Engaging Roadkill



There has been a lot of discussion about Miley Cyrus's performance at the MTV Awards (I think that was it). I didn't watch the show but I have heard the echo chamber reverberations in the evangelical community about what it means. Here is what it means: Miley Cyrus is a lost girl. Another child star who grew up in the light of lights, camera, action.

All the discussion and pondering about what it means and how we should understand who she is because it gives us clues into teen culture I think is not a very useful exercise. It is like going outside to the local road where small creatures have been flattened like pancakes by four wheel vehicles. How much studying does one have to do to figure out what killed the critter? How much examining do we have to do to figure out what killed the culture?

If anyone should be studying teen culture, its media and music, it should be me as a school counselor. But, I don't as a rule unless it is something like Harry Potter which was a generational series. I ignore most of the here today gone tomorrow stuff to focus on the political, social, economic, and cultural trends that will have a much more profound influence on these kids lives that the gyrational spasms of Miley C.

Oh yeah, I also listen and talk with actual kids rather than watch and listen what they do. It weirds kids out if adults are in their world too much. OK, I am officially off of my soapbox.     

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