Miley Cyrus is a cultural icon. Since the time she was fourteen the media has been scrutinizing every move she makes. From whom she is dating, to what roles she chooses and what she says. But nothing is scrutinized more than her performances; most specifically Miley’s performance at the MTV VMA’s. Miley preformed her song We Can’t Stop and along with Robin Thicke preformed his song Blurred Lines. This performance led to a huge backlash in the media. Every major new station covered it. CTV even brought in psychiatrists and experts on the media to analyze her performance. The next morning Miley’s news story had even beaten out the Syrian war crimes. The experts all came to the same conclusion that she was out of control, and a slut. Miley was most heavily criticized on her attire, and her interactions with Robin Thicke. Everyone was claiming that she was setting a bad example for young girls; CNN even went so far as to claim her “performance sets girls and women back” (Wallace 2013)
The most common word used to describe Miley these days is the word slut. People have no problem calling Miley a slut because she is a celebrity and we feel like it’s okay to insult them. This makes the word slut a common phrase in our everyday vocabulary. Which creates the culture of “slut-shaming” a term coined by Lijia Gong and Alina Hoffman. They define slut-shaming an “act of criticizing or insulting individuals for their perceived sexual availability, behavior, or history as a way to shame or degrade them.” (Gong, Hoffman 580). We now define a girl’s worth in society by how virtuous she is. From an early childhood women are taught to act proper ladies and dress more conservative. It is thought that if a woman bases a large part...
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... November 13). Miley Cyrus : "ifeel like I'm one of the biggest
feminists in the world". Retrieved November 26, 2013, from US Weekly
website: http://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/
miley-cyrus-i-feel-like-im-one-of-the-biggest-feminists-in-the-world-20131411
Thicke, R. (2013). Robin Thicke – blurred lines lyrics. Retrieved November 26,
2013, from http://rock.rapgenius.com/Robin-thicke-blurred-lines-lyrics
Wallace, K. (2013, August 27). Outraged parents: why Miley Cyrus' performance
sets girls and women back. Retrieved November 26, 2013, from CNN Living
website: http://www.cnn.com/2013/08/27/living/
outraged-parents-why-miley-cyrus-performance-sets-girls-and-women-back/
News Story can be found here: http://www.ctvnews.ca/entertainment/miley-cyrus-s-vma-performance-sets-viewers-abuzz-1.1426957
You know she's a Jackson. And you know she's a singer. Of course, you know the girl can dance. You know she's a leading lady in Hollywood. And maybe you still think of her as a cute little girl with a famous last name and big , bright eyes. Do you think she's what she was yesterday? Better think again. As many of her other fans and followers already know, the only label that fits her is… Janet.
Janet Jackson was born in Gary Indiana on May 16, 1966. She is a member of the
...her girl’s reputations. When diminishing other girl’s reputations, girls also diminish the other girls self worth. The slut label is the most powerful tool used to shame another girl. It is said, “two out of five girls nationwide-42 percent- have had sexual rumors spread about them.” (Pg. xiv) This shows the dominant groups use of power through their knowledge of girls having to have a specific attitude and behavior. Men use slut-bashing to keep sexuality under control while women to undermine other women. Either or, the power of doing so governs many actions done by people.
Today it is hard to imagine a female celebrity without seeing mental images of someone stumbling out of clubs, under the influence of drugs and alcohol, or exposing their skin. What has happened to the role models that were once defined by people like Audrey Hepburn, Mother Teresa and Eleanor Roosevelt. In between the chaotic mess of people like Miley Cyrus, Lindsay Lohan, and the Kardashians is an under-rated role model, Taylor Swift. Just at the age of twenty four, she holds the prestige of winning seven Grammy's becoming one of the greatest musical sensations. Aside from her music, her keen attitude is receiving accolade from many people. Taylor Swift is the best role model for girls of because of her clean public image.
Since young girls today spend more time surfing the web, they are exposed to more mainstream advertisements that boast sexual content, and as a result, many girls want to do the things they are seeing young girls just like Winifred do. In addition to exposure to sexual content on the internet, the music of popular culture leaves very little to the imagination. Women in these music videos are more often shown as provocative and wearing revealing clothing. Many girls look up to these women and want to emulate them because they are their favorite artist. For instance, Beyoncé’s album “Beyoncé” features the song “Partition”, where Beyoncé says “He Monica Lewinski all on my gown”. The sexual reference to Monica Lewinski is hypersexu...
In this hate filled article, Lena’s body is described as “outright shocking, simply because we are not used to seeing anything like it, except perhaps in an Eddie Murphy comedy.” Placido then goes on to question if Dunham is “some sort of media-manipulating puppet master,” or if she is just “simply, annoying” (Placido 2015). This one instance of hate against Dunham shows how when a woman speaks out about issues that many ignore or even create themselves, women will receive hate. This hate oftentimes effects these outspoken women; many believe that hate is just a part of being a celebrity, but is a form of bullying when celebrities are repeatedly harassed. This harassment shows the “policing of women” and bullies may also use “threats to keep [women] silent” (Zeman). Studies show that “bully/victims had a slightly higher risk for anxiety, depression, psychotic experiences, suicide attempts and poor general health” (Wolke 2015). Dunham is not just a celebrity, she is a human being, going through her own struggles. When one is repeatedly hearing terrible rumors and remarks about themselves, self-loathing and anxiety can make its way into their
The objectification of women in the media and women voluntarily subjecting themselves to this demeaning objectification is rapidly increasing in lieu of feminist ideals and a new age push for women empowerment. The media has long capitalized on women’s sexuality in everything from music videos to manipulative advertisements, appealing to the male gaze while simultaneously instilling a sense of longing in girls of all ages to look like these women. In Lily Allen’s song, “Hard Out Here”, she attempts to bring light to this issue of women being treated as simply sexual objects and how all women are expected to look and act. However, in contrast to her empowering lyrics, Allen’s video takes a turn for the worst when she implements strictly black female dancers as representation of the cliché sexism found in music videos placing them at the butt of the parody.
"Music is what I breathe, what I love to do. It keeps me alive, " Miley Cyrus once said. Her father, Billy Ray Cyrus, knew even as a baby, Miley could sing (Miley Cyrus Quotes). She has an extraordinary story. One day Miley was just a normal girl and what seemed like the next day, a pop star. She was introduced to fame at a very young age and is now still growing up in front of the world. She was born Destiny Hope Cyrus because her parents believed she would achieve greatness (Miley Cyrus Biography). They had a lot of hope and promise for their young daughter. Miley is one of the most successful kids from Disney and now she is rising to fame all on her own. It is hard having everyone watch your every move and being constantly photographed, but she deals with it because she loves what she does. Miley Cyrus has led a very unique life both through her childhood and teen life.
In today’s world, celebrities are often misunderstood, especially singer/songwriter Robin Rihanna Fenty, referred to as Rihanna. Rihanna’s sexual behaviors in her videos have been talked about in negative ways for some time now, but what [eople do not understand is that it is all for fame. Celebrities will do anything to keep their career going strong. If one really took the time out to take a deep look at Rihanna, they will notice how humble she really is. After going through the abusive relationship with Chris Brown, Rihanna has struggled with gaining that strong confidence with who she is. Her critics believe that she is still trying to discover herself and figure out who she really is as a person. Rihanna is often given two choices, to do what she is being asked to do, or throw her career out the window. She either gives the crowd the sexual acts they want or let her career die down. In the song “S&M,” Rihanna was really exposing herself to the crowd, as well as “Good Girl, Gone Bad.” She is basically telling the crowd that this is the person she is, but is it really? For my original piece I will be creating a journal, expressing the feelings Rihanna felt as she overcomes her struggles. Rihanna’s sexual behaviors in her videos are really all for fame and therefore, are easily misunderstood.
Modern society has made a sub-culture that lives in a reality that is not real. It is so far from the truth that the inhabitants of this sub-culture so often cannot live in both realities and have become a spectacle for others to marvel at. This sub-culture is made up of entertainers, millionaires, and athletes. The people in this group can range from newborns to death and some live on well after. The specimens that I find an interest in are the young ones that enter into this society not knowing well that their lives will never be the same. Britney Spears was just another victim of the society that brings into their prison.
The most trending music genre gets a lot of listeners because of its the discrimination. As the songs and advertisements gain followers, it starts to become realized by the citizens. Pop culture artists sing about drugs, alcohol and women. The portrayal of women by these composers is dreadful because it degrades the significance and importance of their existence. Pop culture has always been a home for gender domination and discrimination. It is becoming increasingly “pornified.” As Valenti quotes, “After all, while billboards and magazines ads may feature a ripped guy from time to time, it’s mostly women who make up what sexy is supposed to be. And it’s not just sexy-it’s straight-up sex” (Valenti, 44). The pornography has been a part of the culture and has been accepted by younger women. Feminists have argued that this has increased the inculcation of “raunch culture” in the lives of younger women who fall into it as they feel it empowers them. However, it is a kind of faux empowerment. This illustrates that the media is promoting and utilizing pop culture to change the social norms in an attempt to instruct women on their role in the society. In essence, pop culture with its propaganda desires to change women’s view on nudity until it can become inherent in American culture, and thus eliminating opposition to benefit pop culture in the long run. Valenti persuades her readers by saying, “ the ‘show’ is everywhere. In magazines like Maxim and Playboy. And in the insanity of Girls Gone Wild, with teens putting on fake lesbian make-out sessions so guys will think they’re hot.” Levy also mentions a character, influenced by raunch culture and a reader of Playboy magazines, named Erin who is piqued her curiosity and provided her with inspiration because of this culture. Erin says, “There’s countless times in my life where I know I’ve turned people on just by showing off (by putting on a
If one to were to take a look at an image of Miley Cyrus ten years ago, one in the present, and one in the future they would not believe she is the same person. On March 26th, 2006, the live-action comedy show, Hannah Montana was launched on Disney Channel with Miley Cyrus playing her first major role as the show’s protagonist, conveniently named Hannah Montana. The television show showcased a 13 year old teenager’s everyday misadventures as living a double life as Miley Stewart and Hannah Montana. The show instantly became a fan favorite, permanently staining Miley Cyrus’ public image as Hannah Montana. At this point, Miley was young, she was innocent, had meaning, and was living the life of an interesting
The celebrity gossip industry has affected our assumptions about entertainment. Usually, we assume that entertainment is just for fun, entertainment is only a reflection of our culture, and entertainment is a personal choice. Nowadays, entertainment is not just for fun. Celebrities entertain us in many ways, but sometimes we do not enjoy what they do yet we still watch them. For instance, many teen idols have had meltdowns. Although it is not fun to...
Have you ever had those certain catchy songs that you just can not get out of your head? For me Taylor Swift is always at the top of my playlist. Taylor Swift was born on December 13, 1989 and grew up on a small tree farm. Swift has has a family background of singing in her family. Ever since she started recording her albums. she has written and performed all of her songs. Swift started becoming successful at a young age by performing and writing new songs whenever she got the chance. When Swift was 11 years old, she performed the national anthem at a Philadelphia 76ers NBA game. (“Facts”) The contributions to music demonstrated by the career of Taylor Swift prove beyond a doubt the Country Music Hall of Fame should induct this singer. Swifts worthiness of this award is shown in her awards, charitable contributions, and impact up on the music world and all of her fans.
Throughout their career, the Pussycat dolls managed to indicate a variety of different social factors that highlighted social components with sexuality and gender stereotypes. Sexuality is seen as the driving force behind a variety of different genres of music with the main one being pop music (Karina Wilson, 2013). Sexuality is communicated in a variety of ways in music whether, it is through the lyrics of a song, the arrangements in the music video or the clothing the music artist is wearing. With popular music being such a big commodity within society, everyone has access to it as it sends out specific messages. Those messages are being interpreted in unethical manners impacting the basis of society in relation to gender and sexuality.