This is probably the hardest blog I’ve had to write this semester (now that’s saying something). Because, this is one of those questions that don’t really have a definite answer, has so many parts, and has been debated many times over. Not only does it question the validity of artistry today, but the way that people interpret its purpose. Is the work being created today really mean something or is it just people trying to hit it big and make money? Are they selling out?

I remember hearing a discussion between two of my classmates about the meaning of ‘selling out’, one explained to the other it was when artists make things because they want to be famous they don’t really care what it means. They just want their few minutes of fame. Now for whatever strange reason what this brought to my mind was the singer, Miley Cyrus. In the media today whenever people mention her you know you’re going to hear about some crazy, sexual thing she did. I was reading an article the other day where the writer in a way rationalized what Miley was doing by comparing it to her character of Hannah Montana. They explained that just how her character was Hannah on stage but Miley at home maybe that’s what was happening now. On the outside she’s being promiscuous, because let’s face it sex sells, however when she gets home maybe she’s normal. This for me was interesting because some say that she’s changed and this is who she is. However, what if she’s doing this because she knows this is what the public wants. To sum up my confusing rant, maybe that’s just not who she really is but who she has to be, in order to be famous. Then again maybe she is just like that.

Another thing that comes to mind when thinking of selling out would be Beyoncé’s latest self-titled album. As someone who knows a lot of her music to me this album was certainly different from any of her previous music, it was much (much) more sexual. Some people wonder why she took such a different turn in her artistry, especially as a role model to many young women to be singing about these things. They question the purpose of it. Beyoncé however defends herself by saying she’s singing about liberation and ‘demonstrating sexuality as a power women should have’. She says the purpose is to empower women. I honestly don’t know what to think of it, any of it, really. I mean, there are so many examples of this, where artists create things a certain way that either might not be a reflection of their beliefs or just gets interpreted the wrong way.

However when you really think about it, is it that the artists are selling out, or have they just given in to what they deem society wants? I mean, you can talk about Miley Cyrus, Beyoncé, and even Kim Kardashian all you want but at the end of the day they’re making money and are famous. Especially Kim Kardashian, as a woman who came into the public eye the way she did and her photos for Paper Magazine, they’re both controversial however she’s very famous. Her wedding photo was the most liked Instagram picture of 2014 and she was the most searched celebrity on Google. Trust me all this free publicity is doing her wonders. Not to even mention the fact that Keeping Up with the Kardashians is in its ninth season. Nowadays TV networks are struggling to get shows past mid-season. Maybe we shouldn’t be questioning the artists but ourselves as a society, about the things we choose to glorify and accept as the norm. Maybe the art that served a purpose and meant something, doesn’t anymore because we simply don’t care.