ELSEWHERE: The Racial Impact of Miley’s Twerking Debacle

While the focus on Miley Cyrus’ VMA appearance has been primarily on the sexualized nature of the performance, there’s an undeniable racial element to the whole thing as well. I found two articles to be most helpful in exploring these issues: Tressie McMillan Cottom’s “Brown Body, White Wonderland,” and Leigh Alexander’s “On Twerking “And Being Mixed Race.” If you’re sick of the whole thing, take heart. These pieces take the attention off of Miley and direct us to the often unforeseen consequences that can result from racial appropriation.