UNITED STATES—Almost every American in the country has been talking about Disney starlet Miley Cyrus who has made a radical transformation since shedding her image as the goody to shoes on “Hannah Montana.”
Let’s face it, at some point all child actors have to grow up and the transition from child actor to adult actor is not an easy one. So many actors have been stuck with what we call “typecast” acting. They will always be known as that character, no matter what they do. However, a recent trend in Hollywood has seen more and more child actors be able to successfully transition into more mature roles without being known solely as a particular character.
Miley Cyrus had tongues wagging and people in utter shock with her risqué performance at the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards. For starters, she was on stage dancing suggestively with oversized teddy bears. The actress/singer turned up the heat when she performed on stage alongside singer Robin Thicke for his hit “Blurred Lines.” She stripped to what many have called a nude bikini and shook her booty all over the stage. I kept thinking to myself, “What in the world am I watching?” More importantly, I was completely appalled at what I was seeing.
Note: Miley Cyrus is no longer a Disney star, even though that’s where she grew to fame, the public has to realize she has grown up quite a bit in the past three to four years. Most importantly, she’s trying to shed her innocent image behind her. Seeing the look on countless celebrities’ faces at the award ceremony confirmed what I was feeling, complete shock.
Here’s the thing: that’s what she was aiming for. Remember in showbiz, its better to be talked about than to not be talked about at all. There were countless powerhouses at the ceremony: Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Jennifer Hudson, Justin Timberlake, but guess what, no one is talking about them, all the hoopla is around Miley herself and its exactly what she wanted.
Anyone who has ever watched the MTV Video Music Awards are well aware that something shocking always happens year after year. Anyone remember that Britney Spears and Madonna kiss that had everyone gasping. It’s a staple to have those audible gasp moments at this ceremony; unfortunately this was a gasp moment that has everyone talking about if the show is even suitable for kids.
Reflecting back, I’ve seen a few VMA ceremonies as a pre-teen/teenager and it wasn’t anything that completely shocked me, but I guess as you get older it has more of an impact. Especially, for those of us who have children, we don’t want them exposed to such behavior. Perhaps the most disturbing element was Miley’s dancing with a much older Robin Thicke.
My gut is telling me the singer had to be uncomfortable and I felt even more sympathetic for his wife Paula Patton who was in the audience. Perhaps I’m overanalyzing things, but it just seemed so wrong, but for everyone pointing fingers at Miley was it any different than what Lady Gaga did? Of course, she is known for her theatrics on stage, but she stripped down to a bikini for her performance also. The only difference is we didn’t see any over the top dance moves that were too suggestive for little ones.
Miley Cyrus’ performance was a bit much, but we have to remember she is an artist attempting to find her voice or place in a competitive industry. Unfortunately, going above and beyond doesn’t always solidify you the top spot. I feel she is more of a character right now to promote her upcoming album, only time will tell if the Miley seen at the 2013 MTV VMA is the true Miley herself or her persona on stage.
By Trevor Roberts
