Sinéad O’Connor warned Miley Cyrus not to let herself get “pimped” by the music business.
Sinéad O’Connor warned Miley Cyrus not to let herself get ‘pimped’ by the music business
The outspoken singer-turned human rights activist, found dead in London aged 56 on 26 July, issued her warning in an open letter to young star, now 30, on her website after Miley told Rolling Stone magazine she had been inspired by Sinéad’s visuals in her iconic ‘Nothing Compares 2 U’ music video when she made her promo film for ‘Wrecking Ball’ – which saw her swinging nude from a demolition crane.
Sinéad – who said record label bosses told her to stop shaving her head and tried to persuade her to have a miscarriage – said in the note, which has resurfaced since her shock passing she was writing to her “in the spirit of motherliness and with love”.
She added to Miley it wasn’t “‘cool’ to be naked and licking sledgehammers in your videos” and that she was in fact being “pimped” by the music industry.
Her letter stated: “Dear Miley, I wasn’t going to write this letter, but today I’ve been dodging phone calls from various newspapers who wished me to remark upon your having said in Rolling Stone your ‘Wrecking Ball’ video was designed to be similar to the one for ‘Nothing Compares’… So this is what I need to say … And it is said in the spirit of motherliness and with love.
“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. It is in fact the case that you will obscure your talent by allowing yourself to be pimped, whether it’s the music business or yourself doing the pimping.
“Nothing but harm will come in the long run, from allowing yourself to be exploited, and it is absolutely NOT in ANY way an empowerment of yourself or any other young women, for you to send across the message that you are to be valued (even by you) more for your sexual appeal than your obvious talent. I am happy to hear I am somewhat of a role model for you and I hope that because of that you will pay close attention to what I am telling you.
“The music business doesn’t give a s*** 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 … and when you end up in rehab as a result of being prostituted, ‘they’ will be sunning themselves on their yachts in Antigua, which they bought by selling your body and you will find yourself very alone.
None of the men ogling you give a s*** about you either, do not be fooled.”
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