Lively Women

Does Miley Cyrus Have Histrionic Personality Disorder, or Is She Just Plain Annoying?

by Kristen King on February 28th, 2008

I’ve seen snippets of Miley Cyrus in Hannah Montana on the Disney Channel and thought to myself, “I sincerely hope that’s an act.” She’s loud, obnoxious, rude, overly dramatic, and frankly quite grating at times, but I figured it was just the character. However, after watching Miley and her dad, country-music-star-turned-actor (and host of the new season of Nashville Star) Billy Ray Cyrus, on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno last night, I was floored, and a little concerned. (Update: The video of their interview was yanked from YouTube because of copyright issues, but if I find a new link I’ll update again.)

I can’t imagine what it’s like to be so famous at 15, to have a music career and a television career that keep you running 24/7 while you’re still trying to figure out teenage things like your period and boys and algebra and stuff. It could mess anyone up. But good lord, child, chill out! It was like she was on speed or something.

Miley talked a mile a minute, gestured expansively, and wouldn’t let her dad get a word in edgewise without redirecting attention back to herself (which, I was glad to see, Jay called her out on pretty blatantly). She interrupted Jay and Billy Ray all the time, put her father down in like every other sentence, and was just manic.

Oh, and then the musical performance. The girl has a set of pipes, no denying it. And she knows the appropriate way to perform onstage because when she’s being Hannah Montana, hero of the teen set, she looks like a normal human being. But what on earth was she doing last night? I wondered if Billy Ray was dying inside with how she was carrying on.

Every time she comes up, the media is talking about how Miley Cyrus is so grounded and such a good kid and so close with her dad, blah blah blah, but I have news for you, people. That kid is running the show. No, she’s not flashing her goodies to the paparazzi while she climbs in and out of limos or running wild at drunken parties (yes, I’m talking to you, Paris, Britney, and Lindsay), but there is something wrong, and I think there are some tough times coming for that family if they don’t reign her in.

So back to the histrionic personality disorder thing. Here’s what Psychology Today says about histrionic personality disorder, in part:

Individuals with Histrionic Personality Disorder exhibit excessive emotionalism — a tendency to regard things in an emotional manner — and are attention seekers. Behaviors may include constant seeking of approval or attention, self-dramatization, theatricality, and striking self-centeredness or sexual seductiveness in inappropriate situations, including social, occupational and professional relationships beyond what is appropriate for the social context. They may be lively and dramatic and initially charm new acquaintances by their enthusiasm, apparent openness, or flirtatiousness. They commandeer the role of “the life of the party”. Personal interests and conversation will be self-focused. They use physical appearance to draw attention to themselves. Their style of speech is excessively impressionistic and lacking in detail.

Um, yes. When I think of histrionic personality disorder, I think of the stereotypical high school drama teacher, the one you see in movies (or, possibly in your yearbook if you still have it). You know what I’m talking about: heavy makeup, enormous jewelry, ridiculous outfits with blindingly bright colors, speech and physical affectations. Everything’s a crisis, it’s all about her, cries when the drama club does well or poorly, makes drawn-out speeches… You get the picture.

This does not bode well for America’s Tween Sweetheart. Would somebody please do something?

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Tags: hannah montana, miley cyrus, billy ray cyrus, miley and billy ray cyrus on jay leno, the tonight show with jay leno, histrionic personality disorder, britney spears, paris hilton, lindsay lohan, womens health, emotional health, commentary on young stars, young celebrities, womens health blog, lively women, kristen king

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POSTED IN: Emotional health, Entertainment, Mental health, Parenting, Young women