Watch this video of Miley Cyrus and her friend Mandy Giroux being interviewed over the phone by Ryan Seacrest, starting at 3:30. He shows surprise that he's being included in a video they're making for their YouTube channel. Miley responds:
"We had to have a special guest, and you're all we could get."
"We tried to get a Jonas brother, but apparently they're super expensive."
You can see from the look in her eyes that she wasn't trying to be playful: she's shifting her eyes impulsively as if deciding which brand of TV to steal during a looting spree. She wanted to see how much he would take, and he didn't defend himself at all. What a pussy -- who gets pushed around by a 15 year-old girl? Note, though, that she has a masculine digit ratio (you can see during the first 5 seconds), so she's more butt-kicking than the average girl.
Actually, many guys overestimate how well they would handle sassy whippersnappers like her. I saw it time and again at my tutoring center: the guy tutors are helpless against teenage girls. If the girls act bossy, the guy flashes back to high school when the popular girls walked over him, and he freezes. At best, he gives some bitter loser comeback, usually to another tutor when the student is gone. If the girl puts on a cute act, the guy flashes back again and thinks, "Wow, this girl would never have talked to me in high school!" and gives in to her demands or believes her lame excuses. Suckers.
Those high school girls are overflowing with hormones and are pretty low in Agreeableness, so their rebelliousness is pretty intense. It would be much easier for me to order around women in their late 20s. Most of them get away with their protests all the time -- with their parents, boys their age, older guys (such as teachers), and so on. That is, until they meet me. I'm never bitter, petty, or angry with them; I just lay down the law, though I also joke a lot with them. I would whip Miley Cyrus into shape so well, she would request to work with only me as her tutor (it's happened before). Too bad my schedule wouldn't permit it.
You've probably got the best solution, but not all guys can pull it off. Fortunately, even the bulldozer approach will work. Just be firm, keep plodding away, and even the most provocative teenage girls will learn that their shit won't work. Being the boring guy who is still an authority figure because you don't give up actually works reasonably well.
ReplyDeleteThe key is to show that you don't give a shit what they think of you, whether that is because you are cooler than they are or because you are boring adult who living wholly in your boring adult world doesn't matter that much. A slight touch of kindly bemused condescension goes a long way. The worst thing you can do as a teacher is care what your students think of you.
Never having encountered any media with Miley Cyrus before, I was surprised at how deep her voice it. Higher than average testosterone, I guess.
ReplyDeleteOn the basis of this, my guess as to the future trajectory of her career: she is going to turn into a total party girl as she gets older is going to do a lot of really wild stuff, but nothing life or career threatening. No drugs or visits to psychiatrists. She seems like she'll be in a lot more control of her life than say Britney or Lindsay. She's doesn't share much else with Madonna, but I predict a somewhat similar ultimate career trajectory.
BTW the calm "bulldozer" method works best over a long period. If you're not quick on your feet, she may win one or two initial battles, but if you don't overreact and calmly keep calling her shit over and over again, then eventually it will stop being fun.
ReplyDeleteThe key is to show that you don't give a shit what they think of you, whether that is because you are cooler than they are or because you are boring adult who living wholly in your boring adult world doesn't matter that much.
ReplyDeleteI've tried both, and the "cooler than you are" approach worked better for me. "Cooler" in a way they would agree to. If a teacher goes the "boring adult" route, I would try to spin it as being more mature and above their petty teenage stuff, not as "boring."
The reason is that you want them to work for your approval, like "I have to do well on this test or I'll let ___ down."
she is going to turn into a total party girl as she gets older is going to do a lot of really wild stuff, but nothing life or career threatening.
Her best friend Mandy (in that video) is 20 or 21. So as a high school sophomore, she's already hanging out mostly with a college junior or senior. That's a bit on the wild side for high schoolers.
Was anyone else surprised at how *ugly* miley's voice is? It has a very strong resonance, if that's the correct term, which isnt bad if the voice is nice, but intolerable if her voice sucks. Miley is undateable with that voice.
ReplyDeleteHer friend on the other hand has a pretty cute voice.
Miley seems like a careerist, centered bitch.
The boring bulldozer approach is apt if you're in a position of authority over her, that is, your only goal is to maintain your authority.
But if you want to attract her, a more active response would be more effective. My natural response to this kinda thing is to lower my left eyebrow, arch my right, with a derisive smile, and utter some cutting, sarcastic remark, in a sarcastic-playful tone.
Yeah, her friend is more girly and peppy, and has a more ample behind.
ReplyDeleteBut Miley Cyrus would make an excellent female wingman or "female friend to be seen with" -- even if she weren't famous at all. She has the physical appearance (tallish, skinny, adorable face), style (feminine but not slutty or fashion victim), and personality traits (assertive and dominant) that make other females pay attention to what she says and thinks.
My 18 year-old friend is a lot like that, except she's 5'2 instead of 5'7. Girls like that intuitively get what "quid pro quo" means, whereas girlier girls want you to lavish attention and effort on them without helping you out with anything in return.
I dunno, you really read that much into Miley busting on Ryan Seacrest? Isn't his reaction (indifference) the best one? An adult man can't really be seen attacking a teenage girl, so isn't it better to just ignore her, showing it doesn't affect you at all? Better than saying something really stupid, anyway.
ReplyDeleteMiley's friend is very cute. It is weird that she is that much older. But Miley is certainly shedding that childish image as we have seen lately.