On a long car ride with my boyfriend the other day, I started waxing poetic about all things Miley Cyrus. Chris, probably hoping I was kidding, scoffed and said something dismissive. Before I knew it, I was ten minutes deep into a monologue about why everyone should give Miley the respect she deserves. But my love for Miley extends so much further than mere respect. I genuinely love Miley Cyrus and I truly believe we should be best friends. Here’s why:

• She’s super down to earth. Whatever you want to say about her, nobody can accuse Miley of being snotty or pretentious. Whether it’s her down-home country roots or her naturally happy personality (her name is actually a nickname for another nickname: Smiley), Miley has always struck me as remarkably good-natured and easygoing, particularly for someone who experienced as much success as she did at such an early age. I’ve never heard any stories about diva-ish behavior (and I have a full-blown Us Weekly addiction) and she’s friendly and generous with fans. If anything, she’s accused of being, ahem, a little too mellow (read: 420-friendly), which in my opinion is way preferable to getting trashed and passing out in hotel rooms.
• She doesn’t care what anybody else thinks. Insert requisite “She’s just being Miley” joke here, but for real, Miley has a ridiculously impressive sense of self. Other than her overall confident demeanor, her self-esteem is most evidenced by her reaction to the press. Remember those Annie Liebovitz photos for Vogue when she was fifteen? Miley caught so much flack for allowing herself to be photographed with some skin showing, and, sure, she apologized (she was a Disney star, after all), but I thought the photos – and the accompanying article – were awesome. Miley has never been afraid to show who she really is, whether it’s her honesty in interviews or her simple, “I’m not perfect” defense of the mildly provocative cell phone pics that leaked. In more recent months, Miley has spoken in defense of sexual education, describing sex as ”beautiful.” A far cry from pop stars who used to pretend they were virgins until they got married!
• She’s a former child star. Bear with me, because this reason is more about why I, specifically, want to be best friends with her. It’s no secret that I’m obsessed with child stars and always have been. One of my favorite things about Miley is that she was so famous when she was so young, yet she has successfully transitioned into a healthy, well-adjusted, but still totally famous adult. So many other kiddie stars have failed to make that transition. And, sure, Miley’s not exactly about to win an Academy Award for a movie like, say, LOL (to be screened at the next official meeting of the Bad Movie Club, by the way), but she’s working hard, having fun, and staying relevant, seemingly effortlessly. Plus, can we give her some credit for making a freaking empire out of herself? I feel like the Olsen twins get so much (well deserved) praise, so let’s throw a little love Miley’s way, too. Her brand was worth $1 billion by the time she was sixteen. Yup.
• She looks awesome and totally owns it. Miley is hot! Especially lately – not to sound like a skeeve or anything. I just admire her for always looking healthy and happy and dressing to fit her body. Back in November, she responded to criticism that she was “fat” by tweeting about her positive body image and the fact that Marilyn Monroe was beloved despite having “thighs that touch.” Lately, Miley’s been toning herself up, but even when she loses weight, it always seems to be the result of exercise as opposed to crazy dieting, as she’s never afraid to be seen drinking a milkshake or just plain eating like a kid, which, at 19, she kind of still is.
• She loves having a best friend. Not to sound more like a Miley stalker than I already do by the sheer fact of my writing this article, but I’ve been tracking Miley’s best friendships since she first hit the scene with Hannah Montana at age twelve. She and her costar, Emily Osment, seemed to share a genuine friendship (fun fact: Emily’s older brother, Haley Joel Osment, used to drive them to middle school dances). I also read that Miley wanted Emily to be cast because she reminded her of her real-life childhood best friend. Speaking of, Miley name-checks that BFF in her hit song, “See You Again.” After all, it’s her “best friend Lesley” who helps her have the courage to talk to the boy she likes. Later, Miley added another best friend to her coterie: back-up dancer Mandy Jiroux. The videos the girls posted to Youtube were hilarious to some, insufferable to others, but a demonstration of a true blue young-and-fun friendship nonetheless. All of which leads me to believe that Miley would be the ultimate partner in crime for a grown-up BFF slumber party.

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