Watch Miley Cyrus'sWrecking Ball (Links to an external site.)video and Taylor Swift'sStyle (Links to an external site.)video. Then address one or both of the topics below.

1. SIMILARITIES: If Cyrus and Swift are considered two of the top pop artists right now, then what do you think are the signs of pop? You may analyze the lyrics, images, sound of the music, etc. You may also talk about the artists' music and lives beyond the specific videos as long as you still address the videos significantly. In other words, you are analyzing how Cyrus and Swift are signs of pop music.

2. DIFFERENCES: Often Cyrus is seen as the 'bad girl" of pop and Swift is seen as the "sweetheart" of pop by the public. However, if you consider their actual lives, Cyrus has far fewer romantic partners than Swift. Why do you think they are then portrayed in such contrasting ways? What signs in the videos and in their lives support or argue against these images/portrayals? With both being women, do you think either one is empowering women more than the other, or are they just approaching the issue in different ways?

Students whose last names begin with H-M must post an original post of at least 120 words. ALL students (even if you posted an original post) must post replies of a minimum of 80 words each to two other students. Even students who are only replying should watch both videos and engage in substantial discussion rather than just regurgitating the original post.