Why I Love Miley Cyrus
Thanks to my sister, I now have tickets to see Miley Cyrus in concert in March--so excited! At one point, I never thought I would care about her, but lately, don't laugh, I've been a little obsessed with her. She has an amazing voice, and I actually like her songs and many of the views she's shared publicly. And the incessant slut shaming after the VMA awards performance and her Wrecking Ball video just make me want to support her more.
Yes, there has been a lot of legitimate criticism of racism in her videos and performances, and I don't in anyway want to ignore or minimize the ways that racism is alive and well, highlighted in part by Miley's performances and appropriation of hip hop culture.
But, I can't stop listening to her music and watching her videos. What gives? When it comes down to it, I think Miley reminds me a bit of myself. I may not have grown up in the public eye, but I remember when I was 20; I was exploring my sexuality in ways that others called "slutty," or "promiscuous," or "not respecting myself," and I fought those assumptions and anti-women sentiments tooth and nail. I participated in parties that ended up in nudity and sex, and as long-time readers of my LJ may remember, I was not shy about declaring on the Internet or in person that I liked sex and was not ashamed about it. As Miley sings, "It's my body, I can do what I want to." My defense of anyone's sexual exploration (in a consensual context) was, and is, completely in line with my pro-choice feminism. The policing and shaming of women's bodies is the problem, not women being explicitly sexual.
I watched Miley's interview on Ellen (and I love how supportive Ellen is). Miley seems like she's just trying to break out of her Disney image and figure out who she really is. Maybe if I had been a child star and coming of age as a celebrity, my exploration of sexuality would have been as public as hers. Who knows? But after all the criticism about her being a bad role model for young girls, I kind of think she is a great role model in a lot of ways. She's prioritizing figuring herself out and being true to that over all the shaming, hurtful criticisms of her. She recognizes the value of figuring out how to enjoy being alone with herself. Even today, I often wish that I had the guts to be so fearless.
So I am a Miley supporter. I also love her new look, and applaud her for not being afraid of looking "like a man" as one offensive parody states. "Remember, only god can judge us, so forget the haters, 'cause somebody loves ya."
Yes, there has been a lot of legitimate criticism of racism in her videos and performances, and I don't in anyway want to ignore or minimize the ways that racism is alive and well, highlighted in part by Miley's performances and appropriation of hip hop culture.
But, I can't stop listening to her music and watching her videos. What gives? When it comes down to it, I think Miley reminds me a bit of myself. I may not have grown up in the public eye, but I remember when I was 20; I was exploring my sexuality in ways that others called "slutty," or "promiscuous," or "not respecting myself," and I fought those assumptions and anti-women sentiments tooth and nail. I participated in parties that ended up in nudity and sex, and as long-time readers of my LJ may remember, I was not shy about declaring on the Internet or in person that I liked sex and was not ashamed about it. As Miley sings, "It's my body, I can do what I want to." My defense of anyone's sexual exploration (in a consensual context) was, and is, completely in line with my pro-choice feminism. The policing and shaming of women's bodies is the problem, not women being explicitly sexual.
I watched Miley's interview on Ellen (and I love how supportive Ellen is). Miley seems like she's just trying to break out of her Disney image and figure out who she really is. Maybe if I had been a child star and coming of age as a celebrity, my exploration of sexuality would have been as public as hers. Who knows? But after all the criticism about her being a bad role model for young girls, I kind of think she is a great role model in a lot of ways. She's prioritizing figuring herself out and being true to that over all the shaming, hurtful criticisms of her. She recognizes the value of figuring out how to enjoy being alone with herself. Even today, I often wish that I had the guts to be so fearless.
So I am a Miley supporter. I also love her new look, and applaud her for not being afraid of looking "like a man" as one offensive parody states. "Remember, only god can judge us, so forget the haters, 'cause somebody loves ya."