Miley, Miley, Miley!!! I mean Miley Cyrus. Media has been obsessing about everything she does for a while. She is the media’s new golden goose. Everything she wears/does create a controversy to the extent even our oldie goldie Rush Limbaugh (conservative radio talk show host) has something to say about it. Just so you know I love Rush; “D” got me addicted to him. In one way maybe it is good because Miley gave us a breather from obsessing about what heels Kim Kardashian is wearing?
Before we proceed, any further let me confess something, I watched Hanna Montana, Lizzie McGuire, Clarissa explains it all, that’s so Raven in my twenty’s. Don’t judge me because that is when these shows were aired in India, maybe not Clarissa but the rest. On top of that in India, unlike here it is not bad for 20 or 25 year olds to love Disney’s characters or own soft toys.
I am not writing this post because it is hype to criticize/talk about Miley, or because I am an ardent fan of her but because this is an example of how as humans, we can show little more love, tolerance, acceptance and little less judgment. I am not saying poor Miley, she is being victimized by the media, at the same time I am not going to say she is a bad person. The truth is I have no clue why she is doing what she is doing. There might be a number of reasons for her behavior:
• Being rebellious and acting out
• Looking for attention or cry for help
• Going through bad time after the break up and parents divorce
• Trying hard to shed Hanna Montana image
• Just being herself for the first time
• Creating controversy, so she can break records
• Trying to stay true to her character in her song
• Trying to connect with her audience, who she assumes are rebellious teenagers.
• Bad advisors, friends
I can go on and on with the reasons, but I feel like you get my point. We don’t know what her reasons are, and we did not walk in her shoes. Then, why are we passing this hurtful judgment on her? The first time I heard of the song “We can’t stop.” I like many others thought the same “what’s wrong with her? Why would she do something like this? She is just craving for attention. Miley is acting stupid.” I mean she has been creating controversies for a while now and so adding all those up just made me disappointed in her.
Then I kept thinking about it and realized Miley is not acting stupid; it is me that is acting stupid. I have no right/reason to judge her or be angry with her because:
• I have just two parents, and I cannot follow what they say. Miley’s actions were gauged by parents throughout the world. I had to meet only my parent’s expectations, but she has to meet the expectations of the parents of all her audiences. She was supposed to be this perfect little doll, or else she will lose her tiny audience, as their parents will not allow them to watch her. She could never be herself because she had an image to live up to. Living all your life as someone whom you are not will probably make anyone rebel.
• As a teenager she was growing up, and wanted to experience new things, wanted to find herself. She was put inside a box, and people refused to let her out of that box.
• She led a stressful life since she was very little. As a kid, she might have sacrificed many things that normal kids did at her age. Even after all that sacrifices she was criticized more. Living in entertainment industry being criticized all the time would not be easy for anyone let alone a child.
• She was a child star, and we keep thinking how lucky she was, but did we ever think how unlucky she was. I say that because she made lots of money like an adult and exposed to all the partying, but at the same time she was not an adult. This might get really confusing for a kid.
• The paparazzi was always following her, making a big deal of her even going to a Pilates class. Why on earth do we want to know what outfit our favorite star wears to Pilates class? Come on for real, can I get some authentic news here?
• Her love life has been a tragedy. She was engaged but then broke up again. Maybe Liam never understood what she was going through when she was rebelling, and so he broke up with her. Perhaps, Liam was the bad guy; we do not know how he treated her behind the closed doors. I think the pressure that she would not be marrying the guy she was engaged to would itself make anyone cray cray. Added to that stress, she had to worry about what media is going to say.
• When a girl shaves off her nice big long beautiful hair, it is sometimes an indication that she is probably going through something substantial. The media even made a big deal of her shaving off her head.
• I look at her wrecking ball song and all I see is pain and not that she is naked. There were many artists before her that made bare songs like this one. Then why is it a big deal if Miley makes one. Is that because she is supposed to be Hanna Montana? I thought artists came with their own brain and heart.
•The most obvious question is, why is she trying so hard to shed Hanna Montana image? Most artists try to stick to the image that made them famous. They respect the role that made them well known. Miley is acting like she hates to be Hanna Montana. I think something from being Hanna Montana hurts her, and so she wants to be herself and not be someone else that she cannot relate to.
• Her parents went through a divorce just recently.
Reasons like this and many more makes me think that I should give her a break. She is just a kid, and she is trying to find herself. I am still finding myself. If she is just an ordinary girl, no one would have cared what she did. We have not walked in her shoes we have no clue what life has taught her. I did a lot of mistakes too in my life, and I am thankful God gave me a second chance. Even after all the mistakes I did, I do not like people telling me what I should do. I may be wrong, but I think most people don’t like people telling them how they should lead their lives.
It is easy for us to judge her as if we are perfect, but we are not perfect. I probably have never faced half the stress she has faced. I get upset when someone posts a personal attack on my blog and to avoid that I also put up button in my side bar saying no personal attacks. Miley cannot do that, people attack her personally everyday as if they know her.
Why do we keep forgetting that stars are human beings too? Why are we as a society obsessed with our stars? Just like a post man delivers letters, doctor treats patients; actors act. They are only regular people doing their job. They might be making more money but does making more money mean they can be attacked and ripped apart. Then, why do we make them role models and expect them to be perfect, when we know perfection is only possible for God.
I believe in supporting the people I love in whatever they want to do because it is their life, unless of course, it causes harm to someone else. If they fall on their face, I will still be there beside them to give them a hand and pick them up.
These are just my views. You may agree or disagree but please show little more love, tolerance and acceptance and little less judgment.
Comment down below to share your views with me.
Read my other posts on acceptance and judgement here and here
-R
P.S. This post does not mean I support Miley’s actions, but I am just trying to see from her point. In other words, I am trying to be empathetic. I feel there is a lot more for humans than what is superficial, so I am trying to enhance my understanding of relationship between human emotions and actions.
