Thursday, 7 November 2013

Role Models

This is overdue but I've been talking about it a lot with my students recently: role models. Who do you look up to? Who inspires you? Well, I'm pretty sure the words coming out of your mouth in recent months will not be 'Miley Cyrus'. Yep, that's right, this post is tackling that issue.

I'll admit that I'm a little isolated out here and I'm not too clued up on what's going on in the outside world. But when I heard about the VMAs which seemed to be the start of this 'spiral' (downward or not, you decide for yourself) for Cyrus, I was genuinely shocked. I mean, okay I know I'm only 20 years old and maybe I'm being a prude but I have been genuinely quite astounded at the way it has become pretty much accepted for celebrities, particularly female celebrities, to parade around wearing next-to-nothing. Add to the mix the completely inappropriate touching of oneself (and others), which is televised and in front of an audience, and I'm not really sure what one wants to accomplish. Apart from losing respect... Oh, and selling records.

Perhaps I'm overlooking something blindingly obvious here, but as a girl close to Miley's age, I can't think of a reason why she believes filming music videos like "Wrecking Ball" and taking photos like the Terry Richardson pictures are a good thing. Maybe she's proud of her body? Great, good for her, because she is hot and her body is amazing- but you can show it off in other ways than just taking off your clothes. Sadly, that music video was actually moving and I love the song, but she completely lost me when it flicked to her naked body rubbing over a wrecking ball. Thanks- but no thanks.

A student said to me the other day: "I don't know how I feel, because have you actually watched her interviews? I can't judge her as harshly after watching them." No, I haven't watched them. Maybe I should because I genuinely don't know her side to all of this, and I will admit that. Apparently in one of these interviews she said that she was showing fans how she was baring herself to them, and not hiding anything. So... How do you explain licking a sledgehammer then? 

I am a bit of a feminist, and you could say that that it is Cyrus' right to be able to express herself in the way that she wants. But actually, I don't agree. I never thought it was possible to revert feminism so far, or to literally embody so openly female sexual stereotypes. I understand that she wants to break away from her Disney image, and I can understand why. But when I look at people like Selena Gomez (who seems to have done so seamlessly), I can't see that as a genuine reason for her actions. It is in part due to her Disney image that she has a fanbase to begin with, and what she seems to have forgotten is that some of them are young. Thrusting sex into their faces- excuse the pun- is telling a countless number of teenagers that, to be sexy, to be desirable, to be successful, you must take your clothes off, and you must throw your sexuality into everyone else's faces, particularly men's.

Whether or not celebrities choose to be role models, I think what has to be realised is that they are. Like it or not, if you're famous, people know you- they know what you do, how you act, how you dress, and you have influence over others, regardless of whether you want to. So whilst it may still be their life, for millions of teenagers out there, celebrities are idols, and inspirations, and will guide their actions, thoughts, and looks. That's a huge responsibility.

Perhaps I'm misjudging this girl; after all I don't know her, or her real reasons for what she's done- I only know what she's chosen to show the world (which is pretty much every inch of her body). But put it this way, if that were me, I don't think I could name a single person- including myself- who would be proud of me. And I certainly couldn't name anyone who I would want to look up to me.

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