ABSTRACT
In April 2014, whilst backstage during her Bangerz concert tour, Miley Cyrus was photographed wearing a t-shirt featuring the words ‘R.I.P. HANNAH MONTANA’. Similarly, just a few months prior to this during her opening monologue as host of NBC’s Saturday Night Live in October 2013, she announced that ‘[Hannah Montana] was murdered.’ Since her role as popstar Hannah Montana/ordinary schoolgirl Miley Stewart on the Disney Channel tween sitcom (and wider multimedia franchise) ended in early 2011, Cyrus’ on- and off-screen actions have been seen as active attempts to break from her previous Disney role and the image and values associated with it. And, as these examples show, it seems that Cyrus herself has directly addressed this notion of an apparently conscious departure from her previous tween star image. Cyrus’ recent performances, new material, image and off-screen activities have largely been regarded as shocking, inappropriate and far removed from Cyrus’ previous role as Disney Channel icon Hannah Montana. Particularly online in tabloid and celebrity gossip sites, blogs and via social media, critics articulate concerns that her display of sexuality has been taken ‘too far’, and anxieties that she is performing the ‘wrong’ type of femininity. Cyrus’ appearance on the covers of a number of US celebrity gossip magazines during her post-Hannah Montana era suggest that the young star is apparently ‘out of control’, with headlines proclaiming ‘Miley Finally Admits: I’m a Total Mess’ (Life & Style 2013), ‘Miley Finally Admits: I Need Help!’ (In Touch 2013) and ‘A New Low’ (Life & Style 2014).
