

 

Sinead went on: "It’s about music being murdered, it’s not actually about Miley. As far as I’m concerned it’s over, it’s not something I really want to talk about."

 

Yesterday Sinead wrote a third venomous letter to Miley demanding an apology and predicting the child star will end up in rehab. The Irish songwriter writes: "When you publicly apologise to Amanda and myself and all mental health sufferers as well as all who were abused by priests that will end the matter as far as I am concerned."

 

Miley posted a message on Twitter mocking Sinead's mental illness, by comparing the Irish singer to troubled American actress Amanda Bynes.

 

Miley posted a message saying: "Before Amanda Bynes... There was..." alongside a screengrab of a string of Sinead's old tweets. One reads: "Does any1 know a psychiatrist in dublin or wicklow who could urgently see me today please? im really un-well... and in danger (sic)."

 

http://www.mirror.co.uk/3am/celebrity-news/sinead-oconnor-says-miley-cyrus-2340758

[Abracadabra]

I can't say I would never do things Miley does because I've never been in a similar situation. Having said that, she must have a clue, however distant, about what she's involved in and hopefully she will not do something she'll deeply regret afterwards because she'll be ten times more sorry knowing she could have had done something to prevent it.

[Ouch]

Jack Bauer and Ouch, are you two retarded?

 

First thing: The article is not about her talent, because she clearly has talent, she can sing and very well, and the song Wrecking Bell can prove it, it's a fact. You can dislike her music but can't say that she has no talent.

 

Second: Lost faith in humanity because a 20 years old feels like a rebel? Oh god there are 20 years old girls that kill people, do me a favour and grow up

 

Her behavior was disresprectful and the letter was meant to warn Miley not to comment her talent.

 

I only comment that jokingly. Don't take what i say so seriously. Of course i agree it's disrespectful; that's what i meant. It's cool if you wanna label me a retard. I'm sure it helps you decide who is what on the net. As for me, today i go hiking :D

[Jack Bauer]

I only comment that jokingly. Don't take what i say so seriously. Of course i agree it's disrespectful; that's what i meant. It's cool if you wanna label me a retard. I'm sure it helps you decide who is what on the net. As for me, today i go hiking :D

 

Well I wasn't joking. I've always thought she has quite a terrible voice and that she's only famous because of her father. The fact that she's gonna take the SNL stage tonight and be equally as respected and applauded as Arcade Fire was last week is appalling. Say what you want but I view her as what's wrong with the musical "system" today.

[Jonny and the cake]

^she's wrong for her behavior and for using her private life and her, ehm, private parts of her body to advertise her music or what she does, not for her voice, the fact that for you she has a bad voice is subjective and not a fact

 

Ouch I hope you are a 13 years old boy because I didn't hear a guy making such a shitty joke since middle school

[Tash]

Her voice isn't anything special and none of her songs were written just by her. Apparently she needs extravagant behaviour to stay in the picture because she wouldn't be able to do that otherwise.

[Jack Bauer]

Her voice isn't anything special and none of her songs were written just by her. Apparently she needs extravagant behaviour to stay in the picture because she wouldn't be able to do that otherwise.

 

Yeah basically what I'm trying to say.

[The Final Track]

None of Elton John's songs (or at least few) were written just by him. Does the same apply here? I'm not a fan of Miley Cyrus' music, but I've always thought she has a great voice. Saying that she isn't talented is to me just silly.

[Tash]

None of Elton John's songs (or at least few) were written just by him. Does the same apply here? I'm not a fan of Miley Cyrus' music, but I've always thought she has a great voice. Saying that she isn't talented is to me just silly.

 

There's a big difference between getting help from some people (mostly Bernie Taupin) and 30+ co-writers.

[Jack Bauer]

Could we just take a step back here and realize we compared Elton John to Miley Cyrus?

[Tash]

Could we just take a step back here and realize we compared Elton John to Miley Cyrus?

 

:lol:

[kalex1138]

Can we all just take another step backwards and realize that we're putting way too much thought (and frustrations) into an artist who really doesn't deserve much of our thoughts or mental energy to begin with?

[The Final Track]

There's a big difference between getting help from some people (mostly Bernie Taupin) and 30+ co-writers.

 

Could we just take a step back here and realize we compared Elton John to Miley Cyrus?

 

:\ I think you missed the point. The point was to show how that argument can be turned and used on someone who has more merritt, so to say. I'm just pointing out that you don't have to be a great songwriter to be a great artist (again, not calling Miley Cyrus great).

 

Some other examples of artists who didn't write a lot of their own lyrics or music:

 

Diana Ross

Marvin Gaye

Whitney Houston

Elvis

 

Again, I'm not comparing them to Miley Cyrus.

[NumbersGirl]

I'm certainly not a fan but I must admit her performances on SNL last night were pretty darn good; one of the best SNL music performances I've seen in a long time. Nice acoustic performance of We Can't Stop. And kudos to being able to poke fun at herself during the show.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vC-HXAHUM3o]VMAs Backstage Cold Open - SNL Highlight - YouTube[/ame]

 

 

I don't think she's handling the Sinead situation in the most mature way, though. The nana-nana-boo-boo method doesn't seem like the best approach.

[Jonny and the cake]

damn you NBC, i can't see the video and proxy aren't working

[Coeurli]

I think she's a pretty good pop artist and performer. I do not really listen to her songs bu from what I've seen and heard I think she's good.

On the other hand, I cannot stand her attitude, her "persona". Kinda ruins everything for me. And her reaction to Sinead O'Connor's messages definitely doesn't make me change my mind. :|

 

But yeah I wouldn't say that she's awful as an artist. Right now, she actually seems awful as a person.

[Alien Radio]

She obviously does have talent - she can sing pretty well. Well at least, better than a lot of other people.

 

Her new persona and behaviour is what is concerning. Remember that this is the same girl that was a model and inspiration to thousands of little girls a couple of years ago, in her Hannah Montana phase. Heck, even I loved her as a child, and actually own one of her albums.

Fast forward, she is now teaching (?) girls how to act as a slut and that everything can be solved by just "twerking it out".

Something must have went wrong here. Really.

 

She also handled the whole Sinead situation pretty bad. Her response with pointing out Sinead's past mental health problems was clearly a wrong thing to do.

 

I think she just wanted to grow up - get rid of her old Hannah Montana picture. Her career as Miley Cyrus before this point hasn't been as succesful or remarkable as her Hannah Montana stage. Doesn't everyone know who is Hannah Montana? Don't you find Hannah Montana stuff like pencils, pencil cases or school bags in every shop in your town? Shocking everyone by doing sluttish and unacceptable (?) performances in public was a way to go for her. She got some attention and wow - look at Wrecking Ball's and We Can't Stop's count of views on YouTube. She got what she wanted. But was is necessary?

 

I can't help but feel sorry for her.

[Alien Radio]

Sufjan Stevens joins the party: http://pitchfork.com/news/52636-read-sufjan-stevens-amusing-open-letter-to-miley-cyrus-in-which-he-offers-grammar-tips/