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Miley Cyrus and the stripper pole: What do you think?

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Miley Cyrus’ brief flirtation with a stripper pole on Fox’s Teen Choice Awards on Monday night has people buzzing today with online forums and message boards lighting up with adjectives like ‘inappropriate,’ ‘shocking’ and ‘trashy.’

But was it really any of those things? As Culture Monster recently reported, pole dancing is fast losing its risque stigma, thanks in part to gyms and fitness centers that use the pole for workouts. In the dance world, the stripper pole has become the focus of a new competitive sport that has followers all over the world. Even family-friendly Cirque du Soleil has hired a pole dancer for its ‘Zumanity’ production.

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Cyrus, 16, is reported to have said her on-air pole dance was intended as an homage to her small-town, trailer-park roots. However you want to parse that statement, the teen star’s actions have clearly succeeded in sending mixed messages. That the stripper pole was planted on top of an old-fashioned ice cream cart -- a symbol of childhood innocence and wholesomeness -- only heightens the cognitive dissonance.

So what did you think about Cyrus’ little dance Monday night? Take a minute to vote.

-- David Ng

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