Miley Cyrus– former Disney teen pop star turned something completely unique. The world has watched the evolution of Hannah Montana to the real Miley Cyrus, and it was not exactly as we all would have expected. It is undeniable that Miss Miley is the center of attention in television, music, and the internet at the moment. However, despite many of her eternally loyal fans, many individuals have been not so pleased with her “bad girl” transformation.
Hannah Montana was created to inspire girls everywhere that you can follow your dreams and make them a reality. But just as any past Disney Channel star, their several years under the binding contract with the network came to an end. Disney Channel is obviously a network targeted for a specific, younger audience. Thus, the content is undeniably created with the utmost innocent and good-hearted intentions. Hannah Montana was just this– “A lucky girl whose dreams came true, but underneath it all I’m just like you.”
After the show went off-air, the world saw Miley, just as many other former Disney Stars, try to escape being permanently branded by the cookie-cutter Disney Channel star image. She began to take on different roles, such as some more raunchy, romantic films. However, Miley had not gone out of control. She was simply transitioning from a child-star to a woman.
In an interview with Ellen Degeneres on March 31, 2010, Miley said, “I think people in my life have seen a dramatic change of who I am and how I’ve gotten to know myself…. Make sure you really know who you are before you start going into an industry. The hard thing is if you’re not strong, they will make you who you need to be…you won’t grow up to who you are supposed to be.”
I had always seen Miley’s transformation from Hannah Montana into a young, successful star to be encouraging to girls everywhere. She promoted not only being strong in your opinions, but being confident in who you are as an individual. Although she might have sported a few belly shirts, she never exploited herself in a way that would make people second guess the message she was sending – until now. Miley was clearly showing signs of maturing into a strong, professional woman. So what the heck happened?
In light of recent events in the news, we have watched Miley Cyrus spiral off the deep end. She has taken her message of “being yourself” to a new level – a level that could be perceived to be extremely negative. Not only has Miley exploited her body and her sexuality, she has made this transformation in such a short amount of time that many of her fans still are loyal to the messages she sends.
I am completely supportive of being who you want to be. However, I do not think that Miley is sending this message to her fans as she dances nearly naked on stage. This does not send positive images of “loving your body,” and her recent music videos where she makes vulgar, sexual references, does not send the positive message of being “comfortable in your sexuality.” What Miley is doing is exploiting herself, as any woman would be exploited in pornography.
Miley’s new image definitely “came in like a Wrecking Ball.” Audiences everywhere shake their heads when they watch her news videos, gasp at seeing outfits she wears in public, and cover their eyes in embarrassment when watching her perform on live television. So is she really “being herself,” or is she being molded by this industry she warned us about on the Ellen show?
Sinead O’Connor, the Irish singer of the hit “Nothing Compares 2 You,” spoke out about Miley’s recent behavior. In a letter on the online site TheGuardian.com, she wrote to Miley about what she thinks Miley is doing to herself.
“I am extremely concerned for you that those around you have led you to believe, or encouraged you in your own belief, that it is in any way ‘cool’ to be naked and licking sledgehammers in your videos. It is in fact the case that you will obscure your talent by allowing yourself to be pimped, whether its the music business or yourself doing the pimping…No one who cares about you could support your being pimped … and that includes you yourself” Ms. O’Connor said.
In this blunt letter, Ms. O’Connor boldly states: “Yes, I’m suggesting you don’t care for yourself. That has to change.” The letter explains that Miley should see herself as more than the sexual appeal of her body, and that she is more than letting the industry turn her into their own puppet.
Ultimately, I ask the question: Is the message that Miley is sending to her fans and followers a positive one of “being yourself,” or is she missing the mark? I side with Sinead O’Connor on the matter. Being a fan of Miley, I am sad to watch her completely twist the message she believes to be sending to her audiences. No one needs to prove their individuality through dancing naked while groping a man, nor should they make sexual references to prove of their comfort in who they are as a sexual being.
I feel that Miley has lost sight of the meaning of confidence. Showing the world you are confident should not amount to taking your clothes off and degrading yourself in the public eye. Being confident is sexy in and of itself– and in being confident with who you are, you should be levelheaded enough to know that being sexy is more than just skin deep.