OUTRAGED, I Tell You

It seems like people are always getting OUTRAGED over the most trivial things these days.  First they were OUTRAGED because Justin Bieber left a lovely, respectful message at the Anne Frank Museum.  

Then they were OUTRAGED because Ben Affleck (who is fast turning into the Rodney "I Don't Get No Respect" Dangerfield of the modern entertainment industry) was cast as the Caped Crusader in the next Batman movie.  Seriously? Why can't he play Batman?  Of course, he's no Adam West, but he certainly might be along the lines of Michael Keaton.  In any case, there is no cause to lose sleep over this.

Now they're OUTRAGED because of Miley Cyrus' performance at the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards.  Now I didn't watch the VMAs. Devious Maids was on at the same time, and I have my priorities.  However I couldn't help watching Miley later to see what all the fuss was about.

My first thought was "Hey, the Furries are dancing back up for Miley Cyrus!"  People think I'm out of touch but I recognize Furries when I see them.  They have their convention in Pittsburgh every year.

There are really no words to fully describe just how terrible this performance was - on every level.  I watched with my mouth open, unbelieving and flabbergasted.  What the hell was she doing?  And why did she keep sticking out her tongue?  You'd think that Kiss' Gene Simmons was her celebrity father, not Billy Ray Cyrus.

But I wasn't  OUTRAGED.  Teenagers have been shocking their parents with their performances probably since the beginning of time and parents (who were the teenagers doing the shocking at some point) continue to fall for it.  It reminded me of performances by Madonna and Lady Gaga, except that Madonna and Gaga are actually talented.

But the funniest part I thought of all the OUTRAGE was that there was a huge backlash from some African Americans saying that Miley Cyrus had no business to be twerking, because it was their dance.  I had no idea what twerking was even after watching the debacle, so I looked it up. I found an instructional video on You Tube with the most earnest young African American woman demonstrating ("first you squat, then you put your hand here to push your hips forward, and here to push your hips back.")

So, basically, twerking is shaking your hips forward and backward while squatting.  I'm sorry to be the one to break it to anyone, but people both black and white have been shaking their hips while they dance for decades, and in a free and equal society we all have the right to shake our hips however we see fit.  Besides, it's not like she did it well or anything.

If people want to spend their time and energy being OUTRAGED about something related to pop culture, there are more important causes for concern.  Why not be OUTRAGED that none of the legislators in this nation will grow a pair and introduce and fight for a bill that bans high powered-assault weapons and high-ammunition magazines?  If they did, we all might be able to go freely to our local cineplex to view that new Batman movie without fear of being shot to death in a massacre by some random gunman when we get there.