Miley Cyrus's 'Vanity Fair' Photoshoot
Ordinarily, Miley Cyrus is not a young actress that I keep up with. But I'm posting this article because it quotes a number of other young actresses, and I find it interesting when they talk about each other. It's from an old (May 2008) issue of People magazine with a cover story on now-infamous photo of Miley Cyrus published in Vanity Fair magazine. I remember well the hubbub over that photo; I was living in France at the time and saw a segment about it on my only English-language TV channel, CNN International. People writes:
The photo, in which Miley is posed shirtless but partially covered in a satin stole, was released just days after personal photos leaked onto the Internet of the teen star cuddling with a boy and showing her bra. Debate over whether the photos were too racy for a young teen -- and for her even younger fans -- became a hot topic from The View to countless blogs. In a statement, Miley apologized for both sets of pictures. "I feel so embarrassed," she said, adding of her fans, "[I] hope they understand that along the way I am going to make mistakes and I am not perfect."
Other young stars have also weighed in. "It's not what I would choose to do," Disney alum Hilary Duff, 20, says of the photo. "It's not an easy position to be in. People are pushing you to do something, and if you want to do it, that's your choice." Adds former Nickelodeon star Emma Roberts, 17: "You're a kid, people take pictures. It just stinks that we're all growing up in the spotlight and everyone has to see it." ((Well, if you didn't want to grow up in the spotlight, then maybe you shouldn't have pursued a career in acting, you moron.))
Miley can weather the storm, says fellow Disney Channel star Brenda Song, 20. "She is probably the most charismatic and strong 15-year-old I know. She'll definitely get through this." Says Miley: "My family and my faith will guide me through my life's journey. I will learn from my mistakes."
So, your family and faith have guided you, Miley? You've learned from your mistakes? Is that why you did a pole dance at the Teen Choice Awards last month? Is that where your faith led you? At least now we know just how "concerned" Miley really is about protecting her image and setting an example. The Vanity Fair photo that supposedly "embarrassed" her pales in comparison to that pole dance. Personally, I've felt that the photo really was artistic and tasteful; after all, it was done by Annie Leibovitz, one of the most respected photographers of the century. And in certainly looks tasteful next to what Miley's doing now. But what wouldn't?
In the Vanity Fair photo, age 15, 2008; pole-dancing at the Teen Choice Awards, age 16, 2009.
Miley has said that still images make it seem more inappropriate than it actually was. But even if you take away the pole dance, the skimpy outfits that Miley and her back-up dancers wore were things you'd expect to see at a strip club, not the Teen Choice Awards. We all remember what happened after Britney Spears was turned into a sex symbol at a young age: her 2007 meltdown! To recap, she had a 55-hour marriage, was in and out of rehab, shaved her head on a whim, attacked the paparazzi with an umbrella, was charged with a hit-and-run, and lost custody of her kids. But when critics compared Miley to Britney, Miley didn't get it and posted on her Twitter page: For all the people calling me the "next Britney" THANK U. I couldn't ask for a better compliment :) Wow. That's just sad.
"Kids all say they want to be big stars. Did she know what that meant? I don't think she did." -- Nancy Carson, Britney Spears's first agent.