Selena Gomez and Miley Cyrus can be considered two of the most famous Disney stars since it was Disney who started their careers. Children around the world adored Alex Russo and Miley Stewart. But what happened when these two separated from the Disney world? Well, the mainstream world hit them and they found themselves lost in the clutter of teenage superstars.
In order to set themselves apart, they fell under the pressure and had to take advantage of the midriff. As Merchants of Cool defines the midriff, as a "collection of sexual clichés repackaged as female empowerment." The midriff encourages females to flaunt their sexuality and relays the message that a woman's body is her most important asset. There is no problem with Disney stars growing up and changing their appearance because that's their own choice, but it becomes a problem when advertisers take advantage of the stars' influential position.
Selena Gomez and Miley Cyrus have moved on to become individuals who don't rely on Disney, but young girls continue to idolize them. And by young, I mean young (like middle school.) And it's not just Disney either. Even singers like Taylor Swift have collected a massive fan base of teenage girls that completely idolize her. However, when there are so many other similar aged and appearance celebrities in the industry, there needs to be a way to break through the clutter. These superstar celebrities slowly alter their appearance in accordance to whatever is "hip" or "cool, in the case of today, revealing clothing. But simultaneously, they need to stand out from the mainstream as well. For example, if the mainstream is revealing clothing, stars need to be the most revealing to be the stand out in the crowd. Consequently, when young girls see their idols wearing revealing clothing, they are compelled to do the same. Young girls will buy similar clothing to look as cool as their idols because they are perfect and children totally aspire to be them. Plus, since they're superstar celebrities, of course they'll know what's cool and what's not!
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| Taylor Swift 2006 |
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| Taylor Swift 2016 |
We used to see Disney stars mature AFTER they leave Disney, but the midriff has even affected current stars. For example, Shake It Up is still airing on Disney Channel, and Zendaya and Bella Thorne are definitely idolized by young girls. In my opinion, Zendaya is probably one of the most empowered female in the Hollywood industry. But even at some points, is it questionable whether or not the midriff is getting to her as well. This reflects the main problem of the midriff. Are the revealing clothing a choice of female empowerment, or is it just a technique of the advertisers?
I completely agree with you. When I was little, I used to look up to Miley Cyrus because I loved to sing, and she seemed like the perfect role model at the time. She was so innocent and respectful towards her friends and family, but once her TV show ended, and she followed music, she completely changed. The same thing happened with Justin Beiber, not on Disney, but he was once so adorable and down to earth, and now he's going a little crazy. I think this is the case because they never get a moment out of the spotlight. They were our age once too, but they never got a normal childhood where they could make a few mistakes and get over it without the whole world knowing it. They have just completely lost their privacy and with it, I think they've lost themselves. Do you think that if they wouldn't have been exposed to so much media, they would've turned out differently?
ReplyDeleteI honestly don't think the exposure of media completely changed Miley Cyrus and Justin Bieber, or any stars at all. Especially with Miley Cyrus, she does whatever she pleases, without caring what the media has to say about it. In my opinion, the stars most likely would have turned out to be similar, if not the same as they are today. The only difference between them and the average young adult is their wrong-doings are made public, rather than staying hidden. The big issue for me is corporations taking advantage of these stars' "craziness" (as you put it) to sell their products. They are the ones taking advantage of their celebrity status and influential image to benefit themselves.
DeleteIt's interesting that you bring up Zendaya, because she has become a major role model for teens today. It's not like I hate her or anything, but I definitely think people ignore the fact she has slowly fused herself into this "midriff" but has created a façade of woman empowerment.
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