When you were younger,
what was your favorite
show? Might it have been the
Teenage Mutant Ninja
Turtles or possibly the Power
Rangers? Look out – young
people in America are going
crazy over a girl whose father
was famous for having an
“Achy Breaky Heart.”
Miley Cyrus, daughter of
country star Billy Ray Cyrus,
has made a huge impression
on the younger age group
commonly referred to as
tweens. Kids in grade school
have taken to the 16-year-old
pop star.
The girl has her own show,
her own clothing line, her
own movie, multiple hit
albums and reportedly earns
around $3.5 million a year.
She has had performances on
Good Morning America, The
Tonight Show with Jay Leno
and The Oprah Winfrey
Show. Not bad for a girl who
doesn’t even have her driver’s
license yet.
While millions of ‘tweens’
are flocking to the Hannah
Montana craze, it’s different
for teenagers and college students.
Back in the day, millions
of 18-24 year olds were
unified in their love for
bands like the Beatles or bellbottomed
jeans.
But those days of a unified
youth culture are long gone.
No one trend has really
caught on with young adults
for many reasons. Today’s
18-24 age market tends to
seeks out its own brand of
individualism. “Everyone
likes that? Oh, well then I’ll
find my own niche,” might be
a typical response.
But Cyrus, otherwise
known as Hannah Montana,
has really caught on with the
younger crowd, mainly children
6-14. Montana’s public
appeal and popularity have
skyrocketed since her original
episode aired March 24, 2006
on the Disney Channel. The
series premiere registered hit
ratings for Disney, as 5.4 million
little ones turned on their
television sets to watch the
pop star with the double life.
Disney’s marketing campaign
didn’t hurt, either.
There’s the clothing line,
where you can buy shirts
with Hannah’s giant face, creating
a walking advertisement
for the show. There are
multiple consumer products
that carry the Hannah
Montana name, including
age-appropriate video games,
Hannah Montana accessories
and home décor. And, of
course, there’s the show.
The popular show is based
on the premise that Cyrus, as
a teenager, lives a double life.
She is able to live her normal
life as a teenager but also live
lavishly as a pop star, when
she turns into her alter-ego,
the blonde-haired Hannah
Montana.
The only people who know
of this transformation are her
friends in the show – and millions
of viewers at home.
The kids like the singing,
dancing and the ‘tween’ comedy.
But what the parents
like is the lack of racy or inappropriate
dialog and positive
influence the show has, if
nothing else. Better to have
the kids watching Hannah
Montana then playing Grand
Theft Auto, if you ask parents,
who are happy to allow
their kids to watch a girl who
says goofy things and is a relatively
good role model. That
is why the Hannah Montana
and Cyrus name are so marketable.
The show has turned into a
huge cash cow for Disney and
Cyrus. Disney has apparently
picked a winner.
And Cyrus makes an
attempt to be a role model.
“I’m not letting any stupid
decisions get in my way,”
said Cyrus. “I want to be a
role model, letting girls know
that they can follow their
dreams,” she said in a recent
television interview.
Now it looks as if the kids
that don’t like Hannah
Montana are becoming the
minority. Emma, a 9-year-old
in fourth grade, told the
Centurion, “I was the only
girl in my class that didn’t
like Hannah Montana. It was
kind of scary.”
What’s even scarier is the
public scrutiny that Cyrus
now faces. Of course, the life
of a pop culture icon can get
dissected and criticized for
even the smallest things.
For instance, during a scene
in her movie, “Hannah
Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best
of Both Worlds Concert,” she
and her father forgot to buckle
their safety belts when
driving.
This prompted a public
backlashfrom parents who
didn’t like the disregard for
safety. Cyrus’ father made a
public apology.
Many stars with kids have
made special appearances on
Hannah Montana, due, in
part, to the fact that when
they are on the show they
know their own kids will be
watching.
Big name guests include
Larry David from “Seinfeld”
and “Curb Your
Enthusiasm,” former WWE
wrestler and movie star
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson,
and Heather Locklear.
The show has begun to seep
into the public consciousness.
With constant airplay and a
plethora of products to fill
stores, Cyrus’ stardom looks
limitless.
Kids are fine with this. It’s
the parents who hope that she
stays as innocent as she looks,
and doesn’t morph into
another Britney Spears.
Maybe older teens will
jump on the bandwagon in
the process.