Critical Investigation Task #6

"Dancing with Miley, doing whatever we want, this is our house, this is our rules, and we can’t stop, and we won’t stop" – Miley Cyrus, We Can’t Stop.

What does Miley Cyrus' reinvention tell us about society and women in the media?

''The challenge is for each of us to let go of old patterns that no longer serve us; that divide us; that operate from imbalance, exclusion, domination and control. The opportunity is to rise above fixed positions and differences to discover our common ground and build upon our similarities and mutual goals'' [1] - Women Walk the Land.

Women in the media are no longer perceived as the innocent, harmless, obedient females that they once were. Society has changed and so has the media. It is said that ‘’we construct our identities through complex processes of interaction with the culture around us, but today images of hyper sexualisation dominate’’[2]. With over sexualised content in the media presented through images and videos, ‘’where is a girl to go if she decides Beyoncé, Miley Cyrus, Lady Gaga, Rihanna or Britney Spears aren't for her’’[3]? Miley Cyrus in particular has caused major controversy in the media throughout recent years. Having begun her career in 2006 with her very own Disney hit teen show Hannah Montana, Miley has left the sweet, shy personality in the past and now produces provocative music videos. It became obvious that Miley was no longer a little girl when she released ‘Can’t be tamed’[4] in 2010 which showed her rebellious side. It can be argued that this is simply her growing up and in reality, happens to every female. However, mothers of young Hannah Montana fans couldn’t agree less as they no longer want their daughters to look up to the singer and suggest that the star is creating a ‘moral panic’ in society. Some have even gone as far as saying they want her ‘‘Bangerz’ tour shut down’’[5] as they refused to subject their 9 year olds to a ‘porn show’ and walked out of concerts early. Miley Cyrus’ reinvention tells us that women in the media have become more provocative and sexy and society needs to be more understanding of these changes.

One of the reasons why Miley’s Bangerz’ tour has caused so much controversy is due to the fact that she sold her own branded ‘Bangerz’ rolling papers at her concerts. This encourages smoking and we are already aware of Miley’s interest in drugs as she even stated in her Rolling Stones interview ‘’coke is gross but Molly and weed are happy drugs’’[6]. As Miley still has a young fan base, her behaviour and actions at her concerts have been regarded as adult material as her revealing clothing and provocative dance moves are not child friendly. Some on the other hand appreciate Miley and her music ‘’yeah, she's crafty. But also stealthily soulful. Bangerz flaunts her savvy and her sexuality with an under-appreciated emotional directness’’[7].

The main text that this essay will be focusing on is Miley Cyrus’ ‘Wrecking ball’ video[8].  Wrecking ball was released in 2013 by RCA Records and was Miley’s first major controversial video. The video itself gained 735,540,463 views as well as Miley having 7,000,388 subscribers on her YouTube channel. The Guardian stated that the video portrayed a message to young women that they ‘’should be sexually available’’[9] and the nudity content shocked audiences. In the video, Miley is presented as an innocent being who has had her heart broken as her lyrics state ‘’you wrecked me’’. It can be said that this song was directed at her ex fiancé as their three year engagement collapsed just before the song was released, however Miley denied this in interviews.

The small white hot pants and crop top Miley wears in the video have connotations of her purity and innocence and could be used to make audiences feel sympathy for her. However, her sexy red lipstick completely contrasts this image and makes her look provocative instead. It is therefore unclear of what Miley is trying to portray in this video. This relates to feminist Mulvey’s Male Gaze as Miley is presented as an attractive objective for men to look at.

The video begins with a close-up shot of Miley’s face with tears dropping down her cheeks. We as the audience immediately know that the song will be a representation of a sad topic and the lyrics that come in soon after confirm this. Moreover, Miley is alienated in the video and is surrounded by destructive tools such as hammers and bulldozers (which she even swings on while fully nude). These tools are actually a denotation of the lyrics as Miley sings about wrecking, which is what she is doing in the video by knocking down walls. The narrative of the song is linear as Miley’s song tells us how she has been hurt. The narrative also embodies values of hope and meaning as Miley sings ‘’don’t you ever say I just walked away’’. Furthermore, the music video is a mixed genre of power pop and romance genre as Miley sings about love and heartbreak along with power pop music which has the characteristics of strong melodies and clear, crisp vocals. The audience for Miley’s wrecking ball would be mostly male and female teenagers and young adults as that is Miley’s main target audience for her music in general. It would also relate to anyone who has experienced heartbreak, therefore gains a large target audience. Miley appeals to a females particularly on a larger scale than males, as some females still see her as a role model and are fans of her music, TV show and films. The ethnicity group Miley appealed to when she first began her career on Hannah Montana was white-middle class. However, due to her different personality and character she is today, Miley appeals to working class white and black females and males too. Using psychographics theory, Miley appeals to Explorers who seek individualism and do not conform to society’s norms and values as she herself is quite an outrageous character. In addition, Miley targets Succeeders and Aspirers as she began her successful career at the age of 13. Miley currently has a net worth of $150 million and the first week of release for wrecking ball sold 90,000 downloads.

Liberal Pluralists believe that the media are free to express themselves in whichever way they want. Additionally, the most powerful can be scrutinised and bought down. Miley is free to express herself in the way she wants as she shows her character to be quite care free of other people’s opinions. However, it could also be argued that the media make her act in this way in order for her to sell and be popular with audiences. A journalist in The Guardian stated, ‘'Cyrus's nakedness happens in the context of a cultural industry still run largely by men, filmed largely by men, produced largely by men, in which men stand to gain from women's gyrations, financially and lubriciously. We need an end to misogyny across everything, everywhere’’[10]. Nick Lacey argued that “occasionally the media does represent women as powerful and independent characters, and yet they still almost invariably require a man to tell them what to do”[11]. This could represent the producers and directors of Miley’s videos as there are in fact male dominated. Moreover, Simon de Beauvior once stated “representation of the world, like the world itself, is the work of men’’[12]. This suggests that men are in control and in fact women are still living in a patriarchal society with men making all the decisions for us. In contrast to this, society has changed as Audre Lorde believed by saying “women were expected to kneel to men. But women have survived”[13]. This shows that the “dominant ideological views”[14] have been banished and the empowerment that women have developed over the years and the fact that they can do just fine on their own and men are not needed for survival. Miley is powerful in the music industry as her successful career continues to build. Although she has people against her and try to bring her down e.g. parents who want to shut down her Bangerz tour, she does not let this stop her and continues to produce music and release images/videos causing controversy in the media.

Despite all the negative coverage Miley receives in the media, she does have her own beliefs and values and in fact argues she is ‘’one of the world’s biggest feminists’’[15]. “Post-feminism does not assume that this means gender issues are no longer valid. On the contrary, it acknowledges that there are still many areas of interest and concern within gender politics; but it recognises that these issues are very different from the ones faced by gender theorists in the mid-20th century”[16]. Miley could be interpreted as a post-feminist as she is extremely focused on her career while balancing family time as she has also worked in the acting/music industry with her famous father in the past. As Miley is still young, her main focus currently is her career as oppose to becoming a mother and starting a family. She has similar values to Feminist Toni Morrison who stated “I don’t want to make somebody else. I want to make myself”[17]. This emphasises the role of young women and the fact that they should make something of themselves, before producing and concentrating on others. Growing up in a Christian family, Miley has been taught that men and women are equal and therefore stated in an article, ‘’no-one minds if a man goes topless on the beach, so why can’t we”[18]? She has also expressed that negative coverage in the media does not phase her and in fact "every time you talk about me, you're bringing more awareness to me and... my record''[19]. Moreover, she argues "I think people if they actually knew me would be surprised at how normal I am''[20]. In my opinion, it is inspiring how Miley does not let the negative comments of others alter or bring down her success and confidence. After all, in order to remain in the music industry you must be strong headed and not be afraid to be yourself which Miley does all the time.

Besides Miley Cyrus, there have been several other female singers in the music industry who have caused controversy in the past due to explicit videos such as Nicki Minaj, Rihanna and Britney Spears. The Guardian even stated that ‘’sexually explicit music videos should have ratings system’’[21] and a campaign demands cinema-style restrictions on graphic material aimed at teenage girls. With obesity, anorexia and eating disorders largely common within young girls nowadays, it is important that girls are reminded that looking stick thin with curves in the right places (usually done by surgery) is not the norm, even if they are advertised by famous celebrities in music videos.

Nicki Minaj’s recent ‘Anaconda’ video[22] released in August 2014 gained 19.6 million video views in 24 hours, surpassing Miley’s ‘Wrecking Ball video’. The video however was not a big hit with parents as they called it ‘vile’ as Nicki had her whole backside on display and stated "these are young kids, I think, still that like her music, they look at her as a pop star or a rap star and it's horrifying. She's twerking, she's gyrating, and the other dancers doing … it's just vile"[23]. Tina Fey famously stated “All Beyonce and JLo have done is add to the laundry list of attributes women must have to qualify as beautiful. Now every girl is expected to have Caucasian blue eyes, full Spanish lips, a classic button nose, hairless Asian skin with a California tan, a Jamaican dance hall ass, long Swedish legs, small Japanese feet, the abs of a lesbian gym owner, the hips of a nine-year-old boy, the arms of Michelle Obama, and doll tits. The person closest to actually achieving this look is Kim Kardashian, who, as we know, was made by Russian scientists to sabotage our athletes”[24]. This quote expresses a Feminist viewpoint of celebrities and famous women in the media and the fact that they are creating false representations of what women should be and look like.

Moreover, Rihanna has released videos such as ‘Pour It Up’ released in 2013, which gained 146,588,674 views on YouTube[25]. The star wore revealing clothes and had women going up and down poles as well as provocatively splashing around in water and shaking their assets in the camera. Mel C, former spice girl has critiqued Rihanna and stated the singer is ‘’too raunchy for my daughter’’[26]. She forbade her five year old from watching the video due to her concern that pop has become ‘too sexualised’. This is a major concern with several parents as pop music is way too explicit and women are portrayed as sex objects.

Similar to Miley, Britney Spears also caused controversy at a young age in the media. The ‘Hit me baby one more time’ star appeared on stage with a revealing outfit for a performance handling a live snake during the VMA’s in 2000. At this time, small clothing was not the norm for singers, therefore the nudity content shocked audiences. More recently, in 2013 she released ‘Work B***h’[27] which featured over sexualised females dancing around in little clothing.

The historical text this essay will be focusing on is Madonna’s first ever music video ‘Everybody’[28], released in 1983.  Madonna began her career in the late 1970's where she got involved in the music industry and soon began releasing her own songs and eventually her first album. Since then, she has become the ‘queen of pop’ and world-wide idol. Madonna’s main target audience was white middle-class males and females. The video is completely innocent, with males and females dancing individually around a stage where Madonna is dancing with some back up dancers. One obvious statement in the video is that everyone is fully dressed with no small, tight clothes that female artists wear in their videos nowadays. In fact, Madonna is wearing baggy clothes and almost looks like a tom boy compared to the clothes female artists wear today. This video is completely different to Miley Cyrus' videos such as ‘We can’t Stop’[29] which also features males and females however they are all dancing close together and taking drugs. Although Madonna’s video features a mix of females and males dancing, they are dancing individually.

The video shows that a few things have changed since the 1980's. The genre of dance music tends to be faster with more versions nowadays. Before the dance music was very 'disco', whereas now there are more variations such as hip hop, RnB, dub etc. Also, dance music has much more explicit videos as well as lyrics nowadays and is very much 'club' music, therefore targeting at young adults. The style of teenagers and young adults who had grown up listening to dance music in the 80's is much different to the style which is preferred today. The zeitgeist of the 80's was not to be sexy or provocative. Instead, it was to produce an enthusiastic single and video which would be popular with the audience during that period of time. Nowadays it is the opposite, as 'sex sells' in the music industry. Therefore young females such as Miley Cyrus have to be revealing and sexy in their videos as that is what sells and what attracts views and fans.

At the beginning of her career, Madonna was idolised and this was recognised by her audience as they stated ''It was an era where disco was anathema to the mainstream pop, and she had a huge role in popularizing dance music as a popular music again, crashing through the door Michael Jackson opened with Thriller''[30]. However, soon later Madonna also began to cause controversy in the media. ''This time, the issue wasn’t so much with lyrics, but images. In “Like a Prayer,” Madonna takes on racism, appearing in a flimsy black slip and kissing an African-American religious icon, and later stands among crosses engulfed in flames’’[31]. From this, we could question whether every star grows and breaks free and challenges society’s norms, especially when they start their career at an innocent, young age.

Like most Disney channel stars, Miley Cyrus has simply grown as a person and has experimented with her music, videos and the person she is. Several celebrities who started their career at a young age on Disney channel have grown up to cause some controversy in the media. Vanessa Ann Hudgens for her ‘nude leaks’ in 2007 and 2009, Dylan Sprouse for his ‘nude leaks’ in 2013, Demi Lovato, Lindsay Lohan, Zac Efron and Shia LeBeouf all visiting rehab for their drug addictions. Miley is hardly a needle in the haystack when it comes to controversial Disney stars who have simply grown up. Miley Cyrus' reinvention tells us that women in the media develop mostly into objects which sell. The famous term 'sex sells' encourages women in the media to be provocative as it attracts attention from the media and fans whether it is positive or not, it still generates publicity. Society need to become more accepting of the changing values instead of viewing controversial acts as something they are disgusted by e.g. Miley's young fan’s mothers. In my opinion, controversial artists will only 'get worse'. It is almost impossible to avoid nude and provocative women in the media as they are everywhere. Whether it be on TV, online or even in celebrity magazines, society are unable to avoid the celebrities they find to be shameful and the media will always pick the negative out of people to focus on. An interesting feminist quote states ''as women grow older, that ‘status’ is then taken away and they are shown as sexless housewives. The options are few. In the process of living, women are made to feel self-conscious and guilty for being real''[32].

Words: 3,434

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[1] Bogue, A. Women Walk the Land from Worth Knowing http://www.aneabogue.com/women-worth-knowing.php

[2] Dines, G. (2011, December 01) Moral panic? No. We are resisting the pornification of women from The Guardian http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2011/dec/01/feminists-pornification-of-women

[3] ibid

[4] Miley Cyrus (2010, June 18) Hollywood Records. USA-Can't Be Tamed from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sjSG6z_13-Q

[5] Sperry, A. (2014, February 20) Disgruntled Parents Want Miley Cyrus’ ‘Bangerz’ Tour Shut Down from The Huffington Post http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/02/19/bangerz-tour-shut-down_n_4815160.html

[6] Mail, D. (2013, September 27) ‘Coke is gross but ‘Molly’ and weed are happy drugs!’ Miley Cyrus talks about one of her favourite subjects... drugs from Mail online http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2435179/Miley-Cyrus-drugs-Coke-gross-Molly-weed-happy-drugs.html#ixzz3NmGEsPxi

[7] Cattuci, N. (2013). The Best Music Of The Year. Entertainment Weekly.

[8] Miley Cyrus (2013, August 25) RCA Records. USA-Wrecking ball from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=My2FRPA3Gf8

[9] Hann, M. (2013, September 10) Miley Cyrus’ new Wrecking Ball video says young women should be sexually available from The Guardian http://www.theguardian.com/music/musicblog/2013/sep/10/miley-cyrus-wrecking-ball

[10] Kitty, E. (2013, October 07) Miley Cyrus: does the music business exploit women? From The Guardian  http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/oct/07/miley-cyrus-music-business-women-sinead-oconnor

[11] Grahame, J. (2010, December) Media Magazine 34, the change issue

[12] Beauvoir, S. (2009). The Second Sex. France. p. 636

[13] Lorde, A. (1984). Sister Outsider. Crossing, Calif. p. 35

[14] Lacy, N. (2009). Image and Representation: key concepts in media studies (2nd ed). Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan. p. 143

[15] Silverman, R. (2013 November 13) Miley Cyrus: I'm one of the world's biggest feminists from The Telegraph http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/rockandpopmusic/10445850/Miley-Cyrus-Im-one-of-the-worlds-biggest-feminists.html

[16] Grahame, J. Media Magazine 26, the film issue

[17] Morrison, T. (1973). Sula. Knopf, US. p. 114

[18] ibid

[19] Butterfly, A. (2013, November 12) Miley Cyrus says she's 'one of the biggest feminists' from BBC Newsbeat http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/24911610

[20] ibid

[21] McVeigh, T. (2013 November 10) from The Guardian Sexually explicit music videos 'should have ratings system' http://www.theguardian.com/music/2013/nov/10/videos-miley-cyrus-rihanna-ratings

[22] Nicki Minaj (2014, August 04) Young Money. California-Anaconda from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LDZX4ooRsWs

[23] Petersen, S. (2014 August 28) Parents respond to Nicki Minaj's 'vile' music video that's breaking records from Deseret News http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865609740/Parents-respond-to-Nicki-Minajs-vile-music-video-thats-breaking-records.html?pg=all

[24] Fey, T. (2011). Bossypants. Little, Brown and Company, United States. P. 98

[25] Rihanna (2013, January 08) Def Jam. USA-Pour It Up from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ehcVomMexkY

[26] Petersen, H. (2014, October 14) Mel C: Rihanna is too raunchy for my daughter from The Guardian http://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/oct/13/mel-c-rihanna-daughter

[27] Britney Spears (2013, September 17) RCA Records. USA-Work B**ch from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pt8VYOfr8To

[28] Madonna (1982, October 06) Sire. New York-Everybody from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cOqr_x_9fMc

[29] Miley Cyrus (2013, June 03) Mike Will Made It. USA-We Can't Stop from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LrUvu1mlWco

[30] Erlewine, S. (2005, November 29) All Music: Madonna from All Music http://www.allmusic.com/album/release/madonna-mr0000674567

[31] Bixlar, B (2014, March 20) The Evolution of Madonna’s Feminist Message from All That Is Interesting http://all-that-is-interesting.com/madonna-feminist-message#1BIkeMCmgUJLHxXp.99

[32] Alexandre, L. (2011) WOMEN: Using Female Bodies For Sales and Profit from Center for Media Literacy http://www.medialit.org/reading-room/women-using-female-bodies-sales-and-profit

Bibliography

Works Cited

Books

Cattuci, N. (2013). The Best Music Of The Year. Entertainment Weekly.

Fey, T. (2011). Bossypants. Little, Brown and Company, US. p. 98

Beauvoir, S. (2009). The Second Sex. France. p. 636

Morrison, T. (1973). Sula. Knopf, US. p. 114

Lorde, A. (1984). Sister Outsider. Crossing, Calif. p. 35

Lacy, N. (2009). Image and Representation: key concepts in media studies (2nd ed). Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan. p. 143

Newspapers and Magazines

Butterfly, A. (2013, November 12) Miley Cyrus says she's 'one of the biggest feminists' from BBC Newsbeat http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/24911610

Dines, G. (2011, December 01) Moral panic? No. We are resisting the pornification of women from The Guardian http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2011/dec/01/feminists-pornification-of-women

Hann, M. (2013, September 10) Miley Cyrus’ new Wrecking Ball video says young women should be sexually available from The Guardian http://www.theguardian.com/music/musicblog/2013/sep/10/miley-cyrus-wrecking-ball

Kitty, E. (2013, October 07) Miley Cyrus: does the music business exploit women? From The Guardian  http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/oct/07/miley-cyrus-music-business-women-sinead-oconnor

Mail, D. (2013, September 27) ‘Coke is gross but ‘Molly’ and weed are happy drugs!’ Miley Cyrus talks about one of her favourite subjects... drugs from Mail online http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2435179/Miley-Cyrus-drugs-Coke-gross-Molly-weed-happy-drugs.html#ixzz3NmGEsPxi

McVeigh, T. (2013 November 10) Sexually explicit music videos 'should have ratings system' from The Guardian http://www.theguardian.com/music/2013/nov/10/videos-miley-cyrus-rihanna-

Petersen, H. (2014, October 14) Mel C: Rihanna is too raunchy for my daughter from The Guardian http://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/oct/13/mel-c-rihanna-daughter

Silverman, R. (2013 November 13) Miley Cyrus: I'm one of the world's biggest feminists from The Telegraph http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/rockandpopmusic/10445850/Miley-Cyrus-Im-one-of-the-worlds-biggest-feminists.html

Grahame, J. Media Magazine 26, the film issue

Grahame, J. (2010, December) Media Magazine 34, the change issue

Internet

Alexandre, L. (2011) WOMEN: Using Female Bodies For Sales and Profit from Center for Media Literacy http://www.medialit.org/reading-room/women-using-female-bodies-sales-and-profit

Bixlar, B (2014, March 20) The Evolution of Madonna’s Feminist Message from All That Is Interesting http://all-that-is-interesting.com/madonna-feminist-message#1BIkeMCmgUJLHxXp.99

Petersen, S. (2014 August 28) Parents respond to Nicki Minaj's 'vile' music video that's breaking records from Deseret News http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865609740/Parents-respond-to-Nicki-Minajs-vile-music-video-thats-breaking-records.html?pg=all

Sperry, A. (2014, February 20) Disgruntled Parents Want Miley Cyrus’ ‘Bangerz’ Tour Shut Down from The Huffington Post http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/02/19/bangerz-tour-shut-down_n_4815160.html

Bogue, A. Women Walk the Land from Worth Knowing http://www.aneabogue.com/women-worth-knowing.php

Erlewine, S. (2005, November 29) All Music: Madonna from All Music http://www.allmusic.com/album/release/madonna-mr0000674567

Moving Image texts

Britney Spears (2013, September 17) RCA Records. USA-Work B**ch from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pt8VYOfr8To

Madonna (1982, October 06) Sire. New York-Everybody from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cOqr_x_9fMc

Miley Cyrus (2010, June 18) Hollywood Records. USA-Can't Be Tamed from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sjSG6z_13-Q

Miley Cyrus (2013, June 03) Mike Will Made It. USA-We Can't Stop from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LrUvu1mlWco

Miley Cyrus (2013, August 25) RCA Records. USA-Wrecking ball from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=My2FRPA3Gf8

Nicki Minaj (2014, August 04) Young Money. California-Anaconda from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LDZX4ooRsWs

Rihanna (2013, January 08) Def Jam. USA-Pour It Up from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ehcVomMexkY

Works Consulted

Books

Cattuci, N. (2013). The Year's Best Albums. Entertainment Weekly.

Greenblatt, L. (2011). The Worst Singles of 2011. Entertainment Weekly. 

Hot New Singles. (2010). Entertainment Weekly.

MacDonald, M. (1995). Representing Women. St Martin's Press, New York. P. 861

Newspaper and Magazines

Beaumont-Thomas, B. (2014, May 12) Miley Cyrus makes date rape joke onstage at GAY from The Guardian http://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/may/12/miley-cyrus-date-rape-gay

Buchanan, D. (2013, October 17) Forget 'empowered' pop stars – we need more riot grrrls from The Guardian http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/oct/17/miley-cyrus-sex-appeal-bikini-kill

Chester, J. (2013, September 01) 'I have so many issues... everyone does dumb stuff when they're messed up': Miley Cyrus opens up as her VMA performance continues to cause controversy from The Guardian http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2408376/Miley-Cyrus-opens-following-controversial-performance-VMAs.html

Ellen, B. (2013, October 06) Miley Cyrus: exploited or empowered? From The Guardian http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/oct/06/miley-cyrus-exploited-empowered-debate

Empire, K (2014, May 11) Miley Cyrus live review – a Duracell bunny of provocative mischief from The Guardian http://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/may/11/miley-cyrus-live-review-duracell-bunny-provocative-mischief

Frizzell, N. (2013, October 14) Miley Cyrus could put her tongue to better use – by speaking up for women from The Guardian http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/womens-blog/2013/oct/14/miley-cyrus-tongue-madonna-pop-star

Gibbs, S. (2014, September 01) Miley Cyrus: social media is worse than drugs from The Guardian http://www.theguardian.com/media/2014/sep/01/miley-cyrus-social-media-google-instagram-facebook-worse-than-drugs

Hoby, H. (2013, November 24) Miley Cyrus isn't a child: she's 21 and she can twerk if she wants to from The Guardian http://www.theguardian.com/culture/2013/nov/24/miley-cyrus-21-twerk-if-she-wants

Keller, G. (2013, September 22) Forget Miley Cyrus, teens and tweens have moved on from The Guardian http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/sep/22/miley-cyrus-not-role-model-girls

Mail, D. (2011, August 18) ‘Moral panic’ making judges impose overly-harsh sentences, says former top prosecutor from Mail online http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2027459/UK-riots-Moral-panic-making-judges-impose-overly-harsh-sentences.html

Grahame, J. (2011, February) Media Magazine 35, the culture issue

Grahame, J. (2011, April) Media Magazine 36, the collaboration issue

Grahame, J. (2013, September) Media Magazine 45, reading the media issue

Michaels, S. (September 25) Miley Cyrus: is twerking worse than cooking meth on Breaking Bad? From The Guardian http://www.theguardian.com/music/2013/sep/25/miley-cyrus-twerking-robin-thicke

Quinn, B. (2013, October 04) Sinéad O'Connor threatens to sue Miley Cyrus over mental health tweets from The Guardian http://www.theguardian.com/music/2013/oct/04/sinead-oconnor-miley-cyrus

Internet

Christman, E. (2014, January 03) Digital Music Sales Decrease For First Time in 2013 from Billboard http://www.billboard.com/biz/articles/news/digital-and-mobile/5855162/digital-music-sales-decrease-for-first-time-in-2013

Lane, D. (2013, August 11) Miley Cyrus scores first ever UK Number 1 with We Can’t Stop from Official Charts Company http://www.officialcharts.com/chart-news/miley-cyrus-scores-first-ever-uk-number-1-with-we-cant-stop-2413/

Resnikoff, P. (2014, June 05) The Music Industry Has Only Declined 3% Since 2000, Research Shows… from Digital Music News http://www.digitalmusicnews.com/permalink/2014/06/05/music-industry-declined-3-since-2000-research-shows

Riley, M. (2011) WOMEN: Madonna: Siren or Symbol? From Center for Media literacy http://www.medialiteracy.com/reading-room/women-madonna-siren-or-symbol

Sexton, P. (2013, August 12) Miley Cyrus Grabs First U.K. No. 1 With 'We Can’t Stop' from Billboard http://www.billboard.com/biz/articles/news/global/5645608/miley-cyrus-grabs-first-uk-no-1-with-we-cant-stop

Moving Image Texts

Mike WiLL Made-It - 23 ft. Miley Cyrus, Wiz Khalifa, Juicy J from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bbEoRnaOIbs

Critical Investigation Task #5

1) WOMEN: Madonna: Siren or Symbol? (http://www.medialiteracy.com/reading-room/women-madonna-siren-or-symbol) Maria Riley, OP is coordinator of the Women's Project, Center of Concern, Washington, D.C.

• "It's all about flirting."

• ''It is all so simple, so innocent, so deliciously wicked, so ambiguous. Just like flirting.''

These quotes can fit into the paragraph 3 about Madonna.

2) WOMEN: Using Female Bodies For Sales and Profit (http://www.medialiteracy.com/reading-room/women-using-female-bodies-sales-and-profit) Laurien Alexandre is vice chancellor for university academic affairs for the Antioch University System. A former journalism and media teacher, she lives in Los Angeles.

• ''Dismembered bodies — thighs, breasts, anus lie strewn across the television screen… exotic women drape themselves over leopard-skin rugs seductively beckoning unknown men...''

• ''As the pictures flash by and the narration by feminist scholar Jean Kilbourne proceeds, a new view of advertising emerges, that of a multi-billion dollar transnational business which makes its profits off the backs of women.''

• ''One cringes with recognition at the visually-substantiated premise that advertising systematically, if not always consciously, uses, abuses and betrays women in its efforts to sell products, lifestyles and dominant values.''

• ''The process of becoming adornments for cars, liquor and men turns women into flawless, wrinkleless, odorless and ageless sex objects fragmented into body pans on display.'' 

• ''As women grow older, that "status" is then taken away and they are shown as sexless housewives pathologically obsessed with dirty floors and spotted glasses. The options are few. In the process of living, women are made to feel self-conscious and guilty for being real.''

These interesting quotes will help me to get the feminist view of the way females portray themselves in the media across. They would fit into issues and debates in my essay.

3) Miley Cyrus: exploited or empowered? (http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/oct/06/miley-cyrus-exploited-empowered-debate) by Barbara Ellen

• ''Did Cyrus see Britney commenting wistfully about how she wished her videos could go back to being about great dancing and not just sex? Has it occurred to Cyrus that there are some traps you set yourself?''

This quote is interesting as it compares Miley to Britney and the fact that the author believes that Miley has actually got herself into something she may not have wanted. This quote could link into the quotes in paragraph 1 about Miley Cyrus.

4) Miley Cyrus makes date rape joke onstage at GAY (http://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/may/12/miley-cyrus-date-rape-gay) by Ben Beaumont-Thomas

• "You know, everyone's a little bit gay," she told the crowd. "It's the truth. Everyone's gay, all it takes is one cocktail. And if that doesn't work, sprinkle something in their drink. That's what I always do."

This quote reflects the 'wild' side to Miley Cyrus and a statement from her which is much more her own personality. It would fit well into paragraph 1.

5) Miley Cyrus live review – a Duracell bunny of provocative mischief (http://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/may/11/miley-cyrus-live-review-duracell-bunny-provocative-mischief) by Kitty Empire

• ''Miley Cyrus, it transpires, is not some post-feminist antichrist sent by an evil music industry cabal to drag young women back to the dark ages. She is merely an obnoxious buffoon in a painful-looking leotard; an extreme pop extrovert with no off switch or edit function – and very funny with it.'' 

This quote is obvious against the way Miley Cyrus portrays herself and could link into paragraph 1.

6) Miley Cyrus: social media is worse than drugs (http://www.theguardian.com/media/2014/sep/01/miley-cyrus-social-media-google-instagram-facebook-worse-than-drugs) by Samuel Gibbs

• ''You know what hurts your brain? Googling yourself. You know what hurts your brain? Instagram. You know what hurts your brain? Reading comments on Facebook. You know what hurts your brain? Reading US Weekly.''

Although audiences have a negative reputation of Miley Cyrus and feel that 'smoking weed' hurts her brain, she in fact argues that it is audiences themselves hurting her brain due to upsetting comments of her. This could link in to paragraph 1. 

Critical Investigation Task #4 Essay plan

What does Miley Cyrus' reinvention tell us about society and women in the media?

Introduction:

• Miley Cyrus has gone from a teen idol on her popular Disney show 'Hannah Montana', to a controversial artist who mothers no longer want their daughters to look up to.

• Women in the media develop, as has Miley Cyrus. They challenge the 'status quo' and transform from girls to women. 

• ''The challenge is for each of us to let go of old patterns that no longer serve us; that divide us; that operate from imbalance, exclusion, domination and control. The opportunity is to rise above fixed positions and differences to discover our common ground and build upon our similarities and mutual goals.'' – Women Walk the Land

P1: Miley Cyrus - Wrecking ball video

• In this paragraph, I will conducting a thorough analysis of Miley's 'wrecking ball' video. 
• I will be discussing the way Miley portrays herself in the music video and the reasons why she does so.
• I will relate the paragraph to relevant theories, issues and debates and quotations. 
• Analyse using MIGRAIN 
• Link to SHEP

Theories:

• Audience theories
• Psychographics
• Gender and Ethnicity
• Semiotics
• Liberal Pluralism
• Male Gaze
• Moral Panic
• Post-feminism

Issues/Debates:

• Representation and stereotyping
• Media effects
• Reality TV
• Regulation and censorship

Quotations:

• ''The Wrecking Ball singer who brought 'twerking' to the masses speaks out against double standards for men and women.'' http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/rockandpopmusic/10445850/Miley-Cyrus-Im-one-of-the-worlds-biggest-feminists.html

• No-one minds if a man goes topless on the beach, she said, adding: “So why can’t we?” http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/rockandpopmusic/10445850/Miley-Cyrus-Im-one-of-the-worlds-biggest-feminists.html

• "I feel like I'm one of the biggest feminists in the world because I tell women to not be scared of anything.'' http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/24911610

• "Every time you talk about me, you're bringing more awareness to me and... my record.'' http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/24911610

• "I think people if they actually knew me would be surprised at how normal I am.'' http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/24911610

• 'We construct our identities through complex processes of interaction with the culture around us, but today images of hypersexualisation dominate. Where is a girl to go if she decides Beyoncé, Miley Cyrus, Lady Gaga, Rihanna or Britney Spears aren't for her?' http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2011/dec/01/feminists-pornification-of-women

P2: Other controversial people:

Mention other controversial artists:

• Nicki Minaj
• Britney Spears
• Rihanna

Talk about other stars who have appeared on Disney channel when young then have caused controversy when they are older:

• Vanessa Ann Hudgens 
• Demi Lovato
• Lindsay Lohan
• Zac Efron
• Shia LeBeouf 

P3: Madonna

• Comparison of Madonna to Miley Cyrus. I will be comparing Madonna's first video and the values it holds compares to Miley's music of today e.g. 'we can't stop'.

• Analysis of Madonna's first video 'everybody'.

• Analyse how the values of music videos have changed from the 1980's to the present.

Theories:

• Audience theories
• Psychographics
• Gender and Ethnicity
• Post-feminism

Issues/Debates

• Representing and stereotyping
• Media effects

Quotations:

• ''It was an era where disco was anathema to the mainstream pop, and she had a huge role in popularizing dance music as a popular music again, crashing through the door Michael Jackson opened with Thriller.'' - Steven Erlewine

• ''Women of a certain age will remember the wannabes; they might even have been one. The surf slang was popularized in the mainstream to describe the packs of peroxide blonde high school girls in thrift shop attire-vented t-shirts, denim jackets, rubber bracelets all accessorized with lace, especially the fingerless gloves-who roamed American malls in the mid-1980s.'' http://all-that-is-interesting.com/madonna-feminist-message#1BIkeMCmgUJLHxXp.99

• “At the time being a teen mom was still a dirty secret, something to be ashamed of, and a horrible tragedy to befall a family,” writes a Jezebel blogger. “ And yet teen pregnancy was frequent. The issue was huge.” And then Madonnna, an Italian Catholic girl, released “Papa Don’t Preach.” http://all-that-is-interesting.com/madonna-feminist-message#1BIkeMCmgUJLHxXp.99

• ''While climbing celebrity ranks and prepping for her next role in Pepsi’s famous concert commercials, Madonna again stirred up controversy. This time, the issue wasn’t so much with lyrics, but images. In “Like a Prayer,” Madonna takes on racism, appearing in a flimsy black slip and kissing an African-American religious icon, and later stands among crosses engulfed in flames.''  http://all-that-is-interesting.com/madonna-feminist-message#1BIkeMCmgUJLHxXp.99

P4: Conclusion

• Miley Cyrus' reinvention tells us that women in the media develop mostly into objects which sell. The famous term 'sex sells' encourages women in the media to be provocative as it attracts attention from the media and fans whether it is positive or not, it still generates publicity.

• Society need to become more accepting of the changing values instead of viewing controversial acts as something they are disgusted by e.g. Miley's young fans mothers. 

• Controversial artists will only 'get worse'. It is almost impossible to avoid nude and provocative women in the media as they are everywhere. Whether it be on TV, online or even in celebrity magazines, society are unable to avoid the celebrities they find to be shameful.

Critical Investigation Task #3 - Historical text analysis and research

I will be comparing my text to Madonna. Madonna began her career in the late 1970's where she got involved in the music industry and soon began releasing her own songs and eventually her first album. She released her first song called 'Everybody' in 1983, which I have analysed below.

'Everybody' is a dance genre song where Madonna uses lyrics that encourage people to dance. The video is completely innocent, with males and females dancing individually around a stage where Madonna is dancing with some back up dancers. One obvious statement in the video is that everyone is fully dressed with no small, tight clothes that female artists wear in their videos nowadays. In fact, Madonna is wearing baggy clothes and almost looks like a tom boy compared to the clothes female artists wear today. Her lyrics are also innocent as she is singing about everyone dancing and it sounds like an encouraging song with no indirect meaning behind it.

This video is completely different to Miley Cyrus' videos as the people are covered up and the lyrics are not explicit at all, but have straight forward innocent meaning to them. One way that it is similar to Miley's videos is that it features a mix of females and males dancing, however in this video they are dancing individually. Whereas in Miley's videos everyone is dancing very close to each other and are touching.

This video shows that a few things have changed from the 1980's to the present. The genre of dance music tends to be faster with more versions nowadays. Before the dance music was very 'disco', whereas now there are more variations such as hip hop, RnB, dub etc. Also, dance music has much more explicit videos as well as lyrics nowadays and is very much 'club' music, therefore targeting at young adults. The style of teenagers and young adults who had grown up listening to dance music in the 80's is much different to the style which is preferred today.

I do not believe that the zeitgeist of the 80's was to be sexy or provocative. Instead, it was to produce an enthusiastic single and video which would be popular with the audience during that period of time. Nowadays it is the opposite, as 'sex sells' in the music industry. Therefore young females such as Miley Cyrus have to be revealing and sexy in their videos as that is what sells and what attracts views and fans.

Moreover, I believe the actions of artists such as Madonna in the 1980's were much more accepted than the actions of female artists now from a feminist perspective. Feminists main belief is in equality and feel as though we live in a patriarchy society which consists of male dominance. This was not the case in the 80's as Madonna's 'Everbody' video shows Madonna being empowered as she is the main dancer with two male backup dancers behind her. Also, she is dancing individually and there is no inappropriate content. However, feminists nowadays are outraged by female artists videos and the fact that artists such as Miley release videos showing their exposure towards males and letting males be the dominant sex in videos e.g. they touch females and dance on them. Feminists would argue that women portray themselves as belittled in media nowadays, whereas they were shown as more equal in the 80's. 

Critical Investigation Task #2 - Academic research and bibliography

Cattuci, N. (2013). The Best Music Of The Year. Entertainment Weekly. 

''Miley Cyrus- Yeah, she's crafty. But also stealthily soulful. Bangerz flaunts her savvy and her sexuality with an under-appreciated emotional directness.''

This book is relevant to my topic as it shows the features editor at Billboard's opinion of Miley Cyrus. As the editor writes for the music industry, his opinion is valued as he contributes towards publishing.

Cattuci, N. (2013). The Year's Best Albums. Entertainment Weekly. 

''Miley Cyrus- If you want a list of 21 things to restore your faith in humanity, wait for your uncle to post that claptrap on Facebook. If you're looking for 13 songs (or 16, on the totally worth-it deluxe version) that drive a stake through arbitrary notions of how a young woman and onetime tween star should conduct herself, immerse yourself in Bangerz. Miley's not shy about her sexuality- check out her narrating her own orgasm on '#GETITRIGHT'. But more than anything, she flaunts her savvy, backed up by an acute ear for cutting-edge rap (via executive producer Mike Will Made It), a soulful voice capable of showstoppers like 'Adore you', and an under-appreciated emotional directness that flowers on the too good to be a bonus track 'rooting for my baby'. Humanity could use more renegades like her.''

The editor again speaks about Miley Cyrus in a positive light. It is obvious that Nick Cattuci appreciates Miley's music and confidence and therefore feels passionate enough to want to share his opinion on her with the public. Miley has faced a lot of negative media coverage due to her controversy, therefore it is important that she has been shown in a contrasted manor.

Greenblatt, L. (2011). The Worst Singles of 2011. Entertainment Weekly. 

''Miley Cyrus covering 'Smells like teen spirit' hello, hello, hello, how low? This low.''

This feature talks about Miley Cyrus' performance of the cover song originally performed by Nirvana. The cover was released in 2011 and the performance reveals the 'rebellious' side coming out of Miley as it is a rock n roll performance, different to her usual Hannah Montana music. It was therefore surprising and landed in The Worst Singles of 2011 .''

Hot New Singles. (2010). Entertainment Weekly. 

''Miley Cyrus- 'Can't be tamed' Cyrus sheds her Hannah Montana shackles with blatant 'Uncage me!' Metaphors and a naughty-feathers video-but beneath the new plumage, it's just bouncy, mid career-Britney dance-pop.''

Although it seems like this feature is against Miley, it soon realises that in fact she is growing up and compares her to Britney Spears who faced similar reactions to her controversy when releasing more 'raunchy' music videos.

MacDonald, M. (1995). Representing Women. St Martin's Press, New York. 

Page 861:

''As victims of the rapid technological and communication revolutions, the press corps must repeatedly offer new and fresh meat to its readers. Viewers, when they pay attentions, hear the gospel from news 'interpreters' and 'experts', which are only opinions but are received as if the statements resemble the Mosaic tablets from Mt. Sinai. These factors have led to a crisis in the American news media.''

Although this book was written over 18 years ago, it still relates to technology and technology revolutions that still take place today. News is still seen as facts, as oppose to opinions for some. Therefore, if Miley Cyrus was to gain some negative feedback in the media about a scandal for example, viewers would be more likely to believe it rather than question it as it comes from a news source.


Media Magazine

Media Magazine 26, the film issue
http://www.englishandmedia.co.uk/mm/subscribers/downloads/archive_mm/mmagpast/mm26_feminist_bond.html

Post-feminism does not assume that this means gender issues are no longer valid. On the contrary, it acknowledges that there are still many areas of interest and concern within gender politics; but it recognises that these issues are very different from the ones faced by gender theorists in the mid-20th century.

Gender relationships: the feminist model

Even though it sought to change the way people thought about women’s position in society, feminism was based on the idea of binary opposition between the two genders. As Levi-Strauss tells us in narrative theory, binary oppositions create conflict. Feminism can be seen to be a range of ideas that arose from this perceived conflict, focussed on the idea of a power struggle in society between two opposing groups: masculine and feminine. As with any power struggle, as one side gains power, the other side must lose it.

Gender relationships: the post-feminist model

Post-feminism sees gender as a set of socially constructed behaviours, attitudes and expectations which have no essential relationship to a person’s biological sex – an individual may at any time be more or less masculine or more or less feminine regardless of whether they are male or female. For example, a man crying is no less a man, or an aggressive woman no less a woman. The behaviours are culturally associated with a specific sex; but people are not that simple. Individuals may even choose to ‘perform’ gender depending on the circumstances they find themselves in.

The Culture issue 35

Does popular music conform to this description? Barely, in some ways; it is now divided into so many sub-species that it is hard to construct a case for finding any coherence. On the other hand, it is possible to argue that this diversity is the very attribute that will keep music in the forefront of popular consciousness. As the available choice of leisure pursuits broadens, two things happen: first, the acceleration of change leads to a similar speeding up of the processes by which music reaches us; and second, the certainties of a shared culture that were prevalent, say, a hundred years ago, break down further so that culture becomes an ever more shifting, amorphous concept.

The Change issue 34

How far have media representations of women changed over the last 40 years? Nick Lacey explores the traditional view of active men and passive women, and finds that. Feminism still has a fight on its hands.

Fifty years on, the ‘Bond Girl’ still exists – and she remains ‘eye candy’. However, in the recent ‘reboot’ of the franchise, Casino Royale (US-UK, 2008), it is Bond himself, in the shape of Daniel Craig, who emerges from the sea, fit in his tight swimming gear. In addition the ‘girl’, though still in need of saving by the ‘hero’, has become a narrative ‘helper’ and not the entirely passive ‘princess’. Things have changed – but Bond himself remains male.

Occasionally the media does represent women as powerful and independent characters, and yet they still almost invariably require a man to tell them what to do. The ideologies of male dominance and patriarchal values have not diminished; and the belief that they have offers a classic example of ‘hegemony’: a state where the oppressed consent to, and accept, their situation because they are not conscious of being exploited. We, both female and male, are socialised into a world where the relationships of power between the sexes appear ‘natural’, and so few question the inequality. Youth culture, despite its radicalism in the ‘60s and ‘70s, is now politically conservative; and so radical messages do not circulate in the mainstream, further obscuring the fact that in 2010 women have not yet attained equal opportunities with men.

The Collaboration Issue 36

Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta, aka ‘Lady Gaga’, has over 10 million Facebook ‘friends’ and over 3 million people follow her on Twitter. This mastery of social media has been a feature of her career since she emerged from the New York underground dance scene. She wrote her own newsletter to her loyal followers and saw the potential of communicating directly with the fans in new ways. She calls her fans her little monsters, and the bond she has generated between fan and artist is unprecedented. In a recent post on Twitter she wrote how she loved the way her fans post pictures of her on the web: There’s something heroic about the way my fans operate their cameras. So precisely, so intricately, and so proudly. Like Kings writing the history of their people. It’s their prolific nature that both creates and procures what will later be perceived as the ‘kingdom.’ So, the real truth about Lady Gaga fans, my little monsters, lies in this sentiment: They are the kings. They are the queens. They write the history of the kingdom, and I am something of a devoted Jester.Love and art,gaga. The media theorist Marshall McLuhan, in a hugely influential 1964 text called Understanding Media, commented on the link between what is said and how it is communicated. His most famous line was, ‘The medium is the message.’ In Understanding Media, he suggests that a medium is ‘an extension of ourselves.’ So the Twitterverse and the Facebook virtual world can be seen as a new way of extending our self and our persona. The medium of communication for Lady Gaga is the online network of social media. With 10 million Facebook fans, she is using the new medium to put forward a message with massive success.

Reading the Media Issue 45

Music is one of those things in life that we all interpret differently. It has the power to bring people together whilst simultaneously segregating us. This is more apparent in the social networking world of harsh tweets and hashtag battles fought by rival fan bases – the ‘Chris Brown vs Tyler The Creator’ Twitter feud exemplified this. One thing’s for sure, there is a definite generation gap between the kids and the adults because of it. Popular songs of today have more power than ever before. They dictate social circles, fashion trends, the clubs you go to (preference of DJ playlists), new memes, slang... the list goes on. And let’s not forget – according to popular conspiracies – mainstream music is also responsible for ‘brainwashing’ the delicate minds of the prepubescent population.

Iggy Azealia, a female rapper, recently sat in an interview to discuss the state of hip-hop today. She complained of an encounter she had whilst at Interscope Records. From what she said, the staff members there seem a bit too candid for my liking. She was told somethingalong the lines of:Most of the people who listen to the music nowadays can’t even construct a proper sentence, nobody cares about the intricate stories you put into your songs.Whoa now!I’ll give you a moment to pick your jaw up off the floor, because this isn’t a unique situation. This woman is one of countless artists who’ve been told to ‘dumb down’ their material in order to make it more marketable to the wider world. Is this a marketing strategy – or are we simply becoming less intelligent when it comes to interpreting music?

Critical Investigation Task 1- Textual analysis

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LrUvu1mlWco

MIGRAIN

Media Language-

Miley's language used in her 'We can't stop' video (released in June 2013) is rebellious and was the first video that she released to shock audiences and her fans. The video shows her having a house party with her friends and having fun with recreational drugs. She repeats the lyrics 'we can't stop and we won't stop.' This reinforces her rebellious attitude along with her actions in the video. There are also denotations of her lyrics sounding like an addiction as they talk of drug use.

Institution-

The video was written and produced by Mike Will made it, P Nasty and Rock City. Miley has worked with these institutions in other videos as well as her own. Her single 23 with Wiz Khalifa and Juicy J also have Mike Will made it produce their video. Mike Will made it has also worked with artists such as Lil Wayne, Jeremih and Future. 

Genre-

The genre of the song is a mix and incorporates Pop, Dance and R&B. This is made obvious through the beat, sound and lyrics of the song. The fact that it is a mixed genre makes the song more versatile and is more likely to attract more people/fans to listen to it.

Representation-

In this video, Miley is being represented as quite rebellious. The video starts with her cutting off an ankle monitor which is used by the police. This immediately shows her as breaking the rules and shows the audience that the video/song is likely to be rebellious. The videos concept is of a house party with several of Miley's friends. All of the characters look quite unusual, along with their actions. For example, at 00:26 a man is shown taking a bite out of a dollar filled sandwich. At 00:37 a man is shown again with two tongues in a dim lighting, looking quite scary. Another example is at 1:00 where a female is shown cutting a fake hand with baby pink paint pouring out. The concept of the video is quite unusual, however represents Miley's character and she seems to be having a good time in the video.

Audience-

Miley has a much older audience compared to her Hannah Montana career now that her videos and lyrics are a lot more different and explicit. I believe the song could relate to teenagers as it is quite rebellious and the video goes against the 'rules'. The video also includes a mix of both males and females therefore I believe this particular video would be aimed at males and females aged 16 and above.

Ideology and values-

In my opinion, the video and lyrics represent Miley's new values. As this was her first controversial video released I believe that she is trying to show audiences that she has grown up and will do what she wants. Her lyrics state '' Dancing with Molly doing whatever we want this is our house this is our rules and we can't stop and we won't stop.''

Narrative-

It looks as though the video follows a linear narrative as Miley is shown enjoying the party then going to sleep at the end, making it seem as though the video has been going in chronological order. This helps tell the story to the audience and makes it clear for the viewers of what is happening in the video.

SHEP

Social-

• Miley is sociable with her fans/audience. She has a range of social networking sites e.g. Twitter, Facebook and Instagram etc
• Miley currently has 18,634,987 followers on Twitter and gains an average of 3,647 new followers a day. This shows her vast majority of fans
• The video effected parents as well as young girls as parents wanted to close down her Bangerz tour

Historic-

• 'I have so many issues... everyone does dumb stuff when they're messed up': Miley Cyrus opens up as her VMA performance continues to cause controversy-http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2408376/Miley-Cyrus-opens-following-controversial-performance-VMAs.html

Other Disney stars that have changed, not for the better include:

• Vanessa Ann Hudgens from Disney channel's 'High School Musical' experienced nude images of herself being leaked in 2007. Again in 2009, a new set of mobile phone nudes were leaked, however the star managed to continue with her career.

• Demi Lovato, also a former Disney star featured a main part in the show 'Sonny with a chance' and later in the Disney channel film 'Camp Rock.' After this, she experienced drug addictions and spent some time in rehab. She had allegedly been cutting herself, as well as facing eating disorders and issues with alcohol.

• Lindsay Lohan's role in Disney's remake of 'Parent Trap' began her career as her first feature film. She also starred in 'Freaky Friday' later. Since then, she has faced eating disorders, allegations of cutting herself, she went to rehab and has been involved with several legal troubles. 

• Zac Efron who also landed a main role in the Disney channel hit film 'High School Musical' alongside Vanessa Ann Hudgens faced drug and alcohol addictions and eventually ended up in rehab. 

• Shia LeBeouf began his career on Disney channel's 'Even Stevens.' After this, he faced rehab due to his heroin drug addiction. 

Economic-

• Miley's new worth is $150 million
• Miley scored her first ever number one on Official charts with 'We can't stop- http://www.officialcharts.com/chart-news/miley-cyrus-scores-first-ever-uk-number-1-with-we-cant-stop-2413/
• She also topped the charts with the first number one on Billboard- http://www.billboard.com/biz/articles/news/global/5645608/miley-cyrus-grabs-first-uk-no-1-with-we-cant-stop

Political-

• Though her Christianity and country roots seem to place her squarely in the conservative category, her interest in environmentalism, gay rights, and Occupy Wall Street all point to a sleeping liberalism
• Miley considers herself to be a Feminist
• Miley quotes: "I feel like I'm one of the biggest feminists in the world because I tell women to not be scared of anything.'' ''For me, it's not even that in a feminist. I'm for anybody. I'm for everybody, for everything. I don't care what you wanna do in your life, or who you wanna be with, who you wanna love, who you wanna look like."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bbEoRnaOIbs

MIGRAIN

Media Language-

Miley Cyrus featured in a song called '23' with Wiz Khalifa and Juicy J. The hip hop song has lyrics that make references to Air Jordan sneakers and recreational drug use. I believe the song reinforces Miley's rebellious behaviour as she uses lyrics such as ''I got no respect, cos I don't give a f**k.'' The song was released in September 2013, 3 months after her first rebellious solo 'We can't stop'. The fact that she decided to make a song with other artists who are known for rap music with videos which encourage drug use, shows she has truly grown up from her Hannah Montana character who she is constantly compared to by young fans and parents.

Institution-

Interscope Records and Mike Will made it produced 23. Interscope Records have worked with artists such as Lady Gaga, Fergie, Kendrick Lamar and Maroon 5 in the past, who produce music of similar genres to this song. Mike Will made it was also the producer of 'We can't stop', therefore could have inspired the repeated recreational drug use in both videos.

Genre-

The genre of the song is hip hop. It includes a mixture of Miley Cyrus' singing along with the other artists rapping. The versatility of the genre allows fans of the different artists to listen and enjoy the song and video. 

Representation-

The video begins with a headteacher of a school who leaves his office, which is then taking over by two boys who begin playing music in the school microphone. We first see Miley at 00:36 where she is lighting a cigarette wearing small shorts and a cropped vest. There is then a close up shot of her face at 00:40 where the cigarette is placed in between her lips and she blows the smoke out while writing #23 and Miley on the girls bathroom mirror with her red lipstick. The red lipstick emphasises Miley being rebellious as the colour connotes danger and she uses this lipstick to write on the school mirrors, which is obviously not allowed. The video also incorporates drinking and alcohol, creating a negative representation of Miley. 

Audience-

Miley has a much older audience compared to her Hannah Montana career now that her videos and lyrics are a lot more different and explicit. I believe the song could relate to teenagers and young adults as it is quite rebellious and the video goes against the 'rules'. The video also includes a mix of both males and females therefore I believe this particular video would be aimed at males and females aged 16 and above. The audience would also be fans of the other artists involved, Juicy J and Wiz Khalifa.

Ideology and values-

I believe the ideology behind the song and video is to show that the artists are 'breaking the rules' as the setting is within a school. The lyrics are highly concentrated about the shoes that the people in the video are wearing, therefore the video could be implying their wealth/status. Moreover, the alcohol and drug use could show that they are having a good time. 

Narrative-

The video follows a linear narrative as it goes in chronological order. The video begins with the headteacher leaving his office, where two boys take over and a party in the school begins with music playing throughout the classrooms etc. The people in the video are then showed dancing, smoking, drinking and having a 'good time'. 

SHEP

Social-

• Miley is sociable with her fans/audience. She has a range of social networking sites e.g. Twitter, Facebook and Instagram etc
• Miley currently has 18,634,987 followers on Twitter and gains an average of 3,647 new followers a day. This shows her vast majority of fans
• The video effected parents as well as young girls as parents wanted to close down her Bangerz tour

Historic-

Other artists that Miley Cyrus has collaborated with in the past include:

• Nelly
• Jonas Brothers
• Billy Ray Cyrus
• Snoop Lion
• Borgore
• Pharrell Williams
• French Montana
• Will.i.am
• Ludacris
• John Travolta
• Big Sean
• Timbaland
• Future
• Britney Spears

Economic-

• Miley's new worth is $150 million
• The song peaked at number 11 on the US Billboard Hot 100
• 23 reached number 11 at A Charts also (http://acharts.us/performer/miley_cyrus)

Political-

• Though her Christianity and country roots seem to place her squarely in the conservative category, her interest in environmentalism, gay rights, and Occupy Wall Street all point to a sleeping liberalism
• Miley considers herself to be a Feminist
• Miley quotes: "I feel like I'm one of the biggest feminists in the world because I tell women to not be scared of anything.'' ''For me, it's not even that in a feminist. I'm for anybody. I'm for everybody, for everything. I don't care what you wanna do in your life, or who you wanna be with, who you wanna love, who you wanna look like.

Theories

Gender and Ethnicity

Miley appeals to a females particularly on a larger scale than males, as some females still see her as a role model and are fans of her music, TV show and films. The ethnicity group Miley appealed to when she first began her career on Hannah Montana was white-middle class. However, due to her different personality and character she is today, Miley appeals to working class white and black females and males too.

Hegemony

It could be argues that Miley portrays herself in the media in the shocking way that she does because that it what sells in the media industry. Due to other pop stars and singers causing controversy in the media, Miley could be doing what she does because if she didn't, she may not sell as many hits or be as successful as she is today. For example, if someone disagrees with Miley's actions then they are likely to tell someone else about it or even post a comment/opinion on social networking sites. This then creates a 'hype' as people who agree and disagree comment back and therefore Miley Cyrus is talked about. It also encourages views towards her music videos, whether the audience agree with it or not. Therefore, by production companies telling Miley what to do because it sells, they are having control and power over her. However, by Miley causing controversy, she is essentially encouraging audiences to view her material in the media.

Liberal Pluralism

Liberal Pluralists believe that the media are free to express themselves in whichever way they want. Additionally, the most powerful can be scrutinised and bought down. I believe that Miley is free to express herself in the way she wants as she shows her character to be quite care free of other peoples opinions. However, it could also be argued that the media make her act in this way in order for her to sell and be popular with audiences. Miley is powerful in the music industry as her successful career continues to build. Although she has people against her and try to bring her down e.g. parents who want to shut down her Bangerz tour, she does not let this stop her and continues to produce music and  release images/videos causing controversy in the media.
Moral Panic

The definition for moral panic is an instance of public anxiety or alarm in response to a problem regarded as threatening the moral standards of society. Moral panic can have negative influences on young audiences. Below are some examples from The Daily Mail and the effects that the internet can have on young audiences. There is also an example from the London Riots.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2586019/Middle-class-parents-stop-panicking-internet-let-children-explore-says-leading-psychologist.html
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2629866/Heavy-web-use-harms-childs-mental-health-Every-hour-raises-risk-warns-watchdog.html
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2027459/UK-riots-Moral-panic-making-judges-impose-overly-harsh-sentences.html

Miley shocked the media when her new haircut came with a new personality. After being in the media for 8 years, Miley recently became well known for her 'twerking' which was a dance to portray a message to audiences that she is now grown up. Parents were angry were her new image, however the attention encouraged her to shock the media even more.

Post-feminism

Post-feminism connotes the belief that feminism has succeeded in it's goal to ameliorate sexism and therefore make males and females more equal. Post-feminism occurred after the period of the feminist movement in the 1970's and embodied the belief that 'a post-feminist household in which both partners share all tasks equally.' Moreover, it is stated that post-feminists are passionate about motherhood and their careers, showing they still embody their maternal instincts whilst building success for themselves at the same time. Miley Cyrus could be interpreted as a post-feminist as she is extremely focused on her career while balancing family time as she has also worked in the acting/music industry with her famous father in the past. Miley is 21 years old and does not have any children yet which allows her to be more focused on her career.

Issues and debates

Representation and stereotyping

Miley Cyrus is stereotyped more so due to her Disney channel career in which she started at the age of 13. She is constantly compared to her appearance then to the way she is now, however she is now 21 years old, therefore an individual clearly would change and grow in this period of time. The representation of the star is also disagreed with by some audiences due to her religious background. People have wondered what happened to the ''good little Christian girl she used to be.'' 

Media effects

Audiences, in particular young girls used to see Miley Cyrus as a role model. However due to her behaviour, image she portrays and controversial character, young girls no longer aspire to be like her. In fact they preferred her character on Hannah Montana when she was 13 years old. 

Reality TV

Miley has featured on Seriously Cyrus, which is her and her family's YouTube channel. She has also been on the channel 'E', which released a documentary on her career and success a few years ago. Moreover, Miley: The Movement was released in 2013, which was a documentary television film and her return to music and the lead up to her fourth studio album, Bangerz.

Regulation and censorship

Often, parents of young girl have spoken out and have had their opinions and views of Miley Cyrus heard. An example of this is where The Guardian published an article which included various parents who saw Miley as a bad role model for their young girls and also wanted to shut down her Bangerz tour.