Do Celebs have a Responsibility to be Role Models? (ahem Miley ahem)

Do Celebs have a Responsibility to be Role Models? (ahem Miley ahem)

miley then and now

photo courtesy of buzzworthy.mtv.com

Hey POPsters!

This topic has been lingering on my mind for a while but it definitely challenged me yesterday after watching the VMAs. Clearly, Miley Cyrus has been the hot topic of the season ever since she cut her hair, started looking like Pink, and released her very cathartic We Can’t Stop music video. Dancing teddy bears, french fry skulls, humping, and lots of twerking – it was like nothing I’d seen before.

Well yesterday she took it to a WHOLE ‘NOTHER LEVEL. You can see for yourself the VMA performance below:

So I just wanted to discuss the topic of celebrities being role models. I’m not judging Miley for how she dresses, acts, or wants to express herself – I think it is very important for people to release what their feeling by either talking it out, working it out, painting it out, fashioning it out…whatever…as long as you don’t hurt anyone. And this is where the lines get kinda murky for me and what Miley or any person of influence does.

Does a celebrity have a responsibility to be a good role model?

Think about it for a sec.

My initial thought was no, they just happen to be famous for being them, and they should do what they please because it’s their life and it’s who they are. How people choose to be influenced is their decision and they should deal with the consequences.

But then…I thought about it some more. I thought about where I am, what I do, and if I feel like I have a responsibility to be a good role model to you guys. And the answer for me is clear. YES. I am responsible for my actions.

I create free workout videos, meal plans, calendars, and cooking shows for you because it satisfies me to know you’re finding your healthier self. I am beyond thankful that you actually use these tools. I am overly grateful for the friendships and the POPster community that has grown out of our commonality for wanting to get fit. I care about you so much because you made Blogilates what it is. You make me smile every single day.

You know, people who are famous hold a lot of power. And with power comes the ability to change people, events, and history. Celebrities are leaders who have an army of fans that will back them up, dress like them, act like them, and at the deepest level, wanna be like them. When I was at the Taylor Swift concert a few days ago, I noticed all the girls were dressed like Taylor! A lot were blonde and had a very thin frame too. It was quite interesting to notice.

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To say a celebrity is not responsible for his or her actions is saying that as human beings, our lives aren’t all somehow connected. We live as families, in communities, in neighborhoods, in cities, and states, and nations that all thrive off of one another. We are all linked together because we need one another to help each other. The trust that we have between each other is the most valuable currency we can exchange. We trust that that car won’t just run us over when we cross the street. We trust that the food we eat at a restaurant isn’t poisoned. We trust that our friends won’t betray us.

The only reason why each one of us lives the way we do today is because of how our friends, families, and schools have molded us. Sure some of our traits comes from nature but a lot of it comes from nurture. A lot of it can be enhanced or degraded through who we hang out with and who inspires us. Beyond our own hometown circles, celebrities are sources for inspiration through media because they are seen by so many eyes.

Miley grew up famous as Hannah Montana and built a fan base of Disney-lovin’ young, wholesome, and impressionable girls. It seemed like within the last half year she flipped and turned into a completely different human being who is very very comfortable being explicit in front of the camera. How are the young girls supposed to react? Will they follow her lead and start wearing barely-there clothing, licking things, and sticking their butt at everything? Who knows – but the chances are likely that some of them will think this is “cool” and “okay”.

Gyrating into an older man’s crotch in nude lingerie in front of millions? Singing about “Trying to get a line in the bathroom.” I don’t like it and I think it’s leaving a lot of people confused as to what she’s really trying to express. It may not hurt anyone immediately to start dressing scantily and act in a “who the eff cares” kinda attitude, but you know what, in the long run, I can tell you that it will attract the wrong attention. And when that happens, it is possible for these girls to get hurt.

Honestly guys, I think that you should do what makes you happy (celebrity or not) so long as you don’t hurt anyone. But if you want to make a positive change in this world, and I think we all should, we should use the power we have to make other people better people, happier people, healthier people too. I don’t see a point in using our influence to spread negativity.

Celebrities have the power to change history. Why not do it for the better?

To me, true success is happiness. Enlightenment is sharing happiness.

Please let me know what you think about this topic. Do you agree or disagree with me?

<3 Cassey

311 thoughts on “Do Celebs have a Responsibility to be Role Models? (ahem Miley ahem)”

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  1. Alice Kowalski says:

    I agree! Thank you for writing my thoughts…

  2. Sculpturette says:

    Thanks for saying what I’ve always thought, Cassey! Agree with you 100%. Miley, whether people like it or not, does effect tons of young boys and girls. Yes they can control themselves, but what she was saying in the performance was the opposite. She can do so much better than that. I’ve seen her do so much better than that. I’m happy she got her act together.

  3. Katharine says:

    Ha! I love Miley. So many haters.. so little time.

    1. Sierra says:

      RIght

  4. sam says:

    Does anyone remember Christina’s ‘Dirrty’ video? Britney’s slave for you? Madonna in pretty much everything she does/did? The only things that changed is social media. I’m gonna give Miley the benefit of the doubt. She’s young and as much as she thinks she knows who she is as a person, she doesn’t…what 20 year old does? She’ll figure it out.

  5. Miranda says:

    Miley is in the public eye. She makes choices that are different or maybe that are hard for parents to hear or people her age to like. But she is young and we all have made those choices where we are judged. Parents do not like it because they know what she sang about is how kids act today. People Miley’s age are hypocritical because she isn’t a child star anymore just like we aren’t children watching her show. People her age do everything Nd more she sings in her song and that’s just the issue with everyone judging her is that they can’t accept the fact that the youth of the world are partying and doing all those things WILLINGLY and not influenced by a song that came out over the summer when the issue has been going on so long. She isn’t a kid anymore just like we aren’t The only difference is she. Has the guts to sing it while everyone else keeps it a secret from others because they know they will be judged

  6. melanie says:

    Agree 100% – my son and I have talked about this (he’s 11) regarding Rihanna and her abusive boyfriend, and the kind of message going back to him sends, etc. etc.
    I love that you not only post great workouts and inspirations, but that you have such a clear voice and vision, and that you stand for something – you have values that I really appreciate.
    Plus my butt is killing me today, so that means I did something right yesterday, so thanks for that, too 🙂

  7. lee says:

    and still the record reaches the top of the charts. the primary buyers of this record are women. of all ages. so get a grip feminists.

    1. Jane says:

      nowhere in this article did Cassey allude to feminism or even say anything stereotypically feminist, so I think your quip is a bit misplaced. She’s talking about celebrities being role models in general, and Miley’s recent performance makes her an obvious example. If a male celebrity had done something out of line, Cassey would have talked about him. In addition, I’m assuming you didn’t know this, but you can like a person’s music but hate that person, and you can also like a person and hate their music. And like she said, which for some reason you think she left out, many women like Miley. So I’m really not quite sure what you’re trying to achieve by adding this comment other than to just say something rude about feminism that has absolutely nothing to do with this article. Oh and by the way, feminism is a good thing. I hope you have a fantastic day 🙂

  8. Diana says:

    I agree! It’s easy to say that famous people should act the way they want to, but when you put yourself in their shoes it just seems so selfish to act that poorly. If people look up to you, you should be grateful, promote a good image and use your fame for good. Not for this… :/

  9. Léanna says:

    I disagree with you about Miley, the young girls who grew up watching Hannah Montana are about my age now (19) and are old enough to make their own decisions. It is possible that she has younger fans, like my cousin who’s 8 but I asked her if she likes Miley’s new song and she said no and doesn’t even pay attention to the music video. I mean you can be someone’s fan and get inspired by this person but you don’t have to act or dress exactly like them I’ve never seen anyone doing that before (except for concerts then yes that’s another story) and I’ve never seen a celebrity encouraging their fans to be like them, quite the contrary, I’ve always heard phrases like “be yourself, don’t pay attention to what everybody else’s thinking blah blah blah” and if young girls start taking Miley as an exemple on how to live their lives, that would be to assume who they are however provocative it is and not to care about anyone’s opion. But if they start doing some random crazy stuffs like twerking on strangers during parties or idk then that’s their parent’s roles to stop and talk to them.

    Anyway I love working out with you Cassey and thanks for everything ! xx

    1. Léanna says:

      Also, slut-shaming Miley because of how she dances and dresses for a perfomance is extremely wrong ! Actually slut-shaming is wrong in any circumstances. And it is NEVER a woman’s fault if she gets hurt by a stupid man who can’t control his pulses..
      And the only one we should be talking about here is robin thicke and his disgusting lyrics soliciting rape. Yeah, let’s talk about that

      1. Diana says:

        So it’s okay for Miley to act like trash but it’s not okay for Robin Thicke to do the same? Not to mention Miley is singing his song and she is grinding herself into his crotch, so you can’t talk about “stupid men and their impulses” So yes, this complete garbage of a performance was all Robin Thicke’s fault. It’s so frustrating that Robin Thicke is being blamed for demeaning women, while it’s not Miley’s fault for saying it’s okay? I’m 19 and I never paid attention to Miley. My little sister on the other hand is 14 and she liked her a lot when she was younger. I would hate for her to see that and think that it’d be “fun” to act like her.

        1. Mayy says:

          No, she’s not saying that Robin cant act a certain way.. She’s saying, singing about rape is wrong..not that having a younger women grinding against his crotch is wrong of him. How about this- Robin is wrong for singing about rape and Miley is wrong for singing his lyrics, pretending that they are A-okay lyrics.

          Neither of them are wrong for how the dressed or act/but what they’re singing(about rape) is the thing that’s wrong.

          1. Léanna says:

            Thank you !

          2. sandy says:

            what are you talking about? there was no “rape” in that song whatsoever.

    2. Kitkat says:

      @Leanna I understand your position and respect your opinion however, I believe that the difference between Miley and us is that she is a PUBLIC FIGURE and even if she wants to show off her parts and do all that provocative dancing she needs to step down from that “I don’t care what every one thinks about me attitude” because she could be hurting other people and herself by her actions and unfortunately there might be other girls who might follow her steps that could possibly be younger than us (I’m 19 yrs. old) and YOU don’t have to see it but I’m sure its happening someplace right now. Apart from that, even if singers or any other public figure go around making that speech of “being yourself” teenagers, preteens and whoever else likes her music will try to be like her I mean come on many teens are still trying to find their own identity and learning more about ourselves and where they fit in society.
      As for the twerking in parties/ clubbing etc. I do agree that parents are held responsible but let’s be realistic “what teen/ preteen young adult would go and tell their parents “hey mom, dad last night I was “twerking” “grinding” on some guy or dancing provocative” Of course no one would be crazy enough to say that unless they are looking forward to be grounded.
      Finally, looking down upon Miley Cyrus’ actions and saying that she is a ROLE MODEL is the main point and she does has responsibility because in the end of the day she is a female whom if a guy happens to hurt her or happens to hurt any other girl who tried to follow her steps she might not be able to defend herself (considering that guys are stronger than women) and will eventually get hurt. Many if not all of us might blame her for DRESSING IN A WAY that screams many obscene things and her ACTIONS (DANCING/ GRINDING/ TWERKING/ HOWEVER PPL CALL IT THESE DAYS) shows nonverbally what she wants…just like a stripper, or any exotic moves that people do to grab the attention of men. Yes the other singer did a bad song but the girl is exposing and even SUPPORTING the guys music by singing and dancing with him (if thats even dancing). You probably are a fan of Miley but she is a PUBLIC FIGURE whom many young girls follow and will try to be like her, even if it is the fan’s responsibility to dress the way they want they still would not understand the implications or the MESSAGE that they will give by dressing the way she does or acting the way she does.

      I think that Miley is trying to grow up a bit too fast, she should slow it down and try to understand that whether SHE LIKES IT OR NOT she is a ROLE MODEL, that her actions will have consequences whether it be a pregnancy, std, a scandal, dissaproval of others, support of fans, fame based on scandal, etc. or a fan suffering the consequences of following her steps.
      This is just my opinion take it or leave it:)

      Cassey love your responsibility of being a role model and your thoughts that you’ve put into this article, it really makes me glad that you think of your followers and not just about yourself in terms of fame, money or all those materialistic gains instead you think of us and try to make us motivated and gain insight of ourselves by making us do effort to accomplish results, find ways to be disciplined and by telling us how to do it. Thanks!!:)

      1. Léanna says:

        I don’t like the victim blaming going on here but whatever. I can understand your opinion on other points. And no I’m not a fan of Miley 😉

      2. sandy says:

        Regardless of your thoughts on Miley. Miley is not responsible for the actions of teenage girls. Plus, do you really think it is accurate to assume a cause and effect relationship here? Which is what you are doing.

  10. Lauren says:

    I totally agree with this! I consider Cassey to be a really positive role model in my life and it’s so nice to discover that someone you look up to actually has sensible ideals and is pretty switched on. I feel quite strongly about ‘celebrity culture’ and the way it seems to be so highly influential in a mainly negative way, and it makes me feel even more respect for Cassey knowing she shares some of these same observations.
    This has actually made my day, thanks!! 😀

  11. Lily says:

    Totally agree with you. Thank you for writing about this subject. I have a 15 year old niece who is a Miley fan. Also thank you for being a good and responsible role model.

  12. Sawa says:

    Cassey. I really hope you take the criticism on this post to heart, and teach yourself about why slut shaming is harmful. Maybe then you can learn about other aspects of feminism too, and learn that why Miley’s behaviour is damaging isn’t because she didn’t wear enough clothes, it’s because it’s racist and culturally appropriative.
    I really find it disappointing when people that I try to look up to do things like this.

  13. Emily says:

    I see Illuminati written all over the performance, a lot of disgusting mind control, that’s why I don’t watch tv often.

  14. A says:

    I absolutely disagree with the subtle slut-shaming going on here. There are far worse things to critique Miley’s performance for, aside from how she was dressed or dancing, like cultural appropriation. Miley is a grown woman who can choose to dress and act however she pleases. If parents don’t want their younger daughters emulating her, then it’s up to the parents to do their job and set their boundaries for them.

    And if Miley’s behavior was so shocking, why aren’t people giving as much flack to Robin Thicke? Last I checked, he was the one who’s a married father who agreed/allowed Miley to dance all over him in such a way.

    Also, Cassey, I am INCREDIBLY disappointed in your victim-blaming in the second to last larger paragraph. Implying that it’s a woman’s fault for getting hurt and attracting the wrong sort of attention for dressing or acting in a certain way is APPALLING. No one is responsible for the hurt someone chooses to enact on them in that way. The honey boo boo fat shaming debacle from a while back was upsetting enough to me, but frankly, this just made me seriously lose interest as a fan of yours.

    1. Sawa says:

      THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS.
      I seriously read this blog entry expecting slut shaming, etc., and when I went to read the comments I didn’t expect much better.
      This makes me very iffy about being a fan of Cassey, too.
      I always have a hard time articulating my thoughts, but what you’ve said is brilliant.

    2. Mayy says:

      EXACTLY! I still very much like Cassy and her blog and videos..but this slut shaming & saying its women’s fault for getting hurt/raped/attacked is very disgusting and pisses me off. Cassey, if YOUR sister was attacked by a guy in such a vile way, would you ask her, ‘What were you wearing?’ ; i dont think you would..you’d be generally concern for her and blaming the guy from hurting. Am i right?

      1. Kate says:

        I totally disagree with you guys. First of Cassey did not say it was ok for anyone to hurt anyone. But if you look at reality , a girl who dresses like that will attract the wrong attention. And this slut shaming business is a bunch of crap. Yes it ok for people to dress the way they want and do what they want to, but it’s also ok to say that you think that is wrong. It is a personal opinion. And if know society, you should know that people are not going to think that’s ok. Especially a parent.

    3. Annie says:

      Victim blaming? It’s absolutely wrong to hurt other people, and rape is wrong no matter what the person was wearing or how drunk they were. But a person needs to face the fact that there are people out there who don’t mind hurting other people. Why not use a modicum of common sense about one’s own actions and attire. CAN you get completely drunk while at a club, even if you’re alone? Sure, you can, but you should be aware that you would very vulnerable to any sickos that might come across you.

      A girl is allowed to dance however she likes, and wear whatever she likes. Therefore, she needs to be aware of the kind attention it draws, and the fact there are some bad people out there who will take advantage of it. Some people call that victim-blaming, I call it not being an idiot and being aware of your surroundings.

  15. Pallavi says:

    Mmm I kind of disagree with you Cassey. See if Miley was a relatively new Disney star I’d agree with you. Her fanbase would be extremely young in that case. However, that’s not so. Hannah Montana’s target age demographic was me around 10 years ago and I’ve grown. I know the difference between right and wrong and have changed as I’ve grown up. So I think she has no responsibility towards her fans for how she’s acting. Additionally, the problem with our pop culture that it’s always been sexual. So even little girls at the age of 12 listen to the radio about sex, drugs, and money. But you don’t find these girls growing up any different. When they mature they develop their own personas and change role models too. So yeah just my 10 cents (:

  16. Elizabeth says:

    I completely agree. I also believe that as unfortunate as the whole Miley thing is, Robin Thicke was up there too. What on earth is a grown man with a wife and kids doing on stage with a 20 year old dancing like that? He is a role model too, just in a different way that Miley is.

    His video for Blurred Lines is just as damaging to younger people as Miley’s is. The video with nude models prancing around is objectifying women and it’s not healthy for young boys and girls to see an adult acting like this.

    It’s all just ridiculous.

    1. Jane says:

      YES. Oh my God. While I completely agree that Miley was just beyond inappropriate, I feel as though all the attention is focused on her. Just because she’s a woman. At least with Miley, her fanbase is grown up now and won’t be as scarred as Thicke’s children would be when they come across this video of their dad dancing lewdly with some 20 year-old chick. He too bears the same responsibility and it hurts to know that people cut him a lot of slack in comparison to Miley. People have to be fair in their judgement.

  17. Mar says:

    In total agreement- at first I just thought Miley was trying to prove that she isn’t a Disney girl anymore, and who are we to judge? But after seeing the We Can’t Stop music video and the VMAs, I’m not so sure. I think Miley should take the young girls who loved her so in her Hannah Montanna days, and how her actions could affect them.

  18. Babs says:

    Hey Cassey,

    As mucg as I do agree with you, and believe me I do, I have an issue with everybody turning this against Miley. Why isn’t anyone giving Robin Thicke just as hard a time? If my eyes didnt deceive me, he was there with Miley on that very same stage grabbing her in ways that people wouldn’t consider appropiate, yet just because Miley did something a little more prococative everyone seemed to just want to condone HER and not HIM for their behavior. And the issue just doesn’t end there. If I’m not mistaken, “Blurred Lines”, sang by Thicke, is the most played song in America right now. Yet, what’s the song about? Date rape!!!! And treating women like objects or as the song says it, like animals!!! So, taking all the things you said about Miley being a role model, shouldn’t people be giving Robin the same criticism?? I mean, he is a celebrity too, right??

    Hope you get what im saying 🙂 love ya Cassey!

    1. Elizabeth says:

      Completely agree!

    2. Pallavi says:

      Oh my god this! I hate that Blurred Lines is like the most popular song, it’s so disgusting. Like my 12 year old brother sings along to it (albeit he doesn’t know what it means but still) 🙁

    3. beelzebex says:

      THIS. All of this!

  19. Mel says:

    Completely agree with you Cassey! No matter how you look at it, she’s doing it for shock value and for publicity – whether this is her true expression, whether she is discovering herself, whether she is lost – which ever way. She is obviously not thinking how this influences people – it’s completely for the shock value! And she loves it! It’s just terrible that stories like this get talked about it more than people that actually do some good in the world. And that’s why she does it… And that says a lot about her as a person.

  20. Bassantpopster says:

    Loved the topic. And absolutely agree with you Cassey! ❤❤

  21. Hey Cassey,
    I think you are right about this. I am glad about people like Angelina Jolie who uses her wealth and celebrity responsibly. I think you are doing a good job too, with promoting good nutrition and things like that. You teach people so well how to take care of themselves. I do feel though that you could also address our responsibility towards others. You have so so much influence on young girls, and mentioning the importance of buying fair trade when possible, or free-range eggs, could make a huge difference. The sort of blind consumerism we are in needs to really change. Every time we spend money we make a choice. Is it cocoa powder from a country that still uses slavery? Do you know that 80 percent of all mobile devices are made with what is now called ‘blood-minerals’, mined in Congo where the native population had been oppressed by an insane civil war, where 200,000 women and children have been raped, countless people have been killed, so that we can upgrade our cell phone yet again? (First fair trade cell is on its way…) These things matter. Where are your work out clothes made? In a factory in Bangladesh by women who earn next to nothing and have no choices? Or did you chose a company that takes interest in their workers? Every tiny thing we do matters. All those tiny things can save a life, or two lives, or just make someone’s life much better.
    Thanks for listening, and thanks for having an open heart for your community of popsters. You already make a difference.
    Leo

    1. Pallavi says:

      Just wanted to point out that unfortunately not supporting companies that use sweatshops is probably the worst decision you could make for those people. They work in those sweatshops because that’s honestly the best thing they got and if they weren’t working there they’d starve or even go into prostitution. So even though it’s really sad that we have to see this happening it really is for the best 🙁

      1. Jane says:

        No it’s not for the best. By continuing our support we are justifying the inhumaneness of these companies. If we all stopped supporting though, they would start treating their employers better which is what we want. No should have to sacrifice their dignity and happiness in order to be able to simply survive–this is a basic right.

  22. Janka says:

    Totally agree with you Cassey, doesn’t matter whether famous or not, “grown up” woman shouldn’t behave like this at all !

  23. Maia says:

    I love, love this post! And I totally agree with you! I love the ”The trust that we have between each other is the most valuable currency we can exchange. ” I am going to save that! Thank you for being awesome, and thanks for another good read. Have a nice nighr! 🙂

    Smiles,
    Maia/www.fitskinnyandhealthy.wordpress.com

  24. Toni says:

    No, celebrities DO NOT have a responsibility to be a role model PARENTS do!

    Blaming celebrities is a scape goat; young / impressionable people are far more influenced by people who actually play a part in their life like parents, carers and friends. A child is far more likely to become abusive, do drugs or start yo yo dieting if this is behaviour that is familiar at home or have been taught as acceptable.

    A child with good parents who has been taught morals and manners isn’t likely to act like Miley Cyrus just because they’ve seen it on the tv… give young people some credibility here.

  25. jennifer says:

    honestly couldn’t have said it better myself i agree with you 100% on everything

  26. Ruby Manuela says:

    I used to really like Miley and her music and I respected her for what she stood for (no sex before marriage), but what she’s doing now is just so confusing. I even have this little theory in my head that her managing team (or how will you call it?) tells her to do so, so that she gets more attention. Maybe they put her up to this. I don’t know, but I hope that that’s true, because I can’t believe that the amazing girl that she used to be, is now grinding some guy’s crotch while wearing less clothes than make-up and sticking her tongue out for no reason.

  27. Bethany says:

    Me so far! It’s a shame we shame Miley and have no words for Thicke!

  28. Bethany says:

    Platform like he does. Women have co

  29. Bethany says:

    Respect for a man that focuses his p

  30. Bethany says:

    No self respecting woman would give attention much less dance with a 37 yr old artist like Thicke. I have little to none resp

  31. Bailey says:

    I completely agree with you Casey. I think it is important as a celebrity/star to set the right examples for younger followers. I don’t think it was classy how she acted, and hopefully a lot of young girls will realize that they don’t have to be anything like that to get attention. Also I wanted to say I really love what you do for everyone, and that I can come onto this website and look up some recipes and work out to your energetic videos! I love them! thank you for all you do! I appreciate it so much! <3

    1. Kelly says:

      Agreed! As people continue to push the boundaries of what is considered socially acceptable behavior, we become more and more desensitized. Where does it stop?

  32. Alice says:

    I think it needs to be pointed out that while Miley was growing up, so were her fans. They are likely to be around seventeen, eighteen years old now, and hopefully capable of determining their own morals and opinions instead of blindly following a celebrity.
    By dressing and acting provocatively, she isn’t hurting anyone. Whether we, on a personal level, “condone this” is irrelevant because unless you buy her music, what she does on stage doesn’t matter. It’s an act, a persona. She’s performing.
    What the media seems to be focusing on is how she’s “been corruptive” and “behaving shamefully”, which is simply just slut shaming and misogynistic. My problem with her performance is that not only is is completely unartistic and soulless, but is also an example of cultural appropriation and really quite racist. But nobody seems to be pointing this out. Instead they insist on fussing over the fact that she was grinding against a man.
    If an adult woman showing skin and acting sexually can make us so outraged and uncomfortable, what does that say about our society?

    1. Wendy says:

      Thank You!!!!

    2. Serena says:

      It’s because she made herself look like just an object for sex, that’s why.

      1. Sawa says:

        Then why aren’t we getting mad a Robin Thicke for blatantly objectifying and degrading women in this video?
        http://www.vevo.com/watch/robin-thicke/blurred-lines-unrated-version/USUV71300526
        Stop getting mad at Cyrus for showing skin/behaving sexually, and get mad at her for her racism /cultural appropriation.

        1. Diana says:

          she was just as responsible for objectifying and degrading women as Thicke was. In my opinion, I don’t think the problem was how little she was wearing because a lot of women performers wear very little now, it’s how utterly disgusting she was acting at the same time and that it can be classified as entertainment :/ I lost so much respect for the VMA’s

  33. mvonoerk says:

    Oh come on, you americans allow your children to shoot guns! kids, like little kids with guns. and you march into every land with your army and shoot innocent people for some oil,…that is a role model problem. and now miley cyrus shakes her ass a little bit and USA is going carzy, are you kiddin? and the USA has the biggest pornindustrie in the world… i’m so happy that i’m not living in that stupid land.

    1. Léanna says:

      omg yes thank you

  34. Ellie says:

    I agree with this so much! I know she can do what she wants, and she probably wants to show that she’s a grown up woman and no longer the Disney child star she was, but honestly, I find it completely and utterly embarrassing. There are ways to show people you’ve grown up, there are ways to get attention and there is a way to do pop music and this honestly isn’t the way to go about it. Miley still has a young fan base from her Hannah Montana era, and I think she will lose a lot of fans from her behaviour.

    Pop singers seem to enjoy making a scene and causing a fuss at the VMAs!

  35. Kay says:

    I think people should also consider Robin Thicke’s part in the act. He has a wife and child but did not tell the people that choreographed the act that it would be inappropriate for him to participate. Robin is old enough to know better and Miley should have been smart enough to realize that the choreography was tasteless and would not benefit anyone.

  36. Emilie says:

    Totally agree with you Cassey! Couldn’t have said it better myself.

  37. Robyn says:

    Have a read a few articles on this issue, and thank you for your thoughtful post. One thing I appreciate about your videos and posts Cassey is that they are not overally sexual. While you are a beautiful woman, you don’t go for shock value by exploiting your sexuality. You dress attractively, but always classy. Keep doing what you’re doing.

  38. Marilyn says:

    Miley Cyrus is a little fish in a big sea of extraordinarily talented people. She can’t rely on the fact that she’s a cute little girl or a tween Disney star. She’s trying to make herself something. Unfortunately her voice wouldn’t even get her a opening spot on American Idol, she can’t dance(or twerk), and she has no speciality. Being trashy is only going to get her so far. She’d better shape up and learn from people with real talent like Justin Timberlake, Beyonce or even Rob Thicke for that matter.

  39. Harp says:

    I do think people are over reacting a little over Miley. Yes, its a bit bad taste but I think the reaction the public are giving Miley is exactly what her and her PR people wanted. It is such a contrast to her Montana days but that is her past, she is 20 years old and should be allowed to break away from her Disney reputation. Kids who followed Hanna Montana are probably growing up too and finding themselves so let them go through it with their idols. Making mistakes and failings in life are what help us make wiser ones later.

    Its just like back when Christina Aguilera did her DIRRTY video how much of a reaction that got or when she & Britney Spears did that kiss with Madonna. All stunts and will be forgotten about next year until the next VMA’s to allow the next quiet, girl next door artist to suddenly become a horny cavorting mess on the stage.

    I just think its a sad shame that young people feel the need to act in a such a way to get noticed. Attention seekers and maybe a desperate attempt to become a big name rather than good music and well written lyrics show their talents.

    I tend to listen to the radio these days & enjoy any tunes that way than watch MTV for the videos that seem to be the same. Lack of originality these days! Its all shake ya arse & pretty much rub yourself in front of the camera. I sound like a boring dud but it just makes me laugh.

    I am envious of Mileys long legs though, if mine were that that good I’d have them in short shorts 🙂 just dont fancy bending over like she does x

  40. ashi says:

    Why is everyone talking about miley cyrus? why not VMA that choreographed the dance?

    1. Ina says:

      I don’t condone this behaviour, but Absolutely! No matter who you are in the entertainment industry there is a huge team behind you. You can’t even get a trim or highlights without double checking that it’s OK with your image. Miley just like any star is a product to the industry. She’s there to make them money.
      Christina Aguilera and Rihanna drastically changed their looks and music several times. I don’t really think they had much of a choice in the matter.
      I’m sorry for Miley. Having this image and performing this way even if it’s all an act initially, will get to anyone’s head. Whoever decided this is a great marketing strategy just caused her career suicide. Think about it ! Someone designed this whole thing, probably wrote her lyrics ( I don’t know for sure whether she writes her stuff or not) and hired dancers, choreographers. Her video, which the performance was based on, was filmed, edited, produced. There are hundreds of people involved in building this image and it backfires on her personally. It’s a bit unfair!
      Again, I don’t at all approve of this, I just want to shine a different light on it.

  41. elana says:

    completely agree. you expressed it perfectly, nothing more to say!
    coming from a huge Miley fan… not so much anymore for obvious reasons.

  42. Chris says:

    Dear Cassey,

    I almost fell from my seat reading through the first few parts on your take with this very controversial issue. Then when your thoughts became clear and stood your ground despite the fact that you are a great influencer in wellness, I was so glad. It is really selfish to just think of what you want to do, to act and how you want to live your life. That’s just apathetic. What’s happening to Miley, for me, is beyond what we can see with her outward actions. I think the real problem lies inside her, it’s really her heart. What she’s trying to portray now is just a reflection of what’s inside, not just mere expression of her feelings. I just hope that the parents will be on guard with their kids too as they have bigger responsibilities and as you say will not let their kids think “this is “cool” and “okay”.” Thank you for sharing your thoughts about this as you have young people like us who’s really looking for somewhat a model who can still stand for what’s right and will not compromise for the sake of pleasing the majority of people.

  43. Jenny says:

    This really touches a lot of questions and debates towards fans and anti-fans. I agree with you, Cassey.

  44. Lilyz says:

    I totally agree with you Cassey, true that Miley can do whatever she wants now that shes supposedly a grown women, could have fooled me! thing is that shes not aware of her actions which could affect her audiences and fan base!

  45. Kimberly says:

    Another britney fan here 🙂
    I was 8, 9, or 10 whenever her image began to grow more scandalous and sadly I didn’t think anything of it at the time. I was aware of what the big deal was with it when people were like “she acts like a whore”, “she was caught smoking, oh no! What a terrible role model for girls”, ” she has fake breasts, what does that tell young girls about self image” and so on. Personally now if I had kids, I would not be pleased if they suddenly started acting like 2000 britney or 2013 miley or 2003 christina. But if as an adult they could embrace and be comfortable with their sexuality in a non harmful way, having adult women that are comfortable with themselves and showing it to the world isn’t the worst thing ever.

    What I can’t get over about miley is that she was trying too hard to be more adult and to be sexy. She really just looked like a fool, and made a mockery of her own brand. I have to admit though, I’ve been liking her more these days. I never used to care for cyrus. Then she cut her hair and I found out she does pilates, which I also love to do.
    I watched the miley performance over and over, did not hate it. I just thought she could have toned it down a bit and then probably would have actually appeared more adult. And you know, not have teddy bears on stage. Would have been less fun to watch, but i want to help her.
    I didn’t see britney at the vmas back in the day but I doubt she was as… that. Shocking maybe, but I’ve always found her to be a little more artistic and just a better performer than the former hannah montana star.

  46. Kimberly says:

    Gee, I’m conflicted just like you about it. Maybe I believe the responsibilities here should be divided. Yes she’s adored by many young girls, disney being the catalyst for much of the audience, and yes we all do emulate the people we look up to and if she cared about her fans at all and were aware of the consequences for them if they were to get into the illegal and wreckless things in her songs, or what she does in public and wears or doesn’t wear, then maybe she’d think twice.
    But then there’s the responsibility of these children and young adults to exercise the common sense they should have been taught by their parents and or whatever responsible loving adults they have in their lives to teach them. I’m lucky enough to have been raised well enough to have known that famous women like miley cyrus, or britney spears, or christina aguilera aren’t always the ones I should try to be like. There were girls I knew, back in christina’s “drrrrty” days, that got away with about as much as christina did and they were all called sluts and so on, disrespected by the boys in our class, and having pregnancy scares at thirteen! Same age, I was able to say no thanks to that for myself and my mom didn’t have to say it for me. I have so much more to tell about what was allowed in my home growing up, and how I ended up vs what was allowed in homes of some close friends and how they ended up but I guess the point in my post is that I am much, MUCH more about putting the responsibility of positive influence and protection from poor decisions on the parents of the children watching her as well as miley’s parents before I expect any famous figure to be mindful of the examples they set. She has no knowledge why people say her antics are this and that, she just knows she has haters and to that she won’t respond with anything but a wilder and wilder show.
    that said, I am thankful for the celebrities that do try their best to be a good role model, conduct themselves with self respect, dignity, and don’t allow power or poularity or the industry to ruin them.

  47. Jacquie says:

    I have two thoughts that i want to express after reading your opinion on this. I hope you take a seond to ponder both.

    The first thought is this wonderful article by matilda star mara wilson:http://www.cracked.com/blog/7-reasons-child-stars-go-crazy-an-insiders-perspective/

    In this article she talks about some of the things that could very well have led miley in the direction shes headed and i think its important that everyone thinks about these things when passing judgement on a celebrity who entered industry through childhood and is having a hard time.

    The second is kind of in relation the the article but more a question for us as consumers of content. Is it mileys responsibility to be a good role model? No. Think of the ridiculous amount of pressure that is put on this young female mind right now. She is being told by society and her advisors that in order for her to have a successful career as a female pop star she must a) be sexy b) be provocotive and c)be wild. If she isnt these things we as content consumers will not pay attention to her. She also entered industry at an age that she needed a role model herself…but again society failed her by only consuming content from female stars who were sexy, provocitive, and wild. She has no other source of learning except what she has become. So i pose the question, how can we expect miley to be a role model if shes never had a proper role model herself. Its not fair to ask this child to shape the children of the future and then slut shame her when shes given us exactly what weve always consumed and wanted out of a star. She only knows what she has been taught. Its a shift in societal thinking that meeds to happen…not a demand that children figure out things for themselves so they can teach other children…they can only share what theyve learned and they have learned through what we want from her

  48. darris says:

    I’m not your ‘target’ reader but came to you through your LiveStrong Pilates videos. I’m a 58 year old mom of a 17 year-old son so my perspective may differ from many of your readers.
    While I wish celebrities felt that they had some obligation to be decent role models, it isn’t ever going to happen. I believe that many celebrities get into the entertainment business to become famous and make lots of money. There is a certain level of narcissism that tends to lead their decisions. I have not (intentionally) had TV since 1989. I am not religious and I’m far from a prude. I chose to do life, instead of sitting in front of a TV. I’d not heard of Robin Thicke until I read your post. I watched the video of Miley Cirus’ VMA performance with Thicke and was disappointed. Another sell out from two more entertainers who value fame above all else. Regardless of what entertainers say, they are role models and they know damn well kids will emulate them. Miley is still very young but Thicke is not. He’s married with a son and IMO he’s a moron and an ego-maniac. It’s a free-for-all out there and everyone is trying to out-do everyone else. It’s no longer about talent and creativity, it’s about how outrageous can we be to get the most attention. It’s two year-old behavior and it’s embarrassing. You can’t keep your kids locked up, they’re gonna see this junk. All you can do is raise your kids living with higher values of love, connection, compassion, integrity and humility . . . AND get rid of the TV! ; )

  49. Sharayah says:

    I was not happy with Miley’s performance. While I understand why she’s been stepping out, I have to say that I don’t blame Liam and her breaking up{even though people say they’re still getting married} and I can’t wait until she realizes how much of a fool she is making of herself. I have been down a similar road but I never dressed so revealing, but I did rebel in an extreme way. I know what it feels like when that wave of regret hits and you book it in the other direction. I can’t wait until that happens to her. She is SO going to regret acting this way, and as a celebrity, it will always be a part of her life now. It will always be brought up, and she has to live with this forever. But I know, she will turn the other way. We all grow up eventually. She’s basically acting like a rebellious teenager because she was a teenager in the spotlight and never got to act like a normal one. She’s acting out our culture for all to see. If we don’t like it, we should change it. ‘Nuff said.

  50. Sarah says:

    I agree with Cassey 100%! Honestly sometimes it feels like Miley is trying to prove to the world that she isnt a “kid” anymore like hanna montana status but honestly hanna montana ended years ago…we get it, you want to be YOU but doesnt she have any shame being all gross and twerking in front of EVERYONE and even family members…? like its gross really…

    1. Kimberly says:

      Everything you just said!

    2. Alex says:

      She’s doing what a lot of 20 somethings are doing (I’m 23 but I don’t fall in that camp). Dancing like freaks and wearing inappropriate clothes lol. She won’t be this way in ten years. We glorify sex and condemn it at the same time, it’s so confusing. I’m more worried about her doing cocaine, and ecstasy..I think that should be talked about over twerking and bad outfits.

  51. Arlene says:

    Hey Cassey,

    Just a question- what are/were your thoughts about Britney Spears’ VMA performance back in 2000 when she also stripped nude? The reason why I bring up this question is because I feel that the reaction Miley is receiving is the same reaction the public had to Spears’ performance over 10 years ago.
    Now I’m not saying that I liked Miley’s performance at all. I think it was quite gross. However, while you do mention the idea of “role models” I believe that it’s not Miley’s job to be a role model. Yes, she does have a following of young, impressionable girls, but it is their PARENTS that is suppose to be a good role model and teach them that what they see on tv will not work for them or teach them better morals. The reason why I believe that Miley’s stage performance was gross and something I wish I could take my 10 minutes back is because I was taught was what right, how to portray yourself in a positive light, etc. by my parents, siblings and other family members.
    I grew up being a Britney Spears fan and I saw everything she did in all her performances and yes I may have been obsessed with her but it was my family and my surrounding environment that brought me back to reality that I am not Britney Spears and that it is just her job to entertain just like Miley’s. Celebrities are not our parents and it’s not their job description to teach us how to be a person. They can inspire us and we can draw ideas from them, but celebrities cannot teach us how to be ourselves.
    I would also like to point out that this whole performance doesn’t shock me because this is exactly what girls do in the clubs- girls that are Miley’s age and younger. Miley is not the first celebrity to do this type of thing and she won’t be the last. Honestly, if MTV thought it was that bad of a performance, they wouldn’t have let Miley do it. All of this is for publicity.
    Cassey, think about it. As a fitness guru who has young, impressionable girls as a following and you call yourself a role model, then that means you would have to watch for everything you do. For example, today I did your lower body workout and I noticed for the “what makes you bootyful” workout, you were dressed pretty much half-naked. Yes you were wearing fitness clothes, but you were wearing just a sports bra and booty shorts. Adding to that, you were humping to a one direction song. While this is all for fitness, there are impressionable girls out there (that you hold a responsibility towards) would look at that video and think that’s how they should look and it’s okay to hump to a pop song whether it’s for fitness or not. Now I know that it’s all for fitness and fun, but others may not. I am saying all of this because calling yourself and other public figures role models is not fair to those people. Whether those public figures want to be a role model, that’s their decision to take on that responsibility- not for us to put that on them.

  52. I love the point you brought up about how you absolutely consider yourself a role model to your followers, just as celebrities are idolized and looked up to by their many fans. I think that famous or not, we should strive to be positive examples to those around us if only because you never know who is watching, and may be affected by your actions.

  53. Julia says:

    Well said, Cassie.

    I am torn between “live and let live” and wth were you (MC) thinking when I see her performances of late. I don’t find her act to be very artistic. JMO.

    1. Julia says:

      Sorry, “Cassey,” not “Cassie.” 🙂

  54. s6milerun says:

    Cassey,

    You expressed yourself on the topic very well, and I agree with everything you’ve said. At the same time, I also agree with some other Popsters out here: some celebrities are not ideal role models nor can they be expected to be as such. Some of that is fostered – nurtured even – by our nation’s culture. In other words, shock value, rebellion, taboos, and counter-cultural trends are welcome at times. Some people value those celebrities who will do that which is completely uncalled for, because normal, everyday people cannot; they want someone else to outwardly express this inhibited side of them.

    Case in point: rebel, metal, head-banging, music!. If you have ever wondered what led so many metal bands towards unalterable fame and fan-love, it’s because ‘they went there’ with their lyrics referencing drugs, sex, weapons, cult sacrifice, religious betrayal, family dysfunction, and unapologetic fashion/nudity. Try Metallica, Iron Maiden, KISS, Black Sabbath, Slipnot, and Slayer. Now, plenty of metal loving followers love these bands for what they’ve got: pure talent with rebel edge.

    In other words, I think when celebs goof around and throw caution to the wind, it is more or less a growth spurt and growing phase. I don’t believe the world will ever allow for people to take after aberrant celebrities, because survival in any economy demands responsible behavior.

    In the meantime, Miley does create wonderful conversation about what people should not do or how foolish they look when they finally have to answer the call of a living a meaningful, spiritual, loving and satisfying life.

  55. Dawn S. says:

    Yes, celebrities have a responsibility. When a person chooses to be a celebrity, they choose to be a leader. With that comes a responsibility that you have people looking up to you as a role model whether for good or bad. If Miley wants to lead people down a dark path, she should step out of the lime light.

  56. Erica says:

    I sort of disagree with you. This is why; you say people should act however they want as long as they’re not hurting others. I don’t think she’s hurting anybody by doing that. However then later you say why not use their power to make people into better people.
    So does it make someone worse then someone else if they act a certain way?
    Just because someone acts a certain way doesn’t mean they should get hurt because of it as long as they’re not hurting anybody.
    If everyone followed that way then we wouldn’t have progressed to where we are today as human beings.

  57. PIumi says:

    seriously i do agree with cassey…it’s stupid to imitate celebs…!!

  58. Sinthia says:

    Cassie I totally agree with you and really appreciate you posting this topic. I myself was a huge avid Hannah Montana fan, and collected all the products *sigh*. Feel shamed to say all that money was wasted today. I’m so concerned for the youth who have grown up a little bit now, and her younger fans as well. Theyre going to be influenced by what they see. With Miley doing what she did, especially at the VMA’s, she is litterally placing another stepping stone in the path of a celebrity, to think its ok to do the same or worse. It’s honestly just vulgar, and offensive. Young people watch the VMA’s, they don’t need to see that. When you’re someone of such significance, like MIley or not, she’s still famous and making way more money than you or me. That doesn’t mean we all like her or her actions. Everyone gets that she just wants to be seen as an adult, and we get it. But is the nude bare getup, the racy moves, the negative messages neccesary? No. I’m just really devastated that it came to this because more people will do such things, and eventually accept it. People accept change over time, and Miley is just get starting, and if she “Can’t Stop” then people will catch on and do the same.

  59. Jodie says:

    I admire celebrities who take their status as a role model seriously, and tend to like their work more for it, but I don’t expect it of everyone.

    On the one hand, Miley Cyrus has disappointed and alienated many of her earliest fans, but on the other, it’s still her choice to pursue her career however she wants. She is not the only culprit here – many, many people influenced and guided her (and are benefiting from her controversies), child stars have a lot of troubles as well as privilege, and she’s sexualizing herself because a wider culture says that’s okay. I do not respect her for her new direction, mainly because I find her appropriation of black culture racist.

    On the subject of Taylor Swift, I think she’s an average role model. I say this because she is often held up as a shining example of a teenage role model, and that makes me uncomfortable. She can act pretty immaturely in public (slighting ex-boyfriends and other women), her music has a very girl vs. girl nature, and she has a serious misunderstanding of what feminism is, yet feels comfortable dismissing it. I actually love her music and I think she seems like a pretty sweet girl, but… let’s just say I don’t aspire to be her and I wouldn’t want lots of teenagers to either.

    I prefer to be inspired by my friends, family and ordinary people that I meet – it’s much more genuine than a celebrity who you don’t know. 🙂

  60. lily bishop says:

    That performance was disgusting and tasteless. i agree with each word. Cassey, u r beautiful, bright and really a good person, that shines through…i am not sure miley has any intension to better the world like u do.

  61. sarah says:

    A lot of the disney stars have gone through some kind of rebellious stage – not just miley.
    In this day and age it seems to be acceptable for celebs to act in “inappropriate” ways. I think people are only kicking up a fuss about miley, because of what she used to be known for. Anything she would have done to act like a 20 year old enjoying herself would probably have been frowned apon, I personally don’t care how any celebs act since I dictate my own actions and just cause a celeb does something does not mean I am going to feel the need to do that as well.
    I love the new miley, some of the things she does is a bit out there and creepy, but I like her she seems fun.

  62. michelle says:

    Okay here comes my little rant. You have been warned: Why is everyone so focused on Miley?! What about Robin Thicke? Why aren’t we talking about the fact that he allowed her to dance up on her like that? And looked proud as hell as while she was doing it? Or what about his song blurred lines? Doesn’t he have a responsibility to young men in society to look/treat women with respect instead of looking to turn a good girl bad and basically saying that she wants it even though she may say no? Helloooo, promoting rape culture much?
    I think we just need to revaluate ourselves for a bit and look at both sides of the picture instead of always sticking with the obvious. While yes, Miley’s performance was disturbing and basically made every women scream but we need to look at how men were treated in that performance as well. I think this quote from the blog “a day in the life of a sexologist” really summed it up:

    Dear Society,
    If you think a woman in a tan vinyl bra and underwear, grabbing her crotch and grinding up on a dance partner is raunchy, trashy, and offensive but you don’t think her dance partner is raunchy, trashy, or offensive as he sings a song about “blurred” lines of consent and propagating rape culture, then you may want to reevaluate your acceptance of double standards and your belief in stereotypes about how men vs. women “should” and are “allowed” to behave.

    Sincerely,
    Dr. Jill

  63. Valerie says:

    I completely agree from personal experience. Whenever I saw movie stars, I naturally compare my body to theirs, compare myself, and try to be better.

    That totally destroyed my self esteem and my body image. It caused me to binge, as you can see here: http://thegothicballerina.blogspot.com/2013/08/feelings.html

    And I’m still not binge free.

  64. Elaine says:

    Completely agreed, Cassey <3 When my bf & I watched the former Hannah Montana's performance, he said she had no class for shaking her a** like that, & I told him that you actually made a POP Pilates workout challenge inspired by her! But the way that she's conducting herself nowadays is nothing short of negative-attention seeking, & there must be some underlying issue. Even if she claims not to care, she may live to regret in the future of the impact on her fans & her unfavorable light in the media… Let's hope it won't be too late, & maybe someday you can do another tribute routine for her, just like Britney Spears 😉

  65. Yewa says:

    Agreed!

    Well put Cassey. I don’t think Miley needs to conform or pretend to be something she is not. She is young and this whole explicit lifestyle she has been displaying for the last half year is her trying to express herself. HOWEVER, I think she should also consider her fans, her “smilers” are the impressionable 12 year old girls who see her as Hannah Montana 2.0. And they want to emulate that.
    And I think she knows it too, the girls that track her down and defend her actions tooth and nail are young teens who are still under their parents’ roofs and are still trying to define themselves. She has a responsibility to make that distinction without detachment.

    We get it Miley, you’re a grown woman, but your fans are not.

  66. Claire says:

    Hi Cassey,

    A fan of yours just posted this quote on facebook: “Dear Society,
    If you think a woman in a tan vinyl bra and underwear, grabbing her crotch and grinding up on a dance partner is raunchy, trashy, and offensive but you don’t think her dance partner is raunchy, trashy, or offensive as he sings a song about “blurred” lines of consent and propagating rape culture, then you may want to reevaluate your acceptance of double standards and your belief in stereotypes about how men vs. women “should” and are “allowed” to behave.”

    It could not be closer to the truth. I’ve been watching your videos for a year and a half. I’m a big fan of yours and all the positivity you consistently project about body image and health. But the fact that you go on about Miley Cyrus and completely fail to mention Robyn Thick’s role in this is really disappointing and inconsistent with any message of female strength you’re trying to portray. I agree that Miley should be a role model, but isn’t a larger part of the problem a culture that perpetuates misogyny, and goes unnoticed for the most part, as it does in your post. As a role model to so many young women (which, you undeniably are), shouldn’t you be pointing these things out? You don’t have to be a proponent to Miley, but be one for young women. We’re being sent the entirely wrong message. I hope you read this and similar comments and take it to heart.

  67. sean says:

    I think that we often place celebrities on a pedestal and forget that they are people, too. Instead of criticizing celebrities for only being human, we should teach our children that their celebrity idols are flawed, too and to encourage them to look to a variety of notable figures, instead of deifying one, and attempt to imitate virtues while forgiving flaws.

  68. Olivia says:

    I completely agree with Cassey. Why use the power you have over others to promote reckless or offensive behavior? I’m usually a huge believer in letting people do what they want because its their life and their body. But Miley’s actions are affecting more than just herself. Its influencing girls like myself. Teenagers who are subconsciously looking for that generational icon.
    I get that she wants to seperate herself from the Hannah Montana franchise and prove she’s no longer a child, but this was too much “growing up” at once.

  69. Cheryl says:

    I have to agree with the moms out there that found Miley’s performance less than professional. I have a 13 y/o daughter who saw this who now thinks twerking is funny. I don’t agree but kids will try to emulate the stars they admire. I have been following the Disney girls with my daughter as she has been growing up and I have noticed a few differences. First, what we see is Miley trying to “find herself” as an adult on stage and national television. We all went throught that whether as a celebrity or not. Its not the finding yourself that’s a problem, its putting it on stage for the world to see. Everyone has a right to do what they want and we have the right to either accept it or ignore it. My question is where is Billy Ray Cyrus and her mother in all this.He was such a fixture in her life during the Disney years now you never see or hear from him. Who is guiding this young woman on appropriate behavior in general. I also understand that she needs to break out of her “Disney princess persona” for the continued sucess of her music career. Its just the way she is going about it that troubles me.
    Second, let’s look at Selena Gomez for a minute. Both girls are about the same age and both grew up on Disney channel yet Selena chose to remake herself in a classy way. She dresses appropriately for a young lady and she isn’t pulling in all this negative attention. I believe a big part of it for the child stars is what really happens with the parents of the child mega stars. Why do they assume that now that their child is 18 that their job is done? As a parent of two adult children I know that we need to let our kids find themselves and experiment with crazy behavior for a while but they still need to hear the voice of reason and common sense when they are going over board. I’m not saying her parents need to tell her what to do but she needs guidance as how to become a respected woman and that’s where both her mom and dad need to step back in. Selena’s mom is involved in her life in a very appropriate way and I believe she has been all along. I think both of these girls were raised with decent morals but Miley seems to be going off course and needs a to be thrown a life line before she totally freaks out about becoming an adult. I blame her mom for trying too hard to be a friend for so long that she can’t step in now and be a role model to her. Isn’t this the same downhill spiral we saw in Lindsay Lohan several years ago? Her mom was more a friend than a guiding light and that poor girl got really lost and is hopefully trying to undo all the damage she has created for herself. Being in the limelight is hard for anyone but then add an almost unlimited source of money and no mature guidance and its going to be a train wreck. I wish Miley the best in her quest to find herself but first get a respectable role model to guide her in public relations.

  70. Angela Nicole says:

    Cassey,
    I’m about the same age as Miley. I used to watch her show in disney and for a few reasons have always identified with her. I stopped watching tv for years and started reading more, all sorts of stuff but most of my understanding now has come from the Bible. I don’t know near to everything there is to know but when I heard her song you referenced, I listened intently to the words to try to understand where she was at, and also where she was coming from. Obviously a huge turn around in a destructive direction… but how will we ever grow to get better? She led a very privileged life without choosing or working for it. with privilege comes responsibility and at a very young age. Everyone Im sure expected great things and perfect behavior. If she were to do that she’s be pleasing everyone denying the way she really feels. I think she just wants to be true to herself and true to her fans. Right now she’s in a state of rebellion, but it’s for a reason. When I heard in that song the line, Remember only God can judge ya, Forget the haters cause somebody loves ya- I got chills and I get them eeverytime I hear it. The first time I heard the song it was like I was waitingg for it I almost knew she had to say something about Him and what she’s doing because I know she has some sort of relationship with God which is all that really matters here because he will take any size mess and make a message the same size out of it that brings Him glory. Everything has a purpose. God will use everything, because it’s all His. Don’t Worry Cassey, whatever damage is done will allow for stronger regrowth. “Wait for the Lord, be strong and take heart, and wait for the Lord.” Psalm 27:14
    I think sometimes when morals are forced on us we purposely turn away and abandon them so we can come to them more sincerely passionately and thankfully on our own. I don’t blame her and I am not worried. I love Miley no matter what she does and I have faith she will come back to God.
    I hope this helps you… I love you Cassey, I’m glad we got to talk about this!

    1. Angela Nicole says:

      Here, I think He explains what I’m trying to say perfectly here: 🙂 One of my favorite passages by far
      Luke 7:36-50 (New Living Translation)

      Jesus Anointed by a Sinful Woman

      36 One of the Pharisees asked Jesus to have dinner with him, so Jesus went to his home and sat down to eat.[a] 37 When a certain immoral woman from that city heard he was eating there, she brought a beautiful alabaster jar filled with expensive perfume. 38 Then she knelt behind him at his feet, weeping. Her tears fell on his feet, and she wiped them off with her hair. Then she kept kissing his feet and putting perfume on them.

      39 When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know what kind of woman is touching him. She’s a sinner!”

      40 Then Jesus answered his thoughts. “Simon,” he said to the Pharisee, “I have something to say to you.”

      “Go ahead, Teacher,” Simon replied.

      41 Then Jesus told him this story: “A man loaned money to two people—500 pieces of silver[b] to one and 50 pieces to the other. 42 But neither of them could repay him, so he kindly forgave them both, canceling their debts. Who do you suppose loved him more after that?”

      43 Simon answered, “I suppose the one for whom he canceled the larger debt.”

      “That’s right,” Jesus said. 44 Then he turned to the woman and said to Simon, “Look at this woman kneeling here. When I entered your home, you didn’t offer me water to wash the dust from my feet, but she has washed them with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45 You didn’t greet me with a kiss, but from the time I first came in, she has not stopped kissing my feet. 46 You neglected the courtesy of olive oil to anoint my head, but she has anointed my feet with rare perfume.

      47 “I tell you, her sins—and they are many—have been forgiven, so she has shown me much love. But a person who is forgiven little shows only little love.” 48 Then Jesus said to the woman, “Your sins are forgiven.”

      49 The men at the table said among themselves, “Who is this man, that he goes around forgiving sins?”

      50 And Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”

      <333

  71. Maureen Seel says:

    I could not have said it better myself.

    And you have inspired me in many ways. Doing my first Tough Mudder next year! Woot Woot! Planning to incorporate some of your videos into my training calendar that I’m setting up for me and my team of fearsome females!

    You’re a great role model. Thanks!

  72. Beth C. says:

    I think celebrities have an opportunity to be a great role model, but I really do not think they have an obligation to be one. Like you said, they are human beings free to live their own lives as they see fit, and as long as what they are doing doesn’t directly harm someone they need to follow their beliefs and desires just like the rest of us.

    Is it great when a celebrity decides to see their influence and use it to help people? Of course!! Just like it is awesome when a teacher or coach or babysitter or any other person goes above and beyond their basic responsibilities to do the same thing. But at the same time as it is fabulous when those other people go above and beyond to help, none of them have that obligation either. I think we really should all do our best to look out for each other and help each other out, but you cannot force people to be that altruistic, they have to feel that coming from in them to do it.

    Miley’s only true obligations are to make marketable music and not actively hurt other people. Anything she does beyond that is great, but it may not be in her to do so. As she gets older, she might realize she can and wants to do more, but that’s on her to do, and it is not on us to shame her into doing things that aren’t right for her. We can dislike what she does, think it’s tacky, whatever, if you think that, it’s fine, you’re totally allowed. There are people in the world who don’t like aspects of how you do you, that’s their business too and as long as what you’re doing doesn’t hurt anyone they shouldn’t say boo to you about that either.

  73. Nydia says:

    My issue with the performance is just that it was bad. She has a right to dress how and act how she wants but the performance was just bad. Also Robin Thicke is married and grinding on a married man in front of his wife who was in the audience left a bad taste in my mouth. That and the whole misuse of the word twerking Miley that is not twerking your just moving your legs.

    1. Kaitlyn says:

      while i agree with most of what you said, i hate how people are saying robin thicke is married and miley shouldn’t have been grinding on him, etc. robin thicke isn’t innocent in this, either. he should be responsible for his actions – they rehearsed the whole act ahead of time (robin’s wife even said she saw it beforehand and was not offended by it). it was a performance that robin and miley agreed upon together, so if anyone wants to point a finger at miley (in reference to her grinding on him) then another one should be pointed directly at robin, too. of course, you didn’t say he is innocent, but i’m just saying no one is saying anything about him – just miley.

      anyway, i do agree that she looked ridiculous and all the tongue sticking out was really getting on my nerves.

      1. Kimberly says:

        Thank you kaitlyn!
        After hearing all this crap on miley, I was like well why is nobody saying anything about robin?!
        I get that it’s just a performance and miley is a legal adult and all that. Whatever, and what they did on stage did not offend me in itself, except for just about any decent mature man I know would NEVER be okay with behaving that way with a young girl in front of wife, as a professional and artistic spectacle or not. Truth is, I actually perceived that he wasn’t all that comfortable with it but that’s just probably hopeful thinking. I’m pretty sure Johnny Depp wouldn’t have done it though

  74. Alicia says:

    I disagree. We each are responsible for our actions and reactions to others. If some little girl starts twerking up against people she chose to do that. To me it’s the same as drug abuse. You are making a conscious decision. I take responsibility for my actions, not how they cause someone to react.
    Miley is young adult. And last time I checked the only person responsible for Miley is Miley. Stop being judgmental and get over it. Instead of being so concerned about a celebrity who ultimately has nothing to do with you, why don’t we focus that energy on our young family and friends we are so worried about. Don’t like her VMA performance? Don’t watch it. Don’t want your kid to see such explicit things? Monitor them. Be responsible for yourself and understand other people see life completely differently. She’ll live with the consequences, good and bad, she’ll disappear from the public eye, and you’ll continue living your life.

  75. I completely agree! What she is communicating to others is distasteful, confusing and immature. ​I certainly would want the essence of my communication in the office, home, and even around strangers to be one that is noticeably moving, encouraging, and diverse; for I would want to reach the hearts of many. I believe when communicating to an audience (especially at the number Miley is) it should always have the foundation of integrity. All other positive outlooks will fall into place if sincerity and integrity is at the fore front. Without a construction of strong groundwork your message will surely crumble and Miley’s reign will fall if she does not get it together.

  76. Sarah says:

    I think calling out Miley for not being a role model, but praising Taylor Swift while she rolls her eyes, bashes anyone she’s ever gone out on a date with in very public forums, slut shames other women, and generally acts like a brat isn’t very fair.

  77. Jessica says:

    I agree with you 100% Cassey! 🙂 Thanks for being a great role model.

  78. Alaina says:

    But what about Robin Thicke? He let a 20 year old girl grind on him, yet no one is saying anything about HIM being a role model. And he’s a father and married. So there’s that.

  79. Carolyn says:

    I think if I got up on stage I would have a responsibility to that audience. Not just this person. Famous or not.
    I remember once Madonna writing a book about S e x and now that she is a mother really regretting it.
    Wonder how her father feels? She has a responsibility to her family too.

  80. Zoe says:

    “I can tell you that it will attract the wrong attention. And when that happens, it is possible for these girls to get hurt.”

    Wow. So you’re saying it’s the responsibility of women to dress and behave ‘modestly’ in order to prevent being raped? You’re basically saying if someone gets raped, it’s their fault for acting ‘slutty’.

    I thought you were a good role model, but you’re clearly not. Your attitudes are disgusting and misogynistic. I’m so disappointed. I never want to watch any of your videos ever again. You should be ashamed of yourself for perpetuating such disgusting anti-women attitudes.

  81. Kai says:

    Totally agree with you. It was so gross to even watch it. Many people are saying just let her grow up & she can’t be Hannah Montana forever. True but she doesn’t have to “grow up” like this. This isn’t growing up. This is acting like an immature child. Look at other disney stars: Ashley tisdale, Selena Gomez, raven Simone, & even Demi lovato. They had big roles in Disney and while some had more problems than others you don’t see them dancing around half naked. They MATURED they didn’t rebel. What miley is doing isn’t growing up. It’s dumb.

  82. Sabrina says:

    OMG it’s the 28th here in the UK 6 more hours for America to find out about the secret CASSEY been keeping from us !!!!!

  83. DisneyLiz says:

    I think that just because a person CAN act a certain way, that they SHOULD act a certain way. For example, I’m just over the hill in my 20’s (just about to turn 26) and while I had every opportunity to act like an idiot and do stupid stuff, I was TAUGHT better. As a kid, I was a teenager right when Hannah Montana became popular so I missed the boat, but am familiar with her squeaky clean Disney image. Yes, she’s grown out of Hannah Montana . But look at Selena Gomez and Ashley Tisdale and Brenda Song . All children of Disney and yet growing up and crossing over into their adult projects in a much more DIGNIFIED way. Unfortunately, it seems Miley was not taught how to grow up in a more mature way. So instead of criticizing her “questionable” (shall we say?) choices in her young adulthood, the world should help her grow up and out of this phase and maybe 10 years down the road someone will dig up this VMA vid and we’ll all have good laugh and thank GOD it was just a phase. 😉

  84. Erin says:

    So I get what some people are saying that she’s not a “kid” anymore, but she’s only 20. There’s plenty of child celebrities that went down a not-so-great path, but they didn’t make their transition so public and in-your-face. I personally don’t really care what she does, but I do feel as though she should think through her choices and how they affect other people. She won’t be 20 forever, but no one is going to forget how much of a fool she made of herself. Good luck having anyone take you seriously, Miley.

  85. Irene says:

    I agree.

  86. Alyssa says:

    I just want to say, I hate the double standard here when it comes to Miley and Robin’s performance together. Miley grinds onto him and gets called a slut/whore/b*tch, etc, but Robin Thicke stands there and lets a girl YOUNG ENOUGH TO BE HIS DAUGHTER grind up on him while his WIFE IS WATCHING IN THE AUDIENCE and gets no crap for it. That is all.

  87. Jessie says:

    This kind of reminds me of something demi lovato has talked about before — she said that she never signed up to be a role model, and that the pressure of trying to be a good influence contributed to her breakdown. It surely puts a lot of celebs in a tough situation

  88. Anna says:

    I agree with you because role models should be people I can trust. So should idols! We talked about this in study hall today and we just think they do this to get very bad attention. I hope Miley reflects upon herself.

  89. Jordana says:

    I completely agree. If she wants to act that way she can do it at her own concert or somewhere else. I didn’t want to watch that performance and I’m sure other people didnt want to either. She has to realize that young girls will be watching her and following her. I don’t think the way she acts is appropiate but some children won’t know better and they will act like her. Media can be such a powerful tool but for the most part it is wasted because people won’t use it properly.

  90. Monica says:

    Well said, Cassey!
    People have the right to be themselves, but they should also consider that their “job” will have an impact in other people’s lives somehow. Celebrities such as Miley do influence younger girls, it is an implied “job description.” But since we can’t control what she does, we can monitor and coach our young girls to make sure they are learning the good stuff, not the bad.
    By the way, I recommend a documentary titled Miss Representation (it’s on Netflix and Youtube). About how American girls spend hours a day exposed to those negative messages in the media about womanhood.

  91. Hayley says:

    I saw this on Tumblr, and agree with it: “Dear society, if you think a woman in a tan vinyl bra and underwear, grabbing her crotch and grinding up on a dance partner is raunchy, trashy, and offensive, but you don’t think her dance partner is raunchy, trashy, or offensive as he sings a song about ‘blurred’ lines of consent and propagating rape culture, then you may want to reevaluate your acceptance of double standards and your belief in stereotypes about how men vs. women ‘should’ and are ‘allowed’ to behave.”
    I like the song, but not because of its message, I just like Robin Thicke’s voice and the beat is fun to dance to. Miley may have been unorthodox, but she has a right to do whatever she wants.

  92. Meg says:

    I’d like to add this into the discussion: let’s forget about what COULD be done to little girls in the future and let’s start talking about what IS happening in the sphere of the active and historical world. http://groupthink.jezebel.com/solidarity-is-for-miley-cyrus-1203666732

    1. Liz S says:

      That was an incredible and eye-opening article. Thank you for posting.

  93. Devindyan says:

    Personally, I think people of celebrity status or well-known public figures should make an effort to set better examples in society but with the world of media we live in today that often doesn’t happen.

    I personally cannot point a finger and say “shame on you” specifically to Miley because with an awards show like this she didn’t just on a whim decide she was going to take her clothes off and twerk it up against an unknowing Robin Thicke. This performance was choreographed, approved, and rehearsed before the red carpet was laid out for the night.

    Celebrities alone should not be the only ones held responsible for setting a better example for viewers, that responsibility lies on the shoulders of far more people that are behind the scenes and calling all of the shots

  94. Meg says:

    I had to step back and think about this too because my first impression was “ew. Gross.” However the more I thought about it and the more I thought through what this kind of shift could mean the more I think “do what you have to do.”

    Miley Cyrus is not a 14 year old girl anymore. I agree that whatever she may be trying to do is going to be difficult to read into and focus on because this is a huge code switch. I grew up watching Hannah Montana, cute-as-a-button Miley but the fact of the matter is: people do this all the time. The main difference, as you pointed out, is that the world is watching. From a business perspective this backlash makes sense because her previous demographic no longer suits the material being created and marketing, by necessity, is categorical. We have to put people in boxes so we know where to put the merchandise in the store or keep the files tucked away in iTunes. But from a personal perspective if she can maintain a fanbase doing what she has been then she gains something that so many other YOUNG FEMALE starlets failed to do: become dynamic. Anything that happens from here on out won’t be so much of a shock because we are actively divorcing Miley Cyrus from Hannah Montana.

    What makes her any different from Madonna? Disney. The demographic she started with and while I agree that it should be acknowledged that she has a lot of influence over people I have to also insist that by forcing young women to either be immediately put in the “virginal, squeaky clean” box or the “sexy” box means that we are stuck. We young 20-somethings, who are trying things on and seeing what fits and what we like and where our boundaries are, are stuck. This could ruin her career not because she’s doing unprecedentedly nasty things but because we aren’t allowing her to adequately express whatever it is she’s been trying to express. We still want her to be 14 years old. It’s comfortable and comforting. But it’s not how people work.

    I think the saddest part is that we as a society are still trying to piece together the difference between liberation and exploitation for the female population writ large. Miley making moves to become more open about these aspects of her life are largely her choice-liberation- but to what extent will that be played on/with in the media? How is it going to be spun from “I just need to be a little crazy right now and figure me out” to “sex sex sex sex twerk”? That’s the most dangerous part. We’re still pitting the virginal against the sexual and all this scrutiny on one young woman is the prime example of a good number of debates going on about how to “mature” in the eyes of the public as a woman.

    Lastly, would I ever do what Miley did at the VMAs outside the comfort of my locked and cozy home? No. Personally, I wouldn’t. Do I stand by the slut-shaming that’s going on surrounding said performance? No, I can’t. As you pointed out, she’s not hurting anyone. She’s not attacking “good girls” or preaching sex-a-nomics. She’s dancing around with really huge teddy bears and is a little overly enthusiastic about spitting her tongue out of her mouth. She likes the sound of the music she’s making. Everyone has influence on everyone and at the end of the day, 9 out of 10 times, you are NOT responsible for every other person on the planet.

    Good talk, Cassey.

    1. Karen says:

      YAY A JEZEBEL READER! This was a really thought-provoking comment, thank you for that. I am truly shocked at the amount of people slut shaming or slamming her for her performance…

  95. Melissa says:

    I agree completely. Do Celebs have a Responsibility to be Role Models? Yes they do. They knew what profession they were getting into when they started, child star or not. People of all ages will be watching them, loving them, trying to be them…so it should be part of their responsibility to be role models to anyone who looks up to them. I consider it to be a part of the job. Celebs are still human beings who make mistakes just like every person on this planet. However, people can be very forgiving even though the media is not.

    Thank you so much for sharing this article with us, Cassey!

  96. Di says:

    I think this Rolling Stone article takes an very interesting outlook on her performance! –> http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/guest-op-ed-was-miley-cyrus-vma-performance-a-parody-20130827

    And as for the most part, I agree with you, but I guess it’s hard to always act as a good role model when you kinda live under a magnifying glass and have the pressure of selling records etc.; like when your name is actually a brand..

  97. Letícia Dias says:

    So cassey, I think what you said isn’t quite right..see, you are basing yourself in what fan do (overreacting fans) you see fans should NOT act just like the celebrity they like, they should think and make their own decisions, that’s respect, it you’re letting anyone decide things for you then you’re disrespecting yourself. The point is, miley isn’t the wrong one, she can and should express herself as she wants to, the fans should think about her actions and reflect, with the help of great parents, not just act like her. And if you do agree with what you just said I’m not really sure if you are a “good” role model then. You inspire people to look thin, to put their looks as something that needs to be great. I make a lot of your videos cause I don’t have time nor money to do other exercises, and I think my body needs a little bit of exercise, not because I want to have a good buté, or look skinny as fuck, you see, people can be healthy despite their figure…and researches say that. If you really agree with everything you said you are being really incoherent. I think you are a great person, and that you help a lot of people but some people you just make them obsess with weigh and food even more, and I know what it feels like to be on the other side, there are out there some skinny girls that are looking at you and at themselves and saying, I’m not good enough, I don’t look like Cassey, and keep starving and making crazy workouts, but the thing is they ARE GOOD ENOUGH regardless of how they look like…I am a fan of yours Cassey, but I don’t follow role models, I respect myself, I think for myself. Bye Cass <3

  98. Paula DuPont says:

    Cassey, I just adore you, but I think as a role model, you’re letting your fans down with this one. Why aren’t you calling out Robin Thicke here? Is it just Miley who has a responsibility to make people better? Isn’t he to blame for grinding his crotch against a 20-year-old? This is unintentional slut-shaming. You’re calling out the girl for not behaving properly but giving the guy a pass. That’s no bueno, Cassey!

    I don’t think either of them has a responsibility to anyone other than themselves and their loved ones (Robin is married). You’ve chosen to do a great thing and change lives! That’s amazing! What you’re doing and what they’re doing can’t be compared.

    I see a lot of people have called out how you’ve dealt differently with Robin and with Miley, and I hope you’ll address it in a future post. You know that the majority of your fans are female, and they take what you say to heart. You’re creating a different standard for women than for men. I hate to see that, Cassey.

    Please know that I say this with love!

  99. Vonda says:

    I think it is extremely sad and was hard to watch, I couldn’t watch all of it. I didn’t even want my daughter to think about watching it. Its pretty bad when my 12 yr old had to tell me what ‘twerking’ was. Miley was once a role model for my daughter, not anymore! Its hard enough in todays society to guide and direct our kids in the paths they should go and teach independence; we don’t need Miley Cyrus or anyone similar to be influencing our kids in the wrong direction by their actions. Sad!

  100. Rachele says:

    just leave her alone, god! She can do what she wants, she’s not a kid anymore you can’t ask her to stay Hannah Montana for the rest of her life

  101. Amberle says:

    I agree with you Cassey. When you become or choose to stay in a career or role that puts you in the public eye, it is exactly that, a choice. This is true for anyone, whoever or whatever you are. You get to decide what message you are going to send the world, how you are going to dress, how you are going to act, what you are going to do with your time…but you don’t get to decide what kind of an influence it is going to have on others or what the consequences are going to be. You can however, choose to be someone and do things that are going to have a positive effect, and positive consequences, on you and those around you as much as possible. I’m sure that Miley, like all of us, wants happiness and good things for herself and those she cares about. I don’ t know why Miley is doing what she is doing, what her thoughts and feeling are, what her past is or anything. But I do know that the choices she is making are having a very negative effect on her image, and not producing positive consequences for others. It can’t be having a positive influence on her fans or those who view her as a role model. It’s clear that many people’s sense of decency and propriety and what is right has been offended by her actions. Specifically her performance at the Disney thing, a place where people expect to not see that type of a performance. Which is disrespectful. No, this isn’t the first and certainly won’t be the last time something like this has been done. We see or hear about it all the time in this day and age. But the frequency of it doesn’t matter, it’s still not right. In fact, the frequency of it makes the situation more urgent. It makes it more important for parents, leaders, educators, role models, individuals etc… to take a stand for those things that have true value, substance and worth. It means taking better care what you watch or read and create. So you can fill your mind, life and time with things that give you true self-respect, self-love, health, beauty, intelligence, wisdom and balance. So you can have a positive effect on the world, but most importantly on yourself. I can appreciate if Miley is trying to find herself and figure herself out, and I can appreciate that the journey will be bumpy and imperfect. Been there, done that. But there is a line, and she crossed it. I wish I could tell her that she won’t find herself this way, and I sincerely hope she figures it out. For her sake and the sake of those she influences. Thanks Cassey for writing about this. It takes courage for someone like you who is somewhat of a celebrity to intelligently and confidently express their opinions and valuesThanks! Keep being you 🙂 Almost done the beginners workout calender!

  102. Amberle says:

    I agree with you Cassey. When you become or choose to stay in a career or role that puts you in the public eye, it is exactly that, a choice. With that choice comes responsibilities and consequences that you can’t control and you don’t get to decide. This is true for anyone, whoever or whatever you are. You get to decide what message you are going to send the world, how you are going to dress, how you are going to act, what you are going to do with your time…but you don’t get to decide what kind of an influence it is going to have on others or what the consequences are going to be. You can however, choose to be someone and do things that are going to have a positive effect, and positive consequences, on you and those around you as much as possible. I’m sure that Miley, like all of us, wants happiness and good things for herself and those she cares about. I don’ t know why Miley is doing what she is doing, what her thoughts and feeling are, what her past is or anything. But I do know that the choices she is making are having a very negative effect on her image, and not producing positive consequences for others. It can’t be having a positive influence on her fans or those who view her as a role model. It’s clear that many people’s sense of decency and propriety and what is right has been offended by her actions. Specifically her performance at the Disney thing, a place where people expect to not see that type of a performance. Which is disrespectful. No, this isn’t the first and certainly won’t be the last time something like this has been done. Or performed like that or done something “innapropriate”. We see or hear about it all the time in this day and age. But the frequency of it doesn’t matter, it’s still not right. In fact, the frequency of it makes the situation more urgent. It makes it more important for parents, leaders, educators, role models, individuals etc… to take a stand and fight for those things that have true value, substance and worth. It means taking better care what you watch or read and create. So you can fill your mind, life and time with things that give you true self-respect, self-love, health, beauty, intelligence, wisdom and balance. So you can have a positive effect on the world, but most importantly on yourself. I can appreciate if Miley is trying to find herself and figure herself out, and I can appreciate that the journey will be bumpy and imperfect. Been there, done that. But there is a line, and she crossed it. I wish I could tell her that she won’t find herself this way, and I sincerely hope she figures it out. For her sake and the sake of those she influences. Thanks Cassey for writing about this. It takes courage for someone like you who is somewhat of a celebrity to intelligently and confidently express their opinions and values in this world. Thanks! Keep being you 🙂 Almost done the beginners workout calender!

  103. Bridget says:

    She does have responsibility to her fans and most of them are children, well not now, no good parent will let their kid watch her now. Famous people who make millions influencing people to watch them should conduct themselves in a respectable manner. I don’t know the other guy but he was just as a fuzzy acting

  104. Alyssa says:

    I don’t think it is their responsibility to be role models. I think that parents need to be parents and make sure their children understand that celebrities act and look a certain way that is sometimes different than what the rest of the world would do.

    Also, I am sure her whole performance was choreographed. It’s not like she’s 15 anymore. I think I am one of the few people who didn’t have a problem with the performance other than her outfit.

  105. Paula says:

    I just wanted to ask why all the focus on Miley? What about her ‘dance’ partner and the lyrics that he’s singing? Isn’t he just as trashy and what kind of role model is he? Dr. Jill (a sexologist) said it best (follow link):
    http://sexologist.tumblr.com/post/59399069155/a-sexologists-two-cents-on-the-2013-mtv-vmas

  106. Mary says:

    Miley Cyrus wasn’t afforded a proper childhood. She was contractually obligated to keep her hair a certain way and to maintain a kid-friendly image. She couldn’t have friends who weren’t in show business and she couldn’t do things that other kids do because she was busy working all the time. And now people wonder why she acts risqué? She’s trying to find herself now that she’s free from the chains of the handlers that dictated her every move and she’s trying to establish her place in a sexualized industry through a sexuality she wasn’t allowed to express for years. So yeah, she’s gonna do some things that get people riled up. She’s not the Hannah Montana that her childhood was turned into and her fame was built upon. She’s a performer. It’s in her blood and it’s clearly what she enjoys. Just cut the girl some slack and let her do her own thing.

    1. BambiLena says:

      im sorry, but you said a lot of things that simply arent true. she had friends who werent stars, primarily her best friend, with whom she obviously had plenty of time to hang out with and do crazy short videos or their hanging out, being silly and random stuff. yes, she didnt have a childhood as most people had, she wanted to be a star early and she made more money than we dream of as a child, so i dont think her family vacations were to the closest sea side with her family. yes, she was under contract that had some restrictions on her looks and aparent behavior, but she could have left at any given point, also she is not the only child star out there, and i dont remember them doing this. also, ”cant be tamed” was in 2010, that 3 years of ”searching for herself”, and she was sexy and edgy in that video and it complemented her, it looked natural and not over done, as apossed to what ever is happening now… this just looks weird to me. as i said before, it just seems like ”cool” and ”sexy” though the eyes of a 13year old. i never thought she was too young for this, she is too old to think this is what sexy is, this is what ”cool” and fun is…

  107. Ann says:

    I agree with you Cassey. I think it doesn’t matter what you do, if you’re a celebrity or if you are just anybody going about your business, you interact with people and should always do what you do with love. Love as the intent and love as the goal.

  108. Jen says:

    The problem, as I see it, is the fact that she was put on a pedestal when she was younger. Disney and her fans saw her as a wholesome person who sang songs with positive messages. The problem with this is that it happens over and over again, and there is always public outrage when these stars discover their sexuality and perform in sexy manners. They seem like rebellious teenagers screaming at the world, “I’m not a little girl anymore, and I love sex!” There is nothing wrong with her dressing scantily. There is nothing wrong with her dancing sexually. There is nothing wrong with her changing her image. There is something wrong with a society who expects her to stay a sexless, wholesome role model forever. She’s not a goddess, people. She’s a young girl in the public eye. What’s disgusting to me is people who hail wholesome teenage pop stars as moral authorities.

  109. Mileycyruslovespuddinginhermouth says:

    you know, its a human right to be batshit crazy if you want to, so stop complaining and live your own life!

  110. Tiffany says:

    I love Miley, but I still don’t think its her responsibility. Kids/tweens growing up nowadays are gonna make mistakes whether she does or not. I do agree, however, that running around on stage half naked isn’t gonna make people respect her more. You can be “sexy” or “grown-up” without being half naked. But she’s just finding herself and this behavior will stop. If Miley didn’t We Can’t Stop after Dinsey or being a child star (kinda), nobody would say anything. For years she was told how to do this, how to do that, she never really got into her own. She was always listening to someone else and not herself. People think she underwent some dramatic transformation, but she didn’t. Each and every one of us changes during our lives, some more than others. Just think, were you the same person when you were 15? 13? 10? I don’t think so!

  111. Sarah says:

    I totally agree with you here! I think this is true for anyone and everyone. I’m not a celebrity but I always try my best to be a good example to my younger siblings. I would never allow them to see me like that, even if I did want it. And it’s not because I’m “ashamed” of sexuality, sex is not something that should be advertised and little kids should not have to grow up thinking it’s something so ordinary. Animals do that and they inbreed and stuff, we are human beings with brains and we should act like it. To have the power of self-control is an amazing gift and its not something we should just aimlessly throw away. It’s something we should practice everyday, why waste such a great tool?
    And I’m tired of everyone saying “she’s being who she is” and “finding herself” and “expressing herself”. Expressing herself? No, she’s telling kids and teens and everyone it’s okay to walk around more than half naked and go get aids and stuff. And think about it, who ever says “be who you are”, “don’t be afraid to express yourself” and any of those other super cliche quotes unless they are doing something risky and possibly damaging to themselves or others? It’s an excuse!
    Nobody really knows themselves anyway, we are constantly changing, maturing and growing.. you can’t define yourself to one thing like that. It’s Hannah Montana cute little girl all over again, only this time she’s going to be titled as this slutty sexual gaga-wanna-be. This image is going to stick with her for life and if one day she wants to change again and express herself for who she really is, not the person she’s been “forced” to be, than she’s going to have to work hard. Saying this is who she really is? It’s a mistake.
    I’m sorry. It’s the truth.

    1. Bridget says:

      I agree with you. We all have a responsibility in how we conduct ourselves.

  112. I think a lot of people were shocked by the transformation that has occurred, the so-called death of ‘Hannah Montana’. I absolutely agree with you that everyone should act and dress and say what they want, but I do think that celebs have a bit more responsibility. The media is able to affect the general public quite a bit, especially younger girls, so I think that female celebs in particular should be aware of what their image (*ahem* sticking your tongue out EVERY FIVE SECONDS on stage while twerking in a golden bikini) can send as a message to young women everywhere about what is and is not necessarily acceptable behaviour.

  113. CeCe says:

    First off, Cassey, I agree with you that celebrities have the amazing ability to change the world and most of them choose not to. And I am fine with that. Everyone should have the same opportunities, its just us normal people need to work harder to get our views out there. Secondly, I watched the segment on the VMAS in question and it honestly had me laughing. I guess sometimes you can’t take things seriously. My parents always taught me that people do things to sell records and become famous, it doesn’t mean that is completely who they are. For example, Drake raps about all his street cred and growing up in the streets and doing drugs and derogative things towards women and yaddda yadda but he was on Degrassi as a pre-teen. I am sure he lives a straight up thug life. Same with Marilyn Manson, Ke$ha, everyone else. In fact with Ke$ha , she does everything I would do if I was famous. How fun would it be to go to one of her concerts? But does that mean that she and I and everyone else who loves her goes out to the club every night drinking jack and throwing glitter and having orgies .No I’ve never been to a club actually. It is unfortunate that things that we see in the media are what we call quality entertainment these days. Being famous isn’t about being talented, its whether or not you’ll do anything, even shake all your values to make it big. Every talented singer I know is a music teacher now. Going on, if I was a parent and I was watching the VMAS with my kids, which I don’t think I would be anyways because the VMAS are always dumb, if it came to that segment I may change the channel, or I may let them watch it and have a discussion with them. Ask them what they thought about the program? Most kids would probably be like ewww gross what a weirdo. Which was my reaction exactly. But really talk to them and explain to them that its a show, its not real life. Doing things like that is not cool and it’s not how you get attention. And chances are my kids would still probably make mistakes and do something stupid, but we are all human. You guide them the best you know, teach them about society, really talk to them and be honest. This creepy weird sexual stuff isn’t going away, and we can’t just be all up in arms about it. We have to actually have a conversation with our youth. 🙂 Ohh and I just read the lyrics to “Blurred Lines” and I don’t see how its about rape? There were some naughty sexual innuendos but nothing like I’m gonna get you drunk and rape you..at least not that I saw.

  114. Laura says:

    There are so many facets to this argument, it’s actually a little mind boggling. I’m not sure any of it is cut-and-dry.

    Miley Cyrus made herself a brand. We can blame Disney all we want, for how she was marketed to the world, but the fact remains that she CHOSE to participate in the path to “Team Miley”. When you actively participate in the process to become a famous household name, you are subjecting yourself to a dynamic which for better or worse, comes with ethical questions and challenges. A brand is like an informal “Terms and Conditions” contract. As long as your brand meets my needs, I will support your brand with my loyalty and cash. If you care about protecting your reputation and brand, you behave accordingly. If you don’t, then you must also be willing to accept the ramifications and fallout when you deviate from what your loyal followers expect (having been already sold your brand). That’s not my opinion. That’s just how branding works. If you wish to re-brand yourself (and be successful at it), it’s wise to think about how to go about that change, responsibly. Miley made herself a brand for adolescent girls, and in doing so, placed herself in a position of being a role model. THAT was her brand. If she’s saying that said brand no longer reflects her as a person, it is her perogative to re-brand herself in an extreme and salacious way, but she should be prepared for fall-out…and lots of it.

    It comes down to maturity and responsiblity. A previous poster commented about how it’s good that Miley is expressing her sexuality. But perhaps we need to be looking at it with a more discerning palate. The “shock and awe” approach that many celebrities use under the guise of “expressing themselves” is rarely rooted in true expression. The human psyche in most cases, works far more subtlely than that. So what is Miley trying to say about her sexuality? That she lacks the necessary self-control to behave like the adult she now claims to be? There is a difference between expression and exhibitionism. Expression says “look within”. Exhibitionism says “look at me!”. To give you a practical example, we can compare Lady Gaga (who for the record, I’m not a fan of), and Miley’s latest public offerings. Both scantily clad, both over-the-top. They do differ though. Lady Gaga’s over-the-top approach is not sexually motivated…it is diversity motivated. She has always been over-the-top, with a consistent message of “we’re all different, we’re all weird…look within, find your freak flag, and fly it proudly”. As a result, however over-the-top she may seem, she garners a significant amount of respect even from those who do not share her artistic taste. Miley on the other hand, has seemingly hopped on the “sex sells” train, and dropped it into high gear, in the name of self-expression. If it is an attempt to assert her adulthood, the approach fails and in fact displays a genuine lack of maturity.

    There will always be debate about whether celebrities have a responsibility to be role models. And I think to some extent, what we expect of them should be commensurate with how they approach their role. Those who actively build a brand around their image are making celebrity their primary career. When celebrity is your focus, it comes with strings. You are welcome to change your brand, but your following will ultimately hold you responsible. You’re not entitled to cry foul, when that happens.

  115. Stella says:

    I watched Miley as Hannah Montana with my kids. I understand that being under the Disney umbrella, they had to act and be a certain way due to the age demographic they were catering to. However, there is a better way of distancing yourself with what you did as a child star and being a more mature actress/performer. There are lots of good avenues in the entertainment industry, it’s just a matter of choosing which one to follow. It’s very disturbing to me that the only outlet she chose is to be at the very extreme (yeah, her performance was almost pornographic!). At the end of the day, it attracts negative attention and if that’s the whole point, then I’m clapping my hands. But if she’s doing it to be ‘happy’, then she has a skewed definition of it. Would she let her future child(ren) watch what she did? What if her daughter did the same thing, would she applaud?

  116. Mª Teresa says:

    I think that her performance was awful, but I agree with the girls who posted before, that the man is also to blame. I live in Spain, and Miley is still TT on Twitter, but I haven’t seen his name yet, not even once. Why not? He was there, singing while she was twerking, and he knew what she was going to do, so why not stop her? Because it sells. I think that is very sad that she has to act that way to sell her music, because when she grows old, she’ll probably regret this. But it’s not fair to blame her alone. The problem, as girls commented before, is that she’s a woman. If a man dances with a hot, almost naked female dancer, or sings sexual things, it’s ok. It makes me sick.

  117. PAo says:

    Cassey,

    Those are the words(what you wrote) of a wise role model, and I really appreciate what you wrote, because it makes all of us think about it . I definitely agree with you.
    I have wonder that for a long time if “Celebrities have the power to change people. Why not do it for the better?” I don’t know the answer for that one …
    But you have, you have change all of us POPsters for better, healthier, stronger (physically and mentally speaking) and happier people and I’m so thankful for that, I’m sure we all POPsters are!
    You are a great role model!!!

    Love you

    PAo

  118. Ivonne says:

    I definitely agree with you Cassey. I don’t hate Miley for her actions, if performing like that makes her happy society should respect that. I just want to say that I love you Cassey for always being honest and expressing yourself in a positive way. YOU INSPIRE ME 😀 <3

  119. kahlea says:

    I agree with you cassey! everybody influences everybody, whether they think they do or not. nobody exists in a vacuum. we as humans live in groups, are social beings for a reason; because we thrive off each other, we NEED each other. because of this, everyone was SOME power, in that way, to influence whomever they come in contact with. So then celebrities have even MORE power and thus even more influence. i agree that miley is responsible for her actions, but what about robin thicke? nobody is calling him out even though was equally complicit in letting a younger girl grind on him, its not like miley forced him to do that afterall. he has a huge influence on young people also and thus he should be held equally responsible for his actions as well. just my two cents.

  120. Bethany says:

    Is there a reason my comment never got posted?
    Last I saw, it said it was being reviewed/modified… and I KNOW it didn’t have ANYTHING that was vulgar or offensive at all.. In fact, it pretty much said a lot of what I have read from others, and was in agreement to your article…
    so where’s my comment??

  121. Aja says:

    I gotta say it was surprising to see that, but it was only surprising because she was Hannah Montana on the Disney Channel and that’s how she got her big start. If Disney hadn’t picked her up and she’d just gone into this we’d think, “sure, whatever.” Maybe there would be some controversy still but not as much. We were so used to seeing her as the girl on the right of those two pictures, but she’s not. I honestly commend her for doing that. Being proud of your body and being sexual is something we all should do more often. We all have bodies. We all have sexual desires. We need to stop being ashamed of that. So I’m not a huge fan of Miley, but she was up there being herself even after the whole Hannah Montana thing, so good for her! We should stop being ashamed of sex and sexuality, so maybe some people think this was bad but I don’t see it as bad at all.

    1. Rachel says:

      I agree, people are judging her as hannah montana, not a 20 year old woman who has the right to do whatever she wants. And i don’t think we should let people think it’s up to famous people to be role models. be your own child’s role model, teach them that celebrities are only humans, and it is THEIR life to do as they wish. and also, teach children not to be afraid of sexuality, because there is nothing wrong with a woman being as comfortable with themselves as miley cyrus is. she’s 20 for god sake, she’s having fun, she was ENTERTAINING (and it clearly worked since people will not stop talking about it). and think back to when madonna and britney kissed. that was also controversial. it’s entertainment. get over it, she’s having a laugh, i say let her.

  122. Daiana Barboza says:

    I have to agree 100% with you, i know people will say that its none of anyones business what Myley does with her life, but somehow it is, because her actions can possibly reflect later on the actions of young girls who happen to be her fans. People wonder why is our society to messed up, or why do horrible things happen? if we take a closer look at who the role models are and the image that media likes to expose, we can very clearly see a similarity. Young adults, adolescents are not fully aware, or have enough conscience to distinguish between what is good for you and what is not. Yes they do know what is wrong and right, but when you have individuals of the likes of Miley and others, there is that question; why can they do that, when its supposed to be wrong? why are they not punished? maybe its not so bad after all. In that age where young kids are influenced by many outside sources, and are easily manipulated, because there is that great need to “fit in” to be “accepted” which enhances the need to follow celebrities and such. To me personally i believe that Miley is in a place where she feels like she need to prove something to someone, to make a statement, that she is grown up and that she no longer wants to be seen as innocent. But it cannot all be blamed on Miley, she is merely an image of what our society thinks is acceptable, what will sell, and she is reflection of what people want to see. It is unfortunate, and i actually feel bad for her, because even though she probably does not seem to care about her image at the moment and she wants to do what she wants to do, life will show her and many that our actions have consequences, there is that clear and evident example of Lyndsay Lohan, and if i recall she started on the same path as Miley. We have to start paying attention, and taking a closer look and how our society, celebrities are auto destroying themselves, and others.

  123. Elise says:

    Honestly, this topic is getting overly talked about. Miley was forced to act, dress, and be a certain way for the most important part of your life, when your figuring yourself out in the teen years. And she didn’t get the chance with Disney channel making her into something without her experimenting different looks. She’s acting this way now to show us she’s NOT Hannah Montana anymore. That she can’t be controlled anymore because she was for so many years. Why is she getting SO over-exposed now, and so much hate for being herself? Because people keep comparing her to her old self. We can’t keep comparing her anymore, she’s grown up, she’s changed. Like all of us have. This phase will wear out, she’s just re-living the teen years she never got. And when she’s older, and done with her teen years, she WILL be more of a role model. But for right now she’s just being herself and letting loose which was something she was never allowed to do. We all make mistakes, and right now we just have to accept her for who she is and stop comparing. Also, why did Lady Gaga not get so judged for her performance on the VMAs? She was practically naked last night in a thong and sea shells. If Lady Gaga gets praise for being herself and doing the unexpected, Miley deserves the same. I’m 15 and support Miley in everything she does cause I know there’s still good in her. I loved her from the beginning and I’ll love her till the end. <3
    (Also, Taylor Swift isn't any better of a role model, Cassey.)

  124. Jayme says:

    Cassey, you are a much better person at heart than Miley. She does not respect her fans in the same way you do! She takes it for granted that she’s famous and how she got there. Sure, she can do as she pleases and as a young 20-something trying to break the mold that made her, she’s pushing her boundaries and trying to show the world she’s not a little girl anymore. It shows her lack of judgement and that she doesn’t care about her fan base, only herself. There’s not necessarily anything wrong with that, but I’m sure it can be confusing for younger girls who may have looked up to her at some point. Of course, this is where parenting comes in and parents need to guide their children in the right directions and maybe explain how and why a young woman like Miley would change her image so far from where she came from. It’s not Miley’s responsibility, but celebrities that care about their fans and care about their position of ‘power’ use it in a much better way and more responsibly. For example, look at Lady Gaga – yeah, she’s crazy, shows lots of skin and does some questionable things at times, but she’s very aware of her presence and her influence on her fans. She’s passionate about good causes, like bullying and equality. She uses her fame for good. To me it seems like Miley is going through a confusing time in her life and it shows volumes in her actions.
    As a grown adult I can see all this but of course younger girls won’t necessarily see it the same way. If anything, this is a great opportunity for parents to have a chat with their young girls about all of this, because that’s what good parenting is about! Not to condemn her, but to open a conversation on one’s actions and how they’re perceived, etc.

    I personally felt Miley’s circus act was quite a yawn fest. It’s so obvious that she’s just crying out for attention. She’s been at it for months now and it’s all such a bore.

    I think it’s great you feel a sense of responsibility to us, your fans, because we do look up to you in a way and it’s so awesome that you care so much about us. We love you for it Cassey!

  125. Katelyn says:

    Honestly I think we’re not looking at this from the right angle. I want to know this: IS it bad that Miley performed that way? Why? She’s scantily clad. Most pop stars do it, big deal. It’s the human body, we’ve all got one. She’s twerking, an inherently sexual move. You’re telling me other pop stars don’t use very sexual moves in their dances? Why is it bad for her to do something sexual in nature? Why are we condemning sex, something that nearly every single ancestor has done, multiple times, or you would not exist? Obviously drugs are hurtful, so I’m not advocating that at all, but most arguments aren’t stemming from drugs, something life-threatening in more than one way, they’re stemming from sex negativity and the human body. When I see all of these articles about Miley, all I can see is sex negativity, slut shaming, and how much farther we need to go for women’s rights. This has nothing to do with whether or not she should or should not care about influencing other people, this is about people feeling she acted inappropriately and scared that other people will start to do the same. Why are we terrified of sex and the human body? Until you can tell me WHY this is so heinous, I have no interest in discussing whether or not she should be responsible for the actions of others.

    1. Olivia says:

      Well, it’s not that sex is a bad thing. Like you said, our ancestors had done it multiple times and etc. However, definitely, you can’t say that openly being sexual is a good behavior either especially when celebrities do it openly like that, because many people including children will see it. Children, not knowing anything, will try to imitate their favorite celebrities and that’s how Jersey-shore-effect will occur. Do you think Jersey shore’s impact on America was positive? If you thought yes, then you should think again. After Jersey shore went on TV, I’ve seen so many little girls acting like those dramatic girls from Jersey shore; talking about party, hook-ups, and guys. Same goes for the boys, too. Being sexual more openly seems to only fill children’s minds and that leads to their lack of interest in education and etc, because this kind of shows segregate studious people as nerds/geeks and gives negative impression on education. Sex is not just a simple action that everyone does. It’s an action two lovers do to bond with each other in physical way and to make a family. How have those sexual celerities and shows change people’s thoughts about sex? Now, so many people simply think they should have sex to feel pleasure and pop babies out, not thinking about their responsibilities for those babies.

  126. Alyssa says:

    Role model or not, we are responsible for our actions. It shouldn’t take a celebrity meltdown for us to understand that. Miley Cyrus isn’t growing up, she’s growing out. She has always been wealthy and lived a wealthy lifestyle and is trying to take a culture based on the fringes of society and use it as an accessory – she is using people and their culture as items. Whether it be Miley Cyrus, Taylor Swift, Robin Thicke, etc., celebrities must understand that people will look up to them. How do you explain to your child that they can no longer follow Miley Cyrus’ career because of her actions? And yes, Robin Thicke did play a role, but Miley has gone overboard even before her VMA performance.

  127. willa says:

    I’ve been thinking about this topic on and off for a while and I agree with Cassey completely. I think a lot of celebrities today don’t realize the impact they have on people, especially younger kids. In Miley’s case, I believe she should try to act more responsibly. A lot of Miley’s fans who still support her reason that she’s showing that she’s not the innocent girl from Hannah Montana. Obviously she has to grow out of the little girl phase but that does not mean she has to act as explicitly as she does. Growing up does not give a person an automatic free pass to act carelessly. Growing up is a time for a person to mature and become more aware of their surroundings.

  128. Marielle says:

    I really don’t understand the hate about Blurred Lines, though. I’ve listened to the song and read thelyri cs, and to me, it just comes across as a song about a guy hitting on a girl. As for Miley, well, I’m no huge fan of hers, but she’s young and she grew up (and is still growing up) in the spotlight. Lots of young people have done what she’s doing, and so much worse, the only difference is she’s a celebrity. People should just let her be. Twerking is not going to kill anybody. In fact, it’s pretty good cardio. 😉

  129. Cari says:

    I think your wrong in some sense. What she’s doing, she’s not doing it to influence a generation of ‘twerkers’, she’s doing it to sell albums. I have been a massive Miley Cyrus fan since the first episode of Hannah Montana. And Miley has grown up with me at a perfect pace. When I started growing out of Hannah Montana, so did she. I personally love everything she does. But, that doesn’t mean I partake in it. Miley talks about drugs, sex, twerking, all of that. Me on the other hand, have never done any of that. I’m 18 and I’ve never even kissed a guy! I feel uncomfortable dancing/twerking and clubbing is not my style. But I idolize Miley. I’ve been to all her concerts, have all her albums, and probably know a lot more about her than the average person. But all that role model stuff is BULL CRAP. She has in NO WAY influenced me to do what she does. Except the attitude she holds of not giving a – about what people think. Thats why i like her so much. She actually has personality and isn’t afraid to do what she wants. Theres nothing wrong with girls praising her behaviour. And theres nothing wrong with girls partaking in the same behaviour. EVERY one is different and just because you see someone doing something does not mean you are going to do it. So people need to lay off. She is not here to raise your kids. And frankly, if you Cassey, wanted to turn around and do things that would appear as a ‘bad image’ I wouldn’t give a damn. Because your workouts are what I like. Your talented. Thats the same as Miley. Her music is good. Her acting is good. I think she’s talented (listen to some live/acoustic performances/listen to Wrecking Ball) Its about talent in the industry. And then what comes next, is what sells.

  130. I definitely think she is trying to show the whole world that is an adult. She is “cool” and does not want to be treated like a child which was likely to happen since she was a Disney star. I feel like every girl goes through that phase and it’s normal. But in her particular case, she IS famous and DOES have young girls who look up to her – I wish she would have used a different way to showcase her adulthood rather than twerking on Robin Thicke.

  131. Léa says:

    Honestly, I agree with you Cassey but I don’t think Miley was the most problematic one in that situation at the VMAS. Robin Thicke sells thousands and thousands of his single ”Blurred Lines” where he states really problematic things about women and how they should act in society. (And I’m not talking about the rest of the lyrics, that are pretty close to ”rape-y”) Yes, Miley is followed by a ton of girls and most probably a lot of them look up to her and will think It’s okay to do all this. I mean, some girls I know do the same thing stated in her lyrics: do drugs in the bathroom of the club, twerk the night away and have unsafe sex, but they are not under the lens of Hollywood, aren’t they? I guess kids should be educated by their parents first and not social media, BUT in our generation, a lot of families can’t seem to get a grip on how to grasp their kids attention. I mean, even me, my parents did learn me how to behave in society, but It’s through my favorite celebs that I found my own voice. It’s a good thing I chose to love people who were (mostly) positive and had a great influence on their fans. This was a great post Cassey, thanks for writing it! It’s an important subject.

  132. Stephanie M. says:

    Hey Cassey,

    You hit the nail right on the head! Your blog has helped me realize the importance of living a healthy life, and that extends to everything, not just diet and exercise. It includes behavior, how you carry yourself, and what you value. It seems like Miley and other celebrities are floundering and don’t even know themselves, not to mention their behavior is also dictated to some extent by a team of entertainment executives, handlers, and managers. I am definitely concerned about the young girls who idolize celebrities from a young age and then watch those celebrities transition into some very adult themes. Thanks for staying grounded, Cassey. The world needs more role models like you!

  133. Tanya says:

    This is exactly what happens when people start accepting the culture of “live in the moment”, “do whatever you want”, “it’s your life and do with it what you want to”. People start thinking it’s the ticket to act irresponsibly. Like you stated above, human beings are social beings, and the actions of others have an influence in ours. Period. People can think that it shouldn’t bother anyone or what not but the reality is that each of us contributes to the social climate of our environment. Just like a negative person in one room can “contaminate” other people’s moods, people who have a public profile are affecting way more people than they think.

    Sometimes people are confused when it comes to expressing themselves and acting completely inappropriately. Example: when someone makes a mistake or does something wrong, you don’t think they’re “expressing” themselves, you think they made a mistake, they did something wrong, but that’s not considered as an extension of their essence. That’s where a lot of people get confused, and start being ok with such behaviors in society. To me, that’s a very selfish way of thinking about our actions and their consequences. If I do something, it’s going to have an impact in others, wether we like to admit it or not; unless we were hermits, then yes, we could do anything and wouldn’t harm anybody.

    When things are wrong, are wrong. When they’re good, they’re good. If people are disgusted about Miley’s behavior, then clearly there’s something wrong; however, I don’t think that people should be tagged negatively, it’s hard to try to see the good in everybody, but I think that opens the heart of those who are going through the wrong path. If you tell someone that they’re “bad”, “obnoxious” and any other negative adjective, then they’re going to act just like that. Having said that, I think Miley’s actions are wrong, that she’s making irresponsible choices that will have consequences in her life and of those who idolize her. Do I think she’s a despicable human being? No, I just think she’s taking the wrong way.

    Moral relativity leads to these kind of events. When pleasure is put above what’s right the line between good and bad becomes so blurry that people don’t know what to think. When I say pleasure I mean all things that produce gratification, not just sexual pleasure, and sometimes, those things aren’t neither good for us or for those that surround us. If people started being more aware of the responsability that each of their actions have, then this world would be completely different, but it is what it is, so I think the best we can do, is make a possitive influence in our friends, family, neighbors, co-workers, etc. and educating younger generations on what’s good and bad, so they don’t get confused.

  134. I agree that the power a celebrity has is astounding.

    However, that doesnt necessarily mean they are responsible to lead/model society.

    Celebrities are followed alot by the press. Sometimes so much that they struggle to get privacy.

    Cyrus has grown up a celebrity – that means while all the other non-famous girls could get out and make mistakes and forget about them, she couldn’t forget quite so easy – because it could be all over the papers etc.

    I believe that everyone has to experiment in life to discover who they are. The difficulty for celebrities is that they can’t do this in private easily.

    Knowing that no matter what you do, the world will find out and make a judgement must be unbelievably stressful.

    If i were to grow up being watched like that, i think i would lose it too and do what i want weather the camera was on or off me.

    In a perfect world, every famous person would be a great role model to lead society.

    Unfortunately, this isn’t a perfect world. Celebrities are people too and sometimes they just need others to give them a break.

    So I do agree where you are coming from, that she should be a better role model etc. and maybe not do such ‘slutty’ things on camera. But she isnt a robot, and everybody makes mistakes/messes up in life – otherwise they wouldn’t learn.

    Maybe people should stop absorbing what they see, and instead stop and think about if they really want to follow lead?

    Society has changed from one extreme to the other – think of early 1900’s covering up compared to practically naked-now. Surely this change cannot be purely because of what celebrities are doing?

  135. Lexi says:

    I feel like I agree with you mostly Cassey. But how do you stop celebrities from acting how they want to act? It’s their freedom to act how they want to act, isn’t it? Unless maybe it’s an extreme case and is seriously harmful to others. Technically, what Miley did in her case is somewhat harmful because of how it could affect her young fans to act the same way! But I feel like people will act like that no matter what sometimes. Friends and peers can have just as much bad or good influence as a celebrity, right? For me, all of my friends were pretty disgusted and saddened by what Miley did because they used to adore her when she was Hannah Montana! And now they just wonder what the heck happened! I definitely agree that Miley is attracting the wrong attention. But maybe she doesn’t even care what attention she gets, she just WANTS attention.

  136. Chrissy says:

    I think celebrities are role models whether they intend to be or not. They’re people, in the public eye, in which others emulate. They are literally models for what other people in society strive to be!

    It’s unfortunate in the case of Miley and Robin Thicke. As someone mentioned before, I think Robin Thicke is just as responsible for his half! He has produced the most foul, disgusting Rape Anthem of our generation, continuing to perpetuate rape culture as a norm. No one seems to really *listen* to the lyrics of Blurred Lines (I was actually kind of disappointed to see that there was a Pop HIIT using his music… :// ). Robin Thicke, fortunately, was never a role model for young kids. I am disappointed that teenage and 20 something men are listening to this song and learning disgusting behaviors,

    BUT MILEY CYRUS STARTED AS AN IDOL FOR YOUNG TWEEN GIRLS. She did not wake up in the morning like Ke$ha and start being “trashy.” Young girls have been watching Miley since DAY ONE and have been emulating her actions. She KNEW that when she signed on with Disney (which I think was a mistake). She claims that she just wants to grow up and be treated as an adult… but appropriating “black” culture and acting like an insecure high school girl feeling the need to touch and objectify other women’s bodies for her own cravings for attention is just sick. She’s sick, and she needs to be taken out of the public eye before she turns out like Lohan or Bynes.

    1. Senna says:

      Chrissy can you elaborate on your term “black” culture..as in dark or are we talking race?wondering?

    2. Hillary says:

      I was bummed about the Blurred Lines POP HIIT too. I did the workout but used my own soundtrack because I can not stand to listen to that song anymore now that I started paying attention to the lyrics. It might as well just say, “no means yes” over and over to a catchy beat. Blech.

  137. Lena says:

    i think you’re right. and i think that miley really doesn’t know what she does to herself. to my opinion she is searching for her soul and her position in live, actually one could be sorry for her. maybe she’s hurting herself more than she realizes. but as her part beeing a celebrity she should be thinking more about her influence on others.

  138. Michele says:

    I agree with you Cassie. I have two teenage daughters and I am trying to do my best to ensure that they are strong and caring individuals and that being stick thing or overtly sexual isn’t doing anything to help the next guy. We need more strong female role models – women who try to lift other women up by encouraging them and helping them to become their strongest, kindest self. That’s why I work out with you – you do that in every video (plus you make me laugh so hard that I forget that I’m working out). It is okay to want to look good, but what is more important is to spread joy to those you interact with each and every day.

  139. Pearls says:

    Well, I agree with the comment above and with you Cassie. I know that people are saying that she is just “finally being real,” but to me, she just seems like she is trying so hard to shed her Disney image. I understand that. I mean I can only imagine how frustrating and difficult it must to be keep a wholesome, “cookie-cutter” image. But she needs to think about her fans. These are girls that are going to see her and think its ok to do that. There’s obviously nothing wrong with growing up…can we please just take a moment and look at Selena Gomez? I know she did that movie Spring breakers (which I didn’t see but I heard it was provocative in its own ways, idk), but she is slowly letting the world know that she is not a little girl playing a wizard, she is a young woman. She looked so amazing at the VMAs. She was sexy and classy. So far, Selena gets it. Even though she isn’t on Disney anymore, she knows that she has these young fans that will look up to her. I use Selena as an example because I haven’t heard anything bad from her. I could be wrong. :/ Miley says she is growing up, but this just seems more like a childish act. She knows that she has young fans and she needs to keep them in mind. And her mom…oh goodness. Anyone see the twitter about how mileys mom was during her performance? It was hilarious because she actually kind of was like that. Lol. For those who haven’t seen it, it was a picture from the movie mean girls where Reginas mom is doing the choreography to their Christmas song. Hopefully mothers who saw this will explain to their kids (boys and girls) why what Miley did was wrong. That’s all we can do now, as Robin Thickes mom said “I can’t unwatch it.”

  140. Liz S says:

    What I don’t understand about this whole “scandal” is, why isn’t Robin Thicke being held responsible for anything? First off, talk about bad role models, he sings about pursuing random women who have not given consent and he wears ugly suits. Robin Thicke could have backed away from Miley’s dancing, he is after all supposed to be the older, wiser half of that duet. I’m sure that they rehearsed the number and Robin Thicke was well aware of Miley’s fondness for twerking so he could have said “this is an awkward situation, maybe I should suggest something different”, but instead of backing away or changing things up, he reveled in it. And that, from a middle aged man, is just plain creepy.
    That being said, no I don’t think celebrities have a responsibility to be a role model, I think parents have a responsibility to step in and explain to children that celebrity live by different rules and norms than the those of us living in the real world. Celebrities, by contract, have the obligation to behave in ways that will sell whatever it is they are selling. And miley’s music is most effectively marketed by her showing that she lives the edgy lifestyle she sings about. She’s just doing her job. So parents have to do their job of explaining to their children how this all works.

    1. Hillary says:

      ^YES, this. I’m certainly not a fan of Miley or the Hollywood/music objectification of women that implies that an artist can only be famous or booked if she’s hypersexual, BUT I also cannot stand slut-shaming. Why is it expected that women need to be “good,” not enjoy sex and “respect” themselves by dressing demurely, while men have free reign to be overtly sexual. The Robin Thicke song is WAY more problematic on both counts: 1) The “you’re a good girl” premise, again forcing girls to think that being interested in sex is somehow bad and they should pretend they aren’t and say no, then feel guilty about it if they engage; and 2) the “you know you want it” premise, where it’s the guy’s job to turn that “no” into a “yes.”

      Miley is a teenager who grew up having to be a perfect, wholesome child. She probably worked longer hours at the age of 8 than most of us do now. Every teen goes through some rebellion, I can only expect it to be magnified under the lens of fame and money and Hollywood pressure. We can only hope she doesn’t hurt herself or ruin her career with drugs, jailtime a la Amanda Bynes, Lindsey Lohan, etc.

      But let’s get off this “females shouldn’t show their sexual side” tack. It’s a little turn-of-the-century.

      1. Liz S says:

        I have never had anyone agree with me that Blurred Lines is gross and creepy! Thank you!

  141. Tamara says:

    What’s funny though is that no one’s talking about Robin Thicke here. Sure, Miley took an active part in this performance that many people find problematic, but Robin Thicke, a much older man with a wife and a baby, grinned and smirked suggestively as a woman who hasn’t even been legal for very long danced towards him. What a pity that when we talk about celebrities having to be good role models it is only women who are mentioned. Is it only they who must live their lives with this pressure?

  142. Jes says:

    Cassey, I kind of disagree here. I personally don’t care for whether or not celebrities should be role models or not; the fact of the matter is, parents should be the one being role models and encouraging their children what is wrong and what is right. My bigger concern on this topic is how that Miley is supposed to be a “role model” and this behaviour is deemed trashy and offensive, yet no one says a word about Robin Thick, a man who propagates rape culture with “blurred lines” . Maybe we shouldn’t be judging her, and if she wants to use her power for good or bad, so be it. You need reflect on why you feel uncomfortable about her life choices.

    http://sexologist.tumblr.com/post/59399069155/a-sexologists-two-cents-on-the-2013-mtv-vmas

  143. Tiffany says:

    I still don’t think it is her responsibility to be a role model. You’re in the business of self improvement she’s in the music industry where sex and controversy sells. Though her on stage behavior may be provocative, when she isn’t coming out with something new her behavior is more wholesome. What parents should be doing is saying that behavior at your age is not appropriate to their children. Taylor Swift dates religiously, and the exposes her relationships to millions, but that doesn’t teach her fans to date everybody in the world. Beyonce makes diss songs, but it does not teach her fans to be vengeful.

  144. Diana says:

    I only have 2 things to say:
    1) “…, and sticking their butt at everything?” I literally laughed out loud.
    2) Cassey President!!! <3

    ————————————–
    PS: Great article, I love the focus you take on the subject! You are the first one I read/see/hear who brings in real arguments to reply "yes" to the question of whether or not celebrities should be considered as role models. I have not entirely made up my mind on the matter, but this point of view definitely brings in new material to think about.

  145. Sandy says:

    For me, none of them are role models because they are just a product media try to sell us…I stopped watching TV a few years ago because I grew tired of the low level and low culture of reality TV and stupid shows, trashy behaviors and horrifying news. All they do is spread fear and try to turn us into what they want us to be:a dumb, easily influenced mass. Nowadays the only thing we see is butts and boobs on screen, in trailers, in shows…. Strippers and hookers are THE deal in movies as if they embody femininity (I would gladly give up my womanhood if that was the case)….I am every day more tired of the perverted image of women in society (and it seems now it is also touching young girls!)….Elegance and class have disappeared to be replaced by vulgarity and stupidity….I would never consider those people a role model and yes because they are famous (and their fans are mostly very young), they should at leat behave accordingly, but at the end of the day, they have to face themselves and it must not be easy every day!
    To me the real role models nowadays are the Youtubers like Cassey, Mimi and Alex Ikonn, RealLeyla, Bubz….More accessible, more “normal” and yet so powerful and inspirational. I truly respect you guys, you make me smile and make me want to become a better version of myself =)
    I am glad there are new ways to discover valuable “celebrities”!

  146. Natalie says:

    I so AGREE!!! This should be printed! I choose to not have cable just because of all this what will my kids learn and what morals will they have if all they see is media life getting worse and worse. I dont listen to music that degrades women period. I love myself too much for that.

  147. Helen says:

    The message from these kind of opinions on all celebrities and “role models” is that the celeb in question should abide to what is normal, not be who they want to be or do what they want to and live a fake life as not to upset others. Miley was 13 when she started Hannah Montanna, and to expect her to carry the same persona for the rest of her life when she started that as a child is really unfair. I watched her on disney and grew up with her. I don’t like everything she does and its not my cup of tea anymore but I will always defend her right to do it. Funny Robin Thicke was mentioned as she “danced in her underwear” up him. Yet the guy is married, Miley isn’t and if you want to talk about role models then watch his Blurred Lines video and tell me it doesnt give off a sexist and unfair interpretation of women. She was and still kinda is my idol, for the exact reason that she tells people to do what they like and not hide from themselves just to please others and not cause upset. I also love Taylor Swift but never thought of her as the best role model because she hides alot of her life and a lot of things she’d like to say just for press and because her management tell her not to. She doesn’t discuss religious beliefs, lifestyle etc even though shes 23, because she doesn’t want to alienate anyone. And thats not being real. If you really think Taylor wouldn’t like to mature abit and sing about more grown up topics such as the sexual side to her relationships, you’re deluded. I can easily see Taylor isn’t happy that she has to give the same innocent rapport of her love life in songs. Shes 23. If your kids really take after celebrities so much that they think “drugs are cool cause miley made a reference once” you’ve done an awful job of parenting. Miley said its not her job to parent peoples children and I agree with her.

    Your job as a “role model” is different in ways. I would see you as more of a role model because you are known for a certain lifestyle and way of living. Not for acting or singing. If you ate mcdonalds everyday whilst running healthy lifestyle websites you would be a hypocrite and not a good “role model”. However if we saw you grinding with a guy in a club I wouldn’t think badly of you because that has nothing to do with your job and what you try and teach people.

    I agree all celebrities can influence and do influence people, but if you are so easily influenced by someone whose life is so far detached from yours and from two polar opposite lifestyles, thats really your own fault if you are that gullible with no self identity.

  148. Noelle says:

    I completely agree with you Cass!! And ik first hand her actions are being recognized and “copied” by young girls!! I’m 15 so Hannah Montana was my era so I loved Miley! Now I’m definitely questioning her and wish someone could help her realize what she’s doing! I totally understand she doesn’t want a Disney reputation anymore but honestly about a year after Hannah Montana it was already kinda fading away. Why now? I know many girls that love how Miley is acting and I’ve seen them take after her!!!! It’s ridiculous!! The night of the VMAs I saw so many Facebook posts about Miley most were “eww” or “she’s disgusting” but there was a fair share of “Miley’s so hot” “I loved Miley’s performance” (all girls responding to this). Idk basically it’s just sad to think that 5 years ago I looked up to her and thought she was so beautiful now I’m looking at her and not even recognizing “smiley Miley” more like “erratically stick my abnormally long tounge out at everything while I twerk Miley” haha, all I know is that she’s no role model anymore!!

    1. Cindee says:

      Noelle, u seem like u have such a strong sense of self at such a young age =) I grew up with Spice Girls & I remember how big of an influence they had on my life at the time. And because I remember how I followed their every move, it’s horrifying to imagine there are girls out there that are responding positively to how Miley is expressing herself. This performance was so distasteful and quite disturbing. Yes I do agree that celebrities have a responsibility and so does society. Why would the VMA’s even allow this performance to happen in the first place? So many things wrong on so many levels.

  149. true story says:

    Cassie you don’t really have to tweet this 6x times, it’s kinda annoying. Miley is just growing up and she is allowed to do whatever she wants. Of course, I don’t agree with her 100% but me being 18 I kinda understand.. We change and we grow up.. Also some of the celebs are doing it for the attention/money/more fame.. just like you are doing by making videos (you probably do get a profit because it’s your job so it’s not technically free) Also it’s okay that Robin Thicke sings about “blurred lines” and rape but it’s not okay for Miley to sing about drugs?

  150. Ashley says:

    Cassey, this is such a beautiful post. I like how you chose not only to focus on celebrities being role models, but also ourselves. It’s important to show to the world that if we care about our bodies, our health, and overall well being, so they know they can also do the same. You’re such an inspiration and the fact that you’re self-reflective shows that you have true passion for what you do, and truly respect yourself. You’re teaching us the same. You care. 🙂

  151. person says:

    The problem with Miley Cyrus does not have to do with her sexual liberation. It has to do with the fact that she is appropriating black culture. You have no right to condemn a woman for acting sexual on her own accord when men get to sexualise women without their consent. I think singing about something and having an on stage persona is different than her as a person. She does a lot of good and is supportive of LGBTQ+ rights and has been in a commited relationship. I don’t see why her on stage persona is being judged as it being her.

  152. Dilek says:

    I agree with you. I never expect Disney stars to continue acting as princesses in their mature years, but Miley has gone overboard. I saw pictures of Will Smith and his children watching that performance and they were horrified. Rihanna who is the epitome of good girl gone wild cannot match Miley. I think Miley’s actions are rude, distasteful, and cheap. I used to like her a lot as a celebrity, but now, except for her toned body, I cannot say anything positive about her.

  153. Lauren says:

    Cassey,

    Thank you so much for speaking the truth. I really appreciate it! And you are right. They do model something at least…..SHE IS FULLY AWARE of the young crowd that watches her. It’s pretty sickening what she has chosen to exemplify. In response to above comment, it would be one thing if she were being lied about or misrepresented….but she is not. She is choosing to represent whatever it is she is….representing. What she is doing leads to nothing good….name one good thing…………..whew.

    Thank you, Cassey.

  154. Emily says:

    I agree! Being a celebrity means having fame and many times fortune, but with that comes the responsibility of acting appropriately… which Miley definitely was not doing at the VMAs. I miss the old Miley, the one who starred in “Hannah Montana The Movie.”

  155. Elicia M. says:

    We can’t be sure if Miley’s actions were voluntary or if she was told to do these things by the producers of the show. I don’t care about what she does or how she is trying to express herself, but I think she needs to connect more with her fans and the public to let them know what she is trying to express because not all of us can understand or may accept it from that performance. As a public figure who is closely watched by many people in which her life is probably already around 60% public anyway, she would do well to tell people her intentions behind the performance.

    What is important is the intention behind it! What was she trying to express? And why did she do it? Was she trying to prove something? Was it simply for attention? We cannot come to a conclusion until she speaks up about it. Obviously since so many people were appalled, she probably has to now. I will be able to make proper opinions on it, after I know the “backstage details” about it.

    I have a feeling she simply wants to take her entertainment to the next level and she wants to make a statement of who she is. People can either like it or dislike it. I disliked that performance and her music overall, but that is only my opinion. Miley was never my role-model anyway. Good thing is that we can choose our role models. For those who like Miley, if they really don’t like what they see right now, they can/should move on from her. For those who follow after her example… we have to understand that they are vulnerable to media’s influences. They can do whatever they want, it’s their life, but if they go the long mile to get themselves into trouble, that’s when certain people need to step in. Not the whole world (that goes for Miley herself as well).

    But I guess it’s good to see something this “outrageous” every now and again in the media. It gives us something to question… especially about morals and just how far can we go in expressing oneself.

  156. Kelly Horney says:

    I completely agree. I am 29, and I can say honestly 15 yrs ago, I was all about not censoring, self expression, and that people should have the freedom to express themselves. I, for years have argued that if someone does not like it, they should turn it, they should not buy it, they should basically boycott the item store or person. But, now as a grown educated woman, a mother, and a spouse, I realize the impact my own actions have on others. I am not a celebrity, but how I act reflects back on and affects my children- the way they are seen by teachers, the community, friends, and even themselves. It affects my spouse- his participation in community programs, his career, the way his friends and family view him. It affects the agency I work for and the image and reputation they have worked for decades to build as well as it affects the image of my alma mater. Besides myself and the way my family and close friends see me, my actions have a ripple affect. If a little nobody like me can do that, what impact is a celebrity that has a world of little girls wanting to be like her going to have. Personally, when I am gone, I want to be remembered for how hard I worked, that I was honest and dependable, that I was loving, and that I had integrity. If I were famous, I would want to be known for the god given talent that I possessed as well and that I had the ability to make a difference.

  157. Vanessa says:

    Miley Cyrus is a disgrace to young girls pathetic immature little girl that sure the hell won’t be influencing my daughter in any way I won’t support her shit music or buy any of her crap my daughter who is 10 just lost all respect for for her. She’s the worst role model I’ve ever seen she just lost a lot of fans for acting like an idiot she can’t dance or look sexy there’s a difference between trashy and sexy and she’s neither seriously she’s swimming in a pool of singers trying to damn hard when they have great voices but they kill their whole image by acting like that and dressing trashy women don’t have to grow up acting like that but some women will either be trashy or not and she chooses to be trashy pretty sad. And of course people are going to judge they have the right to if he’s putting it all out there like that an all she’s going to get is negative not positive comments that’s what she wants if not act right for Christ sakes geez!!!

  158. sadaf rizvi says:

    absolutely evokes strong criticism. like cassey said she has a large fan base built during her hannah montana fame and those girls are growing up, going through their confused adolescent early adult stage.. the choices they make about themselves is definitely largely influenced by who they like/follow/idolize , with great power comes great responsibility and i guess that is the flip side to being a teen diva, all your turbulence and role play etc has to be edited before it comes out. This was horrendous and ridiculous ,not sexy for sure, but then thats us saying it , the young girls may just pick up on it. Its unfair to expect so much out of a 20 year old true but what we are expecting is some screening when you have an audience worldwide. For eg. Rihanna going taking back a man who assaulted her, sent out a very wrong message.. how they see it is, oh she did it, so its probably not as bad as people say it is, may be self esteem is just an over hyped word. so yes i agree with cassey. No one is asking her to bottle up n be confined by the societal expectations but just act your age and decide what do you want to be not what sells and follow it in the most uncouth fashion possible!!

  159. ShaLane says:

    This is the first time I have seen the video and that. was. painful. It was like watching a bad high school talent show. *shudder*

  160. Shannon says:

    I’m much older than Miley and even in my “wild” days. I would not have been caught dead doing this. I was so offended one Halloween because I went as a mildly seductive french maid and all my girls/ guys friends made it their mission that night to get a photo of my ass. They did get it and I demanded it be deleted (which it was). I have younger siblings, I’m a role model regardless. The french maid costume had bloomers but it was an unfortunate shot my friend got and cropped into. I felt ashamed for some creative cropping. Given that I was ashamed by that that Miley should feel disgusted. She has a kid sister and a lot of kid fans. Grow up. If you have talent, you don’t need to “twerk” what you don’t really have. Exhibit your TALENT not what you should be doing alone with the significant other of your choice.

    1. sadaf rizvi says:

      heheheheh 🙂 i know what u mean girl. and she seems to be a little fixated in and around her crotch/butt area. at one point i thought maybe she is uncomfortable and has some itch or something .

  161. Tiffany says:

    You are exactly right about everything you said. I have a 6 yr old who watches Hannah Montana to this day and I thank God we didnt watch the awards the other night. Thank you so much for being such a positive person in a world where it’s hard to find

  162. Caroline says:

    I do agree! And some celeb do agree too apparently 🙂 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YY0UUCt0R_4

  163. Emily yap says:

    Totally agreeing with you Cassey. Can’t believe what this world had turned into. People degrading themselves to impress other people, media using sexual acts to attract attention. It’s a new level of low. Can’t believe how people these days live with this. How can we expect people to respect us if we don’t respect ourselves first? But then nowadays I think they care less about that even. It’s saddening

  164. Bethany says:

    I completely agree with the article. There was one thing you kept circling around though, but never directly stated: it all comes down to RESPECT. There is also RESPONSIBILITY involved as well (as I have noticed that others have brought up). It ISN’T just about “doing whatever we want to as long as it doesn’t hurt others”: because Sometimes out of LOVE and RESPECT and RESPONSIBILITY, we WILL hurt each other, but it is for GOOD reason (sometimes we learn things “the hard way” or through “tough love”, and it is absolutely necessary. Sometimes people need to be humbled and broken before they can start healing and repairing all the damage).–people deal with the consequences of their decisions, and they SHOULD face the consequences/disciplines that come from making a wrong decision (the law enforces such things). What recently occurred on that stage with Miley had an absolute lack of respect and responsibility. It was disgusting and degrading. I actually feel sorry for her. And when you have people in a position of such “power” or “influence” and arrogance with apathy & disrespect, it takes something far greater to “wake them up” and bring them back to reality to realize the depth of what they just did. Sometimes they need to be brought back down and broken down before they can actually realize how FAR away they went from what is RIGHT.

  165. Katherine says:

    Hey Cassie! I love love love your positive attitude and outlook on the world, and to use your influence to better others is a great motto that I will keep in mind! I think Miley has taken her celebrity status for granted and is not caring that little girls who loved Hannah Montana might be watching this and being influenced by her. Personally, I think she should be kicked off the big screens by MTV and all the photo shoots until she can control herself, or get a perspective in life. If teen girls see this video and think its cool and copy her they could get raped, and the judge would say “hey they were wearing lingerie and twerking in boys faces, what do you expect?” I think we need more role models like you Cassie!

  166. burcu says:

    I agree with you. For this video, I couldn’t believe my eyes!! They use “sex” to get more attention and it works, they might get more money by using that. However, in my opinion, this situation affects teenagers very badly.

  167. Dani says:

    I think you are totally right. Just because Miley has grown up and wants everyone to know it does not mean that her fans from her Disney phase are just going to stop idolizing her. They will still see what she does and how she acts, and continue to idolize her. It’s a very sensitive position that you put yourself in when you choose younger, and more malleable, children as your audience. When you dream of becoming a celebrity, as opposed to a singer, actor, dancer etc., you are concurrently choosing to advertise yourself to the world. Now, Miley has lately been compared to Pink, who i personally love and think of as a great idol, yet Miley is distinctly different from Pink. Pink is punk rock and kick a**, and may not be the perfect example of propriety and decorum, but that’s who she is and that’s why people love her. And she even states in a recent magazine article that she’s not trying to be a role model. If Pink performed at the VMAs, i’m fairly confident she wouldn’t be stripping down to nude undergarments, gyrating into her husband’s crotch, and singing about wanting to do hard drugs. Personally, i think part of growing up is becoming more mature. Granted, you can still have fun while being mature. However, while Miley wants to be seen as “grown up”, she is clearly far from mature. Regardless, when you choose “celebrity” over “professional”, even if your profession is entertainment, which is what Miley seems to be going for, being seen and idolized is part of the job, which does come with a responsibility to at least accept and understand your role as an idol.

  168. Tara Dee says:

    I think it’s very clear what Miley was intending to do with her performance– and it entirely worked. She very well may be going off the “deep end” right now, but honestly that stint at the VMAs was for nothing but shock and awe and to be talked about. And it’s certainly not the first time (think Madonna back in the day). When you have pop stars like Gaga and Rhianna to compete with, you have to be bold and (honestly weird) to stand out.

    That being said, I wholeheartedly agree that celebrities should be mindful of the messaging they give to the younger generation (at 27 years old, I didn’t even know what Molly was until that song… and I certainly don’t live under a rock). Dancing aside, the bits and pieces of our culture define what the norms are in our society. I don’t think her performance was “sexy,” “artistic,” or even somewhat close to “normal.” If she was an everyday person acting like that out at a club, someone would probably throw her out for acting too drunk. I’m just hoping that she figures out that she’s making a mockery of herself sooner than later. We don’t need to give teenage girls any reasons to make poor decisions.

  169. Its like you know all the right words to say! I agree 100% with everything you said. Back in middle school, i looked up to Emmy Rossum (phantom of the opera girl) and I loved her music, the way she sung, her style…she’s so classic and funny. And that was awesome. I know a lot of kids probably still watch Hannah Montana to this day…so if they see what she did at the VMAs, they are really going to be confused. They will probably think its “okay” and I hope they’re parents tell them its not…because what Miley did was just awful. No class at all.

  170. Tonya says:

    All the more reason you are such a positive and great person. Well put. Miley is old enough and has been in the business long enough to know the power and influence that she has on people. We all make mistakes, yes. But we don’t all make this mistake on national television where millions of young women are going to be influenced. When I watched that performance, with all the large dancing bears and her very weird, child like costume, I thought it was a performance staged to attract children. Only it was, to be nicely put, seductive. That wasn’t a mistake. Miley needs help. Its clear something is not right with her right now. And Cassie, you are right about everything you said. Thanks for being a good role model to my 4 year old! (She does Blogilates with us, too!)

  171. Katrina says:

    I agree with you, Cassey! And thank you for always being a fantastic and healthy role model. Anyone here who has been inspired by you, knows that there IS a huge role that anyone with celebrity power plays in how we act or think about certain things.
    You inspire us to honour, respect, challenge and love ourselves!
    Miley Cyrus? Doesn’t.

  172. Stefan says:

    I definitely disagree.
    Celebrities has NO obligation give a “good” role model for anyone.
    (whatever that is, anyway. A lot of complaints tend to focus on personal ‘morale’abd the urge to force that upon others. What is a good time model for you, might definitelynot be one for me or the other way around).

  173. Holly J says:

    I agree and disagree. Celebrities may be role models whether they like it or not but so is everyone else. I think it’s not right to expect anyone, even a celeb, to live dishonestly and this is where Miley Cyrus is at in her life. I didn’t think her performance was horrible. I found it a little offensive in terms of cultural tourism but otherwise I wish people would just leave her alone. If people are offended by her now they are REALLY late to the game. She was shown years ago smoking Salvia which may have been legal where she was, but I think it was clear then she was no longer a “Disney girl.” Her can’t be tamed video also seemed to indicate she was trying to tell people she’s looking for a new type of fan, not ones who expect her to be Hannah Montana. Why is her performance any worse than when Britney wore a nude jumpsuit or Christina A did her dirty video. We can’t expect people to stay children forever and while I’m not this huge Miley Cyrus fan I think it’s so annoying that we expect all this crap from our celebs. My rule of thumb is this-stop looking at other people to be everything you think is good or admirable. Work on yourself and don’t worry about what others are doing. I think Miley may regret the performance later, but if she does I don’t think it should because little 5 years old may start twerking. Five year olds should not be watching the VMAs.

  174. Caitlyn says:

    Cassey, you know I love you. In fact we have emailed a few times when I felt you needed to know something. I do agree with what you have to say; but I have a huge qualm with all of it. Instead of focusing on Miley Cyrus and other celebrities and their actions. I’d much rather hear about events across the world. The media doesn’t openly provide real, heart wrenching, meaningful news for us. We’re selfish, and instead compare ourselves to celebrities and scrutinize their every action. If so many people take issue with a young woman’s actions, why don’t we just turn away from it. We’d rather subject ourselves further to things that annoy or aggravate us than just turn our backs. What is honestly, the worst that will come from Miley’s actions? A few girls whose parents don’t pay attention well enough will probably start dancing like her.

    However, instead of covering petty things like Miley and her dancing, can we please focus on the fact that chemical warfare has been used in Syria and has killed thousands of children in their sleep? Can we focus on the fact that mainstream media doesn’t seem to give a damn about this? Can we focus on the fact, that to truly change the world, we need to focus on things other than the insignificant actions of one young woman?

    I respect you a lot, but would appreciate if you used your power to open people’s eyes to real issues. You’re influential, and many people follow you. You can make them curious for knowledge.

  175. Rae says:

    This is why I love the Harry Potter actors/actresses (like Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, etc). They grew up on screen and were role models to millions of teens and young adults all over the world. I grew up alongside them (when they were first cast I was the same age as them). As they grew up on screen, and me alongside them, I NEVER saw them doing what Miley did on that video. Can you really imagine Emma Watson gyrating against some guy on stage wearing barely any clothes? No.

    I can’t believe Miley would even think it was acceptable to behave like that after being a much loved Disney character for so many years. If you work in TV/film/music and you’re in the public eye… you should know that you are a role model for the young people who watch you. A lot of these celebrities just seem to be trying to market sex to young people all the time… I don’t understand why. There are already problems with teenage pregnancy and so many people are insecure about their bodies. Miley parading around in hardly any clothes is only going to encourage people who look up to her to do the same, rather than focusing on what’s really important in life.

  176. BambiLena says:

    i love you so much for this post, to put it a bit better i love you so much more. its not about judging, putting someone down, it just an honest mature thought about the world, people in it and how we are all connected and influence eachother. my fist thought also wasnt how dare she, or its wrong, but something doesnt feel right about it either, we had crazy outrageous stuff before, with rihanna, lady gaga etc. but it somehow didnt feel as ”wrong”. this is what confused me, and then you. its exactly what you said its ok to express yourself, but it just gets really confusing what exactly is she trying to express? it just seems odd and out of place, and i know everyone is thinking she is too young for this, but i keep thinking she is too old for this. she is 20 years old, and her behavior and what she portrays to be ”cool” and ”sexy” just looks like a 12year old just starting puberty and trying to look sexy. i kept thinking this person is getting married, she is a ”responsible employed person”, how? it just lookes confusing, and looking at the faces of most celebs there, they dont get it either. it just seems she is confused about her message and what she is trying to express and do herself…

  177. Anna M says:

    She wants the world to see her as an adult, but adult acts like that? If she wants people to take her seriously she needs to earn that respect, grinding or “twerking” off a married man isn’t going to earn you that. Not only that, but she’s making young girls and young women think that it’s okay to turn yourself into a sexual object and to act, and I’m sorry for saying it, trashy. How about teaching girls some self-respect? She doesn’t seem to realise that she is in the public eye, and anyone, famous or not, knows that how you act in public reflects who you are. I do think that at this point someone needs to step in and to tell her to grow up. I know she wants to be seen as an adult, but right now she’s acting like a rebellious 16 year old. I’ll start respecting and seeing her as an adult when she starts acting like one.

  178. Hayley says:

    It is my opinion that anytime you are in the public eye, whether as a celebrity or as a person out in public, out of respect for the people you encounter or who will encounter you you should carry yourself in a certain way. That’s not saying you should change who you are/who you are trying to be. But we can express ourselves without going over the top. That being said, Miley was there as entertainment and many people had paid to attend the event and were there willingly, knowing she was a performer and perhaps being at least a little aware of her new persona. I think the biggest person we should worry about Miley’s behavior affecting is Miley. She was an embarrassment to herself whether she sees it that way or not, and behaving that way even for entertainment value shows a lack of respect for the people in her personal life (boyfriend,parents,little sisters…)
    There’s a way to be “sexy” without being “trashy” but Miley went straight for trash factor. It’s sad though that there were people behind her telling her that would be a good idea. She’s 20 years old. Not a child by any means but in a lot of ways still very far from being a grown woman. She stills needs guidance, she stills needs a mom and a dad to tell her what is acceptable and what is not.

  179. Natalie says:

    Hello all!! It’s horrible. I can’t believe Miley finally did it. How am I suppoused to react? I love and embrace Hannah Montana show, But these… Ugh. You are totally right, Cassey. I agree with you. Thanks for sharing your thoughts

  180. Kim says:

    I think all of us, famous or not, have to decide how we “should” behave in public. It’s the reason why you can’t walk around naked at school or work. It’s the reason there are laws against peeing in public and public drunkenness. In our world of “let people do whatever they want”, we still have a level of responsibility to ourselves and to others to behave in appropriate ways. There are still words like vulgar, offensive, and tasteless and they still can apply. If Miley (or any music artist male or female) wants to use her songs and music videos to express herself in very sexual or drug-referenced ways, fine, but they will be given certain ratings and may not be allowed to be played because of their graphic nature. As someone who is eleven years older than Miley, I would suggest to her and everyone else that you are free to express yourself, but you also have a responsibility. In other words, she can do whatever she wants, but her choices have consequences whether it be losing part or most of her fanbase, embarrassing her parents, etc. I think there are so many examples of celebrities that have shown you can be sexy and still be classy, you can be unique without looking crazy, you can still be a good role model while still being true to yourself.

  181. Shawna says:

    Why does she hang her tongue out so much? Is that the new “sexy”? Because it’s not. I never listen to Robin Thicke, so I didn’t even know about this song, “Blurred Lines,” but the comments on here about it made me look up the lyrics and the song doesn’t even make sense to me. I think I’ll stick with Taylor and Cassey as my role models.

    1. Kayla says:

      Omg I had the same thoughts! “why the tongue?!” it was just Waaah too annoying for me to even get past the first few minutes

  182. Emilie H says:

    I agree. Idols and celebrities have such an influence over people, they should definitely watch what they do. I feel like Miley is going through some kind of phase….I hope it ends quickly though, I’m not a fan of these kinds of moves. I also feel like even though celebrity’s lives are so hectic and every little thing they do (false or not) is published, they can’t complain too much. It’s what they signed up for.

  183. Inna says:

    Of course when you are as popular as Miley, and has as many fans people will look up to her, and im still trying to figure out whats so wrong about her? She shows some skin,so what?! maybe thats what she feels most comfortable in. Maybe thats what she likes to dance or twerk whatever in. Maybe she wanted some extra attention for her performance. Maybe she wants to be seen as more sexual or more attractive. I i just cant se whats wrong about that??????

    “Gyrating into an older man’s crotch in nude lingerie in front of millions?” why are you only judeging Miley for that? Why are you not giving any of this crap to Robin Thicket, who is not only married, has kids, and much older. Why did HE LET as much younger girl grind on him when ke KNOWS a millionm of people are going to see it? Why did HE let Miley do as she did, why do Miley has to get all the crap?

    “sininging about “Trying to get a line in the bathroom.”” ALOT and i mean A LOT of people sing about this(and has been seen doing it) again why are you ONLY saying that MILEY is a bad rolemodel for doing it?

  184. Rose says:

    Cassey,
    Well said. I agree with you about the trust we need to have in each other. I teach third grade and every year there is a parent or two with a wild child who just can’t seem to understand why their child must be held to the same standard as everyone else. Poor behavior costs us all in terms of safety, comfort, enjoyment.
    It’s a pity someone close to Miley wasn’t able to talk her out of this “expression” because she will regret it. She hurt herself most of all. If we see someone about to blunder off a cliff, would we not reach out a guiding hand?

    Thanks for the words,
    Rose Park

  185. Amy says:

    I think for awhile now she has been trying to breakaway from her Disney persona and she has started to go extreme with it. I think a lot of child stars do this!! I do feel she has a responsibility to her fans though. When you were talking about power all I could think of was “with great power comes great responsibility.” And it’s true. If you don’t like being a role model, get out of the spotlight!!

  186. jinnio says:

    I agree with you Cassey. Those celebrities on tv get fame and respect from the public and at the same time have the obligation to be a great model because it is public after all.

  187. Jennifer says:

    Everyone is an example for everyone, even unconsciously, even if you don’t want to or realize it ! Who has never talked about a neighbour saying : look up to him/her she/he is on the good track; or don’t do like him/her if you want to succeed in life. Celebrities KNOW it for they have their fans clearly telling them how much they love them and inspire to be like them and they use that tool commercially speaking when it’s time for them to be seen drinking that soda, or wearing that brand. It is a responsibility that comes with celebrity even more when we are talking about young girls and boys who can be manipulated. Miley seems pretty attached to her motto that is : I do and say whatever I want, It’s my mouth, my body, none of your business. Is saying that Miley got to far pushing us in the depth of the debate over women and their liberty to wear and do what they want ? I mean watching her miming a sexual act and being shocked by it doesn’t mean that I find it degradating for her, what shocks me is how easily she does it and sticks to that commercial tool that uses sex and women’s body to make the show while she appears to be claiming a total freedom even power over her body and her acts. It then appears normal to young girls to bend over in a bikini and they will feel like this is how to enpower themselves. I don’t need that to feel confident and powerful, I don’t need a deep V or the shortest shorts to feel sexy or beautiful.

  188. Clair says:

    Well, here’s the thing – Miley’s performance wasn’t just her up on stage “[g]yrating into an older man’s crotch in nude lingerie in front of millions.” Robin Thicke was there, too. So to think less of only Miley for this performance and leave Thicke unscathed by the media (or your own opinions) is backwards, hypocritical, and sexist. Not to say that this fact alone negates your argument about celebrities as role models, but think about it.

    Robin Thicke’s “Blurred Lines” video has gotten a lot of attention – even negative attention – as has Miley’s. But who seems to be made into more of a rebel, more of a provocative, youth-changing bad guy? Miley. There are a lot of things wrong with her new video, but she has been continuously attacked for showing any signs of sexuality even before her latest song. Whether or not Robin Thicke’s video is *truly* inappropriate, however, seems to be up for debate. Why? It seems pretty clear to me that “Blurred Lines” demeans women, sexualizes them as objects, and dehumanizes them (remember when he blows smoke in a woman’s face and she looks physically ill/uncomfortable?). And yet many people see nothing wrong with it. Robin Thicke as a role model? What a great guy! He’s done nothing wrong! He’s just having fun!

    Miley is young. And in terms of embracing her sexuality, I think she’s doing nothing wrong. Do I think celebrities have some sort of obligation to set a good example for their fans? They probably do. But it’s times like these – when they are demonized for being people, for embracing a part of themselves that the media and our society deem inappropriate, that we stigmatize every day – that I find myself disagreeing. There are plenty of other things wrong (incredibly so) with what Miley did in her performance last night that hardly anyone is talking about in mainstream media. Much of what she did was racist on a disgusting level – but instead of tackling that, here we are asking ourselves if it is appropriate for a 20 year old WOMAN to embrace her sexuality. It is appropriate for ALL women to embrace their sexuality. So in that way, I have to disagree with you. What Miley did sexually was not only not just about her own role as a role model, but on some level she is telling young women and girls that that side of themselves is not wrong. I don’t like how she is going about it, necessarily, but I don’t like that she is being treated as a lesser human being because of it. Because average, normal women are treated as lesser people because of their sexuality as well – and that is not okay, not matter who you are or how much media coverage you get.

    I think Miley has a lot of work to do to be a better role model, yes. You can advocate for women to embrace their bodies and sexuality in much clearer ways than Miley has gone about it. You can also do it without objectifying black women and culture. But at its most basic level, what Miley is doing with her sexuality is not wrong. It is not bad role modeling. Clearly she feels empowered in her body and wants the world to know. There is nothing wrong with her feeling that way, or with girls feeling that way, too. I agree with you that younger girls might need some guidance when it comes to interpreting this message – but that falls to their parents or older siblings or whoever else takes care of them. It is not Miley’s responsibility to come to us pre-packaged and easy to digest. She is a person, just like you. She is not “hurt[ing] anyone” with her actions.

  189. Jazzafire says:

    It’s one question to ask who has responsibility and needs to be a positive role model but the other – and maybe even more important – question is: What IS a positive role model? Is a cute little Disney girl a positive role model even if you know that half of it is just a fake created by the media and bound to contracts that don’t allow you to be ‘explicit’? Is it a positive role model to never talk about sex or being sexy or having sex? Or is it a positive role model attitude to feel good the way you are and don’t be ashamed of your body and the things on your mind? Encouraging people to be who they are?
    There are things that (probably) we all go d’accord with, such as taking drugs or other illegal things, are definetely not part of being a positive role model. But I guess there’s no description of the “perfect role model” – which would also imply that there is a “perfect human being” -, because we’re all different and have different opinions on what is appropriate and worth to achieve and according to that it’s impossible to BE the perfect role model.
    And believe it or not, human beings (even the teenagers) are able to think about the things they see and then decide if they wanna be like that or not – even if celebs have a big influence. What if kids and teens never get confronted with things like sex and alcohol and drugs and what not ever? Living in an all Disney world that’s cute and save? You can’t build an opinion about things and most likely you will try to fix that when you grow older. Banning things that seem “inappropriate” to us isn’t the right way. Teach your kids a responsible way to cope with things and encourage them to be critical to the things they see instead of just consuming what the media (or real life people) is telling us.

    1. Samaya says:

      A well thought out post. It’s true, even if people in the public eye have some responsibility, (which considering some people who are “famous” are portraying similar and worse things then Miley currently is) it falls to us to be able to sort positive role models from negative ones and form our own opinions of what our morals will be.

  190. Tess says:

    I agree with you Cassey. Miley has spun out of control and I feel like she’s forgotten where she came from and what her original goals were. Musically she basically did at 360. Her first album under her own name (Meet Miley Cyrus) was more country and it was easier to connect with the lyrics. ‘We Can’t Stop’ is basically the complete opposite. Do we really want our kids (if you have them now or in the future) listening to music related to drugs and underage sex? I know I wouldn’t. Some people have kept their roots close (look at Hilary Duff…she was a Disney star and look at her now! She’s happily married and has a 1 year old son. She didn’t turn out crazy like some!). Honestly she just needs to look in the mirror and ask what her younger self would think of her. Miley just needs to tone it down. She’s only 20, she doesn’t need to be acting that way with so many young kids idolizing her. Everyone grows up but I think she’s trying to show it too much. Btw Cassey you’re a great role model and you know we all appreciate what you do for us 🙂

  191. Jean says:

    Well said Cassey. It was a shocker to see her dance on a pedestal like that. True that she is growing, but I don’t think it was the modest way to show to the whole world given the fact that she has young girl followers. Being a celebrity, it is a given occupational hazard to being judged constantly. As a celebrity, there is an underlying social responsibility and at least compassion. She could have the decency to show these to her young girl followers rather than act out on stage and on cam.

    Perhaps parents too were surprised to see how a growing woman is acting on stage. She has a great body and for which I think most of her followers are trying to be like that too, and the same girls would probably think it is FINE to act and dress like that.

    This post may be a side track of the usual pilates community, but this is worth sharing as we also care for the well-being of one another. I take this post as not a ‘judgment’ post but rather an expression that as a person with influence, it is worth considering what VALUE their fans deserve.

  192. magdalen says:

    Thing is, what we’re witnessing isn’t some kind of rights of passage of an individual – there are people designing her outfits, choreographing her performances, writing her songs – this image is being cultivated deliberately, to what extent is Miley Cyrus a puppet having her string pulled? When you think about the people (dare I say, men?) behind the scenes, the influence it has on young girls is even more of a concern. It’s really not empowerment, is it?

  193. Dorothy says:

    I get what Miley’s trying to do. I don’t hate the girl, her Breakout album was my jam back in the day. Unfortunately, she seems to be going through what a lot of teenagers do, that rebellious phase where you do things out of spite, just to prove something. which makes her come across immature as ever. i’m not offended by her performance, i just think it was tacky and kinda embarrassing, not sexy nor fun at all imo. which is how i feel not only about the performance but the song and the video in general, so i wasn’t that surprised.

    and for the record, robin thicke is gross and his song is gross and i wish people didn’t focus only on miley when he’s just as much to blame for that mess (if not more tbh). everyone’s judging a young girl for trying too hard but not a grown man for being sexist and contribiuting to the rape culture. |:

    1. Hayley says:

      THANK YOU. Someone had to say it. How come a 20 year old girl is under so much scrutiny, while the married man (old enough to be her father) gets no negative whiplash? Sexist much? What she was doing was very erm.. explicit… but honestly, who hasn’t done something stupid between the ages of 17-21? She’ll look back on it in several years, if not sooner, and probably say, “Wow, that’s embarrassing.”

  194. kat says:

    Since I wanna work behind the scenes in the music industry I thought of this a lot.
    Most people, whether celebrity, their fans, or “normal”, don’t get that there should be a STAGE PERSONALITY and a human being behind that which have not that much to do with each other.
    Celebs often do the mistake to mix both up talking too much ’bout their private life and at the same complain about those clingy fans not leaving them alone with certain topics. I don’t blame the celebrities, they’re human. But I blame nosy people and the management which does apparently not have the brains to think which further consequences an action could have.
    You, Cassey, do that yourself and care what you say or do in public. But you kinda chose to be a role model.
    Long story short: famous people should be aware that they’re considered role models even if they didn’t want to, an draw a line between themselves and their famous alter ego.

    As in Miley’s case. She’s desperately trying to get rid of her girly image. It must be a lot of pressure growing up being the cute Disney star. The business is hard for adults, I can’t imagine how hard it must be for children who wanna just be normal children.
    Miley’s performance was awful and nothing good can come off this. Yeah, everyone is talkin about that now, but after the first wave she will be remembered slutty.
    I can’t understand how the involved people could let her act like that, I mean ugh, this performance was definitely something that does not belong on TV!
    But she isn’t the only one, all who grew up in the business some time turned this way and wanted desperately to be the sexy, scandalous and edgy one.
    Everyone of us has this time where one wants to rebel, but when famous they seem to think one have to try even harder.
    This makes me sick, because I do not think they act that scandalous on purpose like “yeah, I wanna do a soft porno at my VMA performance” but do not realise what it really is like to the crowd.

  195. P. says:

    I absolutely agree with you. If were talking about Miley then there has been scandal around her before, but now I think she has taken it too far. I would really want to know why did she change. It’s not only about the way she acts, but also about the fact that she lost quite a lot of weight and many girls seem to take her as a role model, saying that they’re so proud and what not, although Miley was never overweight, she looked very beautiful before.

  196. Alexandra says:

    I definitely agree with you. At first i wasnt paying any attention to her actions because I simply thought that she was just trying to get rid of the Hannah Montana reputation and “grow up”. But what she did at the VMAs really crossed the line. She was grinding into a married man with children on national TV and that was wrong. Very, very wrong. And I, as well as some celebrities at the show, lost every bit of respect that i had for her. If she was looking for attention – she got it. But for the cost of millions of peoples respect.

  197. Sonia says:

    I hadn’t seen the performance till now… and I felt sick. It made me feel bad for her, embarrased even. She could be a great artist and she’s making a joke of herself. She seems drunk or high on something with the movements she make… I don’t know… Why Miley? Why?

  198. Maja says:

    Well, I agree and disagree. It is inappropriate, but she’s changing and her life is her choice. It is not our business to question it. The issue, however, is that she used to be a child star, and most of her fans were young, impressionable girls. This new attitude does affect them, in a way.
    Still, her new image is something of her own-it’s how SHE chooses to represent herself. Celebrities are always in the public eye and growing up is difficult. (And, if some of you remember, Christina Aguilera also did this at one point and she was scorned as well, not for her music, but for the way she dressed.) I think that pop culture is also often demeaning to women in general. Men embrace their sexuality, and when women do, they’re considered ‘sluts’ and whatnot. Because boys can be ‘dogs’ and they can pick on girls, but girls can’t grow up with a realistic image of themselves? Yes, her behaviour is not something I’d call a healthy expression of sexuality, but honestly. This issue is about more than just Miley.

  199. Blessing says:

    Preach it! That would be terrible if you see little girls doing that. what about the elementary schoolers thwey would see it from their older siblings and following them . I feel bad for her dad. MILEY CYRUS SET A GOOD EXAMPLE FOR THE YOUNGER ONES!!

    1. Blessing says:

      not just the younger ones everybody

  200. Jas says:

    I completely agree that everyone, famous or not, should be aware of how they influence others. And avoid being a bad influence. But just remember how it was to grow up. It is almost like a game once you discover that you can influence people, in a good or bad way. And you experiment with it. The more you grow up, you learn to be responsible and that you can’t just do whatever you want and hurt other people. But everyone needs the chance to learn that.
    As a celebrity Miley is growing up in the spotlight with people watching her every step. I am not a celebrity, but I can imagine how hard that must be. I think her performance is provocative and not to my taste in any way. But who am I to judge a girl that is growing up under such conditions?
    And it’s not like Miley was the only one putting this show together. Adults plan the VMAs, adults that know how influential this event can be. Whoever approved this performance is certainly not being a role model. I wonder if they let their young daughters watch this performance and think it’s perfectly fine to behave/dress like this.
    I understand that you are shocked and I agree with you Cassie that celebrities, just like any other ‘normal’ person should try and be the best version of themselves and be responsible for their actions.
    But I also think that Miley is just going along with the sad trend that artists and musicians can only be successful and popular is they express themselves in a ‘crazy sexy offensive’ way.
    Would her video be as successful as it is without being provocative? I doubt it. And that’s sad, but that’s not Miley’s fault. It shows that there’s something seriously wrong with our society.

  201. Ramona says:

    They are certainly role models, I think that Miley just went a little too far with her “LOOK I’M REALLY GROWING UP, NO KIDDING!” routine. Take Taylor Swift, instead of going off the rails, she started to sing about more mature subjects and that way she became an adult to the audience. I’m not quite sure I would call Miley’s behaviour “adult behaviour”. While everyone has artistic freedom and whatnot, I think that when you set an example that might eventually hurt people you’ve gone too far as an artist. I think that every celebrity is very much aware of their influence, otherwise they wouldn’t support all those charities, or fashion brands and so they should be aware of any negative influence as well.

  202. Ky says:

    I agree with this but I think people are focusing on the wrong thing. Her performance was also RACIST. I care about this more than her dancing or her outfit.

    http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/anne-theriault-/miley-cyrus-vma-performance_b_3819177.html?utm_hp_ref=tw

  203. Lucy says:

    I am an avid reader of this blog and subscribe to the YouTube channel so I wasn’t spamming when I disagreed with your point of view, neither was I being nasty, but if you ask “do you agree or disagree with me” you should publish all the comments, not just the ones that agree with you.

  204. Marie says:

    Personnaly, I think : ahem Robin Thicke too : blurred lines of consent in sex? REALLY? “rip your ass in two”? REALLY?

    I read a post about this today : http://sexologist.tumblr.com/post/59399069155/a-sexologists-two-cents-on-the-2013-mtv-vmas

  205. Nina says:

    Well expressed! I also feel there’s a responsibility for Robin Thicke here, who’s always portraying the image of sexy yet faithfully married kind hearted man. Also, he’s the more mature one. We should all protect eachother instead of use eachother in some way or plainly not caring. Thanks for having the courage to speak up, Cassey!

  206. ingrid says:

    I think that stars should do whatever they want. Just because Miley does what she does doesn’t mean that her fans should do the same. I am a huge fan of Miley because of her music, just because i love her doesn’t mean i run around in my underwear and smoke and do the things she does. If you where blind you wouldn’t care. People shouldn’t be that affected by stars, they should be able to think for themselves. If Miley wants to dance naked on the VMAs thats good for her!

  207. Romana says:

    I heard a lot about miley cyrus these days and I read what she did on stage at the VMA Awards, but i didn’t saw it, till now. Honestly i’m shocked. It begins with twerking and singing about; trying to get a line in the bathroom. But who knows what comes next?!

    A lot of her girly fans can copy her, but a lot can also dislike her. It depends on how someone be influenced. I don’t judge her lifestyle, but I can see it’s not going to be on the right path if she continue with this additude. Personally I think that if Miley really cares about ALL her fans, then she could have thought about what kind of influence she have on them with her behavior like this. She is free to do what she wants to do, but as a human being you have to think about the consequenses your actions have, definitly when you’re in a position like Miley.

    Nobody can blame her if a young girl do the same and get bad reactions about it with bad consequenses, but she was the motivation to do it. So, in my opinion Miley should think about her actions and behavior and the influence she have on her fans. Because not everyone is the same and not everyone is strong enought to be themselves. Especially when they’re young like a lot of her fans.

    So agree with you cassey! 🙂

  208. Sinia says:

    You asks what’s up with Miley Cyrus these days? She’s trying to grow up and get rid of her girly Hanna-Montanna image. It’s more or less the same most of us did in our teen years (dressing slutty, trying to be provocative, showing that you’re a grown up); Miley’s problem is, that she is in the center of attention. So everyone watches and comments her steps.
    I do agree, that persons who are in the limelight should watch what they say and do (this goes not only for singers, but also for politicans…etc). Saying in public that anorexia is great and makes you look awesone isn’t the right thing. but beeing in the center of attention and beeing anorexic shouldn’t be reprehensive (also you never know what kind of pressure the people are under at the moment). I’m not sure if we should judge that poor girl for trying do develop. Also, what is the option? Should she keep going on with this cutie image until she’s like 30? Always keeping in mind, that some 12-year old might watch her videos?
    I actually think parents have a huge resposibility about what they kids are watching on TV and they also should teach them not to imitate everything they see on TV/hear in songs/see in movies. And at some point you should be old enough to judge for yourself.

  209. Heather says:

    Whereas I agree with you Cassey -on the majority of your blog entry- I do have to say you are blaming girls who “get hurt” if they choose to dress seductively or gyrate around the place. Victim blaming is not on, it allows men to view us as sexual objects, make us feel that the only way to get their attention is to do crazy stuff like Miley, and then we get blamed if we’re hurt because, well, we were thrusting a bit. If anything Miley is sending out a wrong message because she’s encouraging women to be objectified, and this is amplified by Robin Thicke- possibly one of the most sexist men in the music industry (who, coincidently, isn’t bashed by you for being a terrible role model for men or degrading women).

    Of course, I may be misinterpreting what you say, and if I have I apologise.

  210. Stina says:

    i agree, but what gets me the most is that miley is the same age as me. i couldnt imagine going out and exposing myself to the world for all men to fantasize about o.e just saying…

  211. Lucy says:

    I think this is actually really judgmental, she may be wearing revealing clothes and dancing provocatively but you never see her stumbling drunk out of clubs or having a different boyfriend every week like Taylor swift, she is engaged and happy. You talk about her wearing “barely there clothing” but I’m pretty sure I’ve seen your videos on YouTube where you are wearing a crop top and shorts, in fact I have been following this blog for a while and remember you posting pictures in your bikini for a bodybuilding competition.
    You say “we should use the power we have to make other people better people, happier people, healthier people too. I don’t see a point in using our influence to spread negativity.” But this whole article is being negative about celebrities, they dont have a duty to make us better people and I don’t think watching a video of Miley Cyrus twerking is going to affect people too much.

  212. Sabrina says:

    I used to love Miley and now when I see photos or her videos it makes me feel sick. I feel for her as she would have a lot of hate and pressure to do the right thing but I have heard people think her behaviour is “cool” or “funny”. This is not the way that young women should behave and represent themselves.

  213. Eugene says:

    I get what you’re saying, but I don’t see much relation between fitness celebs and showbiz or specifically music biz celebs. Fitness is positive creation. We all keep fit to better ourselves, we all eat right to keep ourselves healthy, build muscle or burn of fat. I see it as a positive expression and within that industry there is a positive culture among the people. We help motivate each other and keep each other motivated, always striving to be a better self. Though obviously there is the dark side of roids and cheating at high level sports.
    The entertainment and more specifically, the music industry on the other hand have many destructive facets. All the way since the 60s popular music, sex, alcohol and drugs have had an intertwined in a destructive relationship. Jim Morrison, drowned in his own puke, Jimi Hendrix OD, Janis Joplin OD, Elvis Presley OD! lately Amy Winehouse OD, Whitney Houston OD that guy from that plastic pop TV show Glee, OD Michael Jackson!! The list goes on and on and let’s not forget the amount of shagging that goes on behind the scenes.
    If you want to be talking about celebs being role models, I would cut out a BIG chunk. In fact when I have kids, I will most certainly be guiding them away from looking up to musicians and movie stars as role models. I find sports and fitness people to be much better role models for achievement than what any singer or musician could ever be. They achieve through harnessing their mind and body to achieve amazing physical feats. Music, meh, organized, synchronized noise by a bunch of people starving for attention.
    Back to the question, do they have the responsibility to be good role models? I feel that is their choice to make. We can help guide the people we care about away from the bad role models. But this world would be a very bland place if you didn’t have these Miley incidents. Look at Madonna, her early and late career is laced with explicit moments in her music, videos, books and shows. Yet, she is a role model for one of the most successful female singer/dancer/performer of her time. Kylie Minogue is another one to look at, she doesn’t dress in full opera robes when doing her shows. Then there’s Lady Gaga, whole new ball game, but on the side, she gives back to her people. Let’s also not forget that, the VMA approved what Miley did before hand, along with her agent, PR team, style team and whoever else is engaged in her career at the moment. Celebs are pre-designed these days. She has a PR and style team that made her into this product, because that is all that she is right now, that is all that anybody is in the entertainment industry, it’s corporate and she is the product of the rapacious industry looking to boost ratings. The problem isn’t her, its’ the industry. I good example of manipulation, coercion and complete perversion of an original person to product is the second episode of the first series of Black Mirror. If you haven’t seen it, I recommend you watch it.

  214. Alex says:

    You’re so right I totally agree! A lot of people are calling her a whore, and I like the way you put your opinion with reasons why you think she shouldn’t act that way instead of just calling her names

  215. francine says:

    Omg what is that! Poor girl, What happened to get? 🙁

  216. yas says:

    We make conscious choices as to who we look up to and emulate. I don’t like her music. I wasn’t impressed with her acting. However I was also shocked by the massive amount of slut shaming that’s hit the internet like a tsunami. Apparently she’s a crack whore now?! Who the hell does anyone think they are to judge her life choices? Sure, it was a Bad performance but instead of this massive victim shame slut shame campaign, maybe we should find better ways to utilize our time and resources. Just because she has chosen a more brazen path than you, doesn’t make her a slut or a crackhead or a whore, it just makes her a diffdifferent person than you. And if anyone is concerned about their daughter looking up to her, suck it up, have a sit down and talk to your kids about it!

  217. Jasmine says:

    I 100% AGREE with you! (Coming from a 16 year old) Especially about Miley, I think it is so unfortunate that Hollywood forces these changes apon teen stars constantly. I mean, now even look at the Jonas Brothers…the youngest of the band, Nick. What he is doing in an upcoming movie just makes me want to cry. His just falling into the Hollywood trap, just giving himself away. Just ask a question here: What will his kids think when his is a father someday? What is he going to tell them? The brothers have seemed soo well grounded overall these years in their main spotlight with parents who seem to have great intentions. I just didt get it.
    Thank you so much Cassey for your post! I think it is well needed for everyone.

  218. Sigrid says:

    Agree! And what’s up with her tongue? Also, that’s the weirdest dancing I’ve ever seen.

  219. Emma says:

    Your right, Cassey ! I’m French girl, and the French TV released this little video you posted in this topic. And when I saw Miley do things like this, behave like this, I was a bit shock … I was imagine what Miley’s fan (and mainly childrens and Young teen) think about her, because they grow up with her ! For somebody, she is the model of their childhood…
    Too bad she become like this, very provocative … Today, but where go the world ? In the drug, sex, guys and money, yourself. FORTUNETLY, the Cassey’s fan are good, YOU CAN trust on US !!!
    Vive les Popsters et Blogilates ! Enorme Bisous de la France <3

  220. Helena says:

    I don’t think that Miley’s performance was at all appropriate for the VMAs, but I think people should be just as concerned by Robin Thicke’s behaviour as Miley’s in that same performance. First of all, Blurred Lines is a disgusting song that I interpret as being pro-rape culture. Secondly, he’s a married man (not saying that if he was single that type of behaviour would be okay). He’s old enough to know better, and he shouldn’t be encouraging Miley. I think that soon Miley’s going to grow out of this type of behaviour, and she’ll be very embarrassed by the things she’s done. I’m not a Miley fan, I’m a Lady Gaga fan (and Gaga slayed at the VMAs, woohoo) and I think Gaga is a great role model. She’s helped me become more tolerant, more compassionate, and has helped me love myself. Celebrities are role models, and Miley’s not being a particularly good one at the moment… but she will grow out of it.

  221. Sophie says:

    I have to agree with you, Cassey! While it is true that maybe celebrities don’t consider themselves role models and that a lot of other people don’t either, the fact of the matter is that young people continue to look up to them. They look past their entertainment and admire their true qualities, or maybe the message of their songs or movies really speaks to them. Many young girls have been and still are fans of Miley. While she is free to do what she wants and to make decisions for herself, I know if I were a parent, I would want my daughter listening to her music any longer. Young girls should be taught about self-respect and the importance of loving yourself. Maybe Miley has the second part right, but her new songs, and that VMA performance, do not teach a girl how to respect themselves or gain the respect of others.

  222. Cass says:

    Honestly, she wasn’t dressed down anymore than Lady Gaga was by the end of her performance, I think it’s sad how people are so focused on slut shaming her while ignoring her obvious racism and culture appropriation. I mean seriously her outfit was no more offensive than wearing a bikini on the beach and I find it especially funny that people are more focused on her sexuality as opposed to shaming the 30-something married guy(Robin “I think I’m talented enough to sue Marvin Gaye” Thicke) who voluntarily returned the gyration favor but no she’s the one in the wrong as opposed to both of them sharing the blame because why? Because she’s the woman? Because of her attire?. In terms of sexuality I have no problem whatsoever with what she did and I don’t think it’s any worse than what we see in tv and advertisements everyday. The reason she looked like an absolute fool was her sad attempts at trying to fake something she will never be. Well, that and her godawful hairdo. Here’s one of the best comments I’ve seen about her performance because they put it more eloquently than I could have.

    “I don’t care about her body or booty or her Johnny Bravo pompadour. What gets me is her blatant racism, her lack of accountability,
    I’m mad that she aligns herself with hippity hoppity music despite having Shania Twain Tribute Band struggle vocals
    I’m mad that 5 years from now, delusional fans in Hollister polos will be calling her performance “everything” or whatever term du jour they snatch from colored folk, thus signaling the official downfall of western civ
    I’m mad that this is phase is associated with her youth. Think of the connotations of youth – inexperience, rowdiness, experimentation, how these terms must correlate to black folks for her, how her bastardized take on the black experience is just a humorous glitch in her career. She’ll reflect with friends, “remember when I pretended to be a Negro? I was so young and dumb back then,” over heirloom tomato salad
    Y’all realize that Miley is gonna grow up, right? She will grow a bob haircut and associate blackness with youth and foolery. She will “evolve” beyond the diminutive, trivial experience that she sees being black to be. And I don’t care about Miley specifically, but when I think about her destructive influence and impact, her fuckery inspires trife life in other white youth admirers, complicating the experiences and lifestyles of POC. Dehumanizing us in the most frightening way. If you think I’m being dramatic, you’re wrong.”

  223. Courtney says:

    OMG, I’M GOING TO SEE TAYLOR SATURDAY! Yes, i think celebrities should be role models. If they are willing to put themselves in positions of influence, then it is important to be a good example. And this doesn’t go for just celebrities, but everyone. It is possible to be yourself, but leave some things in the bedroom (ahem, miley).

  224. Marttinna says:

    I totally agree with you! That’s why I choose the music I listen to, people I take as role models and people I take as friends carefully. Demi Lovato, P!nk, Macklemore and you are my role models. Why I like the four of you? Demi has gone through a hard time when cutting and etc., but went to treatment and now she’s a positive and literally awesome person. She even spent her birthday in Africa, building a school. P!nk is a rebel, but in a good way. Macklemore supports everything he likes and stands for it, he is always true to himself. And you are the most positive person ever. And you also help others, and teach them to better, not only in a physical way, but also make them better people, humans. And the answer to your question lays in my conclusion. All my role models change me in a good way. You and Macklemore I descovered this year, but both of you made me braver to be myself and do what I want, to stand up for what I believe in, to be positive, to love myself, to be a better person. If Miley or some other rappers were my role models, now, as I’m 15 years old, would probably get laid every day, stick my tongue outside all the time, twerk the boys I know, get high every day and say “nigga” after every word. But no, because of you, I’m a better person. Thank you, by the way. 🙂

  225. Lori- O says:

    I must say, as a sidenote, I am shocked at the loving supportive blogilates community being so judgmental of an individual like this. Just because you do not necessarily agree with someone’s life style, development and choices is no reason to throw around judgment.

    1. Christina says:

      “I must say, as a sidenote, I am shocked at the loving supportive blogilates community being so judgmental of an individual like this. Just because you do not necessarily agree with someone’s life style, development and choices is no reason to throw around judgment.”

      Totally agree.

      I love you Cassey to pieces, by the way.

      Live and let live. In the end, her life and her performance has very little to do with any of us. If you don’t like it, don’t look at it.

      As for the kids, we cannot shield them from an X-rated world. The world is not PG-13.

      🙂

  226. Michie says:

    I definitely agree with the whole community idea and what celebrities should be doing. Our culture is very much into sex and aggression (just look at our movies, for example) and combine that with our emphasis on independence, it’s not surprising that Miley acts the way she does. However, as you’ve mentioned, I think she should aspire to be someone even greater. No more of this child-like attitude she has. We can’t really know why she acts the way she does though.

    Personally, I sometimes have problems listening to pop songs. While they are catchy and good workout music, some of the lyrics just completely make me cringe. What you hear and see, overtime, will affect the way you think and act whether you realize it or not.

    Our culture won’t really change and people too, but we can change how we react through careful examination of what is truly the best way to follow.

  227. Dinnie says:

    i seriously do not get what is with Miley these days…..what is she trying to prove? that she is capable of trashy and inappropriate perversion in front of the public eye? i think she has a real problem trying to break out of her ‘innocent and younger’ side…someone should tell her there’s a better way to go about it….when we really grow up, mentally and physically, we really dont have to prove it to anyone, it just shows…she’s still a little too young for such raunchiness, and it will definitely have an effect on her fanbase, who are also still young girls. Let’s hope they’re wiser and not follow in her footsteps…sad really, how she doesnt realize how much of an influence she is on her fans….if i had young children, i certainly wouldnt want them to see this type of thing for entertainment… its the things we see and hear everyday that accounts for a lot of our mindset and behaviour…..

  228. Viviana says:

    Totally agree! I get it she wants to grow out of her Hannah Montana years, nothing wrong with that…but the line between edgy and trashy has definitely been crossed here! It made me uncomfortable to watch…I am not a prude and I watch a lot of raunchy/intense shows like Girls, or Dexter, or True Blood, but this…well this was just so bad! Why, why nobody told them it was just NOT a good idea??? I mean they must have rehearsed this before the show, right? Anyways, like someone mentioned it is our responsibility to distinguish between what we feel is appropriate and what is not, unfortunately a lot kids out there don’t have anybody to sit down with them who will explain the difference…they will end up thinking that it’s totally fine to do lines in the bathroom and gyrating into an old man’s crotch 🙁

    You keep up the good work, Cassey <3

  229. Ann says:

    I totally agree with you, Cassey! A very gold post! Even if we think celebs are no role models we are still somehow influenced by them. And i think that it isn’t ok what Miley did! It’s over the top and i think she tries to hard to be a “bad” girl. BUT i also think all the hatte on her in twitter and facebook is also not good! Yes, she made a mistake but hating on her is worse in my opinion.

  230. Rosa says:

    Hi Cassey,
    Nice article you wrote! I completely agree with you. Famous people are often seen as role models, and when assuming that position they should be completely aware of their influence, especially on younger people.
    I have to say that I never saw a famous person as my role model, and I don’t think I was influenced by them at all, it just didn’t interest me. I’m from Europe and I think that the way we look at famous people is completely different than one does in the USA. It seems to me that in the USA these people are often put on pedestal and are seen as THE examples for success.
    I think you are doing a great job in appreciating how important you are to many of us, and that you give the best example you could give, thank you so much for that! Your videos are great, and I love your posts.
    Keep up the good work!

  231. Lori- O says:

    Honestly? While I would not personally do as Miley did, it is absolutely her right to be who she is, no matter that she is in the public eye. She was a child star: so? The real question is should celebrities have to alter their personalities to accommodate people who may or may not look up to them? I think it is very unfair to rob people of their own lives because of our expectations of them. In the end a girl should be able to look and see what celebrities are doing and recognize if they like it or not. If they do, good for them. If they don’t, they can always choose another person as a role model. We choose our role models and mentors based on what we as individuals want to be like. The celebrities did not choose to alter their entire lives to be a role model, they simply made a career.

    1. Shirley says:

      Although I started off agreeing with Cassey, I find that your comment is another good way to look at things. We should all keep in mind that she is a person, trying to find herself, grow up, metamorphose – which is a tough place to be at. I don’t agree with her actions and I would definitely not choose to admire her or follow her lead. That’s my choice. Hers is to be able to shape her life the way she wants.

      Yes, she does have impressionable minds to think of and should make an effort whenever she can to act towards that. But I would like to think that based on the values they grew up on, and their closer surroundings, these kids will know who to look up to. Just a thought

  232. Kesh says:

    exactly my sentiment! I am for the whole “i do what I want to” attitude but for some reason Miley seems a bit off to me. Lets aspire to be better people. I dont think she is doing this. She wants to be noticed by going crazy. :/

  233. Layla says:

    I agree with you, Cassey. I really liked how you wrote this article and I believe that anyone can do anything as long as it doesn’t hurt anybody (and it’s legal). But, as you said, famous people are different. They should be conscious of their actions and shouldn’t do degrading things, especially in front of a camera.

    You are my role and you’ve taught me so many beautiful things, like being happy, taking care of my body, mind & soul, and making a positive contribution to the world.

    Thank you, Cassey!

  234. Sarah says:

    It’s unbelievable to me just how gender-biased the response to that performance has been, and it’s even more unbelievable to me to see that carried over to Blogilates. “I can tell you that it will attract the wrong attention. And when that happens, it is possible for these girls to get hurt.” That sounds an awful lot like victim blaming, which is absolutely unacceptable under any circumstances. Women do not ask or deserve to be mistreated or preyed upon in any way based on their clothes or their “who the eff cares” attitudes. It is the responsibility of men (and the rest of society) to understand that there are boundaries and that no matter how sexual a woman’s attitude may seem, it is never an invitation for harm or a substitute for explicit, verbal consent. Maybe we should be asking why Robin Thicke thought it was acceptable to perform a blatantly misogynistic song while rubbing up on a much younger woman? I would recommend taking a look at this concise and brilliant take on the performance: http://sexologist.tumblr.com/post/59399069155/a-sexologists-two-cents-on-the-2013-mtv-vmas

    And then, as a person with a responsibility to be a role model, please think twice before posting something that (albeit unknowingly) is a further propagation of the “rape culture” that is unfortunately still prevalent in all aspects of society, including the entertainment industry.

    1. Kesh says:

      Totally an overreaction. I am a feminist myself. I see Cassey’s point.

    2. Completely agree with you, Sarah.

      1. Blaire says:

        Agreed!

        I love Cassey, Blogilates, and the community, but I felt offended by this post. It is so unfortunate that this post correspondes with the majority of responses the performace in perpetuating slut shaming towards a young woman. Yes, Miley Cyrus is in the spotlight, but she (and every other individual in the world) still has every right to do what she wants to with her body, including being a sexual being and twerking on stage.

    3. TaylorSwifty says:

      I agree with you to the extent that Robin Thicke hasn’t been criticized enough for his role in this performance, nor his music video or the statement he made in an interview that it is a “pleasure to degrade women”, however, I have to agree with a majority of the post that many young girls will follow Miley’s path without knowing what they are actually doing except imitating; “getting hurt” can mean psychologically as well or making decisions that might ultimately lead to more harm than good (drugs, alcoholism, etc.). Victim blaming is not okay in any circumstance, and I too felt that way when reading that, but you have to also take into account that her post refers to young girls who are still too young enough to make decisions on their own

    4. Emily says:

      Well said- this comment should be shared across the world.

      Furthermore, I feel the criticism criticism she is getting is disproportionate to what other performers would get for doing the same thing (for example, Rihanna maybe)

    5. C. says:

      THANK YOU. Seriously, this is why this post got on my nerves…

      Yes, responsibility, blahblah. But only the women. Let’s just completely forget about that awful song that Robin Thicke has created in the first place…

    6. Marketa says:

      Really disappointed too that the perpetuation of slut-shaming and misogyny is present in Cassey/Blogilates.

      It’s more than just Miley being a “bad role model.” It’s the structure of women being shamed for being liberal with their bodies. Read up on sociological gender roles and feminism. This is why girls are being blamed for being rape victims, because apparently dressing scantily is “asking for it.”

      Cassey I really like you. But I hope you read about the concept of INTERNALIZED MISOGYNY before posting things that are implicitly judgmental without the knowledge of the social and political structure surrounding it.

    7. Jenny says:

      I’m a feminist, but I disagree with you on SOME points. First of all, when Cassey said that young girls might be hurt and that they’ll receive the wrong kind of attention, I didn’t take that to refer to rape at all. When I was in my teens and early 20s, I experienced unstable periods during an illness that I have, and I dressed inappropriately and acted inappropriately. I encouraged sexual attention from men, even older men, even though I didn’t want to have sex with any of them except for one. Acting in an overtly sexual manner and dressing in an overtly sexual way DOES garner the wrong kind of attention because you’re presenting the message that you’re a whore, whether or not you are. (To put it bluntly.) As I said, I got the wrong attention from men, and originally enjoyed it – but when I came to realize that they only liked me for my body and my appearance, and didn’t like me as a person – that hurt. A lot. It hurt my self esteem, it hurt my heart. It made me feel worthless.

      THAT’S what I think Cassey meant.

      In addition to that, while men do have responsibility for their actions, we as women also have the responsibility to respect the fact that men – even married men – are visual and will struggle with lust if we dress inappropriately – and even more than that, in my opinion, we have the responsibility to respect the fact that the wives and girlfriends of men will be very hurt if their husbands or boyfriends lust after us because we’re dressed inappropriately. Something that is far more important than expressing oneself by being inappropriate, is acting respectfully to the people around us who can be hurt by our actions.

      1. Chrissy says:

        I’m sorry, I can’t believe any feminist would actually type the words, “we as women also have the responsibility to respect the fact that men – even married men – are visual and will struggle with lust if we dress inappropriately” Uhm, no. I’m talking about regular women here, not Miley, but it is NOT our RESPONSIBILITY to cover ourselves up to avoid men lusting after us. Men should be able to CONTROL THEMSELVES. This is literally textbook victim blaming. If men cannot control their urges around attractive women, THEY are the ones who should tailor their behavior, not women.

        Also, “DOES garner the wrong kind of attention because you’re presenting the message that you’re a whore, whether or not you are.” …I just can’t even. This is so shameful and judgmental. I thought Cassey’s post was supposed to be about NOT judging each other! This is ridiculous.

      2. Sarah says:

        Every woman has the right to be treated with respect regardless of how she dresses and how observers interpret that. Until that is the practice, women will not be equal in society.

    8. TD says:

      My problem with Miley’s performance isn’t that she was being sexual so much as she was being embarrassing. Many before her have danced very provocatively on stage, but Miley’s dancing was just ridiculous. She looked like an idiot. I thought the whole thing with Robin Thicke was, again, embarrassing in the foreplay-vibe it had, and I most definitely do blame him for that as I find “Blurred Lines” to be very offensive.

      As to the “it is possible for these girls to get hurt” line… Watching Miley’s performance and her antics lately, my concern for her has nothing to do with her sexuality and everything to do with her drug use. I’ve known so many people that age who did drugs regularly and eventually ended up in rehab, kicked out of school, alone and sickly, or dead (in the case of two people I knew). If I worry for her and her fans, it’s in THAT regard. She clearly glorifies drug use, and makes it seem like it’s just a good time. I guess that’s what I assumed Cassey meant with that line because that’s where my concerns are.

    9. AS says:

      Agreed. If you see Robin Thicke’s video for this, it’s extremely sexist and rapey, as are the horrible lyrics…all about a ‘no’ being really a ‘yes.’ And yet the media is slamming Miley and not saying a word about him and his misogynist (at best) song and performance…a fully clothed man and almost naked woman (in both the VMA performance and his video). Typical of the media to skewer the woman in this situation and saying nothing about the man. What about his responsibility as a role model to men in a culture where rape and sexism is so prevalent?

    10. Lilyz says:

      I disagree with you Sarah, if you have not noticed our society is messed up with people that is capable of doing anything therefore we as a women must be smart and learn to protect ourselves, I mean anything can happen even when you say “It is the responsibility of men (and the rest of society) to understand that there are boundaries and that no matter how sexual a woman’s attitude may seem” not every man in this world is going to go by this rule and it is beyond our control, its going to happen, you’re right nobody asked to be mistreated and preyed but you can’t guarantee can you? there is always going to be a psycho raping a women whether you like it or not and you have to accept the fact that this is the dangerous society we live in, we cannot predict what is going to happen to us, its like you can’t stop people from robbing a house so its your responsibility to act. The point that cassey is trying to make is that women is more physically vulnerable compared to men and dressing inappropriately will most LIKELY to cause unwanted attention, she just giving us a heads up, whats wrong with that? don’t tell me that if you dressed half naked you don’t expect anything at all including being judged, sure I mean girls can dress like a slut but just so you know troubles heading you way, its just that a warning has been made.

  235. Meg says:

    I 100% agree Cassey! I wish that everyone shared the same ideas as you x

  236. Cassey, I totally agree with what you wrote. The line: “We should use the power we have to make other people better people” is absolutely true. I believe that celebrities have great power to influence millions, and what Miley did is showing the negative side of that. However, I also believe that it is OUR responsibility to distinguish what is tactful for ourselves. We can look at this and decide for ourselves if it’s something we’d like to imitate. On the same note, parents should sit down with their children or teens and talk about how this is not the kind of behavior that makes a beautiful young woman. The unfortunate thing is that there are many young impressionable girls without guidance seeking for it in the wrong places. My point is, if we have the power to use this as a teaching tool, we absolutely should. You are a prime example of turning this sad situation into a positive! And you, yourself, are a beautiful role model for thousands of girls and women, Cassey. Thanks for all that you do.

    ♡ Natalie of LIVE TEACH ALASKA

  237. Cassey, I totally agree with what you wrote. The line: “We should use the power we have to make other people better people” is absolutely true. I believe that celebrities have great power to influence millions, and what Miley did is showing the negative side of that. However, I also believe that it is OUR responsibility to distinguish what is tactful for ourselves. We can look at this and decide for ourselves if it’s something we’d like to imitate. On the same note, parents should sit down with their children or teens and talk about how this is not the kind of behavior that makes a beautiful young woman. The unfortunate thing is that there are many young impressionable girls without guidance seeking for it in the wrong places. My point is, if we have the power to use this as a teaching tool, we absolutely should. You are a prime example of turning this sad situation into a positive! And you, yourself, are a beautiful role model for thousands of girls and women, Cassey. Thanks for all that you do.

    ♡ Natalie of LIVE TEACH ALASKA

  238. vanessa underwood says:

    I totally agree if we want positve changes in todays society and celebs are the role models then miley needs to potray a better example of herself espcially for all the girls that look up to her. That’s my opinion here.

  239. Oshin says:

    Absolutely loved your ideas 😀 thank you for sharing them !

  240. Mona says:

    I agree with you Cassie. Some celebs have no idea what power they have in their hands, power of influence. Our behavior should be a manifestation of our personality and believes and for me Miley’s really confused. She seems to be lost not being Hannah Montana and tries too hard to be cool. She seems to not care about what people say about her, as long as it brings her fame. But you know what intrigues me the most: what Miley’s parents think about her behavior. Because if they’re okay with that, they failed at parenting.

  241. icebergslym says:

    I think you’re definitely under the influence of your models as a teen, but all won’t copy every moves I think it’s more on the way you feel, you identify yourself and it often results on the way you dress, and think. But if we put things into perspective we find the limit between reality and what is shown to us.

    We need role models at that time of our life when most of the people are looking for themselves.

  242. Sarah Rainwater says:

    I agree with you! This is coming from a fan of “dark” artists such as AFI and Marilyn Manson. It’s all in who you’re marketing to. Unfortunately, Miley was a child star. She can’t erase that for millions of young girls. It’s unfair to her, but that’s the way it works. Even if she wanted to be edgier, she could at least do it a little classier. She just looked trashy on that stage. Nobody should aspire to that.

  243. I don’t consider any celebrities, whether they be singers, actors or actual models to be role models; they’re entertainment. Celebrities are used to sell us things, whereas role models are doing good for the greater community.

  244. ellen says:

    Well, I think they should be held responsible in a way. Not everyone gets the chance to be a role model or even come close to being named a role model. Nobody’s perfect. We all screw up. But sometimes we have to consider the fact that it’s unfair for celebrities to be punished any harder (tabloids, scandals or whatever) than us when we make mistakes too.

    Good night Cassie!