It's official. Gloria Steinem has weighed in on Miley Cyrus-gate, so we can all go home and stop talking about it forever.


Last week, during the Women's Media Awards, Steinem was asked by Yahoo's Omg! Insider whether she thought Cyrus' risque VMAs performance and "Wrecking Ball" video were setting the feminist movement back. The icon and activist answered with a resounding "I don't think so." She expanded on that opinion, saying:


I wish we didn’t have to be nude to be noticed ... But given the game as it exists, women make decisions. For instance, the Miss America contest is in all of its states ... the single greatest source of scholarship money for women in the United States. If a contest based only on appearance was the single greatest source of scholarship money for men, we would be saying, "This is why China wins." You know? It’s ridiculous. But that’s the way the culture is. I think that we need to change the culture, not blame the people that are playing the only game that exists.

We're glad that Steinem sees the complex context of Cyrus' manufactured sexuality, and didn't resort to shaming the 20-year-old pop star. But we're even more glad to see Steinem's comment as the last word on the matter.



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  • Penelope Cruz and Salma Hayek


    Cruz and Hayek (who have been friends since <a href="http://www.wewomen.com/celebrities/album899642/celebrity-bffs-famous-friends-22413140.html" target="_blank"> early on</a> in their careers) first worked together on the film “<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0416496/?ref_=sr_1" target="_blank">Bandidas.</a>” In fact, they almost died together when the plane taking them to the set nearly crashed in 2006. Their friendship was strong even then -- Penelope <a href="http://geniusbeauty.com/celebrity-gossip/female-friendship-hollywood-penelope-cruz-salma-hayek/" target="_blank">said about the experience</a>, “A thought came across my mind that if I were to die at that moment, at least I’d die with my best friend.”




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  • Oprah Winfrey and Gayle King


    "Oprah and Gayle" are names that have practically become synonymous with "female friendship." <a href="http://blog.beliefnet.com/inspirationreport/2011/01/oprah-on-friendship-everbody-needs-a-gayle.html#ixzz2WaN3aSEv" target="_blank">Oprah has said</a> of their friendship: "I wish every person on earth to experience somebody to care for them and to know them in such a way that they only want the best for you… When you become famous...a lot of people lose oxygen and they can’t make the summit with you. [It's good] to be able to have somebody who not only can make the summit, but stand at the summit with you and rejoices in your being able to make it.”




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    It just makes sense that these two women, who are arguably better at their respective jobs than most other humans ever, discovered they are kindred spirits. The photo of the two taking a selfie at the 2012 Kennedy Center Honors Gala dinner became an instant classic, and Meryl gave a heartfelt introduction for Hillary Clinton at the 2012 Women In The World Summit <a href="http://www.theatlanticwire.com/national/2012/12/hillary-and-meryls-fabulous-photo-opportunity/59545/" target="_blank">stating</a>, “She has turned out to be the voice of her generation. I’m an actress, and she is the real deal.”