Read Sinead O’Connor’s open letter to Miley Cyrus in full about the music industry’s ‘pimping’
Sinead O’Connor was known for her outspoken views on politics, women’s rights and the music industry in general.
In the days since her untimely death on Wednesday (July 26) at the age of 56, numerous stories from her past have surfaced, including her infamous 1992 SNL Appearance and her longtime feud with Madonna.
Here are the latest updates following O’Connor’s death
Another letter that found new life on social media this week was O’Connor’s 2013 letter to Miley Cyrus, which she posted on her website.
After the release of her viral music video for her hit single “Wrecking Ball,” Cyrus (then 20 years old) shared. Rolling Stone Magazine that she was inspired by O’Connor’s accompanying artwork for Nothing Compares 2 U (1990).
In response, O’Connor wrote to Cyrus “in a spirit of motherhood and with love.”
She told the young artist that being naked and licking sledgehammers in your videos wasn’t “cool” and that she was actually “pimped” by the music industry.
Sinead O’Connor (left) and Miley Cyrus
(Getty Images)
You can read the full letter below.
Dear Miley,
It was not my intention to write this letter, but today I avoided calls from various newspapers asking me to comment on your statement to Rolling Stone that your Wrecking Ball video should be similar to Nothing Compares … So that is what I have to say … And it is said in a spirit of motherhood and with love.
I am deeply concerned for you that those around you have led you to believe, or encouraged your own belief, that being naked and licking sledgehammers in your videos is in some way “cool”. In fact, by allowing yourself to be a pimp, whether in the music business or yourself, you are disguising your talent.
If you allow yourself to be exploited, nothing but harm will come in the long run, and it’s in no way empowering to yourself or other young women when you send the message that you need to be valued (even). of you) more for your sexual attraction than your apparent talent. I’m happy to hear that I’m something of a role model for you, and I hope that you will therefore pay close attention to what I am telling you.
The music business doesn’t give a damn about you or any of us. They’ll prostitute you as much as you can, cleverly fooling you into thinking it’s what YOU wanted… and if you end up in rehab for prostitution, “they” will sunbathe on their yachts in Antigua that they bought If you sell your body you will be very alone.
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Even the men staring at you don’t give a damn, don’t be fooled. Many women confused lust with love. If they want you sexually, it doesn’t mean they give a damn about you. Even more so if you inadvertently give the impression that you don’t care much for yourself. And when you hire people who give the impression that they don’t care much about you either. No one who cares about you could support you being pimped…and the same goes for yourself.
Yes, I suggest you don’t worry about yourself. That needs to change. As a valuable young lady, you should be protected by everyone in your associates and by everyone around you, including yourself. This is a dangerous world. We don’t encourage our daughters to walk around naked in it because it makes them prey to animals, less so than animals, most of which worryingly work in the music industry and related media.
You are worth more than your body or your sexual attraction. The world of show business doesn’t see things that way, they like things to be seen differently, whether it’s magazines you want on their cover or whatever… Have no illusions… ALL you want because you make money off your youth and your beauty… which you couldn’t do if your youth didn’t blind you to the evils of show business. If you have an innocent heart, you cannot recognize those who don’t have it.
I repeat, you have enough talent that you don’t have to let the music industry turn you into a prostitute. You shouldn’t let them ridicule you either. Don’t think for a moment that they don’t give a damn about you. They’re there for the money, we’re there for the music. That has always been the case and will always be the case. The sooner a young lady learns this, the sooner she can REALLY be in control.
You also said in Rolling Stone that your look is based on mine. The look I chose was intentional at a time when my record company was encouraging me to do what you were doing. I felt that I would rather be judged on my talent than my looks. I’m glad I made that choice, not least because now that I’m almost 47 years old I’m not on the proverbial rag heap… which unfortunately many female artists who have imaged their sexuality end up eventually ending up in they reach middle age.
A real self-empowerment as a woman would be that in the future you would refuse to exploit your body or your sexuality so that men could make money off you. I don’t even need to ask the question…I’ve been in the business long enough to know that men make more money than you if you get naked. It’s really not cool at all. And it sends dangerous signals to other young women. In the future, please say no when asked to prostitute yourself. Your body is for you and your friend. It’s not for every cum-spitting scumbag on the internet, or every greedy record company exec used to buy his lover diamonds.
As for getting rid of the Hannah Montana image…whoever tells you that getting naked is the right way to go has absolutely NO respect for your talent or you as a young lady. Your records are so good, you don’t have to lose Hannah Montana. She’s already dead now… Not because you undressed, but because you make great records.
Like it or not, we women in the industry are role models and as such we need to be extremely careful about the messages we send to other women. The message you keep sending is that being a prostitute is kinda cool… it’s not cool like that, Miley… it’s dangerous. Women are valued for so much more than just their sexuality. We are not just objects of desire. I want to encourage you to send healthier messages to your peers…that they and you are worth more than what’s currently happening in your career. Please fire any motherfucker who hasn’t expressed concern about not caring about you.