Miley Cyrus: Celebrity Descent and Disney Image

Miley Cyrus has been consistently and negatively portrayed in the media since her days at Disney. She has been seen as too reckless or too trashy. Her breakaway from her “Disney image” was a controversial one. Even today, Miley Cyrus’s personal and professional life is scrutinized in the media without consideration that she is trying to navigate this life like the rest of society. In going through her controversies, a pattern forms in which Miley is unapologetic for her decisions, and the media stays angry. Several news outlets have found any way to discredit Cyrus as a woman because of her general disinterest in their opinion.

Miley Cyrus was born Destiny Hope Cyrus on November 23, 1992. Cyrus was a notorious child celebrity as the daughter of Billy Ray Cyrus, but she gained her stardom by playing the main role on the Disney Channel TV series Hannah Montana. The show is about a young girl named Miley (after Cyrus herself) Stewart who doubled as a pop star. The success of the show made Cyrus an instant teen idol. With the release of the soundtrack for Hannah Montana, Cyrus became the first act within The Walt Disney Company to have deals in television, film, consumer products, and music. Cyrus went on to release several more albums as Hannah Montana and when the show ended, she decided to take a break to focus on her film career. Cyrus starred in films such as LOL, The Last Song, and So Undercover. In 2013, Cyrus hired Larry Rudolph to be her manager and it was soon confirmed that Cyrus had signed a new recording contract with RCA Records to distribute her future releases. Thus, began her recent image in the media of being, “too trashy.”

There’s a long history of Disney stars going through a rebellious phase to shed their “Disney image” and Miley Cyrus is no exception to that. If anything, she’s a prime example of it. “Miley Cyrus’ Most Controversial Moments” is the first of two articles that lists Miley’s scandals in the media and calls her “a parent’s allegory for ‘Where did I go wrong?’” It starts with “jailbait-luring” Myspace photos that were leaked. The article also talks about Cyrus’s ‘Vanity Fair’ cover which caused an unprecedented widespread backlash. The cover depicted 15-years-old Cyrus posed topless beneath a satin sheet. Several news outlets called the poorly received photos behavior that was unbecoming of a teen star. Disney executives stated, “For Miley Cyrus to be a ‘good girl’ is now a business decision for her. Parents have invested in her a godliness. If she violates that trust, she won’t get it back”. Shortly after, Miley’s image was dragged through the mud once again when a hacker leaked a number of images of Miley in underwear and swimsuits. This seems to be the last time that Miley apologizes for her actions although it was reluctant. The article goes through several of Cyrus’s other scandals and ends with her ‘Candy Magazine’ spread.

Similar to the last, “Miley Cyrus’ Celebrity Descent” discusses Miley’s controversies as her descent from grace. The article states, “Now famous for her incessant twerking and overzealous tongue waggling, the celebrity star has stirred huge controversy across many corners of a flabbergasted America”. There was a distinct shift in Miley’s image, in 2012 when she advertised the butchering of her former hairdo. Clearly favoring a blonde, pixie-like haircut – Cyrus said farewell to her traditionally long, brown locks, generating much public intrigue. After the big chops a slew of other controversies such as her VMA performance with Robin Thicke, her first spilt with Liam Hemsworth, and her glorification of drugs. In the ‘Rolling Stone’ interview, she spoke on her liking for marijuana and molly. Using performances, breakups, and recreational drug use, the media questions her mental stability due to her unruliness. The article, “Is Cyrus Heading for a Breakdown?” talks about Cyrus in a way that implies that there is no way she could be this unruly without being mentally ill. The writer state, “One must question whether Miley Cyrus’ endless slew of controversial acts epitomizes a woman on a destructive journey, or whether they are merely sensationalist attempts to grab the next headline” as if this cannot just be Miley as herself.

The idea that women cannot possibly be unruly for the sake of being unruly is not a new theme. It has almost become a social norm that women are “crazy.” It’s a knee-jerk way to put women in their place and invalidate them no matter what they do.

Sarah Knoploh speaks on Miley’s effect on young girls in “The Miley Cyrus Effect” and calls he trashy. The article is about Miley’s image on Disney Channel and how she was, at-a-glance, a positive role model. It also speaks on her “inappropriate dancing” in Cyrus’ music videos and performances calling it “suggestive and sexual”. More specifically, TMZ reported Cyrus grinding on and giving Adam Shankman a lap dance at the wrap party for their movie “The Last Song.” When her father, Billy Ray Cyrus, was asked to comment, he “didn’t seem to understand what the big deal was. Cyrus stated that it’s “simple what people her age do. She was just having fun”. According to Knoploh, Cyrus’ actions normalize provocative behavior in young girls. It begs the question of can society decide that someone will be a role model without taking their say into account?

“What’s Next for Miley Cyrus?” criticizes her from an artistic standpoint and compares Cyrus to Lady Gaga and Katy Perry. In the article, Dan Skye credits Cyrus for her “outspokenness and unabashed willingness to enjoy herself.”

Cyrus’s unwillingness to conform to what people want is consistent and apparent them throughout her career. “Miley Cyrus says she’s ‘grown now’ and can date other people, so get used to it” is a perfect example of that. Cyrus sent a loud message to her critics saying, “she has no plans to become a recluse, so they better get used to her dating other people”. She is fully aware of what people think of her and understands that people are invested in her relationships and she doesn’t care. Cyrus calls attention to the double standards, saying men can move from relationship to relationship without consequence and women get a bad rap.