By Steve Higginbotham
In our house, our television viewing is pretty much limited to watching DVD’s and “MeTV” which is a channel that replays old television shows like “Gunsmoke,” “Perry Mason,” “The Donna Reed Show,” and “Leave it to Beaver.” So I knew nothing about the recent fiasco surrounding Miley Cyrus and her performance at the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards until I began seeing a plethora of articles about what took place.
Since everyone seemed to have chimed in on this, I thought I would too. However, my thoughts may go in a little different direction than some of the articles you may have read.
First of all, let me say that Miley Cyrus was wrong. Her immodesty and her simulation of sex acts on stage were indefensible. She’s made herself an easy target for national media pundits as well as preachers and youth ministers to condemn. While I haven’t watched the video of the performance, I have read what happened and I’ve seen still shots splashed online through news outlets. Like I said, she’s made herself an easy target. And while I no way endorse what she has done, I want to redirect our attention from her to another “wrong” that seems to be overlooked.
Weren’t there other performers on stage? Male performers? Where are the articles condemning their participation in simulated sex on stage? Is it simply because they aren’t as well-known? Or could it be that we have unwittingly adopted a double standard with regard to sexual purity? Could it be that we hold our daughters to a higher standard than our sons?
I don’t know the answer to that, but it’s worth considering. However, I do know that if we hold a double standard with regard to sexual purity, we need to change the way we think. The apostle Peter said, to both men and women, “…abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul” (1 Peter 2:11). Give it some thought.