Miley Cyrus’s Bangerz tour has kicked off and there are lots of photos to prove it. Now, some people might complain that the show isn’t exactly the ‘educational’ performance that she’d promised. But we don’t think she ever seriously meant that half-clothed renditions of We Can’t Stop were ever meant to be educational.
While Lady Gaga's habit of borrowing from other people's repertoires - whether it be visual or musical - is used as a stick to beat her with, Miley gets a lot of flack because everyone thinks that she’s the first person to ever, say, stick her tongue out. She's really not, so here we show you that everything Miley’s doing up on stage is a respectful nod to someone else. Basically, we've seen it all before, so don't get your knickers in a twist.
Miley wears a t-shirt of herself, just like...
Paris Hilton, Taylor Swift and Nicki Minaj. It's not so much arrogant as, well, just, being yourself, inside and out of your clothes.
Miley dances with teddybears, just like...
Yeah, so it is a bit gross that Miley's vibing off of her whole child star image by dressing raunchily next to teddy bears - if you want to be an adult artist and let people know you're an adult, then just do that, don't try to appeal to kids - but she really isn't the first pop star to dance about with some cuddly fluffy bears. Kanye West dressed up as a teddy, Geri Halliwell did it in that unfortunately unpopular video of hers last year, Katy Perry did it, and you might very well be doing it. As well as Kigus, for all their portaloo impracticality, becoming firm festival favourites, brightly coloured faux-fur is totally in right now.
Miley emerges on a tongue, just like...
The Rolling Stones, who performed on a great whacking tongue on their 40 Licks tour. And of course Geri Halliwell, who emerged from a pair of legs at the Brit Awards 2008. The slide element is novel, but you've kind of got to give her props for the fact she's avoiding doing that whole campy-stroll-down-the-stairs thing. It really sets her apart from Bruno Mars.
Miley twerks on a car, just like...
Adina Howard on the cover of Do Ya Wanna Ride?, loads of women in Tinie Tempah and Calvin Harris's video for Drinking From The Bottle, and, um, this girl.
Miley has midgets on stage with her, just like...
Everyone from Judy Garland in the Wizard of Oz, to Mike Myers in the Austin Powers films, to the 'cast' of Jackass. The midgets in Miley's show don't seem to be acting under duress (twerking is hard enough, even when you're trying), and they're getting paid, so we should probably stop having such a problem with her employing them.
Miley shows quite a lot of flesh, just like...
Oh, come on. We haven't got all day. But the one person she really reminds us of here is Cher in the If I Could Turn Back Time video. Which, by the way, was made three years before Miley was even born. Is it really taking us this long to get used to women showing off their bodies when they want?
Miley gave fellatio to someone who looks a lot like Bill Cinton, just like...
Monica Lewinsky! Duh!
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Pictures: Getty
This article originally appeared on The Debrief.