The Michigan Daily - michiganclaily.com

Friday, September 6, 2013 - 5A

The Michigan Daily - michigandailycom Friday, September 6, 2013 -

Bad press 'Can't Stop'
Cyrus's success
By GIBSON JOHNS
Online Arts Editor

It's no secret that Miley Cyrus
is the most talked about celeb-
rity of the past few months.
From her bizarre, overtly sexual
music video for "We Can't Stop"
to her frenzied performance at
MTV's Video Music Awards that
shocked the world, the Miley
discussion has been rampant.
She's perhaps the most divisive
public figure there is right now
and, if I had to guess, that's
exactly what she wants.
It's not like this is a new devel-
opment - between that contro-
versial Vanity Fair photo shoot
at 15, her incorporation of a
stripper pole into a performance
of "Party In The U.S.A." at the
Teen Choice Awards and the sal-
via incident, Miley has always
shown a penchant for controver-
sy. The difference now, though,
is that this new image of hers She's just being Miley.
doesn't feel natural: Whereas
her previous moments of notori- material. She may se
ety were simply ill-advised, most it comes to her imag
of what Miley does these days no denying the passi
borders on desperate. the music she's maki

The end is just the beginning.
'Futurama' meets
bittersweet end

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loved animated few animated shows on televi-
sion that took full advantage
series leaves of its medium. The show was
about the art of animation as
fans satisfied much as it was about a delivery
company, and it paid homage to
By MAX RADWIN that process. Episodes like "Sat-
DailyFineArts Editor urday Morning Fun Pit" and
"Reincarnation" both explore
tt Groening and David X. the sub-genres of animation,
n finished their run with from the Disney- and Fleischer-
rama" by giving Fry a but- style of Golden Age animation
hat can only travel back 10 to Japanese anime to the dopey,
ds in time, which later simplistic, Saturday-morning
s him stuck in an infinite cartoon.
cond time loop. But consid- Groening and Cohen's future
that this is the show's third have rigid and scientific rules,
finale, fans might be won- but it is abstract and ever-
g if it's actually Groening expanding too, which allows big
sas got some sort of looping stylistic risks like these to pay
button on his hands. off so well. In many instances,
this series finale is differ- it was the technology of their
'he show spends its last few future that made it work. Pro-
des tying up loose ends - fessor Farnsworth's gadgets and
conciles with his mom and inventions are always screwing
snd Zoidberg settles into a with elements of their fictional
ful happiness (surprising- universe, which often alters the
so this last episode, which show's animated style. The epi-
hows Fry and Lela getting sode "2-D Blacktop" places the
ed, feels like a true finale. characters of an already two-
es closure, which is all any- dimensional art form into a two-
an really ask for. dimensional universe. What
1, the way it all wraps up happens next?
end <em>does</em> allow "Futurama" repeatedly put
sore episodes to be made itself into problematic artistic
d a different network pick circumstances and then layered
how up. "Futurama" is as them with characters facing
as it's ever been, which ones just as thorny and daunt-
y so many fans were sur- ing, whether they be romantic,
d when Comedy Central social or intergalactic. It cre-
tnced that it wasn't going ated characters that, even when
y any more episodes after fighting giant space honeybees,
seventh season. Groening somehow evoked empathy as
Cohen created a cartoon well as sympathy.
rse with infinite worlds, "Futurama" did it in a way
nsions, characters and pos- that "The Simpsons" touched on
ies. So with so much gas before Season 10, that "Archer" is
the tank, why wouldn't it too young for, that "South Park"
going on some other net- achieves every once and a while
and that Seth MacFarlane only
ss should be happy even if dreams about late at night when
sn't. The finale certainly no one is home. Fry and Leela
e series justice, and there's were as much Ross and Rachel
in knowing that there are as they were Rita and Runt, and
rilliant episodes to watch Bender was the Iron Giant as
nd over again, which make much as he was Wakko, Yakko
e of the best animated TV and Dot all rolled into one.
s in history. The Planet Express team -
turama" was smart - as and eventhe supportingcharac-
nced by the Mlies joke ters - had depths and histories
time-travel paradox in like few other animated shows
inale. The show always really even made an effort to
'ded its viewers for notic- strive for. Groening and Cohen
he details and for having knew it, too. In later seasons,
ng cultural and scientific they took those characters and
round. The writers cre- challenged their identities and
their own language that the viewers' relationship with
red across multiple epi- them the same way Chuck Jones
in one famous episode, did with Daffy Duck in "Duck
have to write a theorem Amuck." But they did it with
all of the characters back Bender, and then Lela, and then
he same universe, and for Dr. Zoidberg and then with just
reason, Edvard Munch's about every other member of
Scream" makes a cameo in Planet Express. And it worked.
tale. For those who missed That made it all the more dif-
s and references like these, ficult to say goodbye to "Futur-
ickedly clever plot, puns ama" on Wednesday; viewers
apstick humor were there were deeply attached to those
oy as well. characters and their world. But
turama" was one of those that bittersweetness at the end

of a series is the mark of a great
show. And while many fans may
hope that Groening will press
a button and keep the world in
some infinite time loop where
"Futurama" is still on televi-
sion, one gets the sense that the
Planet Express crew is living
on, out of our sights regardless,
and never truly gone forever.

"We Can't Stop" brought a
fresh sound to Top-40 radio and
Nobody's became a bona fide hit. "Wreck-
N b s ing Ball," the second single off
)erfect, So I of the upcoming BANGERZ, is a
soaring power ballad fit for the
tta twerk it. likes of Katy Perry. For the first
time ever, Miley has a chance to
become a pop star with actual
hit records and - coming from
at's frustrating about the someone that wasn't exactly
diley's acting is that her dragged to the Best of Both
is better than it has ever Worlds Tour back when she was
When I listened to her pre- Hannah Montana - it's exciting.
"We Can't Stop" on "On I just hope she doesn't screw it
ith Ryan Seacrest" in early up.
could tell she had put some Miley 2.0 may be turning
ely hard work into her new many people off with her endless

Wh:
way N
music
been.
miere
Air Wi
June, I
genuin

twerking and lewd behavior on
stage, but isn't there something
to be said for the fact that, unlike
many Disney stars before her,
the spotlight isn't on her per-
sonal life? If she's doing drugs or
partying too much, there's not
much evidence of it in the tab-
loids. She hasn't been to rehab
or gotten a DUI. Nobody knows
(or really cares) if her engage-
ment to Liam Hemsworth is on
or off, The attention lately has
been on what she's been doing
professionally and that's not a
bad place for her to be.
The new Miley Cyrus isn't
everyone's cup of tea, nor does
she want to be. It's her party and
she can do what she wants to -
we should all just be happy to get
an invitation.


GE Day: Monday, Sept. 9, 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Look for GE around North Campus in the FXB, EECS, CSE, and Duderstadt buildings
EID Event: Meet with GE representatives - Monday, Sept. 9, 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
on the North Campus Diag
SWE CIS Info Session: What can GE do for me? - Monday, Sept. 9,6:30 to 8:30 p.m. in 1013 Dow
Resume Critiques: Tuesday, Sept. 10, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. in the Pierpont Connector
SWE Professional Development Day: Sunday, Sept. 22, 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
in DOW 1013/1014/1017
Career Fair Reception: Sunday, Sept. 22, 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. in Tishman Hall (CSE)
Engineering Career Fair: Monday, Sept. 23, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
in the Duderstadt Center Atrium

Networking Event: Monday, Sept. 23, 7:00 to 9:00 p.m.
at the Cottage Inn Restaurant on Central Campus