>> Valerie Mcallister, staff writer
In today’s world, celebrities are idolized for everything from fashion to popularity, and sometimes for the wrong reasons. More often than not, celebrities have different identities on camera than they do off. With the many children and teens imitating celebrities, it’s crucial for particular social trends to be portrayed in ways that displaysthe differences between Hollywood and reality.
However, many celebrities think their lifestyle choices are of utmost importance.
Skidmore College, in Saratoga Springs, New York, is offering a sociology class called, “The Sociology of Miley Cyrus: Race, Class, Gender, and Media.” The class covers social topics and trends such as intersectional identities and their media representation. This class was created by a visiting assistant sociology professor, Carolyn Chernoff, who believes Miley Cyrus is such an important social phenomenon at the moment that incorporating her into sociology could be useful. Chernoff thinks there is much to be learned from Cyrus and her stage performances.
The class also covers rising social trends such as sexuality, gender and the female body. Cyrus has made headlines lately from teen star to an overexposed, underdressed and immodest adult performer. While learning social trends and theories regarding this could be beneficial, I would not spend time participating in or attending this particular class or anything like it.
For one, I choose not to idolize celebrities or compare my life to theirs. Most importantly, social trends in “normal” life are far more diverse than they are in Hollywood. Miley and other celebrities only portray of societal trends dance moves, hairstyles, and clothing, but real life is about more than those things.
A class offered to teach the sociology of a particular person is absurd. It focuses on one person’s viewpoint, be it positive or negative. It allows everyday people to take advice from a single individual.
“I don’t think it would benefit anyone, said Kendyll Rose, a junior education student said.
“I see it as a class that would cause problems among different groups of people rather than teaching relative information.”
This class may benefit sociology majors, because it dives into social topics that are important to the sociology aspect of life.
However, I would not take this class, not only because it’s aboutMiley Cyrus’s life, which may not be the best to mimic, but because it does not discuss any particular societal issues that I feel need to be discussed.
Miley certainly models sexuality and body image in an artistic and creative way, but from her actions, she’s lost the respect of many. A sociology class over a celebrity who has nearly ruined her image doesn’t make much sense. TAS
