The crazy tween world of Hannah Montana
Experiencing the global phenomenon up close, Carol Hunt discovers what our older kids find so appealing
Sunday May 17 2009
'Two watches, an alarm clock, books, a rug, three pairs of shoes, four tops, a couple of pairs of trousers, a video camera, lots of pens and rubbers -- the pens are very nice -- a couple of necklaces and bracelets, a pillow, a doll, three pairs of pyjamas, a hairband and bobbins, an address book and diary ... " my 11-year-old niece pauses for breath, and I quickly interrupt.
"So it would be fair to say that you're a big Hannah Montana fan then?"
Molly pauses as if to imply that there are no prizes for stating the bleedin' obvious, remembers her manners and says, "Oh, absolutely. I just love her."
The Generation Game list that she has rattled off covers just some of the merchandise available to tween fans of the 16-year-old global phenomenon that is Miley Cyrus, aka Hannah Montana.
For those of you living on Mars -- or in Dail Eireann -- 'tweens', kids aged eight to 14, are described not just as the "richest generation" in history, but also as the most influential.
A Brandchild study revealed that in up to 80 per cent of brand choices made by a family, a tween controls the final decision. Even when it came to the choice of family car, more than 60 per cent of tweens had a substantial influence on the final decision.
These little horrors/darlings are Napoleonic in their dominance of the market, yet none of them actually earns any money. Nice work if you can get it.
I don't have tweens yet -- my girl and boy are eight and five respectively -- but try telling them that.
Have you ever attempted to argue with a child who has been indoctrinated by the Nickelodeon or Disney channels? These kids are messianic in their fervour for all things Hannah Montana, iCarly or High School Musical. One suspects that anti-capitalist fundamentalists may have a point.
Following quickly in the steps of the super-successful High School Musical pandemic is the Hannah Montana craze -- a skillful Disney creation which has netted billions from its TV series, records, film and merchandise.
Last weekend I got the chance to experience the whole Hannah madness up close, courtesy of my children and their cousins. On Friday, after much cajoling and pestering, I was persuaded to accompany my son, daughter and another friend to see the hit film Hannah Montana: The Movie. Usually, I try to persuade the better half to take them to such cultural delights, preferring to stay at home to watch Oireachtas Report while sticking pins in my eyes. But I'd seen the young Miley Cyrus interviewed on the Jonathan Ross show and was blown away by her savvy, confident patter, her seeming ability to remain unfazed by her enormous success (she has had four number one albums in a mere three years), her humour, and her general hometown Tennessee likeability.
Okay, so it didn't have the wit of Grease or the musical genius of Saturday Night Fever, but it certainly entertained the tweenies. They sang, they danced and they collectively swooned when small-town girl Miley 'Stewart' came clean, confessed that she really was Hannah Montana, the famous pop star, saved the town, and got a chaste kiss from her childhood cowboy sweetheart.
On Sunday, at a family Communion party, all the talk was of Hannah and her film. My 12-year-old nephew confessed that he and his mates had also gone, and, unselfconsciously, they'd all danced and sung along to the movie.
"It was like we were all from High School Musical," he enthused, citing the other Disney monolith which is taking over tweenie minds on a TV near you.
My gorgeous 15-year-old niece, Kelly, tried to teach us all to do the Hoedown Throwdown -- a Miley dance which is de rigueur in school playgrounds -- to the delight of my daughter, Sophie, and her cousin Molly.
At 15, Kelly is over the usual tweenie age, but she succinctly explained why she thinks Hannah/Miley attracts fans from all age groups. "It's the music and the comedy and the fact that she's got a country family who say things like 'sweet nibblets' and 'aw doggy'. The Hannah Montana character appeals to younger kids 'cos she's a pop star and her music is aimed at the real tweenies.
"You do feel she's trying to take over the planet though, and she's certainly hypnotised the younger ones. But Miley Cyrus is more of a rock chick, she plays guitar and wears really cool clothes. She's not as shiny and innocent as Hannah is, which is great."
And, certainly, Miley's lack of innocence was amply demonstrated last year when she was photographed by Annie Leibowitz for Vanity Fair magazine, wrapped only in a sheet.
"That was seriously dodgy," says Kelly disapprovingly. "Her parents shouldn't have let her do that -- and the photos were horrible anyway." After hearing the backlash which followed the publication of these provocative photos, Miley agreed that she was "embarrassed" and apologised to her fans. "I took part in a photo shoot that was supposed to be 'artistic' and now, seeing the photographs and reading the story, I feel so embarrassed," she said. "I never intended this to happen and I apologise to my fans who I care so deeply about."
Hmmm. Call me cynical but I suspect it may have been more a case of lost revenue from confused kiddies and their parents that was responsible for Miley's quick and abject apology.
The Disney Channel issued a statement on the matter, saying: "Unfortunately, as the article suggests, a situation was created to deliberately manipulate a 15-year-old in order to sell magazines."
Hilarious stuff. No sense of irony at all at the fact that millions of tweens worldwide are "deliberately manipulated" to buy Hannah Montana/ Miley Cyrus merchandise?
Of course, as those mortals who don't have a tween or two in the house so readily protest: "It's the parents' fault. Whatever happened to the word 'no'?"
Well, unfortunately it's not as easy as that. What do you say to your little darling when they inform you that everyone else has the latest Miley watch/phone/runners and that they feel humiliated in the schoolyard? Or when they insist on spending their Christmas money on Hannah accessories?
The people who target your children are way ahead of the average parent when it come to the psychology of tweens. Millions are invested in finding out exactly what it is that tweens want -- and by treating this age group as independent, mature consumers, marketers have been very successful in removing the 'gatekeepers' (parents) from the picture. This can sometimes leave tweens vulnerable to potentially unhealthy messages about sexuality, body image and relationships.
It's here that the Disney Corporation has proved so successful in overcoming any parental uneasiness about the 'wholesomeness' of their pop products. They know not to repeat the Britney fiasco.
"She's a role model for all my friends," says Molly of Hannah Montana. "She's always really truthful with her friends and family and she's very kind. I just love her."
The almost evangelical innocence of the kids from High School Musical and the Hannah Montana series leaves most parents with little to worry about. A chaste kiss is as far as it goes.
It was a lesson brought home to Disney by the Miley/ Vanity Fair photos: in the tween market, sex doesn't sell -- but practically everything else will.
