There’s no doubt that Miley Cyrus is the inescapable pop culture topic of 2013; from her haircuts to breakups, social media sites are devouring her debauchery and eagerly awaiting her next scandal. The situation has become so severe that software has been developed to block all articles even mentioning the starlet’s name. I can easily understand the frustration with the bombardment, but why so much hostility? While I’m no avid fan and the only “molly” I’ve been exposed to is Molly Ringwald, I can’t help but feel for her. Though ideal, the expectation of her to remain a Disney darling throughout her twenties is highly unrealistic. Of course this is not the first time a starlet has acted out or undergone a shocking transformation and the past few years have seen more than their fair share of Tinseltown train wrecks, but the relentless criticism still shocks me. I firmly believe that the animosity directed towards Miley is unwarranted and cruel. Despite her celebrity and defiance of the status quo, Miley is still entitled to the growth and exploration period that all young adults experience. The treatment of Miley Cyrus is not only hypocritical, but is a prime example of how rampant cyber-bullying is in our society.
Even though twerking and filthy foam fingers make me blush, we’ve seen the same provocative performances at the VMA’s before (Britney and Gaga anyone?). The performers who have dared to break the rules are the ones who are now hailed as the princesses of pop and bona fide icons. It seems as if enduring ridicule is a rite of passage to superstardom and is something to merely expect and accept.
Now I know I can’t speak on behalf of HerCampus or our readers, but I would sincerely hope that no one would expect me to stay the same way I was at 13 or 14. The social backlash that Ms. Cyrus is receiving is what I can imagine would be the equivalent of my entire middle school collectively approaching me and demanding why I still don’t wear my Panic! at the Disco hoodie everyday (I’m not kidding, see below) and why I moved out of Mundelein. I changed. People change. It’s nothing new.
I think that’s why dismissing her actions as “She’s just being Miley” bothers me so much. Okay, maybe she’s acting out, who knows? But if she’s not, she’s merely following the inevitable human destiny of change. It’s okay to be confused or uncomfortable with her antics; it’s a natural reaction to something you may not understand. It only becomes problematic when you unnecessarily lash out. It’s strange, but the hate directed towards Miley didn’t hit me until I found this post trending on Facebook.
I was immediately overcome with guilt. I too had shrieked and gawked during her VMA performance (and even sent out a snarky status). It’s funny how prepared one is to lead the crusade against online abuse after watching ABC Family’s “Cyberbully”, but still is so eager to submit 180 scathing characters into the Twitterverse. It’s the glorious anonymity and distance that the Internet provides that makes users so bold and allows for mindless attacks online. And even though Miley Cyrus is in our age demographic, we would never even consider sending the same spiteful messages to the girl sitting next to us in calculus. The risk of facing real consequences is what prevents cyber bullies from attacking their peers and channels their catty comments to Twitter and YouTube. Regardless of your relationship to the individual, malicious tweets or statuses are still a form of cyber-bullying.
Be mindful that the position I’m taking is not one of pro-twerking, but of human decency. Numerous celebrities before her have had their questionable moments, but have eventually returned to good graces with the public (Robert Downey Jr., Nicole Richie, and Angelina Jolie to name a few) and I’m confident that Miley will (in due time) follow in their footsteps. Yes, she may be ridiculously rich and Billy Ray’s baby girl, but at the end of the day, Miley Cyrus is still a young adult trying to navigate the world like the rest of us. So readers my mission to you is this: think before you tweet and follow the Golden Rule (for both celebrities and classmates).
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