The Knightly News

By: Srinidhi Ananth

Miley Cyrus is known for her controversial transformation from the nation’s beloved Hannah Montana to, well, Miley.  The current Miley Cyrus has been highly scrutinized for her fashion sense, earning some praise and a lot of criticism.  So in her newest protest against the status quo, Cyrus decided to step off the red forever.

On September 16, 2016 during an interview with Elle, she announced that she would never be seen on a red carpet again.  While many fans question the validity of her decision, Cyrus defended herself in an October issue of Elle, saying: “Why, when people are starving, am I on a carpet that’s red?  Because I’m ‘important’?  Because I’m ‘famous’?  That’s not how I roll.”

Cyrus did not just stop there.  She explains that red carpets are sexist, to say the very least.  Dogmatic paparazzi compel female celebrities to “pose for the camera,” while on the other hand, the male celebrities are interviewed about their current projects and professional lives.  According to Vogue, Cyrus felt that, “[as] women, we get yelled at to blow them a kiss, and I don’t feel like blowing you a kiss.  Like what is going on?  Who are you?”

Cyrus closed discussion on this topic by saying that she never wants people to talk about what she is wearing.  While some fans argue that it is hard not to, especially with the intricate and unique aspects of her wardrobe, she has decided she does not want to live a life of being constantly be judged for what she wears.

Miley isn’t the first one to criticize the red carpet either.  Celebrities like Julianne Moore and Jennifer Aniston have boycotted the Mani Cam, a diorama on the red carpet where celebrities stick their hands in, and “walk their fingers” down the red carpet to show off their glamorous manicures and jewelry.  Because Moore and Anniston claim that Hollywood supports gender inequality with the use of the Mani Cam, the Mani Cam has been shut down for multiple red carpets.

The red carpet, which once was an innocent and elegant entrance to premieres and award shows, has transformed into what Stacy Jones, the president of marketing agency Hollywood Branded, calls a “publicity-generating business where celebrities are expected—and often paid—to pose in front of logos and be probed by the media” (Chicago Tribune).

All in all, fans may disagree with Cyrus’s personal choice to eschew the red carpet, but she undoubtedly has gained more respect from her fans for making a decision defying Hollywood’s stereotypical celebrity image.