The daughter of former Governor of Alaska and 2008’s Republican nominee for Vice President, Sarah Palin has hit out at recent comments made by pop star Miley Cyrus.
Bristol Palin, 24, was responding to remarks made by Cyrus in an interview with Paper Magazine. In the interview, the singer describes herself as the “least judgmental person ever”, saying “As long as you’re not hurting anyone, your choices are your choice.” She also refers to her parents as “conservative-ass motherfuckers” and suggests that her parents’ religious beliefs hampered their acceptance of her bisexuality.
Writing on her online blog, Palin accuses Cyrus of intolerance towards Christians. She writes: “In her cover story for Paper magazine, Miley Cyrus spoke candidly about her sexuality, her hippie lifestyle, and her politics. While her nude photo shoot has attracted the attention of many, it is her hilarious tirade about tolerance that turned my head.” While the ‘We Can’t Stop’ singer perhaps shouldn’t have phrased her frustration about her parents in such a crude manner, could it be that Miley’s intentions have been misconstrued?
Palin went on to add: “Is it just me or does it seem more than a little fake that someone claiming to be accepting of everyone and everything would spew such judgment towards her own parents and their deeply held religious beliefs? She wants everyone else to let her be ‘free to be Miley’, but seems unwilling to offer the same respect to her parents and those who wish to live out their Christian faith. Oh, Miley. Thanks for giving us the best example of what ‘tolerance’ looks like in Hollywood: it looks a lot like contempt.”
The ex-Hannah Montana star was brought up in Franklin, Tennessee in the south of the United States which is known for its staunch conservative beliefs and strict christianity. Therefore, is it any wonder that Miley went on to rebel? This is why she calls her parents “conservative-ass motherfuckers.” However, this does not necessarily mean that the singer inherently has anything against Christianity as a religion. Cyrus also talks in the Paper interview about her mother’s personal struggle with her daughter’s attraction to women at a young age. It is this conservatism that I believe Cyrus refers to. It doesn’t seem like much of a stretch to argue that Cyrus probably felt rejected, while her mother wrestled with acceptance. And for that, it is understandable how Cyrus could therefore show dislike towards this kind of closed minded thinking that prohibits immediate acceptance between loved ones. Even so, this does not necessarily mean that Miley is against Christianity as a fully fledged faith.
Palin making an appearance in Dancing With The Stars
While she has previously mocked old testament stories, she has done so in an effort to point out the ridiculousness of some of the more archaic laws and often contradictory morales – not to muddy the values of love, hope and trust that they teach. Though I believe Cyrus often says these things for the headlines (after all, she’s been in this business since she was a kid), I also do not believe it is Bristol Palin’s responsibility to respond to them.
Bristol Palin has continuously used her mother’s political career to champion her own stardom. Palin fell pregnant as a teenager after her mother tirelessly advertised herself as an advocate of the family values that Mormon life teaches, alongside her staunch views on abstinence. However things later changed, when Bristol used this to engineer a career as a spokesperson for unplanned pregnancy and teenage pregnancy prevention. Her mother Sarah then followed suit and quickly changed her views, claiming that abstinence was “not realistic at all.”
Young Palin has since gone on to star on America’s Dancing with the Stars in seasons 11 and 15, have her own show on Lifetime (Bristol Palin: Life’s a Trip) and even release a best selling memoir, Not Afraid of Life: My Journey So Far. Let’s just remember that this woman is 24! You have to wonder… is she actually that opinionated or does she just recognise a good media opportunity when she sees one?
Miley Cyrus has constantly been hounded for her new revamped, outrageous image – so obviously, she’s an easy target. Cyrus’ image of the pot-smoking, provocatively twerking tearaway, presents an easy access point for any republican to jump on the bandwagon and complain about what rebellion and loose morals lead to. My advice? Palin needs to take a leaf out of the old book she preaches about so much and read the phrase “love thy neighbour.” While Cyrus is far from perfect, she has the right to free speech – something that those pesky republicans hate, but really need to get used to in our modern society.
