In several weeks, former child star and pop sensation Miley Cyrus will host and perform the second episode of the 39th season of Saturday Night Live. This appearance will be the latest of Cyrus’s media blitz that includes her now notoriously controversial performance at this year’s MTV Video Music Awards.
The debate about Cyrus should not be about what she’s doing right by American women. It should be about whether she’s commodifying women of color and twisting herself into another roadblock for intersectionality in feminism.
Let’s recall her performance at this year’s VMAs with R&B singer Robin Thicke. The casual racist attitude of the performance is unnerving — women of color dressed up as animals and danced around Cyrus while she sang her summer hit, “We Can’t Stop,” and twerked. Mind you, Cyrus has claimed that she’s invented this dance move despite the fact that it has been practiced for years by black artists and musicians.
On top of this, Cyrus is a propagator of a so-called ratchet culture — a lifestyle associated with lower-class people of color. Timothy Thomas, one of the songwriters for Cyrus’s most recent album, told Vibe Magazine that she said,“‘I want urban, I just want something that just feels black.’”
I don’t believe that Cyrus should be condemned for exploring her adult sexuality in front of the probing gaze of the paparazzi and mass media. However, I think it’s a stretch to assume that what she’s doing is intentionally feminist. Her behavior more closely resembles that of a toddler acting out to receive attention — not condemnable, but not particularly groundbreaking either.
In either case, how would her behavior advance feminism in a positive direction? Women are not defined by their bodies, and they should not be policed for their attire or shape. But there is a line between standing up to cultural statutes that dictate how much clothing a woman is required to wear and reacting to admittedly unfair limitations on her behavior for years as a child star. What she’s doing is not for the advancement of the female gender. It’s simply for her. How am I, as a woman, supposed to believe that any man who saw Cyrus’s performance at the VMAs is going to respect me more as a result?
Furthermore, feminism that lacks intersectionality is worthless. Cyrus treats black culture as if it is a stylish jacket that can be worn when it’s trendy and taken off as soon as it becomes burdensome. Culture shouldn’t be treated as a trend — much less when Cyrus has never had to deal with the societal burden of being a woman of color in America.
White middle-class women have been driving feminism for decades. It’s clear that Cyrus is attempting to forge a new identity for herself as a result of the confines of her childhood fame, but in order to do so she must understand that cultures different from her own are not to be used to accessorize her music or her videos. Cyrus’s appropriation for the sake of rebellion only serves to add more bricks to the wall, keeping intersectionality out of the feminist movement.
A version of this article appeared in the Thursday, Sept. 12 print edition. Kaidia Pickels is a contributing columnist. Email her at [email protected].
disqus_lww62SYwvP • Oct 7, 2013 at 12:07 pm
Waaaaaaaaaaaaaah. A white girl did something. Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaah.
“Cyrus treats black culture as if it is a stylish jacket that can be
worn when it’s trendy and taken off as soon as it becomes burdensome.
Culture shouldn’t be treated as a trend — much less when Cyrus has never
had to deal with the societal burden of being a woman of color in
America.”
Do you people EVER get off the Victim Train?
Sasha • Sep 13, 2013 at 11:09 am
You have to follow Miley a bit closer to see that she idolizes black culture much like Robin Thick. Unfortunately, she could have integrated the Twerk parade that followed her around the stage but chose not to and left the door open to dumb (not to scholarly) articles like this. (Can we get some sources for some of the things the authors states as facts up there?)
For example, I’ve been following Miley twirking for about a year. Started following her twerking since her birthday last November when she celebrated with Black female strippers that presumably were twerking it. As an Black choreographer all I wanted to know was can Miley Twerk? I watched some clips and determined that she could and was like, “work little Disney princess”. So, I don’t buy the author’s assertion that Miley said she invented twerking. I also don’t believe she is acting out.
Anecdotally, I had a grad dance fellowship in So Cal and we did research at the strip club in ’97. I was amazed at how many women were there trying to learn how to dance like that and also just generally flirting with the guys there.
So, I just see A+B=C. Miley admires black culture, many young girls of all races are learning to Twerk. Miley, unlike most guys, has the power of her fame to capitalize on it. She made the poor choice not to integrate her show better but OMG how many times have I complained that there were no black dancers?
Was it racist? Yes. All black chicks dancing around one white chick for ratings and for the music industry to capitalize. This is nothing new. Do I think Miley is? Very doubtful on that.
Just my opinion from the facts I’ve seen about Miley following this thing since Nov….
Hammakaze • Sep 13, 2013 at 3:58 am
“The casual racist attitude of the performance is unnerving — women of color dressed up as animals and danced around Cyrus while she sang her summer hit, “We Can’t Stop,” and twerked.”
How is that racist? Performers dancing in animal costumes on stage is somehow now considered racist?
You are just desperate to make up a false story about racism to get some attention. How sad is that?
LoomingDissent • Sep 13, 2013 at 12:36 am
“The casual racist attitude of the performance is unnerving — women of color dressed up as animals and danced around Cyrus…”
I appreciate your point of view on the subject, but come on. I think it’s reaching a bit to say that a black woman is being degraded to nothing more than an animal simply because she is dancing around with a giant teddy bear on her back. It was an entertainer and her minions who said, “Hey, here’s an idea for the show: Let’s dance around with giant teddy bears strapped to our backs. That’s never been done before, right?” I would be willing to bet my salary that it wasn’t, “Hey! Here’s a way that we can demoralize blackie even further.”
Besides, is it really “twerking” if you don’t have an ass?
If you want to make the argument that she is another white artist crossing over into black music, then make it. I’m not quite sure why you’d be offended by such, though. If they suck, then they’ll be forgotten; if they are any good, then they will be successful similar to their black counterparts. It’s not just white faces that are purchasing their albums, I assure you.
Oh, and a teddy bear isn’t a real animal = )
N N • Sep 13, 2013 at 12:17 am
Give me a break. People stopped writing and reading crap like this when the internet provided a democratic forum for commentary. Try english instead of being dyke-pendantic. It might get you a job at Vassar or Columbia, but mental twerking went out with the 80’s when minority illiteracy at the university level came in.
Give Miley a break. She delivered a huge body of pretty good quality entertainment to a whole generation of little girls while probably giving up her own tween years. Let her explore a little. You would probably do the same if you had her money, youth and looks. Drop the Bah Humbug.
Even the old “rednecks” you despise listen and celebrate rap now. How about MOVE ON instead of leaning forward?
Stop fighting wars that ended years ago.
Angry black man • Sep 13, 2013 at 12:20 am
The war on race is still going on right now wake up
Snowball_Tex • Sep 13, 2013 at 12:07 am
Miley Cyrus is a talented and energetic woman. Contemporary black culture is a morass of tribal violence and primitive fireside rituals.
Angry black man • Sep 13, 2013 at 12:15 am
u say wat!!!!!
Alannah • Sep 13, 2013 at 12:03 am
I think that this is an amazing and very interesting piece.
Joan Smith • Sep 12, 2013 at 11:56 pm
I agree… she’s a whore.