The temptation of Miley Cyrus
Monday April 28, 2008
Categories: Faith, Popular Culture
Note - Most of my blogging now occurs at Culture11.com a new media company. My blog is here. It is hard to read about Miley Cyrus' recent "issues" - in Vanity Fair, other slightly tart pics - and not fear...
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"Suffice it to say I'd need to repent for violence."
Nah. Not for protecting their honor and dignity as the beautiful woman that God wants to be and being angry for the world wanting to turn that into the filth that their consider desirable.
You are their dad, after all. Dads shouldn't apologize for doing their duty.
Amen to that, Shannon. Protecting your children is hardly anything to be ashamed of, David. If it were then I would have to stand beside you in that confessional. I cannot imagine permitting my daughter to go through such a session.
What on earth were they thinking???
I'm not understanding. Could you post some more
photos, maybe that will help.
Wow, a little judgmental don't you think? Do you think you have any idea what it's like to be one of their parents?
I keep changing my mind about how important this all ought to be. Sometimes it seems like looking to pop-stars as moral symbols is more the problem than how they behave.
I don't think the problem is a parental one; I think the problem is a societal one. (After all, it can hardly be argued that Miley Cyrus' father, simultaneously for a time the most popular and most made-fun-of country singer around, doesn't know the vagaries of stardom.)
Particularly with girls in showbiz, they are pushed after a time to show they are "adult." And "adult," in today's society, means sexual.
We've seen it over and over again in recent years, not just with Britney and Miley. Lindsay Lohan. Vanessa Hudgens. Hilary Duff (who got off the "lightest," pun intended; she basically had to go anorexic to overcome charges she had too much "baby fat").
Despite what Disney, Billy Ray, and Miley herself are now saying, the brutal truth is that the Annie Leibowitz photo shoot was a form of career preservation/enhancement for "Hannah Montana."
We will only end such travesties in the short-term if child stars are willing to "retire" and get off the gravy train (that would be what Billy Ray was guilty of); and in the long-term if we don't rush our girls to "grow up" in all the wrong ways.
You touch on an interesting issue David, when you mentioned Britney's long past statement of her supposed "virginity." (Unsuprisingly, it turns out that she was not a virgin even back at the tender age of 16 when she said that.)
An interesting article appeared on MSNBC the other day exploring how pledges of virginity are actually a career move for young stars.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24032596/
The article argues that these incredibly public statements about chastity actually serve to INCREASE the star's sex appeal. It serves up their lack of sexuality as a sexual status symbol. It's actually a sly way of marketing sex.
Simultaneously cultivating both adult and Disney-aged fans while allowing parents to feel reassured... that's how corporate American media makes their daily bread.
Simultaneuosly cultivating both adult and Disney-aged fans while allowing parents to feel reassured... that's how corporate American media makes their daily bread. Miley doesn't stand a chance.
Backing up my comment ... (HTTP://)
www.time-blog.com/tuned_in/2008/04/did_hannah_jump_or_was_she_pus.html
I've got daughters. I know what I would do if anyone suggested that they wanted to take "artistic" photos of them draped in nothing but a sheet.
If your fists are all that gets between your daughters and their willingness to take off their clothes for strangers for money and fame, there just might be a problem or two whose origin can be identified by a good look in the mirror....
It is merely indicative of the schizophrenic relationship between sex and religion in the U.S.. Madonna/whore complex anyone?
As for young women and their parents, they are merely paying homage to that most holy of symbols in the United States. You know the one: It has "In God We Trust" written on it.
If you love your little girls, don't let them watch Disney movies or play with dolls that look like cocktail waitresses. And turn off the TV with its incessant barrage of images that glorify bimbos with boob jobs. Teach your girls to play sports, to stretch their minds, to be confident, to dream big dreams that include real achievement. Teach them excellence. Teach them pride in their achievements and their character, not merely their appearance. For every time you tell them they're pretty, praise them ten times for persevering in the face of difficulty, for being brave when they're fearful, for being kind, for befriending the lonely and speaking up when they see someone being treated unfairly.
Absolutely agree with you there.
Albert, that's a good point. I came back here today because I was thinking of the title of this post and how it reveals the extent to which we meld celebrities into Jesus. It's really sex, stardom and religion that drive us schizo. I say, pick one. In deference to your pseudonym, I'll leave the religion for you.
If I'm not mistaken, wasn't Joe Simpson, of whatever-his-two-daughters' names are fame, a pastor before God called him to become their, um, banker, manager, PR agent, ministry director? Kind of makes you wonder what Joe was worshipping all those years in the ministry, doesn't it?
And I'm not trying to be judgemental other than to point out that, contrary to how paranoid some people become over anything that smacks of judgement and go for the Matthew AK-7 right off the bat, does not Jesus/NT in general call his followers to exercise good judgement when it comes to mammon, regardless of what, er, shape that beast unclothes itself in?
Hollywood doing what Hollywood does. How many "children" has Disney corrupted? And the beat goes on.
"The shame for this in Cyrus' case and in Spears' case doesn't lie so much with photographers or managers or magazines or any other media. The shame lies with their parents."
We see this type of exploitation by parents in every area of life today and the resulting devastation on the children's lives...if they live. JonBenet Ramsey didn't get that chance. Then, we see cute pictures of children like Tiger Woods playing golf on the Tonight Show at two...what a gamble...what is the cost of fame???
yah, and thanks a lot, David, ol' pal, ol' chum, ol' chap;
as I re-read your post, pausing momentarily to ponder the theological nuances of the third photo in particular, my wife happened to pass by and forthwith upbraided me with a tongue-lashing that would have done Donny proud as she inveighed against the evils of kiddie-porn, internet-trash, injecting that the apostles were conservative Christians, and so on and so forth
I ventured that I was praying for a wandering sheep, yea, suggested that "in Uganda Mr. Kuo is considered a holy man" only to earn the proverbial "hmmmph" of a female unconvinced and a cuff upside the head that spawned a ringing in my ears that will probably last for the duration of the evening
I'm not much for paying attention to cleb. buzz bullcrap but this particular issue really caught my attention. A sick sense of preversion has kept me following and I'll tell you why. I am, to say the least astounded at the good Christian folk obsessing over this nonsense. Umm, isn't a good Christian taught not to judge, and if I'm not miskaten there is something in the Bible about forgiving and trespasses!
In July I'll will be having my second baby in two years. Two girls. But I read this sort of thing and I wonder if I should have ever decided to have kids. I'm ashamed at America in general. Is this what we have come down to... obsessing over some little starlet!!!???
This is an election year and one fraught with major issues such as the healthcare crisis. Babies are still dying of starvation in Darfur and Iran is getting a little crazy with their nuclear power.
Please, let's put this into perspective. Lets be good Christians. Don't judge. Turn off the TV and forget Hanna Montanna. Take you kids to a homeless shelter to volunteer. Turn on the world news. It shouldn't matter if Miley posed for Vanity Fair. It shouldn't even make the news. If you don't like it change it by ignoring this cotton candy gossip. Otherwise accept what you are promoting. And yes. All of you that are obsessively following this case,complaining about the corrupt morals of her parents and yadda, yadda, yadda are only adding fuel to the fire. You people are the cause and the symtom.
Amanda, I don't think this is so much about a "starlet" as a lament on the exploitation of our children. I agree that we don't use the "off" option on the tv nearly as much as we should. However, I think the intent of this particular post is to make parents who read this, if there be many or few, to stop and think about how easily we can cross the line, into exploitation of our children, by simply inching foward a little at a time.
What is surprising to me about this whole Miley Cyrus "controversy" is the extent to which the prostitot look pioneered by Britney et.al. has become part and parcel of the overall culture. For example, no one even blushes at Miley's stage costumes. A Miley "slideshow" at MSNBC.com shows her in one stage outfit consisting of a t-shirt with multiple rips in the chest and a mini-kilt with the hem a few inches above what appear to be mid-thigh-high leg warmers. This is far more provocative than the VF pictures, and yet passed off as nothing more than tween fashion.
Let's be clear: unlike David Kuo, most of Miley's "protectors" do not object to marketing her sexuality - they object to the sight of her skin. They need Miley's clothing to cover their own hypocrisy.
Your article has a few good points, but after the pictures it became more opinion minded and less objective, which made it lose its value to me. Give more details - less blaming the parents. Show the readers why it's the parents with facts - not by rants.
Don't you think you might be overreacting a bit? The photos are not bad at all. *One* photo shows her with her back bare, but she's still more covered up than people are at the beach. The first Spears picture shows more leg than this Cyrus pic shows anything else. The whole alarmist reaction by the media smacks of celebrity sensationalism.
Still, blaming Britney's struggles (and predicting similar problems for Miley) on the basis of an early display of sexuality ignores some important facts.
First, Britney appears to be afflicted with serious mental health problems and, possibly, addiction to alcohol. Many, many other people are similarly afflicted without the benefit of stardom or risque photos. Miley's chances of having to face these struggles may have more to do with her genes than with her jeans.
Next, sexuality is a normal part of a young person's life. It makes sense that, as young women reach puberty earlier than in years past, they will begin to sense, explore and enjoy their own sexuality at earlier ages. These young people need to be sufficiently educated to make wise choices or, failing that, to be able to protect themselves from the consequences of a bad choice.
Of course, that does not make exploiting the sexuality of underage boys and girls acceptable - it is reprehensible. However, it is important to remember that it is the exploitation that is the problem - not the sexuality. Britney's early loss of her virginity may not be a choice you or I would want her to make, but it is, ultimately, her choice. The choice to capitalize on her youthful sexual appeal was made by her parents and handlers, who managed for a short while to sell innocence and sex in the same package.
And whatever you do, David, don't challenge America's sacred role as the world leader in the production of sleeze-culture. Why just tonight as I went thru the grocery check-out, I found myself giving thanks to God for the privilege of reading about Hilary's gay lover and Obama's wife laying down the law on his cheating. And, praise Jesus, both of these headlines were above another exclaiming "Fat swimmer harpooned by whalers." I nodded at the rack of trash and asked the clerk why they'd moved the toilet paper right next to the check-out, but, not surprisingly, I don't think she got it.
Also, David, why are you so certain that "[l]ike Cyrus, Spears was a young Christian girl with a very upfront values system"? It may well be that a profession of faith is simply another cynical element of the marketing process.
Noyatin, I appreciate your nuanced approach to this issue as demonstrated in some of your posts. However, this statement contained in your post of 5/1/2008 at 5:21 PM bothered me:
"Britney's early loss of her virginity may not be a choice you or I would want her to make, but it is, ultimately, her choice."
What KIND of choice was that for her to make? Is a teenager REALLY FREE (in the truest sense of the word "free") to make that kind of choice? To understand fully the long-range moral complications of one choice over another? To have the means to independently assume the responsibilities of one choice over another? If we don't believe the answer to these questions is ENTIRELY YES, then doesn't adult society bear the responsibility for exercising stewardship over the young?
I applaud parents for drawing a clear line for their teenage daughters AND sons ... because it is so HARD to be a "Dr. No" in a society that tells young people to celebrate their "inner id." TV, internet, the movies -- and even the public school systems -- promote this thinking. Where does liberty end and license begin? "Back in the day" we were taught that there was a distinction. Today, the line between the two has been thoroughly rubbed out.
Noyatin, since I don't know you personally, this is not to comment on you ... but on the validity of that statement which I'll admit is held by millions of presumably adult Americans.
Please think about it :-) Appreciate your thoughts in reply.
A couple of months ago a MSNBC newsreader made an off-hand and thoroughly outrageous comment about a particular Presidential candidate "pimping out" her daughter to help with persuading 20-something superdelegates.
The concept of "pimping out" one's daughter comes to mind when I examine the behavior of Billy Ray Cyrus and that of Britney Spear's parents a decade earlier.
One of the commenters said that Miley Cyrus' photos "are not bad at all. One shows her with her back bare, but she's still more covered up than people are at the beach."
B.G., your statement is true DEPENDING on what KIND of beach we're at. If it is topless beach, then I suppose Miley would fit right in. But not the kind of beach I go to :-)
In the centuries leading up to the arrival of Christ, the Greek occupiers of what is now the Holy Land mocked the Jews for their bodily modesty. The Jews were reluctant to participate in Greek athletic games because of the Greek mores on dress. As 21st century "Westerners" we have to ask that classic question first posed by the early Church father Tertullian: "Are we to be Jerusalem or Athens?"
Reaganite:
Thanks for your thoughtful post. When I wrote "Britney's early loss of her virginity may not be a choice you or I would want her to make, but it is, ultimately, her choice", I was trying to draw a distinction between the choices that a young person makes for him- or herself and the choices made on his or her behalf by cynical, hypocritical adults.
I hope that all parents draw a clear line for their teenage daughters and sons. Ultimately, however, each child will make certain decisions without parental permission. Whatever the child chooses, and I hope he or she chooses well, that choice and the responsibility for dealing with the consequences of that choice fall to the child (and, hopefully, his or her loving parents).
I consider that a different issue than the exploitation of Miley's sexuality by allegedly responsible adults. The idea that Disney can decree that a young lady's bare back is overly sexual but happily sell tickets to see the same young lady prancing on stage in a (presumably wholesome) hooker's costume is appalling. I also think that this display of hypocrisy is far more corrosive to our culture, our children and our souls than the display of Miley's back.
I'm not sure if this answered your question or not. Please let me know your thoughts.
Miley's parents where there at the shoot. And they should have stopped what was going on. Annie is a grown adult, and knows better too. Miley is a minor, and it does not matter how sexy she wants to look, its up to the adults to say that especially her parents. And they allowed this to go on and its entirely there fault. Miley is old enough to know better too, this gal needs a reality check. And Both her parents need a kick in the butt for allowing this to go on.
No good father nor mother would allow there 15 year old to pose just about nude.
at least this bit of scandal enabled me to learn that Hannah Montana and Miley Cyrus are one and the same, a point of American history I don't know how I've functioned without til now
Hope all is well, brother Kuo.
We are missing you.
i used to think miley was cool but now shes just a stuck up snob
I thin Mily cyrus was being dumb. Annie or The people who decided the pose are the ones to blame she's a fifteen year old. They should of picked another. Yes, she was wrong but she is sorry and ashamed. and theres no reason to make her feel worse it dosn't mean she is bad just her photoshoot was! and the parents should of said no!
I also think that the public shouldn't of veiwed it a million times for kids to see and then call her a slut. she is a classy girl but should have known better.
ya know.
i think its soooo amazing that our society has come eto this.
dont you think its just a little rediculouse?
i mean. seriously.
who cares if shes gay.
who cares if shes bi.
who cares if shes straight?!
and who cares if the girl wants to have a little fun.
stop critisising her.
shes just like the rest of you.
it really doesnt matter.
if the "poporatzie" or what ever honestly thinks this is entertaining...
your wrong!
its sickening.
when your so caught up with making a little cash off of someone elses life style...
then maybe you should take a look in the mirror.
and instead of saying shes a discrace to this country...
say im a disgrace.
its not her whos giving this country a bad name.
its you.
the people who make her look bad.
the people who, like i said before, have to make money off of someone elses life.
grow up already!!!
that girls a freaking american idol!
she stands for what most girls want.
dont break her down.
boast her up!
peace.
-ashliegh.
honestly just because miley is famous and a role modle to little kids, doesnt mean she cant have a life and still be a teenager. liek her show she wants to have the best of both worlds so why dont you let her, she just wants to be a normal teen sometimes. but then she has people like you always up her butt, bugging her about every little mistake. truthfully if that was youu in her shoes, you would understand alot more clearer do i think you need to get a life nd let miley have hers back.
Wow! i really didn't think a few goofy pictures would make this big of a fuss!! honestly, Photography and doing silly things wth your friends have become a HUGE thing with teens today!! I dont know how many pics i've also taken jokin around witht he girls! and her "nearly nude" pics wehre in a damn bathing suit! get over it...shes a teen...and she's out there making something of her life ya know like people are trying to always "tell these young kids today" get over it!!
i think people need to lay off miley i mean she is only FIFTEEN! i know she is a disney star and all that stuff but it dosen't mean she is perfect yeah she makes mistakes but EVERYBODY DOES i mean just because not everybody is famous or a disney star we accept it becuase not everybody is but we can't accept it because it's her! she IS a good role model! my sister sallie aggrees but anyway if anybody else did it we wouldn't pay any attention to it! and personally i think that a lot of people who dislike her dislike her because of the fact that she dated nick jonas! wich is TOTALLY stupid! he is entitled to date who he wants! and can people SOTP saying that she cheated on him because she diddn't most of those pictures were with her BROTHER!!! and one was with big rob and the other ones could very possibly be fans she does have guy fans!
holy crap people need to leave her alone! she is only FIFTEEN!!! she is still really young she isn't perfect just because she is a disney star dosen't mean she wont make mistakes! and she ISN'T GOING TO BECOME THE NEXT BRITTANY OR JAMIE LYNN SPEARS!!! she has morals and values! we need to remember that she is a human being wich means she isn't perfect like i said! in my opinion most people are just mad at her because she dated nick wich is STUPID!!! he is aloud to date whoever he wants most likley he will only marry one person! and people need to SOTP saying that she is cheated on nick because she diddn't most of those pics were her BROTHER! one of them was big rob and the other ones were friends or could very easily be FANS
We need to quit presuming we know what is going on in celebrity's lives because of photos or articles that are usually false. I don't assume to know what Miley or her parents were thinking when that photo was taken. And I sure am glad God gives us grace, because if the whole world saw all my mistakes...well, it wouldn't be a very good world for me. So cut her some slack. We don't really know what's going on. And Miley publicly talks about how great God is. We don't have too many other celebrities making that claim. Why do we hold celebrities at a higher moral standard than ourselves?
I oppose 2 all da things the other people said. Miley is 15 but she still dont need to be grown and putting these pictures out to the public like this. Her father should still set limits for her because she's not even 17 or 18 yet to where she can be doing things like we seen in pictures. Pictures of her half nude are not even necessary. Her fans dont need to see her like this and if she wants to have the BEST OF BOTH WORLDS she can keep the other half of her little world to herself so people wont start misjuding her and not liking her at all cause they might think she is a fresh little teenager and that is no way to carry yourself as a young lady. I understand she is a teenager-and-all but she dont want people to think bad things of her so she need to settle stuff down just a little bit!!!!!
miley is a slut
I feel that Miley Cyrus is allready grown up to make good decisions.
she has many fans that are still little and they could be following her footsteps.. I am a big fan of Miley Cyrus and she needs to change for her fans and for herself because that is no way to act at a young age. She can think before putting those pictures online for the whole world to see.. she knows that people will be judging her on those pictures and she knows what she is getting into and I do hope that its just a phase and hopefully she will change soon.
MILEY IS NOT PERFECT JUST LIKE EVERYONE ELSE. but miley will NEVER be like britney!! britney is just horrible...but miley is actually trying to fix the problem!!!! plus miley cant make the decisions. her parents make them for her. miley is still too young to do anything that invovles her life in general!! she cant control her money, her decisions, etc. so dont bag on miley. everyone always does!! {and dont forget, she is going through puberty so she will make mistakes but she will always try to be loved and "fix herself" so yeah she is trying her hardest to fix the damage} AND I LIKE MILEYS NEW SONGS CALLED "FLY ON THE WALL" AND "BREAKOUT" AND SHE DID NOT STEAL BREAKOUT FROM KATY PERRY!! so dont believe that news...
I personally think that Miley is making bad decisions by posting half- nude pics of herself. Many of her fans are little kids (said in another comment) so she needs to set a good example for them. She's starting to follow in Britney Spears' footsteps and hopefully that will soon stop. Her parents should be doing something about it because Miley is gonna get herself into trouble. I used to be a big fan of her's but now I'm not so sure...
SHE'S 15 FOR GODSAKES!!!!! What does she think the benefit of posting nude pictures on the computer is going to accomplish?!Does she think that it will make her more popular? Because that WILL NOT HELP. She's not even an adult yet and she is already becoming a clone of Britney Spears. I don't understand the need to show off your body anymore than needed- and for the WHOLE WORLD to see. Her parents should do something about it so she doesn't screw up her life. That girl is so famous and rich and popular that she doesn't even know what to do with her life anymore. I'm very disappointed with her.
I'm with you, David. I called this about a year ago, and sad to say I was proven right. Poor girl. Stupid parents.
/insert bad joke about the Cyruses deserving to have achy-breaky butts here.
AS A WISE MAN ONCE SAID, WITH GREAT POWERS, COMES GREAT RESPONSIBILITY.
SHE IS AN IDOL TO YOUNG GIRLS ALL OVER THE WORLD. SHE MAY NOT HAVE ASKED FOR IT, BUT IT HAPPENED ANYWAY & SHE NEEDS TO SET A GOOD EXAMPLE. I'M NOT SAYIN THAT SHE SHOULD BECOME THE NEXT MOTHER THERESA. SHE'S 16,SHE'S IN A VERY DIFFICULT TIME IN HER LIFE. SHE A TEEN OF COURSE SHE GONNA F*CK UP. WE ALL DO. NONE OF US KNOWS THE STRESS IT TAKE TO MAINTAIN HER LIFE STYLE. HOWEVER EVERY1 SHOULD HAVE THEIR LIMITS.HER PARENTS R ALSO NO BETTER, IF THEY WERE AWARE OF WAT SHE IS DOIN. MY MOM WOULD DROP KICK OUT MY TEETH, PUT THEM BAC IN & DO IT AGAIN......LMAO
WHOA OMIGAWD DOES EVERY CELEBRITY STAY A CHILD? BRITNEY IS AN ADULT WHO GREW UP!!!!! GET OVER IT! AT LEAST SHE ISN'T BUCK NAKED!
How are their lives or actions any of your business?
It seems absurd that someone who has such high and mighty 'morals'
could spend their time and energy judging someone they've never
even met so they could make a few bucks from advertising on their
latest blog entry. I hope one day you realize how much of a hypocrite
you are being.
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