False dichotomies

It’s probably no surprise to anyone that I have no respect for Miley Cyrus. And I suspect she doesn’t place much importance on my opinions, either. But she isn’t helping her case any when she appears on the Tonight Show wearing pasties and defends herself with the following, when asked what her father would think:

“My dad doesn’t know how to turn on the TV,” she joked. “He’d rather have me with my tits out and being a good person than rather have my shirt on and be a b**ch.”

Are we expected to believe those are the only two options available to her? Is she seriously insinuating that people who believe in shirts are not good people? The trouble is, she also seems to have strange ideas about what constitutes being a “good person.”

In a recent interview with Time magazine, Cyrus — who’s hosting Saturday Night Live on Oct. 3 — opened up as to why she sports such scantily-clad outfits. “I’m using it as a power stance,” she said of the nudity and strategically placed pasties. “It’s funny to see people try to look me in the eye.”

So she uses her nudity as a means of intimidation and to provide herself amusement over the resulting discomfort? That doesn’t sound like a “good person” to me. If a man were to do that at work or on the street that would be indecent exposure at best, sexual harassment at worst. Going against socially accepted standards specifically to make people uncomfortable for your amusement is not something a person does out of concern or consideration for others. And any list of qualities of a “good person” that does not include consideration for others is seriously lacking.

Miley, I know this might be an original thought, but try being a good person with your shirt on. I suspect your dad would prefer that to either of the only two options you seem to be able to imagine.