Miley Cyrus's twerking? It's just not working

I've got no problem with white artists taking the best of black pop culture but Cyrus's hyper-sexual act doesn't cut it

Former Hannah Montana sweetheart Miley Cyrus's gyrating bikini-clad performance at last night's MTV VMA awards left watching celebrities open-mouthed and set Twitter ablaze.

Cyrus, the daughter of Billy Ray Cyrus, the wholesome country and western singer with the "Achy Breaky Heart", has been raising eyebrows for the last four years as she moves further and further away from the teenage Disney channel character that set her on the way to becoming a $150m star aged just 20.

Her hyper-sexualised set, which included rubbing her butt into Robin Thicke's crotch and getting extremely personal with an oversized foam finger, drew criticism from feminists for degrading her sex and from some pundits for "picking the pocket of black culture".

Bursting out of an oversized teddy bear, Cyrus started off in a strapless one-piece leotard before stripping down to a flesh-coloured latex bikini and "twerking" her tiny frame all over the stage.

Twerking is nothing new. The provocative dance became part of hip-hop culture in the 90s when it was adopted by the New Orleans bounce music scene before being made popular by the strip clubs of Houston and Atlanta.

It has its roots in west Africa and was also popular in the Jamaican dancehalls before making it to the US.

Typically, women find ever more frenetic and acrobatic ways of "presenting" their bums to their male dance partners.

It has been claimed as an expression of women having power over their sexuality. This feels harder to swallow when it's a large part of the uber-masculine club scenes in Jamaica, west Africa and in some forms of US hip-hop.

Some of the criticism of Cyrus is typically Madonna-whore, with critics gleefully denouncing her for crossing the divide while secretly revelling in the fantasy that all "good girls" have a "slutty side" aching to get out.

"All grown up" was the caption under one of the many pictures helpfully published to stir up outrage.

I could never be described as a Cyrus fan – I'm just not in the target audience – but criticising her for "appropriating black culture" in her move from girl next door to sexually confident adult feels unfair.

The charge that she is yet another white star stealing from black culture and then repackaging it for a mainstream audience is understandable.

From Elvis and the Stones to Justin Timberlake, it's galling how often white artists use what they see as black culture to up their street cred while the black originators of art forms are marginalised or are criticised for being unsophisticated.

As one black US tweeter (@Rey_De_Piedra) put it last night:

"Miley Cyrus is reaping the benefits from parts of 'black culture' that black women themselves get stereotyped and criticised for. So no, I don't support her."



Society needs more, not less, cultural fluidity.

Jazz, rhythm and blues and hip-hop have all moved into mainstream culture from black beginnings and the dynamism, and novelty, of minority cultures will always be attractive to young people searching out their own identities.

If there is a problem, it's that the cartoon version of black culture that Cyrus seems to be adopting lacks depth and context.

Cyrus has publicly said she wants a more "urban" sound. Her videos have been "accessorised with black dancers" and she uses US street slang like "rachet" (ghetto-diva) in her lyrics.

Black culture is more than batty-riding hotpants and weed smoking and for some of those watching, Cyrus's new persona doesn't break down barriers, it reinforces stereotypes.

Cyrus doesn't seem drawn to the socially conscious hip-hop or empowering soul but instead she is embracing the "ghetto-fabulous" strand of the black life which leaves many black pundits shaking their heads in despair.

The other problem is that I'm afraid she just isn't very good at it.