Have you heard about how Miley Cyrus is exploiting drag queens? How Miley used them in her performance solely to draw attention to Happy Hippies — her recently founded non-profit organization? I’ve heard about it. But I also think that people are taking a positive thing, throwing mud on it and calling it dirty.
The Happy Hippie Foundation is a non-profit organization founded by Miley that seeks to rally young people to fight against social injustices. It focuses on helping the homeless, LGBT youth and other vulnerable populations by connecting them to the resources they may need (and much more).
During this year’s Video Music Awards, Miley Cyrus performed her single “Dooo It!” surrounded by 30 drag queens, some of them winners of "RuPaul's Drag Race." Apparently, this is being considered a publicity stunt.
Over the years, Miley has been infamous for provoking outrage by testing the boundaries of social appropriateness and redefining her perception in the public eye. To push the envelope at this year’s VMA’s seems like a given.
A testy performance I have come to expect from a testy performer.
But not an offensive one.
Miley was not “using” the drag queens to draw attention to her foundation any more than featuring the man in the bunny suit in her "We Can’t Stop" music video drew attention to an animal shelter. The foundation was predicated on the belief that those in vulnerable situations are not awarded the proper resources to combat the scrutiny society places upon them — not to pursue a provocative social agenda.
FIRST black women, NOW drag queens? Who WILL Miley use as a prop next???? Tune in next week to find out!!!
— Chloe (@noodle_princess) August 31, 2015
Even so, drawing attention to her amazing foundation via an entertaining performance seems like marketing done right. There is an (expectantly) raunchy performance, featuring a controversial population of performers and an organization trying to do positive thing — so why is the media trying to turn this into a comical meme or a nasty tweet?
Because of the coverage it has received these past few days, it has received heightened exposure — allowing for more struggling youths to come into contact with it. Which, if you were unaware, is a positive thing.
Miley has done an amazing job over the years creating the reputation that she will be herself, no matter what society dictates appropriate, and reinforcing the ideal that everyone else should, too. While she may be infamous on several other indictments and may not have gone about creating this reputation in a respectable way, it is done.
Miley released a free album, had drag queens perform, and had a group of trans people make a speech at the VMAs but yes isn't she awful
— Ew ashley (@jinkxismymom) August 31, 2015
And she is using her public self, reputation, fame and fortune to assist others struggling to be good enough, appropriate enough, normal enough. She created this resource so those struggling to be themselves can finally be, without worrying about whether or not the world respects it.
So, as far as her performance goes, it was probably not a publicity stunt. The drag queens in her performance — the performers who aren’t respected as performers (by many) due to their lifestyle, the population that isn’t respected (by many) as people due to their lifestyle — loved it and loved the legitimizing factor that both the performance and her foundation bring to the social table. The mass media’s attention should be on the positive aspect of such a performance — not sifting around in the mud.
Related Links:
Media attention fuels Miley Cyrus's independent image
Surprise Miley Cyrus album ‘Dead Petz’ a time-traveling acid drop made for the club
Reach the columnist at rblumen2@asu.edu or follow @500wordsofrayne on Twitter.
Editor’s note: The opinions presented in this column are the author’s and do not imply any endorsement from The State Press or its editors.
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