Elle and Seventeen Fought Over Miley Cyrus and Elle Won

In the publishing world, Miley Cyrus is a hot ticket, so much so that magazines are fighting over her. This month, Elle and Seventeen are both releasing Miley covers — though only one was given the two-bun consent.

Elle scored a fresh interview and fashion shoot with the former Disney princess because Miley is a serious artist who takes herself seriously. Also if you’re leading newsstand sales, you can have your pick of the litter.

“The public’s appetite for her is insatiable,” said Joanna Coles, editor in chief of Cosmopolitan. “She’s the Tesla of magazine covers. There is a waiting list to get her.”

WWD reports that Cosmopolitan‘s March 2013 issue with Miley on the cover sold 1.1 million copies meanwhile Seventeen‘s sales have fallen by 20 percent in the last year.

Elle’s cover story was written by Tavi Gevinson, the pint-sized fashion blogger turned head of Rookie magazine. I know you’re thinking, ‘Shouldn’t they both be in Seventeen?’ No, because as I mentioned before Miley is a serious artist who takes herself seriously.

Without her consent however, Seventeen is poised to release a bit of a bootleg Miley cover and a write-around that Miley’s camp is completely against. But I’m sure the Seventeen masthead is thinking, ‘Who cares, if it sells copies?’

As for the Elle cover story, here are a few spoilers:

Miley loves feminism and the ability to objectify other women. Wait, that’s not a part of feminism?

TG: I read that you consider yourself a feminist. What does that mean to you?
MC: I’m just about equality, period. It’s not like, I’m a woman, women should be in charge! I just want there to be equality for everybody.

TG: Right! And that’s what feminism is.
MC: I still don’t think we’re there 100 percent. I mean, guy rappers grab their crotch all fucking day and have hos around them, but no one talks about it. But if I grab my crotch and I have hot model bitches around me, I’m degrading women? I’m a woman—I should be able to have girls around me! But I’m part of the evolution of that. I hope.

On making homosexuality acceptable as a heterosexual person:

MC: I have guys and girls that come out, and they’re like, “The only reason I’m able to admit that I’m gay is because you’ve made me feel like that’s okay.” That is so intense, because that is a part of this generation—it wasn’t always accepted—and I feel like I am a big part of that change. Or they know that I’ve struggled with depression, and that helped them get over theirs. That gives me a big purpose—a reason to wake up in the morning that’s bigger than to put on my fucking feathers and my little outfits.

On realizing that being single isn’t the end of the world:

Miley Cyrus: You know, I’m really thankful that I started on Disney. I got the most intense training. There’s times where I wish I could have just started as a new artist, but the world has kind of allowed me to do that. I feel really lucky—a lot of kid stars get all crazy or stuck in what they were, so they can’t actually become what they’re meant to be. When I went through a really intense breakup—you know, I was engaged—and when I was with him or when I was on Disney, the thing that gave me the most anxiety was not knowing what to do with myself when Disney wasn’t there to carry me anymore or if I didn’t have him. And now I’m free of both of those things, and I’m fine. Like, I lay in bed at night by myself and I’m totally okay, and that’s so much stronger than the person three years ago, who would have thought they would have died if they didn’t have a boyfriend.