Miley Cyrus' 'Rainbowland' stirs Waukesha school concert controversy | FOX6 News Milwaukee
controversial for elementary school. That is the message from administrators after a teacher asked kids to sing a Miley Cyrus song. Our Brett Lemoine live tonight outside higher elementary in Waukesha with the reason one parent says this song is causing such a fuss. Where are we on this? Yeah, well, the song is called Rainbow Land and it's a Miley Cyrus song from 2017 and a duet with Dolly Parton. One parent I spoke with today says the controversy is more about rainbows than it is the actual lyrics of the song. Sarah Schindler can't wait for the spring concert at higher elementary. Her daughter, Audrey, can barely contain her own excitement.
She was excited to be in the concert and asked, are you going to be able to get off of work and come to my concert? And I said, yes, I will come to your concert. So it was a letdown when Audrey came home Wednesday and told her mom one of her favorite songs got pulled from the show. She said, we are not allowed to sing those songs anymore. Superintendent Jim Siebert confirms the 2017 Miley Cyrus and Dolly Parton duet Rainbow Land was dropped from the set list. Lyrics include, wouldn't it be nice to live in paradise where we're free to be exactly who we are? Siebert told us, quote, it was determined that Rainbow Land could be perceived as controversial, citing a specific school board policy. After we pressed Siebert for a reason why it's controversial, the superintendent told us the district questioned whether it was appropriate for the age and maturity level of the students. And because of, quote, social or personal impacts on them.
Tell me why a song about rainbows isn't appropriate for first grader to sing. The school board defines a controversial issue as one that, quote, may be the subject of intense public argument. I think for some reason, the district and the administration sees rainbows as a political symbol. Schindler believes recent school board decisions about LGBT issues could be a factor because of the rainbows association with gay rights. But the district features rainbows on its 4K enrollment signs, and Siebert also told us the Muppet Song Rainbow Connection will be a part of the higher concert. Maybe they think Miley Cyrus is controversial. Yeah, I don't know.
I don't know. Schindler says she's now struggling to explain the decision to her daughter. To me, that is a message that I want my child to feel. Seven-year-olds should be free to be themselves. And in interviews, Miley Cyrus has said that Rainbow Land was inspired by her recording studio, which is painted in all different colors. Dolly Parton has said that the song is about hope and positivity in dark times. Reporting live in Waukesha, Brett Lemoine, Fox six news.
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