Miley Cyrus' Wrecking Ball Roar

I did not set out to defend, support, interpret and preach about Miley Cyrus.  My involvement came suddenly after the hateful response to her VMA performance and then gradually, as I began to digest her reality as post Disney character, Hannah Montana.  Jerked into consciousness by her highly dissonant dance maneuvers and her over-the-top tongue and foam finger gestures, I tried to interpret the composition.  The only word that came to mind was critique, a critique of the culture of  sexualization and objectification of women.  Since that initial interpretation I've added four words to better describe her performance: meta, commentary, statement and mirror.   Miley Cyrus is a meta, commentary, statement and mirror of American sexist culture.  

To be concise Ms. Cyrus so perfectly captured where American media has landed in terms of how women are sexualized and objectified that her apparent romp and sense of her own sex drive and expression were secondary to her commentary and meta statement about how women are depicted and depict themselves in our pop-culture.  In this way, the fact that it did not come across as sexy but rather crass and awkward made perfect sense.  It was a heightened regurgitating of all that has lead us to this moment.  I found the performance utterly refreshing in its ability to top all former attention grabbing plays by the likes of Madonna  or Britney Spears and others.  More importantly its ability to jolt its viewers into a form of confusion was noteworthy.  Why is this performer so wild, crazy, irreverent?  Why can't you go back into your Hannah Montana box, Miley? Every hateful comment I read harkened either a continuation of a sexist perspective or worse.  Some comments reveal a disappointment with where a woman has taken the objectification of her gender.  Not working for you?  I would offer this sexist culture is not working for anyone.

In the last week, I have become consumed with both Katy Perry's "Roar" video and Miley Cyrus' "Wrecking Ball".  Both these pieces of art, and yes they are art, confirm and strengthen my hunch that there is a post-modern form of feminism erupting.  In "Roar" Ms. Perry's male companion is taken out by a wild animal.  She goes on to sing- "You held me down but I got up....get ready cause I have had enough."  She breaks her high heel off her shoe and makes it into a spearhead; she polishes the toe nails of an elephant.  Both these visuals spoke volumes to me about women not denying their adornments, while also using historically repressive signifiers in new ways, their own way.  These opening lyrics of "Roar" say it all: "I used to bite my tongue and hold my breath, Scared to rock the boat and make a mess, So I sat quietly, agreed politely, I guess that I forgot I had a choice." These young women do have a choice because of their earned privilege in the music industry and they are choosing to roar!

Cyrus' "Wrecking Ball" is by far the more profound and timeless of the two videos.  Sharing a kind of meta sensibility with both her VMA performance and Perry's "Roar", its lyrics and visuals combine to create such a stark and fresh vibe layered in multiple levels of meaning that it is no wonder many have not been able to appreciate it or have mocked it. Its lyrics, not written by Cyrus include: "I never meant to start a war, I just wanted you to let me in, And instead of using force, I guess I should've let you win".  Instead of  letting you win, she came in like a wrecking ball.   The gender war is really not any woman's first choice of how to live.  In fact, if we could be let in, we could all gain so much and save so much wasted energy.  Underneath the war, is a desire for love.  Cyrus nails this.

I am inspired by both Perry and Cyrus and I am hopeful that the hate and misogyny that has plagued us will someday be looked back upon as a huge colossal waste of human energy.  Until then, I say to women: support each other, roar and don't be afraid to use a wrecking ball.