research 30 23/2010/E

Rebecca C. Hains/Judi Puritz Cook1 “There’s not going to be any more Hannah Montana”

Media negotiation and multicultural identity in pre-adolescent girls

How do girls with migration back- form their worldviews and personal 2 or more cultures and position them- ground use media culture to nego- identities. selves in between. Others ignore the tiate female identity? Though an We argue that our informants’ nego­ non-American culture, asserting their increasingly popular question, few tiations of a multicultural identity take identities as fully American girls. In have considered how multicultural 1 of 3 approaches. Some interview- this paper, we profile 1 girl for each middle class girls grapple with me- ees pursue competency in 2 cultures approach, using their discourse about dia culture. – both U.S. and the culture of their Hannah Montana star Miley Cyrus family’s origin. Some bear witness to as a key unit of analysis. Identified as “queen of ‘tween’” o pursue this Cyrus ranked #29 in the question, we in- 2009 Forbes Celebrity 100 Tterviewed 16 pre- list; her success in music, adolescent girls, ages 9 television­ and film earned to 13, each of whom had her $ 25 million in 2008.2 either been born in a coun- During her solo act at the try other than the United August 2009 Teen Choice States, or whose mother Awards, then-16-year-old and/or father had. The Cyrus engaged in a contro- families originated from versial pole-dancing rou- diverse nations in Asia, tine (see Ill. 1), which “set Europe, the Middle East, off a firestorm over wheth- and South America. All er her musical performance currently live in an affluent at the show – for which she suburb of Boston, Massa- wore short shorts and argu- chusetts, and their relative ably straddled a pole – was socioeconomic privilege inappropriate” (Umstead, allows us to examine how 2009, p. 1). Her routine the girls we interviewed exemplifies U.S. culture’s negotiate consumer culture broader sexualization of while engaging in the de- teen girls, which has been velopmentally appropriate roundly condemned by crit- task of identity construc- ics including the American tion, without – we hope – Psychological Association confusing issues rooted in (2007), Durham (2008), socioeconomic status for Oppliger (2008), and Levin issues of immigrant iden- and Kilbourne (2008). As tity. We wish to give these our broader study’s over- girls a voice as we explore arching aim was to learn their use of media to in- how multicultural girls ne- research 23/2010/E 31 gotiate sexualized representations of ideas from that.” What Not To Wear girlhood in U.S. culture, we feel it has also become a way for mother important to attend to their discourse and daughter to bond. They watch about Miley Cyrus. the show together, and with Gila’s help, her mother recently bought her Competency in 2 cultures: Gila first pair of high heels. Gila offers her (Israeli-American, age 12) mother regular wardrobe critiques, Gila3 moved to the U.S. from Israel which her mom says she values, even when she was 6 and vividly recalls though they are sometimes unsolicited. life in Israel. She missed her extended In this vein, Gila criticizes Cyrus for family when she moved to the U.S., wearing outfits that do not reflect but as she made friends, she adjusted how “someone would actually dress so much that when she visits Israel, for school at her age”. Upon seeing “it’s weird”. Still, she remains active- Cyrus dressed in a simple plaid shirt ly engaged with Israeli culture and is in a teen magazine, Gila expressed an avid reader of Israeli children’s surprise and suspicion: magazines, including Eyes and Young Gila: “Now I like her outfit. But, no, Journeys. She spends several weeks they’re probably – see – her agents prob- in Israel every summer. ably want her to look all good and stuff, Gila seems confident in her mas- and like a goody, goody girl and stuff, so tery of both Israeli culture and U.S. they dress her in plain clothes.” culture, attained in part through her Rebecca: “So you don’t think this is how observant analysis of both countries’ she normally presents herself? You think Ill. 2: Gila’s fashion drawing, inspired by What media. During her visits to Israel, it’s her agents?” Not To Wear she experiences both Israeli media Gila: “Like, also now, it’s not actually fashion, but they show that – there’s this and imported versions of American Girl between cultures: thing called Disney Friends for Change media, which she is quick to critique. on Disney Channel, when they do, like for Gabriela (Brazilian-British- a whole year I think, like they say they’re French-­American, age 11) Gila: “[...] In Israel, the only thing they Although Gabriela was born in the have for older kids is the Israeli Disney gonna save the environment, and they try Channel, so it has American shows, which to encourage us to, and then they’re, like, U.S., her mother was born in São are in English, but they write the Hebrew on whatever the date, there’s gonna be – ­Paulo, Brazil, and her father was translation […]. And they write the wrong we’re gonna save water, and everyone’s born in London, England and also words.” gonna cut down their shower by 2 minutes has French heritage, with close fam- Rebecca: “Oh, really?” and not gonna flush the toilet for a few ily living in France. Gabriela travels hours. [Judi laughs.] And they show this Gila: “[The Suite Life of Zack & Cody] is regularly to all 3 countries, affording thing. They have a song for it, and they totally wrong. […] If one person is say- her a strong sense of their cultures. ing, ‘Let’s go over to their suite’, because have them sing facts in them. Like Selena Gomez – she’s like, ‘Did you know that When asked about similarities or dif- it’s in a hotel, or ‘Alright, let’s go down ferences between her interests and to the pool’, they just say ‘Come on, let’s water blah blah blah blah blah?’ And then those of her international cousins, go’. They don’t take the time to describe guys like, ‘Really?’ And then Miley Cyrus where they’re going, even. So, it’s really is like, ‘Yeah. And guess what!’ And it Gabriela drew from her experiences annoying.” looked like they so don’t care about it, in Brazil. […] like their agents told them that it’ll In this way, Gila often finds flaws in make them popular.” Gabriela: “Well, they’re really comfort- able with, like, touching the ground and Hebrew translations that other view- Gila’s faulting of celebrity spokes- everything, whereas some people here ers may miss. people for insincerity offers another [in the U.S.] are just, like, ewwww, when A U.S. media text Gila currently example of how Gila critically con- they see someone touching mud.” favors is hit makeover show What sumes media. A quest for authenticity Not To Wear. An important source of seems to be central to Gila’s media This willingness to touch the ground make-believe play for Gila, she often use and identity development: being – to be connected to the earth, to be creates drawings based on it (see Ill. genuine, being accurate, being true real – seems a defining characteris- 2). She explains: “You know how you while fitting in are of import. Gila’s tic of Gabriela. With her seemingly see, at the beginning, people – they mastery of the media gives her power grounded, thoughtful nature, Gabriela show you the good outfit, and then, in her own life, where she chooses to is our prime example of how some they show you the bad one? So, I get be the opposite of Miley Cyrus. girls observe multiple cultures and research 32 23/2010/E

obsessed with trying to “fit in with the older kids” in seventh and eighth grade (cf. Ill. 3). Gabriela, however, doesn’t seem compelled to “fit in”. She is content to have an identity that sometimes jumps borders; thus, ­Miley Cyrus – an ever-changing sym- bol of U.S. culture – makes too much use of masquerade to resonate with Gabriela, who would rather be herself than somebody else.

Being an American girl: Amanda (Chinese-American, age 12) Amanda is a sixth-grader of Chinese descent. Her father, born in Hong Kong, moved to the U.S. at the age of 9. Her mother is a first genera- tion American whose parents were born in Guangzhou, China. Amanda identifies as American; her family has raised her exclusively in the U.S. Ill. 3: Gabriela’s drawing depicting the differences in the way 5th graders and 7th graders dress She reports no connection with other cultures, saying, “Sometimes I have position themselves somewhere in She’s always changing how she looks, trouble finding Beijing, like when I between. and how she sings. It’s very annoying.” look at a map”. She distances herself Rebecca: “What’s annoying about the fact from Chinese culture and seems to “Hannah Montana is that she’s always making those changes?” want to avoid being reduced to a race Gabriela: “It’s just that you never really ‘a bit fake’” or heritage. know when she’s actually the person sing- Amanda seems on the cusp of leav- (girl, age 11) ing, or – because she just always has mas- ing behind tweenhood for full-fledged cara on, and you never know – because teenhood. She comes across as bub- Gabriela has paid attention to interna- sometimes it’s mascara, sometimes it’s bly, talkative, and happy to be evolv- tional women’s sartorial differences. not, and so, it’s always something differ- ing. Fully engrossed in media and ce- For example, she says, “I guess Bra- ent. It’s really annoying.” lebrity culture, she has a serious crush zilians dress more freely, like they can Rebecca: “Right. What do you think of the fashions and stuff that are shown on on 15-year-old teen idol Justin ­Bieber; dress whatever they want to dress, so shows like Hannah Montana?” she keeps his posters in her locker and it’s a big variety”. In terms of beach- Gabriela: “Umm, really shiny. […] It’s an article about him in her homework wear, she notes the U.S. and England – I like plain. I don’t really like all of binder. She knows the story of his are most conservative: whereas Bra- that glittering, and […] I like plain shirts, rise to fame by heart and boasts an zilians expose their bottoms, and the sometimes with things written on them.” insider-type knowledge, based on her French go topless, the Americans and Gabriela shared without prompting memorization of small details about British “have to have, like, a wall in several other instances of behavior him. Bieber is an ongoing­ source of front of them”. Gabriela’s recogni- she seemed to find inauthentic. She disagreements between Amanda and tion of cultural differences positions complained that in Brazil, “a lot of her mother, who thinks Bieber too old her as an astute global girl, whose the people act more American than for Amanda to fixate on. Amanda’s understanding of various cultures is the people here”. They memorize parasocial relationship (Horton/Wohl, grounded in experience and reality. pop songs and episodes of shows like 1956) with Bieber is quite strong and Perhaps for this reason, Gabriela’s SpongeBob Squarepants so that “if has an erotic attachment (Cohen, objection to Miley Cyrus and Hannah someone comes, they can just know 1997); she wishes she could move Montana is on the grounds of realism. everything by heart”. She notices to New York to be his girlfriend. Rebecca: “So, what do you think of Han- similar artifice at school, complain- Amanda gives Bieber an important nah Montana, overall?” ing that one of her fifth-grader friends role in her slightly early assertion of Gabriela: “A bit … fake. I don’t know. “just acts a lot older than me” and is a teen identity. research 23/2010/E 33

“I just don´t like when strongest, she had insider-type knowl- notes people say certain things edge on many celebrities, truly adopt- about certain stars that I ing mainstream teen media culture as 1 The authors thank Dr. Maya Götz for sharing know the answer to.” “her” culture. valu­able insights during an earlier phase of this By defending Miley Cyrus’s right project. (girl, age 12) 2 cf. Forbes (2009). The Celebrity 100. Retrieved to grow up and engage in a sexual- January 24, 2010 from http://www.forbes.com/ ized performance, Amanda is also lists/2009/53/celebrity-09_Miley-Cyrus_EB0C. html. While looking at a teen magazine we defending her own right to grow up, 3 All informant names have been changed. shared with her, Amanda expressed as expressed through her parasocial glee that it included a photo of ­Bieber, relationship with Justin Bieber. Just and then pointed to a photo of Miley as there will soon be no more Hannah Cyrus. She commented, unprompted, Montana, Amanda is quickly leaving references that “Nobody really likes her any- tweendom to embrace a more mature American Psychological Association (2007). Re- more […] because they think she’s teen identity. port of the APA task force on the sexualization of weird. She’s 16 and then she did this girls. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association. Teen Choice Awards thing, her first Cohen, Jonathan (1997). Parasocial relations and performance of ‘Party in the USA’. So Conclusion romantic attraction: Gender and dating status dif- I guess it was inappropriate to some ferences. In: Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic people”. When asked if she and her Taken altogether, the 3 informants Media, vol. 41, no. 4, pp. 516-529. Durham, Meenakshi G. (2008). The Lolita effect: friends dislike it when stars act in sexy demonstrate the range of cultural The media sexualization of young girls and what ways, like Cyrus did during her pole identity negotiations we found among we can do about it. New York: The Overlook Press. dancing routine, Amanda answered in our informants. Gila is competent in Horton, Donald; Wohl, Richard (1956). Mass com- munication and para-social interaction: Observa- a roundabout way supporting Cyrus: both U.S. and Israeli culture, main- tions on intimacy at a distance. In: Psychiatry, vol. taining her interest in Israeli media 19, no. 3, pp. 215-229. Amanda: “I just don’t like when [people] products despite her immersion in her Levin, Diane; Kilbourne, Jean (2008). So sexy so say certain things about certain stars that I family’s new home country, the USA. soon: The new sexualized childhood and what par- ents can do to protect their kids. New York: Bal- know the answer to. I just like ‘Argh! You She uses her knowledge of both cul- people don’t know the answer’. They’ll lantine. get all like ‘Oh my God!’ when a star puts tures to determine the rules of success Oppliger, Patrice (2008). Girls gone skank: The – vividly demonstrated on What Not sexualization of girls in American culture. Jefferson, up the middle finger or something. David N.C.: McFarland & Company. To Wear – while maintaining a sense Henry has a tattoo on his back. It’s like Umstead, Thomas (2009). Award shows hit sour a bird thing, a cupid thing. So people are of authenticity. Similarly, Gabriela notes at times for nets. Retrieved January 24, 2010 like ‘Oh my god, he has a tattoo’. […] So embraces multiple cultures – Ameri- from http://www.multichannel.com/blog/Picture_ he stuck up the middle finger and every- This/23086-Award_Shows_Hit_Sour_Notes_At_ can, Brazilian, English, and French Times_For_Nets.php?rssid=20092&q=hannah+ one’s like, ‘Oh, he’s a Disney Channel – but with so many backgrounds, Montana star, and he stuck up the middle finger!’” she cannot be all at once; it would Rebecca: “So it sounds like issues of if be too fragmenting. Therefore, her they’re good role models, kind of.” quest for authenticity brings her to Amanda: “[…] When I looked up ‘Party in the USA’ [on YouTube], there would position herself between multiple cul- always be videos like ‘Miley Cyrus Party tures, feet on the ground – touching the earth – focused on maintaining in the USA Teen Choice Awards’ what- the authorS ever. Some of [the commenters], they’re integrity in her self-identity. On the just like, ‘people, get over it. She used other hand, Amanda stakes a serious the pole for balance. She could have used claim to U.S. teen media culture as Rebecca C. Hains, Ph. D., ­Assistant something else but she chose a pole.’” her own culture, keen on enhanc- Mom: “I guess so many younger girls Professor of Com­ ing her parasocial relationship with munications, and like her, too.” American celebrities to demonstrate Amanda: “It’s only because she was a Judi Puritz Cook, Disney Channel star. She’s growing up. her competency in that mediated Ph. D., Pro­fessor There’s not going to be any more Hannah realm. For her, as for many young of Communica- Montana.” teenage girls around the globe, this tions, teach and fantasy world is most real, prompting conduct research In general, Amanda takes the side acute and powerful feelings. at Salem State of the celebrities whose world she College in Salem, Massachusetts, wished to inhabit. Though her para- USA. social relationship with Bieber was