Sweet Nibblets!
Channeling the stereotypical Disney Channel-obsessed aesthetic, a lot of young girls in the 2000s had pink bedrooms, dolphin lava lamps, clear plastic landline phones, inflatable furniture, and of course, Hannah Montana posters on the wall. The Hannah Montana show was a religion to many tweens and teens in the early 2000s. After four seasons on Disney Channel and growing up alongside her character, Miley Cyrus became indistinguishable from the role she portrayed.
If you’re unfamiliar with the show’s premise, Hannah Montana follows the coming-of-age tale of a teenager named Miley Stewart, who leads an ordinary life by day, and with the help of a blonde-wig, is a famous pop musician by night. Hannah Montana was cute, it was fun, it was quirky, and the show became a wildly successful production that hinged entirely on the budding persona of a young teenager. Miley Cyrus was only 13 when the show began, and she grew and evolved over the course of the show's five years. Yet, despite her personal changes, she was under contract with Disney and was forced to portray the image of a perfectly-curated, perfectly-sweet Hannah Montana on and off camera.
Miley was expected to embody the Disney-fied, goodie-two-shoes that every parent dreamed of: She made good decisions, she was truthful with her friends, and she enjoyed hanging out with sweet ol’ Aunt Dolly (Miley Cyrus’s real world godmother, Dolly Parton) in the family room.
Via u/dollyparton
Parents loved Hannah Montana and teens loved Hannah Montana, but eventually, Miley Cyrus grew to resent Hannah Montana. In an interview with People Magazine, Miley Cyrus revealed how producers made her feel as an actress saying, “the concept of the show is that when you're this character, you're valuable [but] when I didn't have the wig on anymore [and] without being Hannah Montana, no one cares about you.” Because the show was more or less a gussied up version of her real life, she struggled with an intense identity crisis as a result.
As an aspiring star, and an impressionable young teenager, that’s got to mess with your head.
Naturally, the production ended up pruning, predetermining, and predicting the way that the public saw Cyrus the real life actress and pop star. However, like many child stars, the show itself created an identity crisis that Miley has spent years trying to outrun.
Similarly to her character on the show, it was evident that Miley Cyrus grew tired of the lie she was forced to live, and it became impossible to truly fill the fabled boots of Hannah Montana. Infamously, following the conclusion of her Disney contract in 2010, Miley released a series of… let’s just say “mature” albums, showcasing her rebellious spirit. This welcomed a drastic change from the cookie-cutter, cutesy, country girl aesthetic of Hannah Montana.
Miley chopped off her signature long hair, went totally wild, and twerked away the memory of her Disney persona.
Via Rolling Stone
For some fans, it was a heartbreaking wakeup call that ended Miley’s age of innocence. For others, it was a breath of fresh air, clearing the stuffy, forced, Disney-coded behavior that defined her adolescence.
Rebellion like this is universal, especially for ex-Disney stars. Childstars like Ariana Grande, Jojo Siwa, and Vanessa Hudgens also famously dismantled their squeaky-clean childhood image with extreme, shocking, contrarian, and frankly, un-Disneyfied behavior. Apparently, it’s the natural order of things in Hollywood.
Let’s be honest though, we’ve all been there. Everyone has a rebellious phase against the norm, cutting at-home bangs, making twerk videos with their friends, and taking embarrassingly raunchy pictures at some house party. There’s just no paparazzi to capture the coming-of-age cringe for the tabloid’s front page.
Via The Sun
As many parents are painfully aware of, it’s not uncommon for teens to become rebels. It’s in everyone’s nature. According to lead neuroscience researchers at the University of Pittsburgh by Dr. Beatriz Luna, adolescent rebellion stems from a teen’s desire to liberate themselves from dependency on parental approval and their training to always be a “good” child by engaging in risky behaviors. In many ways, Hannah Montana was the “good girl” that Miley Cyrus was always expected to be, and as she broke free of the “parenting” of her Disney contact, rebellious Miley was born, slamming the Disney door on her way out.
At first it was a shock to the world, but as the NDA’s expired and contracts concluded, the dark underbelly of Hannah Montana was finally revealed. This exposed the completely valid reasons for Miley’s raunchy behavior.
What’s Past is Passed
It may have seemed near-perfect on set, but beneath the country-cute, bedazzled exterior, Hannah Montana harbored darkness.
As the rhinestone-studded feather in Disney Channel’s cap, the show was more than just a laugh-track, cameo-ridden Disney Channel Original Series. In reality, it was a drama-filled, high-pressure environment that Billy Ray Cyrus, Miley’s father, says destroyed the family.
Via E! News
Following a controversial refusal to attend her 18th birthday in 2011, Billy Ray admitted that agreeing to let his daughter be the star of a TV show at such a young age led her to “spiral out of control.” He blamed the unraveling of their family structure and their once tight-knit father-daughter relationship on the show.
Furthermore, Miley also disclosed to the Los Angeles Times that the rigid, manufactured persona of her character, combined with the overworked nature of child stardom toxified her childhood. She says it drove a wedge between herself and the family members she’d worked on set with. While it took years for her to open up about the workplace trauma, time heals all wounds, and, for what it’s worth, Miley can finally make peace with the past.
The once-perfect Disney pop star turned rebel is finally coming full circle, and of course, Disney is not going to pass up on that opportunity. Twenty years later, and prompted by Miley herself, Disney will host a 20th anniversary celebration of Hannah Montana and nostalgic fans are thrilled.
Via u/fenixadco
It’s Good to be Home
Whether they were fans of Hannah Montana, respected the Bangerz-era rebel-Miley, or listened to “Flowers” on the radio once or twice, audiences around the globe can relate to the Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary Special. Everyone has dealt with their own demons of the past and watching Miley Cyrus tackle the behemoth of her heavily broadcasted childhood is inspiring. Regardless of the inevitable cringe factor of the Disney-hosted broadcast, this reunion is more than just a gathering of a kid’s show that defined the 2000s: It’s an homage to the innately human experience of growing up.
Miley doesn’t need this Disney-coded, photo-op reunion for money or fame The reunion represents more than a Disney cash grab. The Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary Special is an homage to the years it takes to heal invisible wounds, a salute to the phases of growing up, and it honors the strength required to make peace with the past.
We can all take notes and bury the hatchet with our own childhood trauma… Or in Miley’s case, bury a sledgehammer.
Via Miley Cyrus and VEVO