Andrew Smiler says Robin Thicke’s VMA performance and child rapist Stacey Dean Rambold’s behavior have the same roots and wonders why no one is talking about it.
Last week was quite a week. It started with Miley Cyrus’ highly sexual duet with Robin Thicke at the VMAs. Although treated as scandalous, it was another example of a celebrity attracting attention in a highly calculated manner. Although shocking in some ways–mostly because of who Cyrus is, or was–it wasn’t really a scandal.
A few days later, Judge G. Todd Baugh made headlines when he gave Stacey Dean Rambold a 30 day sentence for violating parole regarding his (not prosecuted) rape of Cherice Moralez; the judge denied the prosecutor’s request for 20 years and waived the state minimum of 2 years. This was truly scandalous. A Washington Post opinion piece by writer and former lawyer Betsy Karasik suggesting that student-teacher relationships should be expected, tolerated, and decriminalized fanned the flames even further.
Wasn’t Rambold actually doing what Thicke pantomimed – having sex with a young(er) girl who was interested in him?
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For all the time, energy, ink, and pixels that’s been spent on these two events, there’s been virtually no discussion of male sexuality. I understand there are real limits to any comparison of the scripted behavior of Thicke and Cyrus with the real life behaviors of Rambold and Moralez, but consider this: no one seems surprised or concerned about Thicke, age 36, being sexual with Cyrus, age 20. For a little perspective, Thicke was a legal adult when Cyrus was being potty trained, and a scant four years ago, he was twice her age. Then again, it’s all been about Cyrus, even though they were performing Thicke’s song. It’s reminiscent of Janet Jackson’s “wardrobe malfunction” that also left out his name (bonus points if you remember who the guy was).
Cyrus’ behavior has been painted as problematic for a variety of reasons. Thicke’s behavior hasn’t generated any comment because as a culture, this is what we expect: guys will be interested in any available partner, regardless of what else is going on or any potential consequences. In other words, we think Thicke’s behavior is normal and typical.
If you buy the idea that male sexual desire is ever present and doesn’t make any distinctions based on who, where, or when, then Rambold’s behavior should be expected and is not at all exceptional. After all, Moralez met the primary criteria: Rambold was attracted to her and she agreed to be with him. Perhaps more to the point, wasn’t Rambold actually doing what Thicke pantomimed–having sex with a young(er) girl who was interested in him? Wouldn’t any guy do that if he could?
As a culture, we find Rambold’s behavior deplorable. The idea of a (then) 49 year old man dating and having sex with a young teen is repulsive. We’d also be alarmed if a guy of average intelligence (or higher) were involved with someone who was developmentally delayed.
Instead of focusing on these extreme cases and hoping the moral approbation and legal punishments are enough to keep guys in line, we need to gain a better understanding of male sexuality. Instead of promoting and accepting a stereotype that is inaccurate and readily crosses the line into unacceptable behavior, it’s time to learn the reality of male sexuality. That inaccurate stereotype pervades both mass media and abstinence-only curricula, pressures boys to support and a version of sexuality that most don’t actually follow, and pressures girls to focus on controlling his sexuality instead of attending to their own desires.
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The idea that guys don’t really care about who, when, or where has many inaccuracies. For the moment, I’m going to stay with age, a part of “who.” Most of us date and have sex with folks at or near our own age. For teens, this typically means a difference of no more than 2 years. During a person’s 20s, that range expands to about 5 years and at some point after that, it’ll expand to about 10 years. Neither the real life behavior of Rambold nor the performance of Thicke fits these parameters.
Yes, there are many exceptions, but they are exceptions. If you’re not sure, consider your own history and that of your friends. Go through all the partners, check the ages and age differences, and I’ll bet you and your friends have mostly followed the pattern. I’ll also wager that hookups (or one-night stands) are more likely to violate the rule than actual relationships.
It’s time to stop blurring the line between normative and problematic male sexuality.
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Some people say that the increased access to porn and the general pornification of our culture have helped normalize these kinds of age discrepancies and encourage guys to conform to that stereotypical image of male sexuality. Maybe, but maybe not. Pornhub’s recently released list of top search terms revealed that “teen” and “milf” (a “mom I’d love to F—”) showed up nearly equally. Apparently, it’s not just teens that turn guys on.
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I also want to acknowledge that when it comes to cases of pedophilia, sexual assault, and rape, males are much more likely to be accused and convicted than are females. Despite this male vs. female difference, the percentage of men who do such things and face such charges is quite small. Although the stats are important, assuming that any guy could do that is akin to assuming that any Black or Latino youth is a potential criminal. Just as racial profiling has it’s limits, so does gender profiling. (I am not trying to claim these are equivalent; I”m just pointing out that they function in similar ways.)
If we’re really interested in learning who is likely to be a sexual predator, then we need to get away from the gross generalities. Similarly, if we’re really interested in developing a generation of boys who are sexually healthy, then we all need to start questioning not only the behavior of pedophiles like Rambold, but staged performances like Thicke’s. It’s time to stop blurring the line between normative and problematic male sexuality.
Thanks for bringing this up, it’s a good time to do it, the whole thing has gotten out of hand, and needs to be broached. Obviously we needed to throw off sexual repression, but we’re headed in a hedonistic direction that borders on socipathic in many cases.
Trying to set up extra rules and taboo’s is bullshit imo. What next? Fat people are only allowed to find fat people attractive?
Cyrus was over 18 right? Then why should anyone care if the act was sexually charged?
anonguy: Are you saying there should be no statuitory rape laws? What if your son was coerced by a catholic priest into blowing him every sunday, and you didn’t find out until it had been going on for years? Re: why should anyone care about the Cyrus/Thicke act :maybe because he sang the line “you’re a good girl” as he pretended to bang her from behind, which is play acting pedophilia/incest, since that’s something a dad would say to his daighter.. Sure, people might do that in their bedrooms because they’re screwed up, but to put it on national television… Read more »
” Are you saying there should be no statuitory rape laws? What if your son was coerced by a catholic priest into blowing him every sunday, and you didn’t find out until it had been going on for years? ” What has rape to do with this and why do u drag catholic priests into this? Do u think she was raped? do u think all catholics are pedos? u sound confused to me, including lot of stuff who has nothing to do with the show. Just to let u know, there are tons of Catholics reading the GMP are… Read more »
“Are you saying there should be no statuitory rape laws?” No, no-one said that. What a terrible straw man. Miley Cyrus was neither a minor nor coerced (or having sex at the moment for that matter), so all your points are way off.
This was a really great analysis. Really insightful and eye-opening. Thank you!
I think that we are giving too much power to the media when we generalize the sexual behavior (or any other kind of behavior for that matter) of celebrities to that of average people.
Do I believe that Robin Thicke would grind on anyone, anytime, anywhere that would get him this much publicity? Yes, yes I do. Same for Miley or any of another 100 pop tarts waiting in the wings for their turn in the spotlight.
Andrew, I do think you’re grasping for straws in making this an correlate with the Rambold case. That being said, I think the larger issue is more pertinent. Whether Cyrus was 20 or 40, the real issue is the pornification of maintstream media.
This type of critique is, I think, why feminism and I have parted ways. I got wind of this thread on a twitter post that cited “pedophilism.” To me, that would be someone under puberty. I grant that having sex with young teens is statutory rape. But I think that the term statutory needs to be used when speaking of this phenomenon. Feminism has become so sex negative now, I think it’s basically anti-human. I have a PhD too, Andrew, and a long memory. I don’t like the way feminism is being used to bureaucratize everyday life. And this horrified… Read more »
Hank, I think there is a lot in the attraction an adult has to a teen as being “sex-negative” and actually “anti-human”. When you priortize people for their age or money, you are taking away their humanity.
Andrew, I appreciate what you are trying to do here, and I understand your frustration about the defensiveness that other posters are expressing. I think the defensiveness is coming from a framing issue that isn’t stated openly in this piece, but is inherent in how your statements are laid out. In the now famous XKCD cartoon entitled “How It Works” that is used to define “privilege,” the difference between a man making a math mistake and a woman making a math mistake are that the former gets the response “Wow, you suck at math!” while the latter gets the response… Read more »
Pretty much.
With the threat of TMI, I have done what they did while having sex and I never felt like an animal.
BTW, I still don’t get how people forget this was an act and though it was live, it is no different than 1000s of movies and TV shows.
People women have agency and I have no idea why some are fighting so hard to remove that from women.
I have heard that feminism is the radical belief that women are humans.
Personally I have always felt it should be “it is the radical belief that women are adults”
That WOULD be pretty radical!
Sorry Elissa but not sure if you are being sarcastic or not, I am going to assume not but if a 45 year old man did what madonna did to a 21 year old woman, it would not have been thought of as romantic.
I agree with you John –
I’ve stated before that the difference seems to be the level of vulgarity recognized by audiences. A kiss with tongue seems to be on a different level than sticking out your tongue while grinding your ass into a crotch.
http://ideas.time.com/2013/08/27/pops-drop-from-madonna-to-miley/
Camille Paglia – one of my favorite cultural critics – has a good analysis on the whole episode. Her criticism is over the artistic lack of merit in the performance. I can a agree to some extent, though I think she’s comparing apples and oranges, or trying to —
Do people just not get that this was acting , iow, it wasn’t real. This was staged/ rehearsed. Please tell me how is this different than millions of movies and TV shows (read: soaps) where simulated sex takes place. OH BTW, curious, Where was the outrage when Madonna(45) (much older than thicke) kissed Christina Agulara(22) and Britney Spears(21). There was no outrage because women are never thought of as predatory. Barely a month goes by now that we don’t hear of a female teacher who has sex with a student (both male and female) and receives NO JAIL TIME (let… Read more »
Good point John – had forgotten that Madonna episode….but kissing is romantic and grinding is animalistic -:)
John, I believe that this predatory male sexuality, is forwarded especially by older people. You have a point about Madonna kissing the girls. IMO we should focus into re educating the older generation in the new reality. After all this is what they fought for in their youth 😉 And the author of the article is right, yes there are the dynamic about young girl/older man, but this is only a fraction of the dynamics. The older woman young guy, is also present and its growing, the older woman young girls is also there, the interracial is there to. So… Read more »
Mr. Supertypo, actually, younger girl/older man is a much larger part of the picture than just a fraction. It’s much bigger then even the older woman/ young guy dynamic or younger girl/older woman dynamic. Why avoid talking about younger girl/older man dynamic though? By the way, from what I’ve seen and heard among men, the older woman/young girl dynamic seems to be more of a porn fantasy among men then it is anything I’ve ever realistically seen ever in society. Yes, we have tons of dyanmics. However younger girl/older man is still predominant. I would like that not to be… Read more »
“I however see many more men. then women, that rather be with younger women then their own peers. To me, it’s like men believe they are better than women. To me, it’s partially a power thing.” You have a very sad view of men. Sad indeed. “And I will further add that usuallly when younger men are with older women, it’s largely about sex. Very few actually have committed relationships. While many men will have committed relationships with younger women. So again, the dynamics are not as equal as you are attempting to paint them.” If that your view of… Read more »
And I will further add that usuallly when younger men are with older women, it’s largely about sex. Very few actually have committed relationships. While many men will have committed relationships with younger women. So again, the dynamics are not as equal as you are attempting to paint them.
“Perhaps more to the point, wasn’t Rambold actually doing what Thicke pantomimed–having sex with a young(er) girl who was interested in him? Wouldn’t any guy do that if he could?” No, Rambold raped a child, Miley was an adult and the dancing act was consenting. You see maturity and brain development is not linear, that 4/5 year difference is MASSIVE. Think of it like this, an infant is born, 4 years they are much bigger, much stronger, running around. Then the growth slows a tad until puberty when growth skyrockets again. This is not a linear scale of growth but… Read more »
Andrew – you are spreading the disease of irrationality with your entry. What you state as seemingly off topic is quite notable with a simple Google search: “Robin Thicke is a pedophile”.
An older man preying on a young virgin is not a new topic for discussion. Young women existing as string puppets being yanked about by media, society and wolfy men – can be seen in a million different texts and spoken spanning millennia. And now we can read about it here as well.
What’s disturbing about it is not the age difference but Thicke’s marital status, and the fact that mainstream “family television” has become so explicitly pornified.
I mean families were watching this all together. With kids of all ages.
Now that I can give you. If the issue were his marital status then I’d be more accepting of this topic but as it this article is presenting Miley Cyrus as a child that doesn’t know any better and being compared to a 15 year old girl to try to make the point that older men take advantage of girls that are too young to know any better. I’m not saying there were no problems with the performance. I just don’t think that infantalizing a 20 old woman in an attempt to liken a scripted/choreographed sequence to the rape of… Read more »
Married actors don’t pretend to have sex in movies and tv shows, usually pretty well undressed? Married porn stars don’t have sex in their films?
But when a married man, fully dressed simulates sex–clearly also acting? Yawn…
Danny, no one in this discussion is infantalizing a 20 year old women. Infact, I would argue that it’s you and the other posters that keep using this word who are actually infantalizing her more than anyone else. Please read Tina’s comments. She makes a lot of fantastic points about womanhood, age, men and sexuality. You don’t want to see women infantalized? Okay, sure. I’m sure you don’t. But perhaps you are so worried about “infantalizing” women has less to do with wanting to be a fair voice for women and more to do with a man’s attraction to younger… Read more »
What’s disturbing is that you think that’s disturbing.
You know that it’s only rock and roll,right?
There was a “warning” placed on the show for families – just like they do on CSI Buffalo where every episode there is killing and gore galore.
I very rarely comment on threads, but I’m going to do so now because I believe in this site and the message it’s sending. If you do a close read, and don’t feel immediately defensive, you’ll find that the point is relatively simple: we need to have a discussion about the roles of both men (‘man’ as defined as a complete, fully-realized adult, not acting through his lizard brain and overwhelming sexual impulses <- for those in this thread that have clearly not met an adult male, this is a very damaging stereotype) in these two situations. And the question… Read more »
“When an argument devolves into young=sex, then you’ve reduced humanity to a doomed state of perpetual adolescence. ”
– That’s what the corporate overseers want. It keeps us buying, buying, buying.
” I forgive Miley, she just doesn’t know any better yet, but Thicke does. And there lies the basis of comparison for and the connection between the two men in this article.”
– Both Miley and Thicke do not act independently of their handlers. This was planned by other people way before their stage routine was even choreographed.
The industry knows exactly what its doing.
Really, so a 21 year old girl / woman is not an adult yet. She can have an abortion, can drive a car, can drink (in most if not all areas), she can vote, she is responsible for crimes she commits. BUT she isn’t responsible for a sex like (remember no actual sex took place) relationship. Please for gods sake, when are we going to hold women responsible for the things they do. No wonder so many men are bitter nowadays, Boys at 13/14 who have sex with 49 year old teachers are held fully legally and socially responsible for… Read more »
“Boys at 13/14 who have sex with 49 year old teachers are held fully legally and socially responsible for their actions”
Source please?
Please stop infantalizing women, women are not children, especially one in their 20’s. In parallel with the myth of men being predatory, we have the myth of women being preys. The two are the faces of the same coin. Guys being wolves women being sheeps. Women being portrayed by society as the pure virgin who doesent know better while the guys as the magnetic woman eater (the little redhood myth). Please, this is 2013 not 1972. Interesting is this myth are usually pushed by older generations, so its about their upraising. And their upraising is problematic, because the education older… Read more »
Talking about the way society handles age differences between older men and younger women in no way “infantalizes” women or suggest women are “incompetant”. How do you draw this distinction? Are you honestly saying that there is no social commentary to be had about roles set up between older men in our society and projections of younger women? Just because a woman is of age, no matter her hage, doesn’t neccesarily mean she is “perfectly in charge” or her sexuality. Speaking as a woman who was once 18-20, I can tell you that while I was legally in charge of… Read more »
Tina. Beautifully said. Diplomatic, insightful and intelligent. You should comment more!
Very good article by verry good Good Men Project. It is a sick MYTH that men cannot control their sexuality and that men are aroused all the time. It is a MYTH, and it does not exist in healthy, sustainable cultures with healthy gender relations, especially about the inner femininity and masculinity being balanced in both gender. (something unknown to most distorted modern societies) THis Myth is the root of machismo, rape, the feeding on women by men who have an inner void where they should have their own feminine well of well-being. Sexual healing practices and wise cultures about… Read more »
Hi Eric, I liked your comment. I’m Indian and I grew up in a family culture very rooted in yoga and meditation and other Indic cognitive practices. ” Sexual healing practices and wise cultures about this like the buddhist tantric tradition (*very different from the “better prostitution like” teachings of tantra in the West) know about this…” – Unfortunately the place where Buddhism, Tantra, Hinduism, Jainism, Yoga, Vedanta, and all the great wisdom traditions originated (INDIA) is not a great example of this masculine/feminine balance anymore. Indians are watching porn and sexually harrassing women on the streets at alarming rates.… Read more »
When Prince appeared in sexually provocative, revealing costumes on-stage, it was big news.
Thicke didn’t provoke comment because his dress and behaviour were relatively non–provocative, not because he was male.
There’s still patriarchial issues to be unpacked, though. We should ask WHY it is that he was clothed while the women in his video were nude; or WHY he dressed and acted conservatively while Cyrus gyrated, stuck out her tongue, and generally made a sexual display of herself.
The wider context and pattern is definitely problematic.
Youth is, in general, a sexually desirable commodity in our culture. Getting old is disgusting, staying young is hot. That is the message that is crafted, packaged, and sold to us in oh-so-many ways, internalized by both sexes. So then.. why am I to be surprised, offended, shocked, disgusted, or concerned by ANY demonstration of youth and sexuality? The age gap itself doesn’t matter so much, whether RT was 25 or 35 or 55, Miley is still Young and therefore Sexually Desirable. The “young is sexy” message cares little for actual age, especially when you’re talking about those late-teen to… Read more »
That argument would made sense if Robin THicke had also been young. If it’s as simple as youth being sexy, then both Miley and Robin would be young. The fact that it’s only Miley that’s held to the standard of being young, when Robin really isn’t, speaks about a much larger cultural context about how we value women vs how we value men. And I don’t disagree that youth can be sexy. But I disagree that this is a reason why it’s okay to have a 36 year old male performer with a 20 year old female preformer. There is… Read more »
In Montana the people should not fear to reach,
Methinks they should a judge impeach.
Now, I say this as someone who was thoroughly creeped out by that performance: the age gap isn’t relevant. It isn’t relevant that “when he was another age she was a baby!” Well, we’re not talking about when he was 16, and we’re not talking about a baby. There’s no need to muddy the issue and bring up these mental images (which people routinely do) to creep people out by linking it to paedophilia when it isn’t. They are two adults and this just smacks of judgmental attitude. This, too: “–having sex with a young(er) girl who was interested in… Read more »
Miley Cyrus will be 21 years old in November. She’s not a child. It was her choice to do a shock display at an “awards event.”
No one is arguing that it was her choice. Her choice does not negate the conversation about how often entertainment shows a dynamic of younger women coupled with older men. And what this says about how we value men vs women.
. I understand there are real limits to any comparison of the scripted behavior of Thicke and Cyrus with the real life behaviors of Rambold and Moralez, but consider this: no one seems surprised or concerned about Thicke, age 36, being sexual with Cyrus, age 20. I think that’s one of the real limits you mention. Why should it be surprising that a 36 year old was sexual with a 20 year old? About the only commentary about Thicke I’ve seen on this whole incident was the usual “he should be ashamed of himself because of the age gap” talk.… Read more »
My concern is that Thicke’s performance isn’t really “on it’s own.” In programming aimed at primarily male audiences (regardless of age), as well as for teens& 20s (like the VMAs, and regardless of male/female composition), the American media consistently presents guys as being only interested in women in their late teens/20s, regardless of the guy’s/character’s age. It doesn’t reflect reality, so why should we allow it to continue without commenting on it? Stated slightly differently, why do we think it’s ok to keep telling guys that it’s ok to keep pursuing (or thinking sexually about) girls in their late teens… Read more »
I’m not saying we shouldn’t comment on it however I do think when you try to tie that performance (which was between two consenting adults) to a child rape case you may be doing more to blur the lines than clear them. …the American media consistently presents guys as being only interested in women in their late teens/20s, regardless of the guy’s/character’s age. It doesn’t reflect reality, so why should we allow it to continue without commenting on it? That is true. However again there’s a difference between pushing media of women that are young adults and the choice to… Read more »
“Stated slightly differently, why do we think it’s ok to keep telling guys that it’s ok to keep pursuing (or thinking sexually about) girls in their late teens or early 20s instead of women their own age?” Are you seriously saying this is not an ok thing to do? Or that guys need or would consider someone’s ok to be at all significant? Or that in the absence of such permission I’d naturally be far more attracted to someone in her 40’s because we must have soooo much more in common. After all, we’re the same age! When I see… Read more »
“Stated slightly differently, why do we think it’s ok to keep telling guys that it’s ok to keep pursuing (or thinking sexually about) girls in their late teens or early 20s instead of women their own age?’ Andrew, I think you’ll come under a lot of fire from men here for this statement. The argument will be “they’re of legal adult age” and its a good argument. A man can attempt to engage socially with any woman he pleases, no matter her age. Whether or not she returns the favor is up to her. And MOST very young women ages… Read more »
“Stated slightly differently, why do we think it’s ok to keep telling guys that it’s ok to keep pursuing (or thinking sexually about) girls in their late teens or early 20s instead of women their own age?” ******* Who are “we” to tell people it is not ok if it involves consenting adults? My observations tell me that men will pursue whom they find attractive (and who reciprocates). Nature will take care of the rest. If a guy my age (46) pursues a 22-year old she will likely look at my hairline and physique and move on to the Abercrombie… Read more »
I’m with you on this one, Danny. So because Robin Thicke danced sexually with a younger woman in a completely choreographed, planned, and *fictional* performance, means I’m supposed to believe he actually does want to have sex with her and would, immediately and without question, if given the chance? Never mind pretend that Robin Thicke, one young white man in one performance on one historically insignificant night, actually or figuratively represents male sexuality in its entirety? Nope, not buying it. Older men hooking up with younger women is an OLD story, in real life and in fiction. Social mores around… Read more »
So because Robin Thicke danced sexually with a younger woman in a completely choreographed, planned, and *fictional* performance, means I’m supposed to believe he actually does want to have sex with her and would, immediately and without question, if given the chance?
That PLUS Robin would do all of that (including having sex with her) if she were still on tv filming the Disney show she used to do (Hanna Montana?) years ago (aka at a time when she was under aged).
“Why should it be surprising that a 36 year old was sexual with a 20 year old? ” He’s married. I don’t have an idiot box but I think most Americans do. VMAs are watched by children and teens and their families, often all together. The entire act was inappropriate and the fact that he is married makes it even more so. I saw the video on youtube. The pedo-bears were especially disturbing given her Disney background, but this was all planned well in advance by the entertainment industry handlers to trigger such associations in the collective hive mind of… Read more »
If the problem is that he is married then why is the conversation referencing the age gap and not his marital status?
And also let us not act as if Robin Thicke is the first married entertainer to act out a sexually innuendous sequence with someone that’s not his spouse.
“what exactly was it about Thicke’s performance that poses an unhealthy image of male sexuality?”
He’s married.
The only one who gets a say on if that’s actually a problem is his wife.
If his wife has a problem with it then that’s between them.
On the other hand you can’t just say what Rambold did is just between him and the girl he had sex with.
Good question. Also note that both Thicke and Cyrus are legal adults; the attempt to like their staged performance to child molestation is pathetically inaccurate.
Male sexuality is ‘problematic’ only as long as we allow others to define what’s acceptable for men to do. When we stop accepting other people’s judgments about it, we’ll be able to make REAL progress on men’s sexuality and its proper respect and celebration.
Oops, that’s “LINK their performance,” not “like.”
Get women to examine in detail how womens supposed hypoagency about on sexual matters and partner choice is in reality a way to divert the responsibility for those choices away from themselves. Miley made an informed adult choice to present herself the way she did……..and the more social outrage is generated the more filthy lucre she can accrue. Smart Madonna like business move……sadly it works so damn well.
Hi Copyleft, Hi Trey, My goal is to get us talking about how male sexuality is portrayed and one possible outcome of that (sexual contact between adults & teens). In this case, age discrepancies, Yes, Cyrus is legal. No, she & Thicke didn’t actually have sex, and YES, it did exactly what it was supposed to do: get everyone talking about Cyrus again. If our goal is to “stop accepting other people’s judgments about it, we’ll be able to make REAL progress on men’s sexuality and its proper respect and celebration,” as Copyleft said, then here’s a place to start… Read more »
Here’s a question.
How does being sexual with a younger woman constitute “he’ll screw anything, anywhere”?
I had the same thought. Regardless of what you think of her personality or behavior, Miley Cyrus could probably be considered attractive to wide variety of men. I don’t think her age plays into it nearly as much as the author suggests.
Of course her age plays into it. Otherwise, Britney Spears would have been grinding on Robin Thicke and Britney Spears would still be making music videos in school girl outfits. Age plays a *huge*, *huge* factor in our culture. Especially when it comes to perceptions of women and their sexuality vs men and theirs. Where men are given a much wider window regarding age, than women are. And young women, such as Miley, are held to even more scrutney for their sexuality then men, like Robin Thicke, are. When that little shin-dig went down, all people could do was talk… Read more »
Why just the boys? As in current culture, women are the de facto sexual / relationship gatekeepers why not focus on that also? Why define down Miley Cyrus’s agency in her desperate attempt to ride the tiger of social outrage all the way to the bank?
I only wrote about the guys because I think we need to talk about what’s typical, what’s expected, and what’s portrayed about male sexuality; that’s my “thing.” Plenty of people have already written about Cyrus and women.
Because there are so many different conversations to be had about sex and sexuality in our society and any given article can address only a few of them.
It bothers me that people tend to criticize articles purely because their pet issue isn’t covered. But the thing is, there are a lot of people with a lot of pet issues – and an article can only contain so many words.