Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Miley, Miley, Miley

Much ado is being made today about teen sensation Miley Cyrus and some photos that were taken for Vanity Fair magazine. In my opinion, America needs to LIGHTEN UP and enter into some dialog about matters that matter.

Miley was photographed by famed photog Annie Leibovitz for a Vanity Fair spread. In some she’s hanging with her dad, and in one she’s draped in a satin wrap, barebacked for all to see. Honestly, if she’d been wearing a swimsuit, she would have been a lot more exposed.

Parents (moms mostly) are up in arms that their daughters are somehow betrayed by these photos of Miley which portray her in a seemingly sexual nature. I think this is a no-brainer. Don’t buy the magazine or show it to your little girl. I’m not sure if I can attest to the buying habits of preteens, but I’m pretty certain Teen People and Tiger Beat are more likely to be purchased by a 12-year-old girl. I don’t think I’ve ever purchased a Vanity Fair magazine, and I know I didn’t buy one as a teenager.

When I owned a parenting magazine, many years ago, we had a complaint about a photo of a little girl who appeared in an ad for my favorite photographer. The woman who called the photographer thought it portrayed the girl as a child prostitute. The photographer immediately called me to let me know of the complaint. The child was fully dressed but had a look on her face (I’d call it wistful) that the woman interpreted to be sexual. Oh, my. Fortunately she was alone in her complaint and the matter went away.

For Miley and her parents, all this ado is on a much grander scale. I hope that Britney or Paris step in and do something stupid they are famous for and shift the focus off Miley. I think this is a lesson for any of us with aspirations for our children to become famous. Is any of this really worth it? I think not.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I agree............Abby will not go out and purchase a Vanity Fair anytime soon. If I walk into her room and find her sitting atop her vanity stool, topless, clutching a sheet, and staring at her mere seven year old reflection in the mirror.... it will be because she has seen the photo plastered all over the news! Another good reason to get the tv's out of the house!
Jennifer