4.29.2008

Whose fault is it, really?

The latest news in the entertainment world that is causing an (unnecessary) uproar concerns someone I, admittedly, do not know too much about. Hannah Montana, aka Miley Cyrus, has taken some pictures that have thrown normally rather serious newscasters, along with mothers across the country, into a tizzy that shows me how conservative this country really is, underneath the liberal wolf's clothing.
As the mother of a daughter who is not quite old enough to really watch Hannah Montana, and as a parent who has, in the past, been upset by little girls dressed up to look waaaaaay older than they really are, my primary question about the whole Miley situation is, "what's the damn problem?"
YES, I know she's fifteen. I understand that the pictures were a bit, well, revealing. Um, has anyone seen the photo shoot of Lindsey Lohan? I don't care if she's older, those pictures are revealing and a bit, well, trashy. The photos of Miley are just NOT.
And let's get to the real meat here. Would so many people be so upset if every media outlet in the universe hadn't jumped all over this, splashing the pictures on the 5 o'clock, 6 o'clock, and 10 o'clock news, not to mention all over the Internet and TMZ, the bane of many celeb's existence? The pictures are in VANITY FAIR, people. This is NOT a teen magazine. Hell, it's a niche market, to be honest. I don't even read Vanity Fair.
If people are concerned about these photos, do the responsible thing and TALK TO YOUR KIDS ABOUT THEM. Obviously, overexposure by the media has turned this into a three-ring circus disaster and children who probably would have not come across these on their own are now having their parents wonder if Miss Cyrus is really such a good role model for their children. But being responsible and talking to your kids about this sort of thing, explaining that this was maybe not the wisest decision for her at this age but that she isn't showing her crotch, doing drugs, or having babies at her age. Personally, I don't see the problem with the pictures. She's a teenager, and the teens I know do a lot worse than this, some even younger than she is!
I think it's also crucial to remember that she is human, and she will make mistakes. If she doesn't turn out like Britney, or other young starlets and singers who have gone the way of the hoochie mama, can we consider her a saint, lucky, or someone to "really" be looked up to? Additionally, for her to come out and apologize, taking issue with the fact that the shoot didn't go how she envisioned it, is a very grown-up and responsible thing to do as well. Rather than villify her, her parents, the photographer or magazine, we should simply let it go and move on to something more important.
http://www.seenon.com/image/external/SeenonSlideshow/albums/album-40/lg/MileyCyru_Gregg_14433148_600.jpg/fetch/MileyCyru_Gregg_14433148_600.jpg

1 comment:

CFN said...

Here's what we need: more bloggage from the 'Shly! Rabble, rabble, rabble!!