In the midst of controversies ranging from a reported $1 million porn deal to an offensive comment on "Saturday Night Live" that made reference to stroke victims, Miley Cyrus is now the subject of critique from an unlikely source: one of her own backup dancers.
In a recent blog post, performer Hollis Jane writes:
I was a bear in Miley Cyrus’ VMA performance and it was my first time doing anything like that…anything where I was being used because of my height, not because of my talent. And I will be the first one to tell you that standing on that stage, in that costume was one of the most degrading things I felt like I could ever do. I realize not everyone shares my opinion and I might just be young and naive, but I feel like the acceptance of this kind of treatment has got to stop.
Much has been said about the various insulting implications of Miley's performance, from her twerking to her costume to her apparent racial insensitivity. But in her blog, Jane singles out is another offense -- one based on size.
Cast in the show for her small stature, Jane was willing to take the role, she says, in exasperation after years of trying to break into the industry.
For my reddit AMA! Go check it out pic.twitter.com/ubRrLSUWDT
— Hollis Jane (@hollis_jane) October 10, 2013
Writes Jane, "When they asked me to audition for Miley’s tour, I was incredibly hesitant. The money was great and I would have gotten a free trip to Las Vegas. My computer had recently broken and my car needed (and still needs) multiple repairs. I could have fixed a lot of that with the Miley money. So, I sent in my audition tape."
But after the first dress rehearsal at the Barclay Center in Brooklyn, Jane left "shaking and crying." She writes, "I had never been in a performance where I was purely meant to be gawked or laughed at. I will never forget that performance because it is what forced me to draw my personal line in the sand."
For Jane's full commentary on the matter, head to her blog.
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