The Video Music Awards have always been known for their controversial and over-the-top celebrity moments. In the past, we have seen Madonna and Britney Spears’ infamous kiss, and Kanye West’s ego-trip of an interruption during Taylor Swift’s award acceptance.

However, this year may have topped even those headlining moments. While last year artist Miley Cyrus had only the small part of introducing a musical act for the VMA’s, this year she got to be one. But, the former Disney Channel star’s performance was so overly sexualized it left people speechless and concerned about the implications of her actions on her young fans.

Cyrus left little to the imagination, taking the stage to perform the first half of her two-part act, “We Can’t Stop,” in a tightly fitted leotard. The star later stripped down further, ripping off the leotard to perform “Blurred Lines” with Robin Thicke in a tight, nude-colored bra and underwear.

Cyrus’s tongue-out, hip thrusting and twerk-heavy performance left viewers utterly shocked, generating immediate reaction. During and after the VMA’s, viewers took to social media to post their disapproving reactions of the star’s shocking performance.

However, according to Cyrus, and regardless of public opinion, this stark change in behavior hasn’t come out of nowhere. In an interview with “V Magazine” back in May of this year, Cyrus explains that she has always held these carefree values, but hasn’t been able to express herself truly in the past because of the way her managers have wanted her represented in the public eye.

After time passed, Cyrus explained to “V Magazine,” she got fed up and decided to make lifestyle adjustments, saying, “I’m going to change, I’m going to be different, I’m going to do what I want to do. I chopped my hair and bought a pair of Docs and never looked back.”

“Never looked back” is accurate.

But is the star’s newfound persona a bit too intimidating for the public to handle? Although she has been shamelessly spreading her carefree point of view around the media, onlookers can’t help but disapprove.

Cyrus has completely abandoned her former pop music vibe for an image most are describing as “unnecessary” and “overly sexualized.” As a former star on the Disney Channel show, “Hannah Montana,” Cyrus has made some drastic changes since she finished her last season back in 2010.

However, this eagerness to prove a loss of innocence is no new trend for maturing child stars. The same type of behavior has been seen in former Disney star, Lindsey Lohan and former Nickelodeon star, Amanda Bynes.

It seems the squeaky clean image so carefully crafted by children’s networks is causing young and, in particular, female stars to take drastic steps in proving they are not the characters they play. This leaves avid fans to interpret their favorite child star’s actions for themselves.

For stars like Cyrus, their new reputations become problematic since their fans are still young teenagers. Cyrus’ hypersexual actions may be letting the adult world know she’s all grown up, but the millions of fans she left behind from her Disney era are getting a different message.

Millions resonated and admired Cyrus’s role in “Hannah Montana.” Her time with the show only ended three years ago, meaning her character still holds relevance among the teenage world.

Cyrus’ path to separating from her childhood persona has been aggressive and unpredictable. But the star seems unapologetic for her actions and doesn’t seem to care the public perceives her drastic change as a celebrity meltdown.

Cyrus may have left her former life behind and moved on, but that doesn’t mean it no longer exists. Cyrus needs to realize that her actions are being watched closely by a younger demographic than she is targeting now.

At this point in her career she has surpassed forgive-and-forget. Her VMA performance will forever be remembered, and there is no telling what kind of repercussions her actions will have on the younger generation that formerly looked up to her as a mentor and representation of themselves.

Paris Bethel is a junior advertising major. Her column appears weekly. She can be reached at [email protected].

Published on August 29, 2013 at 2:10 am