“There's Not Going to Be Any More Hannah Montana”
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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.