Miley Cyrus and the Right to Wear Pants





When You Wear A Dress,
You Have to Make Sure
Your Underwear Doesn't Show



Back in 1970, a small group of girls and I marched down to our high school principal’s office and demanded the right to wear pants. Prior to that impromptu meeting, all female students were required to wear dresses at school. In fact, the rule was enshrined in the handbook of student conduct.  





Wearing Pants With Attitude

Looking back on that episode, I recognize that it was an era in which young people were steeped in media images of activism: students were protesting the Vietnam War; African-Americans were marching for their civil rights under the guidance of Dr. Martin Luther King; women were burning their bras in gestures of solidarity with Gloria Steinham and other feminists who insisted that women deserved equality under the law.

Pants Allow You to Do More Things

Surrounded by these images, is it any wonder why we were inspired and emboldened to challenge authority in our own small corner of the world? Not only did we confront the school’s authority, but we won the right to dress as we pleased.



Styles of Pants Come and Go, But Pants Never Go Out of Style

Within months, both male and female students were wearing faded bell-bottomed jeans with fraying hems. 

 



You Can Still Be A Girly Girl in Pants

Fast forward to this week—an era when feminism is considered by many to be an f-word—and the feud that has erupted between Miley Cyrus and Sinead O'Connor.

Basically, Sinead wrote an open letter to Miley in regard to her recent career choices. The line that caught my eye is how "you unwittingly give the impression that you don't give much of a f--- about yourself." 





Rockin' The Red Pants

Sinead makes a good point. All of us are constantly broadcasting who we are--by how we conduct ourselves in the world--by what we wear, say, do etc.

I can’t help but wonder whether my teenage self would have been able to hear the messages of Dr. King and Ms. Steinham had they been trying to communicate through the din of today’s media.  Let's face it, nearly-naked people swinging around on wrecking balls distract us from more important issues that are going on in the world.
 
In fact, the challenge for school librarians, and I would argue all adults, is to work towards empowering today’s youth through media literacy and specifically, to teach them to think critically so they are able to make intelligent decisions for themselves and hopefully, make a positive difference in the world.

Perhaps Sinead has done us all a favour by starting the conversation.




The Right to Wear Pants Includes Polka Dot Ones

If Miley were a student in our school library, I would suggest that her reaction to Sinead's well-intentioned letter was unkind; that good manners never go out of style and courtesy is a kind of literacy that helps grease the wheels of civilization.

Oh, and Miley, if you don't mind an old lady adding one last thing in the spirit of motherliness and love: Please put your pants back on. Some of us, who went before you, fought hard for your right to wear them.