Posted by
Steve on Wednesday, April 30, 2008 3:58:22 PM
Recently, I have read articles about the photo shoot by Miley Cyrus. She was photographed semi-nude by a celebrity photographer for use in a magazine. Her parents were at the photo shoot. Her father is the country singer, Billy Ray Cyrus.
Miley Cyrus is the star of the Disney show, Hannah Montana. That show is a big hit with girls age 9-17. It brings in a lot of money for Disney. The shows sell out minutes after opening the doors to sell tickets. The show is a wholesome routine and promotes wholesome values.
Much has been said about how it was bad for her to have the photos taken. She is only 15 years old. The photos would be much better if she was over age 18, but they would still be in bad taste. As Hannah Montana, she has to have a clean image. Anything that tarnishes the image of Hannah Montana will reduce the ability of Disney to sell out the concerts. If the concerts start having a problem selling out, the show would be cancelled. If the show were cancelled, Miley Cyrus would lose her job as Hannah Montana.
Maybe Miley Cyrus is tired of being Hannah Montana and the squeaky clean image that it requires. If so, she did the correct thing in getting the photos taken and published. If she is not tired of being Hannah Montana she should correct the way she is heading. The photos are relatively mild when you consider how bad she could be. Remember that her parents agreed to the shoot and were present at all times. They saw nothing wrong with the photos until the photos got out and people were offended. Then, they realized their mistake and have tried to distance themselves from the mistake ever since.
The problem in Miley Cyrus’ case is different than in most child stars cases. Miley Cyrus has a famous father. As a famous figure, he should have seen the potential problems for her. As a 15 year old, she is not expected to be able to see the problems before they occur. The problem with Billy Ray Cyrus is that this is the way that women in his world act. As far as he is concerned, women are supposed to expose themselves to the world for men to see. Having his daughter do the same thing is just fine with him. If he were a regular guy, he would have seen the problem in a nano-second. As an entertainer, he had his eyes blinded by the entertainment world and the perverse way that women act in that world.
If Miley Cyrus was not the alter ego of Hannah Montana, the photo shoot would not be much of a deal. Yes, the photos are in poor taste. But, they do not show anything. You see much more skin when you see any young female at the beach in today’s world. You do not see her breasts. The problem is that this is Hannah Montana. Hannah Montana has a squeaky clean image and Disney needs it to remain just that way.
If Miley Cyrus wants to travel the road to ruin that Britney Spears or Paris Hilton followed, she took a step along the way. She did not go so far that she cannot come back and regain her following. Everyone knows where the road that Britney Spears and Paris Hilton goes. It leads to brushes with the law and ruin. If she maintains a squeaky clean image, she would be different and be able to command multi-million dollar recording contracts. People would buy her records in great numbers. People are yearning for someone that is clean. I hope she learns from this brush with mistake and stops the bad behavior. Bad behavior may make your music more “real”, but a clean image means you make more money and you get to keep it longer.