As an up and coming young female star, Miley Cyrus has become a role model for young girls and teenagers everywhere. Miley Cyrus jumpstarted her career as the star of “Hannah Montana,” a hit Disney Channel show. On the show she showcases her talent as an innocent girl trying to balance her life as a famous pop star and her normal life at home, trying to survive the social juggle of high school. The plot line for “Hannah Montana” actually seems to foreshadow Miley Cyrus’ real life and her struggle to maintain a normal childhood and adolescent years, while pursuing an acting and singing career. As many young Hollywood stars experience, Miley Cyrus has felt the pressure to grow up quickly and unfortunately in the public eye. Recently, Miley Cyrus has tried to change her innocent image into a racier and more mature one. Following in the footsteps of Britney Spears, another teen pop star, Miley’s wardrobe choices have become skimpier and the lyrics of her songs more provocative. Still an actress for the Disney Channel, she has received a lot of scrutiny from the media and Disney producers for her recent transition and the new image she is sending out to her adoring younger fans. Miley Cyrus’ most recent music video, “Can’t be Tamed,” has stirred up quite a scandal and has created controversy over the age appropriateness of her wardrobe, lyrics, and choreography. Miley Cyrus’ racy music video, “Can’t be Tamed,” demonstrates that she has been subject to the typical pressure young female stars feel to become overtly sexual, while still trying to advocate for female strength and independence.
At the age of seventeen, Miley Cyrus has already embraced the saying that “sex sells.” In the majority of the music video, Miley Cyrus prances around in a skimpy black leotard and feather ensemble that leaves little to the imagination. The “Can’t be Tamed” music video is definitely Miley’s way of introducing her new sexier image and telling the world that she isn’t a little girl anymore. Regardless of the way she wishes to be seen, the fact of the matter is that she is still legally a minor. The difference in the image she portrays on the Disney Channel in comparison to the one in this music video is shocking. It is sad to watch as the pressure of being a young star in Hollywood has forced her to give up her childhood innocence. Miley Cyrus seems think that she can only be taken seriously as an artist and further her career if she plays up her sexuality. Miley Cyrus is by no means the first star to undergo this rapid and premature transformation. Britney Spears is probably the most famous for her change from her days as a “Mousketeer” to the release of her first music video, “Baby one more Time,” where she danced around in a slutty school girl outfit. What is it that drove Britney and now Miley to forgo their innocence and dress up in age inappropriate outfits and provocatively dance around to their suggestive lyrics? Unfortunately, being considered sexy has become a requirement for success in the entertainment industry. In order for a star to secure her future, she must conform to the demands of the industry, even if that means rolling around on stage in next to nothing. But what does this message send to young girls, especially the hordes of Miley’s adoring fans? By producing a music video like “Can’t be Tamed,” Miley is supporting the cultural notions that being skinny, dressing skimpily, and wearing lots of makeup is the definition of beautiful and makes someone worthy of lots of attention. As the public “oohs” and “ahs” at Miley’s unveiling and then as people flock to get near her, in the video, one cannot help but be mesmerized by her desirability. Miley has the greatly sought after boobs, butt, and toned legs that Joan Brumeberg discusses in “Body Projects”. Miley Cyrus’ young fan base is particularly vulnerable to the influence of the media. If they see her wearing those types of clothes, or the exposed shape of her body, they then might begin to feel they are inadequate. Furthermore, because of Miley’s age, she sends out the message that it is acceptable to act and dress older and to be overtly sexual at such a young age. While Miley has obviously made her choice over the direction she wishes her career to go, the Disney Channel is not so pleased with her decision or the repercussions it is having on their viewers. After starting off as such a positive role model for young girls, Miley Cyrus’ increased sexual image encourages girls to either follow in her footsteps or find another, more appropriate girl to look up to.
While, Miley Cyrus plays up her sexuality in the music video, she is also demands to be respected for her independence and individuality. Her lyrics suggest that she uses her sexuality to get ahead and get what she wants. While she likes men to ogle over her attractiveness, she expects them to let her live he life and be who she wants to be. This message is a perfect example of enlightened sexism. Douglas states, “enlightened sexism is powerfully seductive, just the way the Spice Girls were: it claims you can have independence, power, and respect and male love and approval and girly, consumerist indulgences all at once, all without costs” (16). By claiming that she “can’t be tamed” all while being overtly sexual, Miley Cyrus uses her sexuality as a means of power, refusing to let men take that power away from her. In a way she is standing up against societal norms and saying that she will do and act however she wants. Whether intentional or not, she is taking the path less traveled, as described by Allan Johnson and rebelling against the patriarchal rules in place that describe the way girls her age should behave. The confinements of patriarchal society are most visibly represented by the giant birdcage Miley is trapped in at the beginning of the video. When being unveiled, she is fully objectified as a “rarest creature on earth.” At first people are in ah of her beauty, but as she begins to act up they become afraid and try to distance themselves from the cage. The use of a birdcage in the music video coincides perfectly with Marilyn Frye’s article, “Oppression.” In it, she describes the metaphor of the birdcage, “It is perfectly obvious that the bird is surrounded by a network of systematically related barriers, no one of which would be the least hindrance to its flight, but which, by their relations to each other, are as confining as the solid walls of a dungeon.” Despite disapproval from the crowd, Miley steps outside the cage and continues to demand respect. She basically says that no cage (aka man) can tame her. Regardless of the inappropriateness of her attire, Miley Cyrus does send out a positive message to young women about staying true to oneself, despite the demands put on them to change to conform to societal expectations.
With her career in the midst of a major transformation, Miley Cyrus has discovered the idea of enlightened sexism and has chosen to advocate for female strength while promoting her sexuality. Becoming a star in Hollywood at such a young age can create many issues, as they experience extreme amounts of pressure to conform to societal expectations. Hopefully, Miley Cyrus will learn from other stars’ mistakes and slow down her transformation process. Although Miley initially escapes the birdcage and announces her independence, at the end of the video she returns to the birdcage. Does this signal that her time rebelling against patriarchal oppression was short lived? If Miley Cyrus claims that she “can’t be tamed,” the question arises: is her newly hypersexual image the result of pressures from Hollywood, making her a hypocrite, or is the “real” Miley Cyrus finally making her debut?
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