Just Being Miley: A Review of "We Can't Stop"

Are you reader(s) on the Miley Cyrus train? Well, if you love the good ol' red-white-and-blue, hopefully you listened to the seminal classic “Party in the USA” no less than 15 times on the Fourth of July. If you didn’t, I’m sorry you hate America and freedom so much.

If you couldn’t tell by now, HC and I happen to be Miley fans. I mean, our blog is the namesake of “We Can’t Stop” lyrics ("Bitches Judge Shit" didn't have quite the right ring to it.) I mostly wrote this post to talk our friend MM into liking the video for this amazing song...she currently believes it's "garbage."(If we let Lady Gaga do this, why can't we let Miley!?) Miley has had her personal and professional ups and downs, ranging from a kind of sexy picture with her DAD Billy Ray, the salvia incident, her on-again-off-again engagement to “The Hunger Games” hottie Liam Hemsworth (we’re all on TEAM GALE, right guys?!), and now, the video for “We Can’t Stop.”

Many people find this video offensive, disturbing, nonsensical, racist, and full of cultural appropriation. At first, my inner Social Justice Conscience kicked in at the HINT of bigotry, but then I watched it 500 times and declared this video to be astounding. Readers, if you’ll bear with me, I can defend and show the artistry that can be found within “We Can’t Stop.”

Let’s start from the beginning: say what you will about Miley’s look, but girlfriend can ROCK short hair, red lips, black eyeliner, and white 80’s exercise clothes. She also has fabulously tacky gold sparkly nails, but that’s neither here nor there. The real issue here is the cinematography and use of extreme symbolism throughout the video. Were all of you aware that Miley was actually making a statement about the times we live in? (Boom! Mind blown.) From the gentleman eating a sandwich made out of money to Miley wearing a gold grill, a very real comment is being made about our generation’s slavery to consumerism. The giant teddy bears represent the reluctance of today’s youth to GROW UP and become adults. And the most “controversial” scene of the video…Miley twerking with black women in the background, is anything but. Miley is actually teaching women to learn from others that are unlike themselves and embrace the body ("to my home girls here with the big butt") we have. The woman with a “Censored” sign over her mouth could not be more literal… we live in times where women’s rights, physically and otherwise, are constantly in danger. And how about Miley making out with a doll? Sexual freedom for the fairer gender! I could go on and on, but I’m saving the rest for my dissertation. This shit is as deep as Milton's "Paradise Lost" and I'm glad my years of education have prepared me for this. "We Can't Stop" is a mirror to our society, and Miley is indeed the voice of the Millennial Generation.

Symbolisms aside, the lyrics to this song have already seeped into my every day vernacular. Almost every question you (or "a friend") might have can be answered with a lyric from this song. I will provide many examples:

Q: “Should I have a third glass of wine if I’m drinking alone?”

A: “Remember only God can judge you.”

Q: “This bar might be lame, should we stay?”

A: “If you’re not ready to go home, can I get a hell no?”

Q: “Should I feel ashamed if people make fun of me for liking Miley?”

A: “Forget the haters cause somebody loves you.”

Q: “Should I feel embarrassed about online dating?”

A: “We can kiss who we want, we can see who we want.”

Q: “Is it okay if I’m not 100% committed to being an adult yet, and I’m enjoying being single and going out?”

A: “Can’t you see it we who ‘bout that life?”

Q: “Is it okay to have a blog with very specific interests that only two other people will read?”

A: “It’s our party we can do what we want.”

At the end of the day, please remember that Miley is 20 years old, a product of homeschooling and Life in the South (for better or worse), surrounded by yes men that approve of white girls twerking, and has millions of dollars. She’s already better off at 20 than I ever was. Also, has Jay Z immortalized (made fun of?) you in one of his songs? I THINK NOT. Hopefully you'll all take off your PC Police hats, and enjoy the fact that Miley Ray is a modern day feminist who cannot be constrained by mundane societal conventions. Guys, she's just being Miley.

Do you love Miley's "We Can't Stop" yet?

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