Miley Cyrus' MTV Video Music Awards 2013 spectacle has been called, by some, as degrading to women, to African-Americans and, now, to foam fingers. Steve Chmelar — who invented the sports game prop at just 16 years old in 1971 — explained his outrage to Fox Sports on Wednesday, Aug. 28.
"She took an honorable icon that is seen in sporting venues everywhere and degraded it," Chmelar, 59, told the news program. "If I had a choice between Julie Andrews singing 'The Sound of Music' and Miley Cyrus doing 'Can't Stop,' I'd go the Julie Andrews route."
While collaborating alongside R&B crooner Robin Thicke to his "Blurred Lines" summer hit, Cyrus, 20, took it upon herself to vigorously wave around and rub a foam finger between her legs and against Thicke, 36, during her Barclays Center set.
Though displeased, Chmelar does believe the abuse of his invention in this isolated incident shall pass. "Fortunately, the foam finger has been around long enough that it will survive this incident," he added. "As for Miley Cyrus, let's hope she can outlive this event and also survive."