Billy Ray Cyrus’ leaked texts: We need to talk about slut-shaming

Billy Ray Cyrus is under fire for leaked audio and text messages in which, among other crude comments, he seemingly calls ex-wife Tish Cyrus a “skank” and references her previous sexual relationships in a derogatory manner.
The “Achy Breaky Heart” singer was heard, in a leaked audio clip obtained by Page Six, Us Weekly and People, referring to either Tish Cyrus or daughter Miley Cyrus as “the devil’s skank.” And in text messages obtained by the same outlets, Billy Ray Cyrus appears to reference his ex-wife’s “Call Her Daddy” podcast appearance in February, saying: “She is a liar … and a cheat. Complete skank. Scum of the earth. A fraud,” he wrote. 
Billy Ray also reportedly wrote of his ex-wife, “she was impregnated by two different men.” His team did not return USA TODAY’s request for comment regarding the text messages. In a statement via Instagram, he seemingly confirmed the veracity of the leaked audio and defended himself.
Experts in gender and women’s issues say it’s comments like these that highlight the judgment women are subjected to when it comes to their sexual agency. When these instances make headlines, it’s an opportunity to both condemn this language and examine how slut-shaming has permeated our culture.
Comments like those heard on the leaked audio unveil the double-bind women are subjected to when it comes to sexual agency, says Meredith Ralston, a professor of women’s and political studies at Mount Saint Vincent University and author of “Slut-Shaming, Whorephobia, and the Unfinished Sexual Revolution.”
Calling a woman a “skank” or a “slut” or discussing her sexual history underscores the stereotype “that women should be pure,” she says. 
“The language is really meant to silence women and keep them in their place,” Ralston says.
While male sexuality is celebrated, it’s still not regularly seen as socially acceptable for women to have had multiple sexual partners.  
“Only men and boys have permission to exercise sexual agency. And when a girl or woman does the same, she’s judged, ridiculed and regarded as being in violation of feminine norms,” Leora Tanenbaum, author of “I Am Not a Slut: Slut-Shaming in the Age of the Internet,” previously told USA TODAY. ” Tanenbaum coined the term “slut-bashing” in 1999.
The antiquated idea of being “pure” is a big part of the reason why.
“Even in our very sexualized culture, there’s still a purity culture,” Ralston says. “It’s very problematic for women and for any hope of women reclaiming some kind of sexual equity when we’re punished for our sexuality.”
When women experience slut-shaming, they can become susceptible to depression, bullying, body image issues, thoughts of suicide, self-hatred or sexual recklessness. Some experts say even the term “slut-shaming” minimizes the severity of what they refer to as “gendered bullying.” 
Shira Tarrant, a Cal State Long Beach professor who specializes in gender and sexual politics, calls slut-shaming a “psychological weapon.”
“It destroys people and puts the onus on victims to change,” she previously told USA TODAY. “Many people will hear the word ‘slut’ and everything shuts down. They think, ‘What did she wear? Who did she sleep with? What did she do to deserve this’ as opposed to ‘Is she OK? How can we stop the bullying and harassment?'”
Ralston warns young women who hear comments like those reportedly made by Cyrus may internalize the remarks: “They see the so-called ‘bad girls’ treated badly, and go, ‘I don’t want to be a bad girl.’” 
In order to change the narrative of women being degraded for their sexuality or femininity, slut-shaming has to be “called out every time it happens.”
“We all need to think about our language and challenge it,” she says. “It really does have an impact,” she says, especially from men in positions of power.