No stranger to controversy, Miley Cyrus has made a habit of grabbing headlines over the last few years – but what do average Americans think of her? She takes to the streets to find out.
Appearing on Jimmy Kimmel Live to promote her upcoming stint as the host of the MTV Video Music Awards, Cyrus tapped into her inner Hannah Montana and went incognito on the street to find out what people really think of her eccentric persona in a segment called “I Witness News”.
Adopting the persona of “Janet” – an Australian reporter awestruck with the Hollywood landscape – Cyrus asks random, unassuming people around Los Angeles various questions. The results were varied to say the least. Some people currently love her while other people preferred her back in her “Party in the U.S.A” days, and even admit to preferring Taylor Swift. A few even think that she’s quite literally the bane of American existence. At one point – when she realizes the jig is up – she surreptitiously goes so far as to expose her breasts to one of the interview subjects. Obviously accustomed to these types of opinions, Cyrus fully acknowledges her outlandish behavior and seems to have fun using it to elicit humorous responses from the interviewees.
Over the last few years, Cyrus has become a pop culture icon steeped in controversy. As her career has strayed away from its Disney beginnings, the singer has adopted a personality that pushes the boundaries of taste, putting on performances that very firmly embrace notions of drug use and sexuality. These antics range from smoking real marijuana on stage at shows to her sexually-charged performance at the MTV VMA’s in 2013 where she vigorously twerked against singer Robin Thicke. She also has had high profile – albeit tumultuous – relationships with Arnold Schwarzenegger’s son, Patrick, and actor Liam Hemsworth.
Aside from all that, Cyrus has also become a champion for progressive thinking. A focal point of the “Free the Nipple” movement – she has become a vocal advocate for the campaign which seeks to end the stigma against public display of female breasts. She is also an ardently passionate supporter for the LGBT community, adamantly dismissing the binary perception of sexuality.
When we put all this together, it becomes patently obvious as to why Cyrus has become such a polarizing figure to average Americans. She’s crude, bold, and brash, but most certainly not without a message for some people to rally behind. With her taking center stage at the MTV Video Music Awards, it’s only a question of what she will do next that draws scorn and adoration in equal measures.
