14 DAY TRIAL // At the Teen Choice Awards 2009, Disney star Miley Cyrus performed “Party in the USA,” together with a crew of dancers and props like an ice cream pushcart and a glittery trailer. On the pushcart, there was a pole that the singer grabbed onto as one of her dancers were pushing her around the stage, which has prompted angry parent groups and media representatives to cry outrage at the indecency of the dance routine, as the Los Angeles Times can confirm.
Miley spent very little time on the pushcart and it might very well be, as many of her fans have suggested in the time lapsed since the performance, that she only used the pole for balance. Others, though, are not that convinced, and they’re asking themselves whether Cyrus is trying to make a transition from her good girl, young, Disney sweetheart image to a more mature one, despite being only 16 years old. This theory would seem to hold water especially since Miley reportedly thought of the routine with her father’s help, who even sat through rehearsals and saw nothing wrong with it.
“If you want to be 16 and edgy and shake off the mouse glove with which you are handled, yeah, that’s one way to do it.” Jessica Hopper, a music and culture critic, says for the LA Times. Hopper also stresses that Miley Cyrus is no longer competing with other stars of her age (the likes of Taylor Swift and the Jonas Brothers, both having embraced a squeaky clean, almost romantic image), but also with performers who are perhaps much older than her, like Beyonce, Fergie and Rihanna. In this perspective, the routine would make sense, Hopper believes.
“While most adults look at her in the context of Disney and tween stars, her fan base just looks at her in the context of she’s the biggest star in the galaxy for them. Put this in the context of her being a pop star, it doesn’t matter how short her short shorts are.” Hopper adds. What still matters though is that the audience of the Teen Choice Awards is mostly under 18 and many concerned parents believe Miley’s performance was more than out of line considering this.
“She’s entitled to grow up.” Gwen Billings, editor for a publication that covers children and entertainment, says for the LA Times. Still, no matter what Miley wants, a responsible adult – her father, in this case – should pay close attention some boundaries aren’t crossed. “Some do it more gracefully than others. It’s really hard to know who’s making those decisions. I can’t imagine something like this [performance] gets all the way to the stage because a teenager says this is something I want to do. Somebody’s got to provide the pole.” Billings goes on to say.