A Look Into Miley Cyrus' Wrecking Ball

by: Nikkah C. Lubanga

 

Photo source:kissthemgoodbye.net 

Vevo's new record reaching to approximately 20 million views in just 24 hours is something the producers of Miley's new music video is to be proud of; that is, in the marketing aspect. Bravo for that!

Wrecking Ball, the song that spun controversy and hit its viral form in a short span of time features Miley Cyrus strip naked riding on a swinging wrecking ball and giving an oral job to a sledge hammer. Of course, what more could you expect when you see the once sweet teen Hannah Montana doing all the raunchy side of the entertainment circus. It could have been different if she wasn't known that way or that she isn't Billy Ray Cyrus' daughter. The problem is, people in the social media tend to over react on things without taking a deeper look on what is the real form of the video.

I have been seeing people giving harsh comments on Miley in Wrecking Ball and I believe it is one thing that most people actually do when faced with some seemingly provocative video. However, may I remind you that it isn't porn. It is a music video of a pop ballad song; therefore, it should be treated as an art. Remember Lady Gaga and her pop art culture?

Mediocre human thinking, that is what I call to people who has simple intuitive minds. They don't analyze and worse, they don't actually know how to discover and interpret. That's why being a skilled artist is a gift. Being able to see things beyond what is shown is a gift, but it can be practiced. So where are you in these two kinds of mental functioning?

The first time I saw the music video I admit I was shocked adding to the same reaction I got when I saw her grinding her butt to Robin Thicke during the VMAs. But when I played the music video again, I realized how the song is so relatable and the amount of anguish you could hear and see as Miley's face was focused on the screen is a trail of a troubled emotional experience. It was indeed, a beautiful song alone. I bet without the controversial music video, the song could sufficiently stand on its own.

For someone who is used to analyzing and interpreting things, I took the liberty in scrutinizing Wrecking Ball. In this 3:42 music video, Miley Cyrus was just being real to what she really is feeling and going through. Yes, I could also say that having her naked and the wrecking ball smashing the walls are also part of the art, but aside from those things, we could remarkably see the vulnerable Miley Cyrus tearing apart and coping up in all the wrong ways. It was like she's lost in all the ruins that her broken engagement to Liam Hemsworth brought on her. Miley, being all naked is a manifestation of how Liam's cheating made her lose herself in the process. It's a normal thing to feel when you are being left by a loved one you adored so deeply. You lose yourself at first, but then when you find someone to love, you get back up to your feet. That's human psychology.  Miley was the wrecking ball and she is destroying everything that she has because she is broken-hearted and she thought that's the only way she could redeem herself. In the wrong direction though. I don't really know Miley and this is just how I establish the meaning of the music video.

Well, you could also say that the director made her do all those things, so you could just appreciate it for what it is or not. Miley Cyrus is an entertainer just like Lady Gaga and Madonna who also have their share on being stripped to the flesh. They're famous because of what they do and we are all just mere spectators in the industry. And to add, Miley is already an adult, a fact that you may have forgotten.

Bad or good publicity is still publicity. In this case, your assorted comments on YouTube don't matter. You may like it or not but a view is still a view and in every one of it counts. Wrecking Ball indeed, has become viral but its widespread caused negative reactions from most viewers. And for me, those percentage of viewers have failed to translate and appreciate the meaning of the song as well as its video. According to Andy Warhol, the iconic leading visual artist in the pop art movement, 'art is very elitist, so you exclude a large audience'. That being said, I hope you got my point.

I will leave you with a quote I got from Kathryn Bigelow, the award-winning director of The Hurt Locker and Zero Dark Thirty, "Those of us who work in the arts know that depiction is not endorsement. If it was, no artist would be able to paint inhumane practices, no author could write about them, and no filmmaker could delve into the thorny subjects of our time."