Ultimate Wet Dreams wrote:
I Don't know yet if i like or hate this video, but can't help thinking that most people hate it because it has the names "Miley Cyrus" and "Terry Richardson" written all over it

Probably true...  I instantly cringed reliving Achy Breaky Heart all over again.  I can't seem to see her independent of Billy Ray.   It's like a perpetual motion snowball from hell.

Plus, why does Hannah look like a...   Costco cashier now?

Not sure why, but the same material from Brittany Spears is far more palpable.

Robert Randall wrote:
It's fun to read all the negative comments pointing to her lack of talent, and then go look at the portfolios of the commentators. It's even more fun to read the profiles. You guys rock!

Yeah, except... did you listen to the music, and then evaluate the amount of redundancy in the video?

The music was just uninteresting, but yeah, it had good production value.
The video had great tonality, and a reasonably interesting theme... but it was 2-3 minutes of complete redundancy.

For comparison, take Tilt Ya Head Back  (Nellie/Aguilara) and look at both the talent and production value, as well as the storytelling via the direction.  It's a night & day difference.

What's instantly apparent is that if you put clothes on Miley... the video would have zero appeal. I found myself looking at it like I would a Skinimax production... wherethefuck's the nipple slip!?!? I was unrewarded...

Smedley Whiplash wrote:

Yeah, except... did you listen to the music, and then evaluate the amount of redundancy in the video?

he music was just uninteresting, but yeah, it had good production value.
The video had great tonality, and a reasonably interesting theme... but it was 2-3 minutes of complete redundancy.

For comparison, take Tilt Ya Head Back  (Nellie/Aguilara) and look at both the talent and production value, as well as the storytelling via the direction.  It's a night & day difference.

What's instantly apparent is that if you put clothes on Miley... the video would have zero appeal. I found myself looking at it like I would a Skinimax production... wherethefuck's the nipple slip!?!? I was unrewarded...

Miley is how old 22? That means the audience that she is looking to attract are between the ages of 16-25 I would say. How old are you? It could be the reason why you find the music uninteresting. (what attracts 16-25 besides good lyrics and music? Sex and she is working it) Props for her

Also she isn't the only artist that has been in videos naked. Britney, Madonna, Katty Perry, Lady Gaga and the list goes on.

This song is about an emotional and heart breaking break up. What other way to show people that she's hurting and vulnerable then to be naked and cry.

What is the difference between Miley being naked and Natalie Imbruglia being naked on her video "Torn" that was also about heart break.

We are born naked, we all look the same naked, get over it.

Smedley Whiplash wrote:

Yeah, except... did you listen to the music, and then evaluate the amount of redundancy in the video?

The music was just uninteresting, but yeah, it had good production value.
The video had great tonality, and a reasonably interesting theme... but it was 2-3 minutes of complete redundancy.

For comparison, take Tilt Ya Head Back  (Nellie/Aguilara) and look at both the talent and production value, as well as the storytelling via the direction.  It's a night & day difference.

What's instantly apparent is that if you put clothes on Miley... the video would have zero appeal. I found myself looking at it like I would a Skinimax production... wherethefuck's the nipple slip!?!? I was unrewarded...

I won't argue comparisons, mostly because in my mind it's apples to oranges . I got a bit queasy looking at her lick the sledgehammer, but other than that, it wasn't too much different than old Bobby Sherman videos. Will it give Martin Scorsese any sleepless nights? Doubtful. Will it sell a shit ton of records? More than likely.

That last part is what most of the haters don't want to face up to; everything we do is for a return of some kind. Terry and Miley are getting scads of return. 50 year old MM fine art wanna bes, not so much. If I could figure out a formula that put my dumb ass out front like those two have, I'd be all over it in a heart beat. The difference between me and the haters, I'm at least telling the truth.

Erlinda wrote:
We are born naked, we all look the same naked, get over it.

This is a LIE!!!  I do not look nearly as good as some others out there!!

Christopher Hartman wrote:

This is a LIE!!!  I do not look nearly as good as some others out there!!

LMAO don't take it so literal

Erlinda wrote:

LMAO don't take it so literal

I'm offended at your dismissive attitude.

Erlinda wrote:

Miley is how old 22? That means the audience that she is looking to attract are between the ages of 16-25 I would say. How old are you? It could be the reason why you find the music uninteresting. (what attracts 16-25 besides good lyrics and music? Sex and she is working it) Props for her

Also she isn't the only artist that has been in videos naked. Britney, Madonna, Katty Perry, Lady Gaga and the list goes on.

This song is about an emotional and heart breaking break up. What other way to show people that she's hurting and vulnerable then to be naked and cry.

What is the difference between Miley being naked and Natalie Imbruglia being naked on her video "Torn" that was also about heart break.

We are born naked, we all look the same naked, get over it.

It's not an age thing, she's looking for people who are attracted to fashion - pop music is the musical equivalent of fashion.

There are lots of people who rationalize their lack of success by claiming their work is not crap - and maybe it's not.

People don't seem to realize that self-expression doesn't sell. No one wants to hear about you, they want to hear about themselves. You have to make work that expresses what other people wish they could express.

(Not that I think you don't get it - your post was the best one to respond to.)

Robert Randall wrote:

I won't argue comparisons, mostly because in my mind it's apples to oranges . I got a bit queasy looking at her lick the sledgehammer, but other than that, it wasn't too much different than old Bobby Sherman videos. Will it give Martin Scorsese any sleepless nights? Doubtful. Will it sell a shit ton of records? More than likely.

That last part is what most of the haters don't want to face up to; everything we do is for a return of some kind. Terry and Miley are getting scads of return. 50 year old MM fine art wanna bes, not so much. If I could figure out a formula that put my dumb ass out front like those two have, I'd be all over it in a heart beat. The difference between me and the haters, I'm at least telling the truth.

No one sells a shit ton of records any more. She'll be lucky if the album goes platinum in the US. The singles probably will.

What this will do is help establish her brand, build her following and she get paid to "license" access to her following. Something all of us should think about.

Robert Randall wrote:

I won't argue comparisons, mostly because in my mind it's apples to oranges . I got a bit queasy looking at her lick the sledgehammer, but other than that, it wasn't too much different than old Bobby Sherman videos. Will it give Martin Scorsese any sleepless nights? Doubtful. Will it sell a shit ton of records? More than likely.

That last part is what most of the haters don't want to face up to; everything we do is for a return of some kind. Terry and Miley are getting scads of return. 50 year old MM fine art wanna bes, not so much. If I could figure out a formula that put my dumb ass out front like those two have, I'd be all over it in a heart beat. The difference between me and the haters, I'm at least telling the truth.

Yes!   

Robert Randall wrote:

I won't argue comparisons, mostly because in my mind it's apples to oranges . I got a bit queasy looking at her lick the sledgehammer, but other than that, it wasn't too much different than old Bobby Sherman videos. Will it give Martin Scorsese any sleepless nights? Doubtful. Will it sell a shit ton of records? More than likely.

That last part is what most of the haters don't want to face up to; everything we do is for a return of some kind. Terry and Miley are getting scads of return. 50 year old MM fine art wanna bes, not so much. If I could figure out a formula that put my dumb ass out front like those two have, I'd be all over it in a heart beat. The difference between me and the haters, I'm at least telling the truth.

+1

Sustained!

Erlinda wrote:
Miley is how old 22? That means the audience that she is looking to attract are between the ages of 16-25 I would say. How old are you? It could be the reason why you find the music uninteresting. (what attracts 16-25 besides good lyrics and music? Sex and she is working it) Props for her

Also she isn't the only artist that has been in videos naked. Britney, Madonna, Katty Perry, Lady Gaga and the list goes on.

This song is about an emotional and heart breaking break up. What other way to show people that she's hurting and vulnerable then to be naked and cry.

What is the difference between Miley being naked and Natalie Imbruglia being naked on her video "Torn" that was also about heart break.

We are born naked, we all look the same naked, get over it.

I think you might have missed my point...     

TR has a pretty wide range of experience, and he can be pretty creative.  Maybe what he shot was creative, and then whomever edited it made it repetitive. The only point of interest was a naked girl on a wrecking ball (implied nude, no less... lol) 

Madonna and Gaga are just far more interesting to watch. Always have been. (unless Gaga speaks, and then all bets are off)  I'd argue that David LaChapelle directed/produced music videos are more interesting as a whole.

Besides, I think heartbreak songs are retarded.  hahaha  Doesn't matter who sings them.

Talent these days...  sheeesh. I tried to watch some Robin Thicke videos and I couldn't get through 2 of them without going "wtf is wrong with that dude's voice?" Boring too.


The Eagle's - Get Over It   is a better kind of flavor of that material.

You drag it around like a ball and chain
You wallow in the guilt; you wallow in the pain
You wave it like a flag, you wear it like a crown
Got your mind in the gutter, bringin' everybody down
Complain about the present and blame it on the past
I'd like to find your inner child and kick its little ass

Get over it
Get over it
All this bitchin' and moanin' and pitchin' a fit
Get over it, get over it

Steve Korn wrote:
I don't see what the big deal is.  Why are we upset that she isn't talented?  Is this so shocking in the pop world?  Name 10 pop stars who are really talented, there are a few, but that's not what's selling their records. 

Is Miley, pushing boundaries, not really.  This has all been done before and even more so. 

Why is it that we need to generate all of this outrage every other year or so? 

I say we buy the record if we like it, don't if we don't and move on.  There really is nothing to see here.

All of them.

You're underestimating how hard it is to do what they do. My guess is that you're probably not even thinking about what it is that they actually do. Singing is less of their job than shooting is for a commercial photographer.

MC Photo wrote:

No one sells a shit ton of records any more. She'll be lucky if the album goes platinum in the US. The singles probably will.

What this will do is help establish her brand, build her following and she get paid to "license" access to her following. Something all of us should think about.

Unless you mean literally, vinyl records, I do not believe this to be true.  There are quite a few artists out there selling a shit ton of CDs or their digital equivalent full downloads (meaning they downloaded all the tracks, not just the 2 or 3 singles).

Tiffany_B wrote:
I'm clearly in the minority but I liked the video for what it was: a bit of entertainment. Beyond that the set sent my wheels spinning from a styling standpoint so it wasn't the worst 3 minutes of my life. Personally, I think a lot of the dislike stems from the fact that it's Miley Cyrus and she tends to be a favorite target for what little girls absolutely shouldn't grow up to be but speaking as someone who isn't 100% proud of my own early 20s the fact that she's a bit "messy" makes her a bit more human and after "We can't stop" which was just strange, this was at least watchable for me.

+1

Ultimate Wet Dreams wrote:
Music video of "Miley Cyrus - Wrecking Ball" swinging around butt naked.

Had no idea Terry Richardson directs music video too

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=My2FRPA3Gf8

Ok I'm going to bite here and god knows I'll no doubt face a shit ton of backlash...but who is Terry Richardson (other than the obvious that he directed this video?).

And about the video...I actually liked it and the song (and I am NOT a Miley fan in the least).

Untitled Photographer wrote:
Why do people assume that if you point out that Miley has marginal singing skills, no dance skills that you are a "hater"?  It's comical actually. If you deviate from the herd, you are somehow transformed into a "hater"?  That betrays a profound ignorance I think.

I think it depends on the context of the critique.

"I do not like her singing.  It doesn't sound very good to me."

People cannot say you're wrong.  It's subjective.

versus...

"She has marginal singing skills."

The latter critique implies that you know what good singing is.  Not just simply what sounds good to you, but that you have the skills to determine if someone actually KNOWS how to sing.

I think someone like Simon Cowell KNOWS how to tell if someone is a talented singer or not.  That doesn't mean he or even myself will like their singing.

Swank Photography wrote:

Ok I'm going to bite here and god knows I'll no doubt face a shit ton of backlash...but who is Terry Richardson (other than the obvious that he directed this video?).

And about the video...I actually liked it and the song (and I am NOT a Miley fan in the least).

Google is your friend:
https://www.google.ca/search?q=Terry+Richardson

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terry_Richardson

Christopher Hartman wrote:

I think it depends on the context of the critique.

"I do not like her singing.  It doesn't sound very good to me."

People cannot say you're wrong.  It's subjective.

versus...

"She has marginal singing skills."

The latter critique implies that you know what good singing is.  Not just simply what sounds good to you, but that you have the skills to determine if someone actually KNOWS how to sing.

I think someone like Simon Cowell KNOWS how to tell if someone is a talented singer or not.  That doesn't mean he or even myself will like their singing.

I've been a musician for 40 years, but it doesn't take that to know what marginal singing is. Keep in mind some people like marginal or even bad singing. Katy Perry is not a great singer, neither is Bob Dylan :-)  Bob Dylan is a profound song writer which explains his iconic status. Katy Perry has a very marketable image and pretty good singing skills.

Bottom line, I think is, Miley wants attention and she has skillfully garnered that and I hope she's laughing her way to the bank. She's going to be selling her image for a very long time.

Christopher Hartman wrote:
I think someone like Simon Cowell KNOWS how to tell if someone is a talented singer or not.

lol...yeah, those people who "judge" on the reality music star television shows know real talent. If it wasn't for people like him on those television shows, we would never heard of Elvis, The Beatles, Queen, Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden, Kate Bush.

Christopher Hartman wrote:

Unless you mean literally, vinyl records, I do not believe this to be true.  There are quite a few artists out there selling a shit ton of CDs or their digital equivalent full downloads (meaning they downloaded all the tracks, not just the 2 or 3 singles).

There are very few multi-platinum full length albums in the past few years.

500k is not a shit ton.

Untitled Photographer wrote:
Why do people assume that if you point out that Miley has marginal singing skills, no dance skills that you are a "hater"?  It's comical actually. If you deviate from the herd, you are somehow transformed into a "hater"?  That betrays a profound ignorance I think.

The Guardian Music Blog is spot on in their analysis:

"Now Cyrus evidently wants to cast aside her crown as queen of the tweens, and she's gone about it in the way that many young women who became famous very young have done: she's embraced sexualisation. What's startling about Cyrus's journey is the extent of the embrace: the Wrecking Ball video doesn't demonstrate a woman exploring her sexuality, it depicts a woman exploring the iconography of porn. That was inevitable once she chose the repulsive Terry Richardson – a man whose work gives the impression that he looks at a woman and can't help seeing a blow-up sex doll – as director."

and

"...is that proof is out there that young women can be huge popular successes without turning themselves into sex toys for Terry Richardson. Cyrus didn't have to go this way. Taylor Swift connects with a huge, young audience, and she does so through her songs and her personality, not by turning herself into – let's not put too fine a point on this – a wank fantasy"

http://www.theguardian.com/music/musicb … cking-ball

She doesn't have marginal singing skills.

It's like saying Dave Hill has marginal photography skills.

Christopher Hartman wrote:

I think it depends on the context of the critique.

"I do not like her singing.  It doesn't sound very good to me."

People cannot say you're wrong.  It's subjective.

versus...

"She has marginal singing skills."

The latter critique implies that you know what good singing is.  Not just simply what sounds good to you, but that you have the skills to determine if someone actually KNOWS how to sing.

I think someone like Simon Cowell KNOWS how to tell if someone is a talented singer or not.  That doesn't mean he or even myself will like their singing.

Defining good singing is not easy. Is there anyone who wouldn't consider Nina Simone a great singer?

She's more out of tune than Brittany before auto-tune.


There are very few people who can do what Brittany does. It's extremely hard to find a good pop singer.

Untitled Photographer wrote:

I've been a musician for 40 years, but it doesn't take that to know what marginal singing is. Keep in mind some people like marginal or even bad singing. Katy Perry is not a great singer, neither is Bob Dylan :-)  Bob Dylan is a profound song writer which explains his iconic status. Katy Perry has a very marketable image and pretty good singing skills.

Bottom line, I think is, Miley wants attention and she has skillfully garnered that and I hope she's laughing her way to the bank. She's going to be selling her image for a very long time.

She's not a great singer, she's a phenomenal singer.

I guarantee you that you can not find a singer to sing Firework over an instrumental track who you will consider a better singer on that song when the recording is done.

Even better, if you can find someone who is truly better as a pop vocalist, I can get you a hefty finder's fee - especially considering all you'd have to do is send a PM.

Glenn Hall - Fine Art wrote:

lol...yeah, those people who "judge" on the reality music star television shows know real talent. If it wasn't for people like him on those television shows, we would never heard of Elvis, The Beatles, Queen, Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden, Kate Bush.

What do you think the people who found them were like?

Erlinda wrote:
What is the difference between Miley being naked and Natalie Imbruglia being naked on her video "Torn" Want that was also about heart break.

FTFY

Swank Photography wrote:

Ok I'm going to bite here and god knows I'll no doubt face a shit ton of backlash...but who is Terry Richardson(other than the obvious that he directed this video?).

And about the video...I actually liked it and the song (and I am NOT a Miley fan in the least).

That is the eternal question that keeps the popcorn people in business.