In Defense of Vanessa Hudgens
Okay, gotta rant. And be defensive.
Yesterday, I posted a link to this cool Tween Fandom Friending Meme. It was funny and cute and interesting to read what everyone's answers to the meme were, and what shows they liked or missed. But one thing that gradually began to piss me off what a lot of people were putting down as their answer to "mose wince-worthy tween star"--which was (as you can probably guess), Vanessa Hudgens.
As most of you already know, I'm a huge Vanessa Hudgens fan. I can't exactly explain why, but I just love her. She's just one of those stars I smile hearing about for some reason. And I don't take kindly to people trash-talking her.
Now, I don't claim she's a saint, because 1) I don't know her personally and 2) I don't think that she is, but it still pisses me off to see people claiming she's the worst out there at the moment.
Now, it's one thing if she just annoys (or as Carly Shay would say, "irks") you for some reason, I'm not up in arms about that and can understand just not liking her for some reason. Be it her voice or acting or just something else about her, I'm not upset about that. But on that meme, either no reason was given, or (which I felt giving no reason implied) it was because of her "nudie pics". What. The. Hell!?? And here I thought that fucking issue had been mostly laid to rest! (which I previously talked/ranted about here) But come on, no matter how morally righteous you claim to be, she's considered the worst because of that? First off, Jamie-Lynn Spears was that category for me, I think that purposefully trying to get pregnant with a legal adult while you're underage and being proud of it trumps someone leaking your private photo on the internet.
And that too! It's not like she posed nude for Playboy or Penthouse or anything like that! She didn't intentionally let the photo get out (it came out right after HSM 2 premiered, she didn't need anymore publicity and certainly not the negative kind!), someone else got their hands on what was obviously special and private photos and let it out. I still say the only thing she should've had to apologize for was, if anything, the photo getting out and her fans seeing it--not taking the damn things. I mean, she was hurt far more than anything else because of it. And people began making up stupid rumors about it too, like she did it for a "crush" on Drake Bell (props to Drake for quickly killing and denying that rumor which he probably could've used to help his career!) and crap like that because she happened to appear on Drake & Josh once!
And even still, what about Miley's photos? I'm not talking about the Vanity Fair ones (personally, I find those pretty tasteful, but because of her age if anyone should get the blame for that it should have been her parents/agent for okay-ing the shoot), but the myspace-like ones. With her green bra showing and her looking a bit drunk although I could be wrong with that, she could easily be just out of it) which were taken quite obviously by her own webcam and on purpose. Now that is more her fault and her being a bad role model (especially since they weren't taken before she became one like Vanessa's). Plus, the only ones I remember Miley apologizing for was the Vanity Fair (though I could be wrong about that). But still, she put those out there, she was responsible for them, and she did it all after she was already in the public eye.
So, I get really pissed when people say things about Vanessa like " I see another Britney in the making". What the hell?!! Someone else puts the private nude photo of her (that's not even that explicit my god) out on the internet, and suddenly she's destined to become a tragedy like Britney Spears??
Is she getting caught out partying every other week (and god you can be sure the press is looking just with all the icons out there of her getting coffee in sunglasses)? No. Is she getting arrested for drunk driving every other month? No. Are we constantly hearing about her being late and unprepared for rehearsals? No. Is she often getting caught in skimpy or slutty outfits? No. Is she constantly in and out of rehab for drugs or alcohol or eating disorders or emotional problems? No! Is she always photographed flirting and all over tons of different guys? No!
We only ever see her with Zac Efron and she is always perfectly presentable whenever the tabloids or magazines do have shots of her. She is always polite and smiling in interviews, rarely showing even any signs of bad manners. When talking about HSM, she even gets excited like you'd expect the fans to. And in the backstage shots with Disney's behind the scenes cameras, you can see her acting silly and childish at times, which I think shows her as a great role model for kids (like pretty much all the HSM kids appear to be). Now you could claim this is just her "image" or whatever, but that's the whole damn point! Her image for kids is plenty respectable and she was as big a victim from that naked picture as any child who happned to see it. It was not her fault, except for perhaps however the photo got out, her trusting someone (or perhaps some computer program) that she shouldn't have. But that sure as hell hasn't cursed her to a tabloid, late night, sex/drugs/alcohol/court-filled life and career! That's fucking ridiculous.
Especially next to tween stars like Miley taking pictures of herself in her bright green bra (which I don't totally look down upon, mind you--typical of girls her age to do stupid things like that, only her career and "role model" posistion makes it a bad thing and worse than Vanessa) and Jamie-Lynn Spears for god's sake who wasn't even apologetic about getting pregnant with her older (met at church--which i find a bit hilarious) boyfriend (who should probably be in jail for statutory rape by the way, but different states have different laws and technicalities i guess) and just excited about having a baby and causing problems for her costars on Zoey 101 because of it.
Honestly, none of these girls I think are dammed to a hellish-yet-successful career like Lindsay Lohan or Britney Spears. But when judged against each other I do think Vanessa comes out as most acceptable. The photos getting out wasn't (or for the more cynical, can't be proven and highly unlikely given the time they were released) her fault and she immediately apologized for taking them (though she shouldn't have had to, and it only adds to her character that she did in my opinion) and didn't even attempt to deny them. She didn't claim to have been tricked or try and excuse them. So the only thing I can think of when someone has all the facts, still claiming she's the worst is that taking nude personal pictures (not even when in the public eye because this happened before that) is such a horrible crime. Now, I've never done it or been interested in taking a nude picture of myself, but I certainly don't think (especially one so tame) is such a horrible thing. Plenty of art (and many from my favorite artists--just check my icons for quick examples) shows naked women, some far more explicit than Vanessa's photo. And like I said, it wasn't like she posed nude for Playboy (which I don't see as so horrible either for a woman to do if it's their choice, though since Vanessa in particular is a tween star I can totally understand a huge reaction against it if she did--but she didn't), or there's any indication she ever intended for the photos to get out.
Miley was a lapse in judgment, but was intentional. Jamie-Lynn seemed to be apologetically intentional. Why crucify the only one who seemed to not have somewhat intentionally caused the scandal? Or is the female body such a horrible thing? Should young girls be ashamed of their bodies? Seriously! That's the message I'm getting from all of this! Vanessa's being trash-talked because there's a picture of her nude, when she's never before (or since) been seen in anything revealing. Yet people are damning her to a career like Britney Spears or Lindsay Lohan. That's bullshit. Complete and utter bullshit. And it really pisses me off. (and as you can see, gets me cursing)
You don't like her acting, her singing, her "BBV" type of image, her corny sweetness with Zac, just prefer Ashley Tisdale in comparison, don't think she deserves the popularity she gets, or just don't like her for some reason you can't place your finger on--fine. I get all that. I don't mind it. But I'm fucking sick and tired of people damning her and harping on those damn naked pictures. Especially when they aren't mothers themselves and seem to be ignoring the worse influences out there. Vanessa is not by far the worst, she handled the scandal very maturely, and still hasn't been seen in anything I'd call "skimpy" or "slutty" since. She's still a great role model for young girls.
*Sigh* Very few things set me off like that (though lately I'm finding more triggers--but things are stressful at the moment which may have something else to do with it). Gay bashing is one, and apparently so is unfair serious Vanessa-bashing.
At least I can take solace in the fact that no one's bashing the lovely Miranda Cosgrove (who yes, i will be writing about shortly) *knocks on wood*. It really is unfair though, but not new, that so many celebrities get bashed for things that some small crazy group of parents don't like which overshadows all the good they've done. I mean, I've always taken the opinion that "the price of fame is privacy", but really sometimes it's just taken too far. It's not an equal thing, some celebrities seem to get a lot more shit than others...maybe Jamie-Lynn and Miley just have better silencers or something.
Okay, I feel a bit better now.
Comment at own risk. XD (i'm very defensive of Vanessa, although I would like to hear other opinions on the situation, I'm just warning)
Yesterday, I posted a link to this cool Tween Fandom Friending Meme. It was funny and cute and interesting to read what everyone's answers to the meme were, and what shows they liked or missed. But one thing that gradually began to piss me off what a lot of people were putting down as their answer to "mose wince-worthy tween star"--which was (as you can probably guess), Vanessa Hudgens.
As most of you already know, I'm a huge Vanessa Hudgens fan. I can't exactly explain why, but I just love her. She's just one of those stars I smile hearing about for some reason. And I don't take kindly to people trash-talking her.
Now, I don't claim she's a saint, because 1) I don't know her personally and 2) I don't think that she is, but it still pisses me off to see people claiming she's the worst out there at the moment.
Now, it's one thing if she just annoys (or as Carly Shay would say, "irks") you for some reason, I'm not up in arms about that and can understand just not liking her for some reason. Be it her voice or acting or just something else about her, I'm not upset about that. But on that meme, either no reason was given, or (which I felt giving no reason implied) it was because of her "nudie pics". What. The. Hell!?? And here I thought that fucking issue had been mostly laid to rest! (which I previously talked/ranted about here) But come on, no matter how morally righteous you claim to be, she's considered the worst because of that? First off, Jamie-Lynn Spears was that category for me, I think that purposefully trying to get pregnant with a legal adult while you're underage and being proud of it trumps someone leaking your private photo on the internet.
And that too! It's not like she posed nude for Playboy or Penthouse or anything like that! She didn't intentionally let the photo get out (it came out right after HSM 2 premiered, she didn't need anymore publicity and certainly not the negative kind!), someone else got their hands on what was obviously special and private photos and let it out. I still say the only thing she should've had to apologize for was, if anything, the photo getting out and her fans seeing it--not taking the damn things. I mean, she was hurt far more than anything else because of it. And people began making up stupid rumors about it too, like she did it for a "crush" on Drake Bell (props to Drake for quickly killing and denying that rumor which he probably could've used to help his career!) and crap like that because she happened to appear on Drake & Josh once!
And even still, what about Miley's photos? I'm not talking about the Vanity Fair ones (personally, I find those pretty tasteful, but because of her age if anyone should get the blame for that it should have been her parents/agent for okay-ing the shoot), but the myspace-like ones. With her green bra showing and her looking a bit drunk although I could be wrong with that, she could easily be just out of it) which were taken quite obviously by her own webcam and on purpose. Now that is more her fault and her being a bad role model (especially since they weren't taken before she became one like Vanessa's). Plus, the only ones I remember Miley apologizing for was the Vanity Fair (though I could be wrong about that). But still, she put those out there, she was responsible for them, and she did it all after she was already in the public eye.
So, I get really pissed when people say things about Vanessa like " I see another Britney in the making". What the hell?!! Someone else puts the private nude photo of her (that's not even that explicit my god) out on the internet, and suddenly she's destined to become a tragedy like Britney Spears??
Is she getting caught out partying every other week (and god you can be sure the press is looking just with all the icons out there of her getting coffee in sunglasses)? No. Is she getting arrested for drunk driving every other month? No. Are we constantly hearing about her being late and unprepared for rehearsals? No. Is she often getting caught in skimpy or slutty outfits? No. Is she constantly in and out of rehab for drugs or alcohol or eating disorders or emotional problems? No! Is she always photographed flirting and all over tons of different guys? No!
We only ever see her with Zac Efron and she is always perfectly presentable whenever the tabloids or magazines do have shots of her. She is always polite and smiling in interviews, rarely showing even any signs of bad manners. When talking about HSM, she even gets excited like you'd expect the fans to. And in the backstage shots with Disney's behind the scenes cameras, you can see her acting silly and childish at times, which I think shows her as a great role model for kids (like pretty much all the HSM kids appear to be). Now you could claim this is just her "image" or whatever, but that's the whole damn point! Her image for kids is plenty respectable and she was as big a victim from that naked picture as any child who happned to see it. It was not her fault, except for perhaps however the photo got out, her trusting someone (or perhaps some computer program) that she shouldn't have. But that sure as hell hasn't cursed her to a tabloid, late night, sex/drugs/alcohol/court-filled life and career! That's fucking ridiculous.
Especially next to tween stars like Miley taking pictures of herself in her bright green bra (which I don't totally look down upon, mind you--typical of girls her age to do stupid things like that, only her career and "role model" posistion makes it a bad thing and worse than Vanessa) and Jamie-Lynn Spears for god's sake who wasn't even apologetic about getting pregnant with her older (met at church--which i find a bit hilarious) boyfriend (who should probably be in jail for statutory rape by the way, but different states have different laws and technicalities i guess) and just excited about having a baby and causing problems for her costars on Zoey 101 because of it.
Honestly, none of these girls I think are dammed to a hellish-yet-successful career like Lindsay Lohan or Britney Spears. But when judged against each other I do think Vanessa comes out as most acceptable. The photos getting out wasn't (or for the more cynical, can't be proven and highly unlikely given the time they were released) her fault and she immediately apologized for taking them (though she shouldn't have had to, and it only adds to her character that she did in my opinion) and didn't even attempt to deny them. She didn't claim to have been tricked or try and excuse them. So the only thing I can think of when someone has all the facts, still claiming she's the worst is that taking nude personal pictures (not even when in the public eye because this happened before that) is such a horrible crime. Now, I've never done it or been interested in taking a nude picture of myself, but I certainly don't think (especially one so tame) is such a horrible thing. Plenty of art (and many from my favorite artists--just check my icons for quick examples) shows naked women, some far more explicit than Vanessa's photo. And like I said, it wasn't like she posed nude for Playboy (which I don't see as so horrible either for a woman to do if it's their choice, though since Vanessa in particular is a tween star I can totally understand a huge reaction against it if she did--but she didn't), or there's any indication she ever intended for the photos to get out.
Miley was a lapse in judgment, but was intentional. Jamie-Lynn seemed to be apologetically intentional. Why crucify the only one who seemed to not have somewhat intentionally caused the scandal? Or is the female body such a horrible thing? Should young girls be ashamed of their bodies? Seriously! That's the message I'm getting from all of this! Vanessa's being trash-talked because there's a picture of her nude, when she's never before (or since) been seen in anything revealing. Yet people are damning her to a career like Britney Spears or Lindsay Lohan. That's bullshit. Complete and utter bullshit. And it really pisses me off. (and as you can see, gets me cursing)
You don't like her acting, her singing, her "BBV" type of image, her corny sweetness with Zac, just prefer Ashley Tisdale in comparison, don't think she deserves the popularity she gets, or just don't like her for some reason you can't place your finger on--fine. I get all that. I don't mind it. But I'm fucking sick and tired of people damning her and harping on those damn naked pictures. Especially when they aren't mothers themselves and seem to be ignoring the worse influences out there. Vanessa is not by far the worst, she handled the scandal very maturely, and still hasn't been seen in anything I'd call "skimpy" or "slutty" since. She's still a great role model for young girls.
*Sigh* Very few things set me off like that (though lately I'm finding more triggers--but things are stressful at the moment which may have something else to do with it). Gay bashing is one, and apparently so is unfair serious Vanessa-bashing.
At least I can take solace in the fact that no one's bashing the lovely Miranda Cosgrove (who yes, i will be writing about shortly) *knocks on wood*. It really is unfair though, but not new, that so many celebrities get bashed for things that some small crazy group of parents don't like which overshadows all the good they've done. I mean, I've always taken the opinion that "the price of fame is privacy", but really sometimes it's just taken too far. It's not an equal thing, some celebrities seem to get a lot more shit than others...maybe Jamie-Lynn and Miley just have better silencers or something.
Okay, I feel a bit better now.
Comment at own risk. XD (i'm very defensive of Vanessa, although I would like to hear other opinions on the situation, I'm just warning)