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Miley Cyrus Is The Wrong Kind Of Sexy In Elle

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JudastheObscurest
07/10/09

In reply to Miley Cyrus Is The Wrong Kind Of Sexy In Elle
So she's 'embracing her sexuality.' I frankly don't know what that means (maybe as a straight male we cannot relate) but there are social ramifications. There is pleasure in looking, and it is often an end to itself. When something is pleasing to the eyes sometimes there isn't a desire to cross the barrier into anything more. The images of her in sexually provocative poses are extremely pleasing to the eye. She is young and pretty and is presenting her body in a way that while not being especially revealing is heavily coded to say "look at me as a sex object." She is granting visual pleasure; fine. And that may well be a natural part of "embracing her sexuality" but she cannot escape the fact that it looks "slutty." And there is a moral judgement there. It is not slutty because it's revealing, but because of the attitude of self-objectification on a mass, public scale.
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GeorgeFayne
07/10/09

@JudastheObscurest: You're using "slutty" like it's an objective term, and it simply isn't.
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JudastheObscurest
07/10/09

@GeorgeFayne: That is true, but sexuality is a social interaction. We feel sexy when we imagine that others would look at us and find us attractive (often this process is entirely internalized but it's still predicated on a social interaction). Anyone would be hard pressed to argue that she didn't know that those outfits and images would appeal to the visual pleasure of a large chunk of the population. If we assume (and it's an assumption I'm comfortable making) that she assumed thigh high boots would send a very specific visual message (almost a code) to a large majority of gazers, then the issue of "objectivity" is meaningless. Is it subjective? Yes. Are there patterns? Yes. Can patterns be inferred? Yes. Can the response be guessed? Yes.
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Blueberry26
07/10/09

@JudastheObscurest: You're right that as a straight male developing your sexuality as you grew up was probably completely different from women and gay men - and of course there are major differences between straight women and the gay community. Because society so often considers being attractive and sexy to be one of the most important things for women, but being too sexual (especially as a teen, although she's not that young anymore) = slutty, it can be a virtual minefield trying to find the right balance between expressing your sexuality and embracing a new "grown up" body type, and self-objectification. I started developing early. I remember being twelve and having older guys staring at me. Even though I had boobs and hips, I still looked twelve, trust me. I didn't like wearing bras, though I needed to, and I didn't know how to hold myself. I liked wearing short shorts and tank tops because all my friends did, but that just led to more staring. I know some people said I was dressing "too sexy", but I was really just struggling between still being a kid and having a "woman's body". And I think a lot of women go through this, at some point. It's a lose-lose for her. She really isn't a kid anymore, but you could hardly call her a woman.

So I she objectifying herself in these photos? Yeah. But do older women do this all the time and not get called out on it like she is? You bet.
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JudastheObscurest
07/10/09

@Blueberry26: I hear what you are saying and I agree that it likely is a lose-lose situation because what is natural for her psychological and in terms of body image may be destructive or demeaning socially. And I'd broaden (and expose myself a little) to say that when an adult objectifies herself in such a would judge him/her as well. It's hard to maintain respect for her (not that it matters much), but again more broadly, in my own life, it's very hard to maintain respect and a human understanding for people who feel the need to objectify themselves. I understand that it's lose-lose and quite natural, and it's fundamentally lose-lose for many different reasons.

And just as society denies children the right to drink, and smoke because they are deemed not ready to make those destructive decisions, there is a certain pang of discomfort when a minor does this in so public a fashion.
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Edited by JudastheObscurest at 07/10/09 12:10 PM JudastheObscurest was starred

inabook
07/10/09

In reply to Miley Cyrus Is The Wrong Kind Of Sexy In Elle
the "why she's not a kid anymore" line makes me think of The Little Mermaid, when Ariele shouts "I'm 16, I'm not a child anymore!" before going and doing stupid things that show that, uh, she is.
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sciencerules
07/10/09

In reply to Miley Cyrus Is The Wrong Kind Of Sexy In Elle
So in order to avoid being the "wrong kind of sexy," I am wearing the following outfit on a date with my boyfriend tonight:

Black leather catsuit: classic
Apron: gotta remind him I'm one of those cooking wimmenz
Glasses and bun: for the sexy librarian look
Schoolgirl outfit
High-ass fuck me heels
Lab coat: doctors are sexy, right?
Fireman's hose: similar
Maybe just a giant tentacle?

This outfit cannot fail.
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JennaW
07/10/09

@sciencerules: Well, the foreplay striptease will certainly be... lengthy.
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cate3710
07/10/09

@JennaW: She has a distinct advantage if they decide to play strip poker.
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Vivelafat says Sweep the leg, Johnny.
07/10/09

@sciencerules: Don't forget a light saber. Men love chics who like Star Wars.
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sciencerules
07/10/09

@Vivelafat says Sweep the leg, Johnny.: Duly noted. I'll add a lightsaber and some Spock ears for cross-epic-space-battle appeal.
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pear.shaped.Sara
07/10/09

In reply to Miley Cyrus Is The Wrong Kind Of Sexy In Elle
I feel like it's only a matter of time before we'll see those "countdown until Miley's 18th birthday" calendars available in sleazy mall kiosks (remember the Olsen twins?). Perhaps this will be the cover image. Unless, of course, they procure aforementioned schoolgirl photoshoot.
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jgh
07/10/09

In reply to Miley Cyrus Is The Wrong Kind Of Sexy In Elle
Her outfit doesn't bother me - it bothers me that Elle thinks I'd want to purchase a magazine for grown women with a 16-year-old child on the cover. And don't give me guff about her being a girl-woman or "growing up fast" - if I want to know all about the latest between Miley and Nick Jonas, isn't that what J-14 is for?
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GeorgeFayne
07/10/09

@jgh: Sigh. I miss Tiger Beat.
Jonathan Brandis > Jonas Brothers.
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bluebears
07/10/09

@jgh:god thats so true, isn't it? This is why print media is struggling, because honestly is this really what Elles demographic wants to read about?
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LatoyaPeterson
07/10/09

@jgh: Thank you. Please leave the adult magazines to the adults - I could give less than a half a fuck about Miley. Teen 'zines exist for this reason.
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JennaW
07/10/09

In reply to Miley Cyrus Is The Wrong Kind Of Sexy In Elle
Well at least we can't see her bare shoulders - that would be far too shocking and exploitative.
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swashbuckling
07/10/09

In reply to Miley Cyrus Is The Wrong Kind Of Sexy In Elle
Miley, or at least her people, seem to put her in these situations just so they can start the finger-pointing. Miley's savvy enough to know she's putting on a sexy outfit, and Elle isn't for pre-pubescent girls. Her camp knows exactly what it's doing, but tries to play it like the rest of the world is exploiting her.

If she's going to boldly embrace her sexuality, she needs to start owning up to it.
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GeorgeFayne
07/10/09

@swashbuckling: True that. That's what struck me about the Leibowitz scandal: It's tough to pull off calling foul on a photo being too sexy when there's published proof that her father (who is theoretically at least looking out for her best interests) was involved with the photo shoot.
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femaledwightschrute
07/10/09

In reply to Miley Cyrus Is The Wrong Kind Of Sexy In Elle
Aren't a lot of top models these days in this age bracket or younger? Where is the outrage for those ladies?

I feel for Miley. Her Disney background and her own misguided attempt to juggle sexy and wholesome at the same point in her career pretty much makes it impossible for her to do this "sexy" thing right.
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Edited by femaledwightschrute at 07/10/09 10:56 AM

pupsnpies
07/10/09

@femaledwightschrute: I was thinking something along those lines...Isn't Taylor Momsen on Gossip Girl younger than Miley Cyrus? She's been playing "sexy" for a while now and seen very little controversy. The only reason this is controversial is because Disney tries so hard to maintain their starlets' "purity."
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PhillyLass
07/10/09

@pupsnpies: I may be talking out my ass here, since I don't watch Gossip Girl. But I think that the GG kids, while sexualized, are deploying their sexuality on people their own age. It's not as alarming or exploitative if kids are playing at sexuality with other kids. In the case of MC, "grown-up" publications are using her budding sexuality to sell magazines to adults. The target audience is a demographic that shouldn't find a 16-year-old arousing.
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hortense
07/10/09

In reply to Miley Cyrus Is The Wrong Kind Of Sexy In Elle
I just think if a 16 year old boy were posed lying on his back on a table in a similar fashion, people would probably be calling Chris Hansen.
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Zombie Ms. Skittles
07/10/09

@hortense: Exactly, Hortense. Just imagine one of the underaged Jonas Brothers wearing tight leather pants and no shirt on a magazine (arguably, the male equivalent of what we're seeing here).
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KatyLou
07/10/09

@Zombie MissSkittles: It says a lot that we routinely see pictures like this of teenage girls, but rarely do we get similar shots of teenage boys.

Don't get me wrong - I don't want shots like this of boys, because that is exactly what they are - boys. They are not men. However savvy or mature Miley might be, she is still just a girl. That is what really creeps me out about these pictures - particularly the table picture.
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thePrototype
07/10/09

@hortense: How old was David Cassidy did that? Also how old was Usher when he started crooning with his shirt off? From what I recall they were both pretty young.
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Jack_Burton
07/10/09

@hortense: Silly Hortense... That's how all the kids climb ladders these days.
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Zombie Ms. Skittles
07/10/09

In reply to Miley Cyrus Is The Wrong Kind Of Sexy In Elle
You know, I don't think it's the black leather. I think it's probably the exposed bra and exaggerated clevage that's making people uncomfortable.

Miley is a beautiful girl, but she's still developing and it looks like they put her in a pushup bra and then tried to hike everything up to get the breast curve there.

It's no less sexy than the Britney Spears Rolling Stone cover (which I remember plenty of people were upset about and which did not feature the Demon Black Leather).
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Edited by Zombie Ms. Skittles at 07/10/09 10:53 AM

heykoukla
07/10/09

In reply to Miley Cyrus Is The Wrong Kind Of Sexy In Elle
Whatever she's wearing, the second she opens her mouth, we are reminded she is very much still a 16-year-old girl. And that is why I find it offensive that she is on the cover of a magazine aimed at adult women. Or, rather, I would find it offensive if I actually read Elle.
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jennyplain
07/10/09

In reply to Miley Cyrus Is The Wrong Kind Of Sexy In Elle
It's an interesting juxtaposition with the fresh faced look. Normally they give the smokey-eyed effect for young ingenues gone bad ala Emma Watson straddling the office stool in the weird Chanel corset.
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Pandorasvoicebox
07/10/09

@jennyplain: It highlights the fact that a woman's body is always considered open for business sexually, no matter how old we know she is mentally.
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sportz.star
07/10/09

In reply to Miley Cyrus Is The Wrong Kind Of Sexy In Elle
I find it more disconcerting that they have that much cleavage showing with so little makeup. If they're going to "costume" her to be older/sexier, it's more comfortable - to me - if she looks fully costumed. Here the dichotomy makes the photo more worrisome and disturbing.
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L'Adelina
07/10/09

In reply to Miley Cyrus Is The Wrong Kind Of Sexy In Elle
Its an interesting juxtaposition to have her clean, nearly nude face next to all the leather with her bra peeking out. Its like they are admitting that she's really young--but she can be hot.

I'm not quite sure how I feel about that, but if I tried to wear that when I was 16, Mama would have not let me out the door. "Bras are NOT to be shown in public" was probably the strictest rule in my house.
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tonightineed is actually Mrs. Ziegler-Spock
07/10/09

@L'Adelina: Well, and admitting that she's really young but if she's going to be hot, it's got to be this way. Would it kill them to put her (or anyone, for that matter, but this situation-) in something pretty, something less overtly sexy? It's summer, if we're talking fashion no one is going to be wearing leather. Put her in a dress, jeans and a t-shirt, something.
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sportz.star
07/10/09

@L'Adelina: We're clearly on the same wavelength - see my post above. I mean, there's a lot going on with the outfit and it breaks all rules my mom had, but its the nude face that's most startling.
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lermanzo
07/10/09

In reply to Miley Cyrus Is The Wrong Kind Of Sexy In Elle
her face is so not a sexyface in this photo, though. and her eyes look happy. i never thought i'd say this... but you go, miley!
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