In Defense of Miley Cyrus

I am allergic to sanctimony. The Sean Hannitys are OK most of the time but their impulse to assert their moral superiority nauseates me.

I for one find Miley's VMA much more watchable than "Hannah Montana." For better or worse, Miley's career will not be determined by her entertainment value in the traditional sense of the term. Acting bizarre, outrageous or sexual has become essential, especially for female performers. Taylor Swift is on the Hasbeen express to Branson.  She can live a comfortable life as the next Alison Krauss but it is doubtful the paparazzi will follow her into her middle years in the same way they follow J-Lo or Madonna.

"Video Music Awards" are what they have been since their inception. There is no history of elegance on the red carpet. This is Howard Stern unveiling his Fartman character in 1992. It is all about tweaking the noses of the Hannitys and to politely afford them the opportunity to polish their halos in public.

MTV started out as Music Television. They shortened their name for the same reason Arts and Entertainment became A&E and The Learning Channel became TLC and The Nashville Network became TNN.

With a few notable exceptions--Hee Haw being the most obvious--music has not usually thrived on television. It did not take long for MTV to ditch the vids and install cheesy reality shows. Duran Duran was no match for a slob defecating in a hot tub.

Everyone knows about Miley's twerking but can anyone name the song she performed as she shared her skin with us? Does anyone care? Her music is immaterial to her success. She will unleash periodic publicity stunts to stay of the radar for years to come. That is how the game is played and all the piety in the would will not change that.