I try to be superficial because it hurts less. If I don’t think too deep I won’t uncover something awful about mankind that I can’t fix. I’m a political atheist, which helps with feelings of powerlessness, and I don’t read the newspaper or watch local news because either medium will inevitably tell me something horrific that will haunt me for a long time and fuck up my Zen. But sometimes I stumble on things that I so wish I hadn’t, and something that’s being spoon fed to me without invitation is the packaging of Miley Cyrus.
I’ve made fun of her in the past for being Billy Ray’s daughter, and I’ve expressed my envy of her wealth from her Hannah Montana personae, etc. But what’s seriously bothering me now is the photo layout she’s done for Vanity Fair. She’s 15 and in various stages of undress for this shoot, and I’m not comfortable with the message that’s being conveyed by this. What I get from photos of people whose clothes are falling off is an implied sexuality, and when it comes to children I don’t believe there is a sexual “gray area” that should be overlooked simply because the child is a child star.
If she was 18 I wouldn’t care what she did with her body, but are we supposed to look at this 15-year-old with a come hither look on her face and her clothes falling off and not have child pornography come to mind? Is this art? Are we supposed to see these photos and think, “Oh that adorable Miley, she’s really growing up!” ?
I’m so far from being a prude it’s laughable, but like I said, when it comes to children I don’t think the double message being sent here is helping us to evolve as human beings in any way. And I don’t like the photos of her with her father much, either. I don’t know about you, but my father and I never hung out like this (and for that I’m eternally grateful). My family never sold me out to the highest bidder. But then, I was never my family’s cash cow.
Oh, I totally agree with everything you said here. No wonder girls like my six year old granddaughter want to wear makeup and heels and are overly obsessed with boyfriends and kissing – even before first grade! It’s repulsive and I blame the media for perpetuating this crap. I didn’t realize that was her dad in the photo. That’s all just wrong…. something very, very wrong. Until the public becomes equally outraged this will continue. It’s subtle, but the child pornography implication is definitely there.
I COMPLETELY agree with you. I was reading Miley’s letter to the public on OMG – Yahoo and she said she was so embarassed by the photos – YOU SHOULD BE! They’re digital shots, so she saw them on the shoot and liked them, and her dad was there and he didn’t see any problem, but now that she’s catching flack for it, she is embarassed!? I don’t think so!
I think the Media is packaging everybody as a sex symbol so they can sell their crap without realizing (hey this girl is 15!)
Blech. Gross. No wonder shows like “To Catch a Predator” or so popular!
Wendy… It appears you aren’t alone in your thoughts here. I subscribe to this other blog feed and here’s another mom’s opinion: http://rocksinmydryer.typepad.com/shannon/2008/04/regret.html
@ Little Miss- Thanks for the link, I just read it and I think it’s not the last blog we’ll read about this. I didn’t even realize it’s been a hot topic until I read Dragonfly’s comment. I stumbled across it this morning at the Vanity Fair site when I went to look up a book review and I was disgusted. It’s really sad and shameful the way we as a society push our little girls (and boys) out of childhood earlier and earlier, they can’t help but be attracted/fascinated by this stuff or think it’s okay. Where is it all leading?
@ Dragonfly – It is the media packaging, the media is making it okay to gawk and drool over a half-naked 15-year-old. The only people who should be drooling over a 15-year-old is another 15-year-old, which is natural, but even then I don’t think it’s okay for her to be under dressed and held up as a sex symbol.
I had no idea this was big news (ha) and that she’s responded to it by saying she’s embarrassed. I don’t blame her (though I do think she’s not all that embarrassed), I blame everybody else. Billy Ray obviously thinks it’s fine, but where the hell is her mother?!
I totally agree with you. And it’s not JUST the underage group who do it. I just don’t get why everyone has to be underdressed in magazines anyway. Does every pregnant film star have to have a naked pregnant belly magazine cover? Why is it that “photo shoot” automatically = “naked” these days? I’m not a total prude myself but doesn’t anybody have any DIFFERENT or ORIGINAL photo ideas anymore? Sheesh, if I want to see naked young people I can go look at Abercrombie & Fitch ads. It’s nothing new and I can’t believe people are taking their clothes off in photos like it is something special. It made a splash the first bunch of times it was done and now it is just getting boring, really. The only reason this is getting coverage is because she is the latest Disney princess and everyone will watch to see if she goes the way of Britney and Lindsay. And I do question her parents’ motives in allowing this, assuming she hasn’t become emancipated from them. Are they so afraid to say no to her because they may no longer be her “friend” or get any benefits? Grrrr.
Oops – I keep forgetting to change my url – I’m at my new place now – it’s http://www.vtroom.com so please feel free to edit my last comment with the right info. Thanks!
This is spreading like wildfire in the blog world, but you said it so well. It really is sickening how parents are whoring out their kids these days. I feel sorry for Miley– she’s being used, and it’ll probably just be a matter of time before she goes kablam like all the other little show biz gals before her.
It’s nothing new– Clara Bow, Judy Garland and Mary Pickford were all “cash cows” (and they all went nuts in the end)– the only difference is that now there are fewer clothes.
Of course, now she’s saying she has regrets, that her parents weren’t aware, weren’t there, etc., but it kind of looks like Billie Ray’s there, and he’s sort of making me ill.
I’m with you ladies. There’s a right time, place, and age to take the clothes off, and she’s not there yet. Not even close.
My wife and I have this conversation every time we’re out in public. There are under dressed, under aged girls everywhere in society now days. Someone’s buying the clothes for them! Someone’s letting them out of the house in them!
Not only would I not let my child out dressed like a little hoochie, I’d promptly destroy said clothes to prevent the old switcharoo from taking place elsewhere.
Just thought you might like a man’s point of view on this subject.
Peace, I’m out. 
The first pictures looks like she was just sacked. Where are the high family values that Billy Ray speaks of?
They can make the art claim, but I see sexuality oozing off the page and it makes me sad for her.
I’m with McQueen on this one. It’s nothing new. Add to the list Brooke Shields, Jodi Foster, and poor poor Britney.
Sometimes I wonder if it’s the money and fame that get these glamouflaged freaks all tweaked out. But not all famous artists do this nutty stuff and the media firehoses it at us 24/7.
It was probably Liebowitz’s idea. And JEEBUS, it’s gotta be one of the most hackneyed poses. EVER. But hey, anything to keep our minds off of our IMPENDING DOOM!
@ Teeni – South Park did a spoof of the Disney girls/latest teen queen and how our society needs to court them, then harrass their every move, then watch them die so that our crops will be successful. It was really distasteful to watch, but I have to say that it was really a truthful (if biting) insight into what happens. Except for the crops part.
@ MB – Wow, I didn’t realize it went back as far as Clara Bow etc. I thought it was more a contemporary thing that seems to be escalating. How insane it all is, and I just wonder where it will lead.
@ Peter Parkour - I agree, she’s not even close to being of “naked posing” age. It’s sick, really, and her parents are responsible for this.
@ betme- Yes, I don’t see the art value at all. It’s all about sex.
@ David – I think the money catapults these people into a whole other world where they lose touch with the real one. People who are raking in money like that start to see themselves on another level with different rules, that posing like this at 15 is okay for people like them.
I have not been so diverted by this that I’ve forgotten our Impending Doom, I’ve simply added it to my list.
She is lovely, very pretty, but WAY too young for this sort of thing. I think Hollywood’s fixation on being young and beautiful, therefore sexy, is going WAY too far. 15!
I am lucky that when my daughter was in high school she lived in jeans, t-shirts and flannel shirts. She never wore make up not because I didn’t want her to but because she didn’t want to. She was what you would have called wholesome and it was all of her own doing.
If they don’t do something quick, Miley is going to end up like poor Britney Spears. I say shame on her parents.
Oh my gosh, her dad is such a creepy-ass stooge for posing in that pic with her…ewwwwwwwww….and talk about pimping out your daughter…WOW…that vanity fair shoot has “bang me” written all over it…I fear that she’s about to join that growing list of pop-princesses turned “unprepared mamas”……
She is a GD icon. Every guy in America is suppose to want to fuck her and then some. She isn’t a poster child for virginity. Lets get fucking real people. Stop trying to equate jesus with Pop America, there is nothing more distant
Every one can deny it all they want but america loves its jailbait pop icons…. somethings never change