"I've got high standards when it comes to boys. As my dad says, all girls should! I'm from the South - Tennessee, to be exact - and down there, we're all about southern hospitality. I know that if I like a guy, he better be nice, and above all, my dad has to approve of him!"
About this Quote
The Tennessee name-check isn’t just geography; it’s a brand credential. “Southern hospitality” functions like a soft-focus filter over hard expectations: kindness becomes a non-negotiable, but it’s delivered as manners, not politics. That move matters in the cultural moment Cyrus came up in, when young female celebrities were routinely punished for wanting too much, moving too fast, or seeming too sexual. By centering “nice,” she makes desire legible through virtue.
Then comes the real power play: dad approval. It reads conservative, but it’s also strategic. Invoking the father as gatekeeper borrows patriarchal authority to enforce her standards, turning “I choose” into “We as a family choose.” It’s protection, branding, and a subtle negotiation with celebrity scrutiny: if the relationship passes the dad test, it’s pre-cleared for public consumption. Beneath the sweetness is a tightly managed image of agency, dressed in charm.
Quote Details
| Topic | Father |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Cyrus, Miley. (2026, January 16). I've got high standards when it comes to boys. As my dad says, all girls should! I'm from the South - Tennessee, to be exact - and down there, we're all about southern hospitality. I know that if I like a guy, he better be nice, and above all, my dad has to approve of him! FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/ive-got-high-standards-when-it-comes-to-boys-as-88341/
Chicago Style
Cyrus, Miley. "I've got high standards when it comes to boys. As my dad says, all girls should! I'm from the South - Tennessee, to be exact - and down there, we're all about southern hospitality. I know that if I like a guy, he better be nice, and above all, my dad has to approve of him!" FixQuotes. January 16, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/ive-got-high-standards-when-it-comes-to-boys-as-88341/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"I've got high standards when it comes to boys. As my dad says, all girls should! I'm from the South - Tennessee, to be exact - and down there, we're all about southern hospitality. I know that if I like a guy, he better be nice, and above all, my dad has to approve of him!" FixQuotes, 16 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/ive-got-high-standards-when-it-comes-to-boys-as-88341/. Accessed 12 Feb. 2026.








