People
“‘Donald Trump, I accept you.’ Why we need to be more like Miley Cyrus”
By Anna Pollitt
9 years ago
Pop rocket Miley Cyrus isn't the first person we look to for inspired political commentary, but this is 2016, the year that killed the term "complete surprise."
The 23-year-old Disney star-turned professional provocateur has released an emotional selfie video reacting to - you guessed it - the US Presidential election results.
In a live stream put out to her 80 million+ Twitter and Facebook followers, she tearfully declares her acceptance of President-elect Donald Trump and rallies her "happy hippies" to follow suit.
On the surface, this may appear a feeble and defeatist message for the committed Democrat and Hillary Clinton supporter to put across to her young fans and the LGBTQ and homeless youngsters she supports through her Happy Hippies Foundation. They, after all, are one of many demographics in America likely to be clinging to their last nerves at the prospect of living under the rule of Trump, who has spoken out against gay marriage and had a running mate who appeared to support conversion therapy.
It would have been easier for Cyrus to passionately protest, rehash terrible Trumpisms from the 70-year-old’s seemingly bottomless scandal pit and generally rally against the inevitable. While this would have been classed as campaigning before the election, it’s merely spreading negativity after the result comes in. And as we’ve seen in both the campaign for Brexit and for the new US President, feeding the outrage of the like-minded is a tactical gamble that doesn’t always pay off.
Much like the disapproving declarations of "I'm in the 48%" post-Brexit, continuing to brandish an #imnotwithhim hashtag after Trump has been democratically elected comes across as churlish - not to mention pointless. It's also a glaringly entitled stance that feeds beautifully into the "special snowflake" criticism levelled at young liberals by some right-wingers, and one that reaffirms to those critics their actions in voting us out of Europe, or into a Trump-led America.
While Cyrus makes absolutely clear numerous times in her video that she is Team Clinton, her tentative welcoming of Trump echoes the graciousness and positivity of Clinton's concession speech, in which she told her supporters: “We owe him an open mind and the chance to lead.”
Read more: Hillary Clinton's concession speech in full
An influential, outspoken celebrity railing against the disappointment and hand-wringing of the result is a step towards getting on with all this greatness that Trump has promised over the next four years. Scoffs and eyerolls won't get us anywhere. He's said he'll make things great, and the American people believed him enough to elect him. Revelling in predictions of his failure is simply a four-year build-up to a smug “told you so.”
Amusingly, Cyrus also appealed directly to Trump to get in touch if he wants lessons in how to be a little more liberal.
“If you ever want to talk about or understand… maybe people who don’t think the same way that you and some of the people that support you do, please, if you want to open your mind and open your heart I'd love to give you a key."
Let’s hope her takes her up on her offer.
Facts about Donald Trump that may give you hope
- There’s a chance he’s a closet Democrat. He changed his political affiliations five times between 1999 and 2012
- He has five kids – they make people more liberal don’t they?
12 wine and cake pairings to get you through the week
Cheesecake
Wine: Aromatic
“Aromatic wine can stand up to dense cheesecakes without being dense itself”
Try: Domaine Piere Frick Gerwuztraminer Steinert, Grand Cru, £17.99
Flourless Chocolate Cake
Wine: Oxidised, fortified
“Fortified wines that have been exposed to hear and air develop a complex, muted, caramel-like saltiness, which echoes the flourless chocolate cake’s savoury ground nuts.”
Try: Barbeito Boal Reserva Madeira, £13.99
Coconut Cake
Wine: Sparkling white dessert
“The gentle sweetness of a sparkling dessert wine pairs up with the delicate not-so-sweet coconut cake.”
Try: Cantina Bera Moscato d’Asti, £15
Carrot Cake
Wine: Ice cider
“Carrot cake has strong sweet and creamy elements. A good iced cider can slight right through it.”
Try: Somerset Cider Brandy Ice Cider, £12.65
Apple Cake
Wine: Off-dry sparkling
“Off-dry sparkling wines with a hint of apple matched with an apple cake make for a gorgeous apple-y delight.”
Try: Domaine Huet Demi-Sec, £32.80
Pineapple Upside-Down Cake
Wine: Sweet white
“The tropical flavour from the grape, Petit Manseng, especially from the Jurancon, marries the syrupy fruit. Its extreme acidity keeps the match fresh.”
Try: Camin Larredya Au Capceu Jurancon Moelleux, £25.75
Cardamom Cake
Wine: Pear cider
“Pears and cardamom so often show up in recipes as they accent each other so well. Try sipping some delicious pear along with a cardamom cake.”
Try: Eric Bordelet Poire Granit, £17.50
Olive Oil Cake
Wine: Sparkling white
“The aromatic lightness of a sparkling wine matches the dense olive oil without being overpowering.”
Try: Arndorfer Riesling Strasser Weinberg, £19.98
Chocolate Orange Cake
Wine: Dry amber (also known as ‘orange wine’)
“The juicy, slightly tannic wine supports the strong cake flavours without undoing the power of the chocolate orange.”
Try: Pheasant’s Tears Rkatsitelli, £17
Lemon Poppy Cake
Wine: Bitter aperitif
“The bitter from an aperitif such as vermouth accents the almost fruity snap of the poppy seed.”
Try: Mauro Vergano Chinato Americano, £33
Strawberry Shortcake
Wine: Sparkling rosé
“From Gamay and Poulsard grapes, the berry fruitiness of this wine echoes the fragrant strawberries in the cake. The match is wonderfully light-hearted and fun.”
Try: Domaine Renardat-Fâche Bugey Cerdon, £23
Savoury Cheese
Wine: Deep red
“Deep red wines are a great match to the sharp cheese in this cake, because they have this ability to synergise the saltiness into sweet accents.”
Try: Domaine Léon Barral Jadis Faugères, £25
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