The Miley Cyrus Vanity Fair Photos - Much-Ado-About-Nothing?

Seriously, we have nothing else to talk about?!

Published on April 29, 2008 By foreverserenity In Entertainment

If I hear or read one more radio, television or on-line news story about that picture of Miley Cyrus taken by Annie Lebovitz for Vanity Fair, I'm going to explode!

I think it is very irrational of the news media to keep going on and on and on and on about this! She said she was sorry, she didn't realise it wouldn't be tasteful, what the frak is the big deal anyway?

So she is bare shouldered with half (the top half) of her back exposed. Her makeup is looking vampy, no more than what those teens who like to dress punk would wear! Is there anything wrong with that? Isn't she allowed to show a different style to her personality if is so chooses, as long as she does it with some modicum of taste?

But no...no! They jumped all over the poor girl! "She's the next Britney Spears", or "She's going along in the footsteps of LL (Lyndsay Lohan for those who don't know!) and Britney Spears"! Oh really? And how did we arrive at this big prediction? That's definitely putting the horse before the cart!

Just because they (Briney and Lindsay) have made a mess of their lives (one they are trying to repair) doesn't mean that every other teen star will do the same thing! I think it is ridiculous that they would make the same comparison. And for heaven's sake, can't they make their mistakes and learn from it? And another thing, Miley's parents are there for her and are actively involved in her life so I doubt that she would fall prey to the type of things Britney and Lindsay have.

I do know and realise that these celebrities, especially the ones who gain their fame because of our children have an image to uphold and a responsibility to their audience. Especially the little ones who look up to them. I'm in agreement a hundred percent with that. However, here is a 15 year old who hasn't done anything that I would call outwardly horrible, maybe a little sultry with the look in that photograph, but it isn't as bad as everyone is making it out to be. While I haven't seen any other photographs, I think I will continue to reserve my judgement until I've seen all of them.

For the media hounds to be parading Miley's picture like they have, shame on them! My six year old, loves, loves, loves Miley Cyrus. She basically adores her and wants to have a Miley Cyrus party for her next birthday. Am I going to tell her that Miley did something wrong? Nope! I talked to her about it, we both looked at that picture and we both agreed that there's nothing wrong with it. We had a discussion (that she could understand) about good and bad choices. And she's not too happy that her favorite star is being make to look like a bad person! Tell me how do they (little girls) recover from this mess? Here we are having to validate who they admire and why they haven't done anything wrong!

I just think that them going on and on about it, and predicting that her career is going to come crashing at her feet is a bit too much!

I believe there are some parents who let the media dictate to them what they should do a bit too much. I could understand if her bum was exposed, or her breasts or if she was totally nude. I could even understand if her pictures were covertly suggestive.

Unfortunately Miley's good intention as turned into a storm of regrets. These people are making her doubt herself and I can imagine what that is doing to her self esteem (and some people might quip, her future earnings). I'm sure she will recover from all this and that the masses will get over it eventually.

We are setting a bad example for our future leaders, entertainers and dare I say entertainment reporters! Our (America's - generally speaking) hang ups about sex and our body images is getting the better of us. We don't seem to know when to stop making a big ado about nothing!

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/739941/miley_cyrus_and_her_vanity_fair_photos.html

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/512291/racy_photos_of_miley_cyrushannah_montana.html

Comments (Page 1)

InBloom

on Apr 30, 2008

I just thought the photo symbolized a vulnerability...just showing the natural, stripped down (no pun intended) side of her. I didn't see anything vulgar about it.

Dr Guy

on May 01, 2008

I was hearing the criticism of Billy Ray - for allowing it. A 15 year old is not old enough to make those decisions for themselves.

To be honest, I have not seen the pictures, and dont really care to. Miley is at a dangerous age. Her fame can lead her down the Spears-Lohan path. Unless she learns to control it and not let it control her. Not many suceed in that endeavor.

Jythier

on May 01, 2008

I think she shouldn't have had that photo taken, because she looks ugly in it and she is not a normally ugly girl. That was my only problem with it.

Gene Nash

on May 01, 2008

But, you know, it looks like one thing when she's having the picture taken and quite another when it's framed down to just what we see in the photograph.

In footage of the photo shoot, she's sitting in a chair, clearly dressed except for the top, and the surroundings are outdoors with the hubbub a normal photoshoot. (Here's a photo of the taking of the photo.) When you see just the picture, apparently some people interpret it as her naked in bed, giving a come hither look over her shoulder. (You might not want to let those people baby sit.) I can see where it might have looked innocent enough to shoot. I doubt anyone but Leibovitz looked through the viewfinder.

While I do think the final picture is probably inappropriate for a 15 y.o., is it really that much different (except for looking "more natural") from this picture of her at the Oscars? (By comparison, in the Vanity Fair photo she looks like a child who got into mommy's make-up.)

As for the picture with her dad, I think people have to be kinda sick to be reading anything into that at all. To me that one looks like something that could have been photographed in a living room while the family sat on the floor watching TV.

ParaTed2k

on May 01, 2008

This wasn't a picture of a baby in a bathtub, or teenagers in swimming suits playing on the beach, or anything else that was simply mistook as sexual by some busy bodies.

This was the purposeful sexploitation of a 15 year old girl. She was put in an obvious sexual position.

This was the sexualization of a minor, and you sit there and defend it?

foreverserenity

on May 01, 2008

I just thought the photo symbolized a vulnerability...just showing the natural, stripped down (no pun intended) side of her. I didn't see anything vulgar about it.

She may have had this thought as well. Instead she gets the backlash of people and their "OMG!" wau of over reacting!

Miley is at a dangerous age. Her fame can lead her down the Spears-Lohan path. Unless she learns to control it and not let it control her

This is true. We know how much they can be influenced by their peers or other people!

I think she shouldn't have had that photo taken, because she looks ugly in it and she is not a normally ugly girl. That was my only problem with it.

She wasn't ugly in that picture to me. She just looked out of place and probably re-thinking her decision to take it!

As for the picture with her dad, I think people have to be kinda sick to be reading anything into that at all. To me that one looks like something that could have been photographed in a living room while the family sat on the floor watching TV.

Thank you! The minds of some people needs cleansing!

clearly dressed except for the top, and the surroundings are outdoors with the hubbub a normal photoshoot. (Here's a photo of the taking of the photo.) When you see just the picture, apparently some people interpret it as her naked in bed, giving a come hither look over her shoulder.

Thx for the photo detail Gene. And no way would those people baby sit for me!

This was the sexualization of a minor, and you sit there and defend it?

This is where we differ Ted. There's nothing sexual about that picture. She has make up on, a bit too much for her age, and she is sitting, SITTING up with her shoulder and back exposed. She's not LAYING down, she's not showing skin - breasts, derriere, thigh, nothing suggestive. She is looking over her shoulder, her expression is vulnerable as Rose said, and to me they were perhaps going for a sultry look but it came off as her being vulnerable, sad even. So where is the sexualization?

ParaTed2k

on May 01, 2008

No perverted piece of crap should be taking topless pics of a 15 year old girl. Yes,she has a sheet over her breasts, but she is still topless.

Her achy breaky daddy is no better than Brittany Spears mom, in fact, he's worse, at least Mama Spears waited until Brittany was of age before she whored out her daughter.

Miiey herself was embarrassed, not because of the outrage, but because of the picture iteself. Even she thought it was crossing a line.

As for the pics of her with her dad, I agree those really are "much ado about nothing"

Jythier

on May 01, 2008

Ted, it's just a picture. You know guys thinking about sex and pictures NEVER meet.

I still claim she looked particularly horrid in the shot. If she thinks a line was crossed, then it was. So now what do we do about it?

ParaTed2k

on May 01, 2008

Yeah, it's just a picture. So were all those photos of a barely dressed Britney Spears. So are those pictures in Abocrombie and Fitch ads. So are the scantilly clad girls sprawled over hoods in "car" magazines.

I'm not saying all nudity, or even partial nudity is porn, but when it is meant to be sexually titilating, it is porn. This picture was meant to be titilating. Miley Cyrus was embarrassed by them. If she thought they were too sexy, then why are you saying she's wrong?

If you found a picture just like this of your 15 year old daughter in your neigbor's house, would you shrug it off? Would you talk about how innocent that pic is? If not, then quit makng excuses for this one.

This just shows how close our society is to not only accepting pedophilia, but defending it.

Jythier

on May 01, 2008

So are the scantilly clad girls sprawled over hoods in "car" magazines.

... there are cars in those pictures?

Anyway, the question still stands Ted... what do we do about it, now that we realize how wrong it was?

foreverserenity

on May 01, 2008

According to the reports I've heard, the parents left the set with their other child after the long day of shooting. They left Miley with the grandmother and an assistant. Miley and the photgrapher were taking more shots and they (not sure if it was 'they' or which one of them decided to do that picture, probably the photographer suggested the pose. Miley agreed to it because she thought it would be beautiful. At first she liked the picture but changed her mind when the big uproar began and that embarassed her because of what they (the people doing the uproar) were saying about her. So she apologised and said she was embarrassed.

She said she was sorry. She realised it wasn't a good thing. Why can't we get over that now....that's what I'm talking about, she realised her mistake, she owned it, she apologised, but instead of moving on, it's splattered all over the media and talked about like it was the 'end of the world'! That's really ridiculous!

And I do not accept pedophilia. I'm an advocate for children and very vocal with my views, which I'm sure you're heard before. There is no way in hell I would defend pedohiles!

I also think it is wrong of everyone to condemn her and her parents, making predictions of her downfall and sayign that she's a bad person and she's not! That's very crushing to a 15 year old. And my 15 year old daughter (if I had one that age) would nto be in my neighbor's house taking pictures.

ParaTed2k

on May 01, 2008

Anyway, the question still stands Ted... what do we do about it, now that we realize how wrong it was?

Actually, I think FS answered the question just fine when she said...

The one thing that reassures me about this is it wasn't generally accepted. On the other hand, after the public showed their unwillingness to accept this kind of thing, and Miley Cyrus's apology, the message has been sent, and there's no reason to keep it on the front page.

foreverserenity

on May 01, 2008

Amen to that!

SanChonino

on May 02, 2008

Maybe this is my newly-installed European sensibilities talking, but I don't get what all the fuss is about.

Went to the beach today. Saw hundreds of naked tits. Some of them on girls Miley's age.

And guess what? BFD. It's her back; it's not a seductive pose at all; and come on, people.

If folks be getting horny off stuff like this they need help anyway.

foreverserenity

on May 02, 2008

it's not a seductive pose at all; and come on, people.

If folks be getting horny off stuff like this they need help anyway.

Yeah...what he said! [ditto on the response!]

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