I hate to jump on the Miley Cyrus, ratchet
culture, commodification-of-the-marginalized-life bandwagon just as it
seems that the flurry of posts and articles has died down. But I’m
diving in. I’m putting my two cents down because I think the
conversation that unfolded in the media is missing an essential point
that has an impact on all of us.
What Miley
did at the MTV Video Music Awards last week became such a spectacle not
only because it was thought to be out of character, not even because it
was not done particularly well, but it was this past week’s media circus
because it pointed out how we as human beings—despite race, class,
gender, and sexuality divides—are all more alike than we are different. A country darling turned Disney princess is attracted to and expressing herself within a ratchet culture image? How dare she break through those rigid identity camps!
-M
