TOW #20: Miley Cyrus Wreaking Ball Music Video (Visual)

Writing Goals:

     1)   Make stronger word choices

     2)   Summarize less in the beginning (I usually use more than 100 words!)

     3)   Focus more on the analysis than the summary

            When most people think of Miley Cyrus they think of the innocent Disney Channel star who has turned into a poor role model for children today. One of the most controversial topics involving Cyrus is about her music video for the song "Wreaking Ball". Many see it as inappropriate and scarring, but underneath all the nudity and hammer licking is powerful story.  

            Cyrus wrote the song Wreaking Ball about her break up with ex-fiancé, Liam Hemsworth. The video’s purpose is to express the distress of her loss love. Each individual element incorporated in her video reveals a deeper feeling of Cyrus’.

            When fans first tuned in to watch the Wreaking Ball video, many were anticipating the appearance of an actual wreaking ball. But what a good deal of people do not know is that the wreaking ball is meant to reveal the destructive nature of love. Although love is not always destructive, Cyrus uses this piece of construction equipment to express how wreaked she felt after the collapse of her relationship.

            One of the most questionable props in the video was the sledgehammer. Cyrus begins the video by licking, kissing, and caressing the hammer and concludes the video by using it to smash the concrete walls that hold her emotions in.  This may come across as strange, but with a closer analysis of the item, one can see that Cyrus uses the sledgehammer to represent how she is in love with the pain of her break up.  The use of the hammer is a unique way for Cyrus to express how her love for Liam is still present even through her suffering.

            Why is she naked? This is a question that has been asked by many viewers. What comes across as unnecessary and scandalous is actually a way for Cyrus to show how stripped and naked she truly feels after her break up.  Her nudity also indicates how exposed her personal life is to the public. Media has exploited her heartbreak for everyone to see.  If one takes a second to realize the true intentions of the music video, they will agree with me when I say that Cyrus was able to achieve her purpose in a unique, revealing way.