An open letter written by the late Irish music legend, Sinead O’Connor, to Miley Cyrus, has gone viral once again, drawing attention to their past feud. The letter, penned in 2013, sheds light on the fallout between the two singers after Cyrus claimed that her provocative “Wrecking Ball” video was inspired by O’Connor’s iconic track, “Nothing Compares 2 U.”
In the letter, O’Connor publicly addressed Cyrus’s remarks in Rolling Stone magazine, cautioning her about the perils of the music industry and its potential for exploitation. O’Connor expressed deep concern for the young pop star, warning her that allowing herself to be objectified and overtly sexualised would only lead to long-term harm. She stressed that true empowerment for women lies in being valued for their talents rather than their sexuality.
She further criticised the music business, emphasising, “The music business doesn’t give a shit about you or any of us. They will prostitute you for all you are worth and cleverly make you think it’s what YOU wanted.”
O’Connor wrote, “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.”
She completed the letter with the lines: “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 its 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.”
In response to the letter, Cyrus reacted defensively, comparing O’Connor to troubled star Amanda Bynes. The social media feud escalated with Cyrus re-sharing pictures of O’Connor’s controversial appearance on the US TV show Saturday Night Live in 1992 when she tore up a photo of Pope John Paul II.
However, later that year, Cyrus seemed to have extended an olive branch, stating on The Today Show that the disagreement “didn’t really matter” and it was “all good.”
Sir David Jason Wades In
Sharing similar views to Sinead O’Connor on Miley Cyrus, Sir David Jason, has expressed concern that society’s moral standards have deteriorated. This decline he believes has contributed to publicising Cyrus’s provocative behaviour, particularly her performances and thinly veiled drug references.
The legendary actor believes such content drips down from the higher echelons of power and celebrity, negatively affecting societal values: ‘Miley Cyrus epitomises what we have allowed,’ he said. ‘She has done it to break the mould. I can understand why, but we have given her the oxygen of publicity and encouraged it, so young girls will think it is the right way to attract men. We’ve lost our standards.’
‘It doesn’t have to be swearing or sexual. But what they show is violence in another way, which is aggression, people being very unkind and shouting at each other, and being rude to each other.’
Sir David further criticised the lax watershed policies, allowing graphic content and aggression to be aired before the 9:00 pm policy, potentially detrimentally influencing younger audiences.
In recent years, Cyrus has openly reflected on the impact of her controversial performances, acknowledging the guilt and shame she carried due to the controversies surrounding “Wrecking Ball” and her provocative twerking at the VMAs.