By Kara Hallam

Staff Writer

Miley Cyrus recently claimed herself to be one of “the biggest feminists in the world” in a BBC interview because of the way she empowers women to do what they want. I love Miley Cyrus because she is an amazing singer and her lyrics are very powerful and better than the majority of what constitute pop culture today.

But do I see her as feminist? No way.

I hate to be jumping to the obvious but, yes, I do not consider Miley Cyrus a feminist because of her outrageous music videos, costumes and especially her twerking. Cyrus is right in empowering women to break society’s rules to follow their gut feelings but along the way she has compromised matters of integrity through acts which promote disrespecting women to pursue a singing career.

The sexual attention Cyrus draws to herself is the exact kind that is forced upon thousands of women forced into sex trafficking, women in the workplace and the women disrespected in general thanks to Cyrus’s projection of herself in the media. She is a representative for women and she might be promoting for them to do whatever they want but at the same time she is leading people to believe the wrong idea of what it is that girls want.

People have taken feminism on too aggressively and misinterpret the real meaning of it. Rather than fighting for equal rights, people use feminism as an excuse to criticize the same type of women who raised them when in turn they are not the ideal picture of a feminist themselves.

Feminism has become the idea of women rising up above men and any conformity to old world gender roles is absolutely unacceptable. People believe if they follow this one rule, then they can consider themselves feminists.

These types of “feminists” have diverted attention away from the real fight for gender equality by criticizing the conservative family structure when they should be fighting against sex trafficking and income inequality.

Feminism is the call for equal rights and respect between men and women. The only way this can happen is if we start teaching women how to respect themselves, rather than just bash old world ideas.

Progress in feminism starts with an individual and their attitude towards women and if they are a girl, their attitude towards themselves. Too often are girls quick to turn their noses up at the typical 1950s household where the woman stays at home and her job is the kitchen. But just as quickly they also disrespect themselves by being absolutely boy crazy and presenting themselves in a way in which does not promote being treated with respect.

Looking at it from this kind of perspective it should be clear that girls who want to support feminism need to support themselves as a (I hate to be cliche) strong independent women.

When a person is not confident in his or herself people do not always treat them with the respect they deserve. This is hardly the reason for the majority of gender equality but it can help change peoples’ minds.

My debate coach Glenda Ferguson once explained that she coached a team full of boys who thought they were so much better and smarter than female debaters. However a group of girls proved them wrong by defeating them in round after round and rising to the occasion. By the end of the program they had the upmost respect for them. Even at the smallest of levels,  a girl having confidence in herself to actively pursue her goals has the power to change anti-feminist mindsets.

Cyrus claims that she is empowering people to do whatever they want and having that sort of confidence is what really empowers women. But if you have confidence in yourself you would not display yourself to the media with a foam finger in between your legs trying to be “sexy.” Either that or someone like that does not understand the seriousness of her crude actions.

The ways some girls act out today whether promiscuously or detrimentally towards themselves is caused by low self esteem or an ignorance to the consequences of their choices.

Feminism spurred the objectification of women when they were being treated as objects rather than valued for their intellectual thoughts. Cyrus is better known for her twerking skills than her actual intellectual thoughts.

I find it ironic to see girls criticizing others dreaming to be housewives because they love kids and then in turn doing the impossible to try to get a boy to the point it shows they have no self respect for themselves.

The meaning of feminism these days has been taken out of context by many. At the end of the day girls have to try to carry the original cause of demanding equal rights for men and women whether this means realizing that not all of their actions are the most respectful or to turn their attention away from housewives and to those in sex trafficking. I would much rather when people think of this cause in dire need of recognition than Miley Cyrus when they think “feminist.