An Analysis of Miley Cyrus and Societal Expectations of Beauty

An Analysis of Miley Cyrus and the

Societal Expectations of Beauty

   

     It is impossible to be a resident of the United States and to not have heard all about Miley and her drastic changes to her appearance. Only about a year ago, Miley was still a stereotypical "beauty," her main attribute apparently being her full, flowing, brunette hair. However, when she bleached her hair blonde and chopped it all off, fans and critics everywhere went in an uproar. In addition to that, many of her performances are so extravagantly different than any performance she has ever had before. They now involve strange outfits with goofy hairstyles and background drops, all for shock value, which in my opinion is a smart move for her since everyone is constantly talking about her. I personally have a good amount of respect for Miley Cyrus and believe that she is very strong for going against what Hollywood wants her to look like and what society demands women to portray themselves as.

Miley "before" (right) and "after" (left) her change in appearance

               Naomi Wolf would agree with Miley's recent changes in appearance with her statement of, "Does all this mean we can't wear lipstick without feeling guilty? On the contrary. It means we have to separate from the myth what it has surrounded and held hostage: female sexuality, bonding among women, visual enjoyment, sensual pleasure in fabrics and shapes and colors- female fun, clean and dirty. We can dissolve the myth and survive it with sex, love, attraction, and style not only intact, but flourishing more vibrantly than before... We all like to be desirable and feel beautiful," (Wolf 271). Miley Cyrus is showing the world that she doesn't need to fit into the cookie cutter, picture perfect, gender stereotypes in order to feel beautiful. In fact, she has previously claimed that she never felt more like herself after cutting her hair. 

           Miley also has a very different way of posing for pictures now as well. Before, Miley looked just like any other young, cute, female celebrity displaying a polite smile for anyone who was taking a picture of her. Now, however, she is rarely seen just "smiling" because she always has her tongue out, which is super un-traditional for a celebrity to do, since they are constantly under pressure of fulfilling the ideal image of beauty. In an interview with Rolling Stone, Cyrus comments on the fact that she always has her tongue out in pictures by stating, "I just stick my tongue out because I hate smiling in pictures. It's so awkward. It looks so cheesy. Now people expect it, like, "Put your tongue out!" It's just easier that way. Taking pictures is so embarrassing. But there's also something about it that I think is cool. Every other girl is so serious – like, this is my moment on the red carpet, I'm in my ball gown, looking pretty," (Eells). Miley Cyrus shows that she doesn't need to comply to the normal beauty standards like other women in order to get noticed, or to be considered beautiful. 

                Miley continues her previous statement with, "There's something empowering about what I'm doing right now. Especially having "short hair don't care." I think it's empowering for girls. Because there's not one thing that defines what beauty is," (Eells). The fact that a 20-year-old girl is able to have so much confidence within herself and her physical appearance is extremely refreshing and inspirational to females everywhere. People everywhere are constantly criticizing her for how she looks, however she simply ignores it and stands by what she enjoys and believes to be is right. As Susan Bordo states, "femininity itself has come to be largely a matter of constructing, in the manner described by Erving Goffman, the appropriate surface representation of the self. We are no longer given verbal descriptions or exemplars of what a lady is or of what femininity consists. Rather, we learn the rules directly through bodily discourse: through images that tell us what clothes, body shape, facial expression, movements, and behavior are required," (Gilbert 749). By going against these beauty standards and expectations, Miley Cyrus shows that women are certainly capable of breaking through the gender-stereotype barrier and look however they wish, as long as they never let society pull them back down. Cyrus stays faithful to her style and what she believes in, which is very important if we are trying to get this message across to the rest of society. In my opinion, besides promoting the use of drugs, Miley is a great role model for women. She is confident, happy, and comfortable in her own skin. She just has something about her where no one else can faze her which is an absolutely admirable trait that I wish I had myself. Miley Cyrus has given me a lot to think about on feeling comfortable with my own self image as well. 

            Unfortunately this is my last post of analyzing all of these different women and characters of the world, but I have certainly learned a significant amount. My next and final post will simply be a conclusion of everything I have taken from this project, thank you so much for reading.

Sincerely,
Samantha