Yes, you read that right. In 2014, Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, New York, offered an actual college course called "The Sociology of Miley Cyrus: Race, Class, Gender and Media." And no, it wasn't just an excuse to watch her twerk on repeat for course credit.

The class was taught by Visiting Assistant Professor of Sociology Carolyn Chernoff during the summer session as a 251-level special topics course. Professor Chernoff got the idea after teaching a youth culture class where she showed students Miley's infamous 2013 MTV Video Music Awards performance—you know, the one with Robin Thicke, the foam finger, and what became known as "the twerk heard 'round the world." Her students had a lot to say about it, and she realized there was serious academic meat on those bones.

What Did Students Actually Study?

Before you picture college kids just streaming music videos, Professor Chernoff made it clear: "Sorry, dudes, but this is sociology. Learn to twerk on your own time." The syllabus focused on discussions, papers, and projects examining how Miley Cyrus functioned as a case study for bigger sociological concepts.

Students explored:

Race and cultural appropriation (her use of Black culture and twerking)
Gender and sexuality (her hypersexualized image and feminine identity)
Class and economic status (her transition from Disney darling to controversial adult)
Media and fame (how celebrity culture shapes and reflects social values)
Power and oppression (who gets to perform what, and who gets criticized)

Why Miley?

Cyrus was the perfect sociological specimen for 2014. She'd just completed her transformation from Hannah Montana to... whatever that VMA performance was. Her reinvention sparked massive debate about everything from cultural appropriation to female sexuality to the male gaze.

Using a controversial pop culture figure wasn't lazy—it was strategic. Students were already talking about Miley anyway. The course just gave them the academic framework to understand why they were talking about her, and what those conversations revealed about society.

The Backlash and Defense

Predictably, the internet had opinions. Critics called it a dumbing-down of higher education, a waste of tuition dollars, and evidence that colleges had lost their way. But defenders pointed out that pop culture is culture, and understanding how society creates, consumes, and critiques celebrities is legitimate academic work.

TIME magazine defended the course, noting that studying contemporary figures helps students develop critical thinking about the world they actually live in. After all, sociologists have been studying popular culture for decades—Madonna in the '80s, Elvis in the '50s, and so on. Miley was just the 2010s version.

The course wasn't about celebrating or condemning Miley Cyrus. It was about using her as a lens to examine how identity, media, and power work in modern America. And honestly? That's exactly what sociology is supposed to do—take the stuff we experience every day and ask deeper questions about what it all means.

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