If you had asked me what I thought about Miley Cyrus two years ago, I’d likely bring up Hannah Montana and a lackluster singing career.

But since the airing of Robin Thicke and Miley Cyrus’ performance of “Blurred Lines” during the MTV Video Music Awards, people often affiliate a whole new set of images with the young pop icon.

Some call her disgusting, slutty, raunchy and ratchet. It seems as if everyone has an opinion about the tongue-hung child star. People are provoked to comment, ridicule, and produce meme after meme of Cyrus and her couldn’t-give-a-crap attitude. It’s safe to say she has us talking.

Because of our response, we’ve played right into her hands.

“We Can’t Stop,” a song released by Cyrus earlier this year, set the tone for her booty-popping twerk-team obsession.

Personally, I haven’t lived a life of child stardom. I never had a following of preteens, or a song called “Party in the USA” where I tell an elaborate tale of how different Nashville is from Hollywood. I couldn’t begin to imagine how that would get my “tummy turning” or create a feeling of homesickness for normal life. I can confidently say Cyrus hasn’t lived a life parallel to my own. She’s in a special class of stardom-propelled celebrity, similar to Britney Spears or Amanda Bynes, prior to her 2013 Twitter breakdown.

For those of you who missed out on Cyrus’ controversial performance, I highly encourage you to immerse yourself in the cultural experience. There’s a lot of gyrating, crotch touching, tongue exposing and general parading of sexuality happening all over the stage. This sexual explosion is juxtaposed with carnival-sized teddy bears, creating an atmosphere of confusion and general disgust.

But that’s not what got people talking.

Cue Robin Thicke, who emotionlessly strutted onstage in a Beetlejuice-inspired suit. Cyrus, foam finger in hand, goes off the deep end. She gestures, touches and twerks on Thicke. People were outraged about her revealing outfit and her liberal use of sexuality.

It is as if people forgot that the reason she took the stage was to sing “We Can’t Stop,” a song that repeats the idea that Cyrus is going to do what she wants, say what she wants, and we can’t stop her. Apparently, because she can’t stop.

And that’s OK.

I don’t get mad when I see someone on campus wearing something more revealing than I’d be comfortable wearing. I don’t get engulfed in the need to post my aggressive rants on Chico State Confession’s Facebook page. I don’t see the point in trying to control someone else’s life because it makes me uncomfortable or pushes the limits on what I consider appropriate. Because frankly, it doesn’t concern me. It’s with a pompous sense of self-righteousness that people are tweeting, posting and sharing about how Cyrus shouldn’t have done this, or worn that or acted the way she did.

There’s a social media storm blowing up about how everyone is in agreement that Cyrus is taking this one too far. Celebrities agree, your YouTube idols are making disparaging comments about the event, even your Vines made jokes about twerking with comically exaggerated tongue gestures. People are talking. That’s how Miley won in the end of this media outburst.

Take note, business colleagues: Cyrus got people talking. She utilized her time on stage at the VMA’s to grab people’s attention. She created an image that supports her indifference to the reaction of outsiders. She made an uproar that demanded people’s attention. Her hellfire social media response is a PR executive’s dream, and her ability to captivate the masses, although mimicked by previous stars like Madonna and Lady Gaga, is a foolproof way to get people to say your name.

On Sept. 8, Cyrus released “Wrecking Ball.” As of Sept. 18, the video reached 121 million views. Undoubtedly there’s a correlation between the VMA performance and the video’s popularity. Consider yourself swindled, Wildcats. By reacting to Miley Cyrus’s performance, we are feeding her career. If we’re not careful, she might never stop.

Amanda Irons can be reached at [email protected] or @Orion_opinion on Twitter.