The narrative core of most Hannah Montana episodes is established by the show’s expository theme song, “The Best of Both Worlds.” The hook is supposed to be a contradiction—instead of working to achieve fame, Miley craves anonymity. When the show was created, I’m sure this reversal of desire was expected to serve as a novel twist on an old theme. It was supposed to operate as fantastical irony. But that is not what happened. Instead, Hannah Montana/Miley Stewart became a concept Web-obsessed teenagers could understand innately: They, too, struggle to reconcile who they are with the quasi-real
...more
