Why Miley Cyrus’ Refusing to Clap or Stand for Lady Gaga Was a ‘Bad Look’ But Not a Big Deal
People are still buzzing about Miley Cyrus‘ reaction during the Grammys when she lost in the Best Pop Vocal Album category to Lady Gaga. The audience immediately stood and clapped as Gaga made her way to the stage. However, Cyrus did not and was still sitting and not clapping when the camera panned towards her to get her reaction.
Social media lit up with many wondering why the “Wrecking Ball” artist snubbed the “Born This Way” singer. After some fans offered an explanation as to why Cyrus did not stand, a body language expert weighed in as well and acknowledged that it was “bad look” but not what it seemed.
Expert says not to read into Cyrus’ reaction
Several fans reacted on social media and are convinced that Cyrus’ shade wasn’t directed at Lady Gaga but rather at Watt, whom Gaga brought up on stage with her. So what does the expert think?
Darren Stanton is a body language and behavioral expert with a degree in psychology. He previously worked as a police officer and used his expertise to uncover the truth when interviewing hundreds of suspects. He later moved into media and TV as a consultant and has been dubbed the “Human Lie Detector.”
Speaking on behalf of Betfair Casino, Stanton told Showbiz Cheat Sheet, “Miley Cyrus not applauding may have come off as a bad look, but looking at her reaction as a whole, it doesn’t seem to be that way at all. If she had been clapping at half speed that would definitely suggest anger or jealousy, but despite the lack of clapping, Cyrus seemed genuinely happy to see Lady Gaga win.
“She was smiling — and her whole face was engaged, showing the smile was genuine — and it was only a split-second shot of her. It is very possible she began clapping soon after, or that she didn’t clap for anyone. I don’t think this moment should be read into too deeply, the smile alone suggests she wasn’t upset about Lady Gaga’s win in the slightest.”
Lady Gaga’s emotional acceptance speech was ‘authentic’
Stanton also broke down Gaga’s emotional acceptance speech and said it was very “authentic.”
He explained, “There are a few key things happening during this speech. People in these situations can often seem quite insincere and quite trite. Gaga is not. The first thing I notice is that her breathing rate almost triples. When we are emotional our breath rate increases, so this is a clear sign of genuine emotion.”
Stanton added, “Her microexpressions all point towards sadness, but in this instance, it is obviously more overwhelming emotion at having won. The increase in breathing rate I mentioned confirms that this heightened emotion we are seeing on her face is entirely genuine as she speaks about how hard she works on her craft. She is incredibly authentic and I think that is a large part of why people have always gravitated towards her.
“You can also tell from the passion she put into her performance, as well as this speech, that she doesn’t take her success lightly. She is supremely confident when performing, but her acceptance speech shows that this isn’t slipping into arrogance — she simply has this all-encompassing desire to master her craft.”
Showbiz Cheat Sheet acknowledges that conditions and cultures can impact body language and is sensitive to all backgrounds.
