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Billy Ray Cyrus Approves of His Daughter’s Pole Dancing
A few weeks after Miley Cyrus performed a now notorious pole dance during the 2009 Teen Choice Awards, her father has weighed in on the flood of negative reactions to the dance. According to Billy Ray Cyrus, Miley was just doing what she loves: entertaining.
Admittedly, the ‘pole dance’ wasn’t so much a dance as it was a shimmy. (In case you were lucky enough to miss the 2009 Teen Choice Awards, you can check out a video of Miley’s performance below.) But seeing it performed by a 16-year-old in tiny shorts and heels during a show whose main viewers were undoubtedly tween girls–for whom Hannah Montana is ostensibly a role model–does not exactly make one feel stellar about the messages pop culture sends young girls.
The thing that gets me is that she performed the dance on an ice cream truck with a pole attached to it. Using a classic symbol of innocence and childhood for an unarguably sexual stunt is both calculating (it’s okay; I’m still a kid!) and disturbing (kids can be sexy, too!). But I’m certainly not faulting Cyrus for the act, since she is, after all, just a kid.
Which is exactly why it disturbs me that her caretakers seem none too bothered by Miley’s blatant displays of sexual provocation.
Billy Ray Cyrus told Access Hollywood, “You know what? I just think that Miley loves entertaining people. She loves singing [and] songwriting. I always tell her to love what you’re doing and stay focused for the love of the art and not worry so much about opinion.”
Taken out of context, his remarks seem like great parental advice: do what you love and don’t worry about being judged by others.
But as Salon points out, what Miley Cyrus apparently loves to do–or at least what she knows will “entertain” others–is not exactly the surest path to happiness for young women. As Tracy Clark-Flory puts it, “Looks like her managers are following the Britney Spears sexy-virgin path to success — or self-destruction, depending on your perspective.”
If Miley is really doing this for the music, she doesn’t need the pole or the stilettos.
Photo: Jezebel
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8 Comments
Eric commented on Aug 24 09 at 5:00 pmGirls her age, especially beautiful girls her age, are frequently enamoured with their new found ‘powers’ of seduction. There are a lot of women readers here, I bet you remember when guys started noticing you. Now imagine that you’re free to not just wear heels and too-short shorts to the local mall, but rather on stage at a nationally televised awards show. What Miley needs is a dad who is willing to tell her ‘Darlin, you’ll get a lot of attention for what you’re doing, but trust me in the long run its not the kind of attention you want.’
Rebecca, Founder and CEO of iTwixie.com commented on Aug 26 09 at 8:28 pmComments We need to show girls how to be noticed for all the amazing things about them that make them character-rich. A pole-dancing role model is not what our girls need. Nor one that they want. Girls of that tender age are just discovering who they are and wondering about all the feelings they are experiencing, but they are far from able to identify with the sexuality that we, as a society, impose upon them. They are girls. Full of possibility. Amazing. Smart and savvy. Girls.
Esther commented on Aug 30 09 at 10:37 pmI would hardly call this a “pole dance”. She merely used the “pole” as a dancing prop-much like a chair, cane or even another dancer. I did not see any twirling, spinning or dancing-nor removal of clothing. You would probably see a similar “shimmy” at any hip-hop dance recital nationwide by girls of even younger ages. As a life-long participant and fan of dance (as well as mother of 2 kids), folks need to stop being so judgemental of other people’s kids. Aren’t we the nation that bred little Jon Benet’s and kiddie beauty contests? We are a hypocritical nation that tarts up our very young and condemns burgeoning appeal of adolescent girls (unless they are 18 and ok for “Girls gone Wild”). Leavy Miley alone–until she commits some offense more serious than being young, attractive and popular.
Ri-chan commented on Sep 15 09 at 7:47 amHannah Montana is a role model (mind you not one of whom I approve, she needs to branch out if she wants to continue acting, and 16 is not that young to be exploring your sexuality a little, what she did was relativly mild for an actress her age. And besides, the show is fictional, that’s where the kids should be getting their role model from, not the actual real-life person, because she needs have a life. No one got mad when Harry Potter’s Daniel Radcliff played in Equaines(sp???) in which he appeared totally naked(I think) and in love with a horse, and he’s supposed to be a role model too. What, boys can be naked but girls can’t even wear shorts? Double standards? (Those last two sentences were a joke btw, just in case anyone decides to overreact.)
Ri-chan commented on Sep 15 09 at 7:49 amAnd anyway, Americans need to get over their sex obbsession. It’s good, it’s natural, and it’s not a big deal.
Melinda commented on Feb 18 11 at 4:03 amDoes anyone really think the “pole dance” thing was her idea? It is sad that a 17 year old girl would be so criticized over a script that she didn’t write and a performance that she probably had very little artistic input or control over. I think the stupid writers and producers are the only ones to blame for that bone head move. Now my nine year old thinks dancing around a pole is fun too!$@&? But, that’s not Miley’s fault. It is the adults who write, produce, air and cast this crap!
Heather commented on Jun 12 11 at 9:08 amand this is supposed to be our role model for our little girls
Jon Doe commented on Aug 11 11 at 1:31 pmI can just see it now. Miley Cyrus preformin in a strip club.
@Melinda:
I dont know if you know this but there is a word in the english language that could have stopped this discusting behavior most parents know it but choose not to use it. Its easy to remember its a short 2 letter word they could have said “no”.@Heather:
Yes exactaly thats why I refuse to let my daughter watch her and have raised her that she is tacky. When she was 2 every time she saw Mileys face she would always say “look tacky”.
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