If you aren’t living under a rock, chances are you’ve been following Miley’s wild antics of the recent past. In an attempt to shed her Disney image, Miley has lopped her hair off into a Rihanna-esque, partially shaved, ‘I’m-so-rebellious’ ‘do, plastered her body in an array of trendy tattoos, and proceeded to wear less and less clothing every time I see her. As if that already weren’t enough to concern former Hannah Montana fans, Miley’s actions—at the VMAs, in her recent music videos, etc.—have been cited as indecent, disturbing, and highly worrying from fans and haters alike.
Now, don’t get me wrong. I get that “she’s just being Miley.” I get that she wants to shed her Disney-dominated past. In fact, one might argue that much of her behavior is not all too different from that of her twenty-something, non-famous peers. The problem that I find, however, is that as a highly popular celebrity, Miley’s every action and every word are amplified beneath the spotlight; the reality is, Miley Cyrus wields an incredibly profound influence, whether she asked for this responsibility or not.
You’ve all undoubtedly seen or at the very least heard about Miley’s most recent racy episode, the music video for her new ballad, “Wrecking Ball.” In said video, Miley can be seen parading around in an almost see-through, cropped wife-beater and white boy short combo, simulating fellatio on a hammer, and sensuously riding a giant wrecking ball—stark naked. If Miley was looking to be provocative, there’s no doubt she accomplished (and even surpassed) that goal. This video, which was released in the wake of her scandalous and seriously strange VMA performance, has me and countless others wondering, what is Miley really ‘wrecking’ with her inflammatory new image?
Released less than a week ago, ‘Wrecking Ball’ already has 80 million+ hits on YouTube; Miley is an international superstar. With figures like this, no one can deny the immense influence she has on her audiences. I find my greatest concern in all of this when I consider the little girls who have watched and idolized Miley since her Hannah Montana days. These girls, likely in their pre-, early, or mid-teens as of now, are at a vulnerable time in their lives. If any of you remember being a young teen, you’ll likely remember feeling lost in the world, struggling to find your place, and desperately seeking ways to fit in and feel cool. Imagine that during this formative and confusing period, you have someone like Miley to idolize—a girl who unfortunately epitomizes what is trendy, provocative, and cool for this new generation of teens.
It might be hard for a lot of us to understand or relate, as intelligent, mature, college-aged women. We can observe Miley’s antics and enjoy her ‘out-there’ performances purely for their entertainment value. I am able to appreciate her music without feeling compelled to wear grills, make out with inanimate objects, or strip off my clothes and gyrate against anyone or anything in my presence. As mature adults, we have the ability to separate ourselves from her influence. But the fact remains that the younger generation of females who idolize Miley will undoubtedly try to emulate her; I fear that they will attempt to copy Miley’s racy style and mimic her wild behavior. I even worry about the effect that her lyrics have on listeners, as Miley insinuates in “We Can’t Stop” that she takes the party drug Molly (also known as pure MDMA, or Ecstasy), and does lines of cocaine in the bathroom with her fellow partying peers. Whether she recognizes it or not, Miley is encouraging outlandish, inappropriate, and even dangerous behavior.
I realize that this blog post makes me out to be some alarmed, conservative, mother figure. You likely wouldn’t recognize from the majority of this article that I am in fact a huge fan of Miley’s: I jam out to her songs, dig her crazy style, and find endless entertainment in keeping up with her life. However, I can’t imagine how a wildly popular and highly provocative figure such as Miley might have affected me 10 years ago. Miley is sending a message to our younger generations that if they want girls to think they’re cool, if they want boys to like them, if they want to be socially accepted, etc., they should mimic her crazy conduct and emulate her overt sexuality. If we recognize that this whole charade is Miley’s way of announcing to the world that she is an adult, it follows that kids will believe that this type of behavior will permit them to be seen as mature or grown-up. By normalizing such behavior, Miley already has and will likely continue to negatively influence the mindset of an entire generation. My hope is that Miley will pass through this phase of rebellion quickly, wise up to her position of influence, and use said power constructively. If nothing else, I hope that we can arm younger generations with the self-confidence, sense of identity, and security to develop into strong, capable, and independent women, unfazed by the outlandish lifestyle of pop princess Miley Cyrus.