Miley Cyrus and Exchanging Virgin Icons for Sex Icons

Last updated on: August 29, 2013 at 8:30 am by E. Stephen Burnett

Miley Cyrus and Exchanging Virgin Icons for Sex Icons 2013-08-29T06:43:51-06:00 E. Stephen Burnett

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Back when Miley Cyrus was just a singer playing the role of a singer. Photo: Mike Schmid via Flickr (CC-SA 2.0).

What! Another formerly wholesome teen celebrity strips on television? Yes, Miley Cyrus’s nasty performance on Sunday’s MTV Video Music Awards show was outrageous, an example of cultural decay and decadence, etc. But it’s not new.

Neither are the indignant replies we’ve been hearing from some.

Christian pastor Trevin Wax’s popular blog reaction invokes one image Christians often reference (it was even in the film Courageous): a sweet little girl twirling like a princess. Wax is thoughtful and caring, yet I can’t help wondering if others in their comments think little beyond, “What is happening to society? Protect your daughters!” (such as here), and the usual line (as in here), “How could the girl’s father let this happen?”

Yes, the VMA show was bad. But if Christians don’t say more I’m afraid our lament is less about sin corrupting God’s image than about the fact that women aren’t being virginal “icons” — either “sweet twirling princess” icons or “popular wholesome pop star” icons.

Before the Cyrus debacle I had no expectations of this celebrity du jour; she was already exchanging one pop-culture image for another. Now I wonder: How much did people, including Christians, accept the imaginary wholesome “Hannah Montana” virgin icon?

Maybe we should have been more discerning. After all, lyrics of many “Montana” songs, such as “Best of Both Worlds,” are only about fame and putting on shows. This is merely another celebration of pop-culture circular referencing — the song is only about the song, the show about the show. Don’t these teach consumers early to accept icons of Me-ism? If so, why are we surprised that this self-image-worship moves to the “adult” level?

It’s also absurd to imply that such corruption only happens to female celebrities. No, let’s not discount the feedback loop of our culture that serves to endorse and reinforce sin. But instead of only lambasting poor parenting (as this blogger does) or corporations for forcing female celebrities to sex it up, let’s try to honor these women — perhaps more than they honor themselves — as free agents. Guess what: They may have been raised rightly, not be desperate at all, and yet freely choose this sex-icon lifestyle.

And what about male celebrities such as Robin Thicke, Cyrus’s equally vulgar performance partner? Aren’t these men also choosing to practice sin — to worship images of themselves, to become sex icons, to “let this happen”? Does cultural outrage against female celebrities imply that men are less corruptible or with more excuses?

Men and women are created in the image of God. That’s the only Image we must care about.

Surely His people can uphold the distinct beauties of women without also pleading for “sacred virgin” icons in place of sex icons. And instead of saying “What happened to that sweet girl?” or “Where were the men in her life?”, we can diagnose the worst horror, that mankind has “exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man,” and the only culture-transforming solution: the image of Christ.

Previous Post

August 29, 2013

Nicolas Cage Misses the Rapture because He Doesn't Get Left Behind

Next Post

August 29, 2013 ELSEWHERE: How Segregated Is Your City?

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Asides Elsewhere Featured Film Games General Culture Headline Literature Music Of the Moment Podcast Politics RetroPost Sports Technology Television Uncategorized Viral

Select a Month February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz