I don’t know what I was expecting when I decided to watch Miley Cyrus’ “Wrecking Ball” video for the first time, but a lack of revulsion certainly was not it. As I watched her naked body swing back and forth on, you guessed it, a wrecking ball, I was more surprised than disgusted. This experience caused me to pose the question, “What the heck is everyone freaking out about?”

There is nothing particularly vulgar about this music video besides nudity and a few images of Cyrus tonguing a hammer. In fact, this video is surprisingly tame compared to her prior “We Can’t Stop.” I will admit that maybe it is not the most tasteful, or perhaps not what I would choose for myself if I were a pop-star. I am even willing to admit that this is not the kind of material I would like my young children to watch. However, I will still defend this video and Miley Cyrus in general.

Parents pull the “I don’t want my kid influenced by this” card way too often. Isn’t it a parent’s job to filter the content that his or her child is allowed to see? I don’t get why they are seemingly always complaining about people in the public eye being terrible role models. Entertainers, like Cyrus, are meant to entertain, not to teach the youth of society wrong and right. Guardians need to stop pointing fingers at performers for supposedly “corrupting” their children.

Music videos, in a weird and modern way, are art. Shouldn’t an “artist” be free to express his or herself through whichever medium they choose? Isn’t “Wrecking Ball,” in a strange and loose way, art? By heavily critiquing and calling for the removal of these pieces, aren’t we endorsing the censorship of art? The sole purpose of art is to induce thought and create conversation. In that regard, Cyrus has succeeded, even though the conduct that has commenced isn’t necessarily in her favor.

Arguably, this entire ordeal has happened because Cyrus is a woman. If a man were to have put an incredibly provocative video of himself dancing around to a catchy pop song (ahem, Robin Thicke) he would face light criticism that focused solely on the video itself at most. Cyrus, on the other hand, has faced an onslaught of personal slander that seems to reach far beyond the fact that many viewers did not enjoy the production.

Nonetheless, Cyrus has achieved her ultimate goal: to start a commotion.