This will be my first and only post on this subject so as not to beat it over the head but at the same time give my opinion on the matter. The past week has been drenched with the controversy that is Miley Cyrus. It must be terribly difficult to be a 15 year-old girl who is a “star” with a hit Disney Channel show, singing career, and millions of adoring fans but at the same time feel the pressure of “looking ahead a few years” and feeling the need to re-invent herself and “grow up” as her audience grows. However, I do not think that she thought about her entire audience that stretches way beneath her 15 year-old age. Not to mention the company that she is contractually obligated to.
It may not have been solely her responsibility as her father (country singer Billy Ray Cyrus) and her mother were present during the photo shoot and both felt that it was a tasteful, artistic display. In my opinion, a teenager appearing to be wearing nothing but a bed sheet pulled up over her with a rather “come-hither” expression on her face does not look too tasteful. The best explanation for the shoot seems to be that it is too hard to say “No” to famed photographer Annie Leibovitz. A bit of peer pressure coming from an adult.
My question is: what are the parents of the fans to do about all this? Do they attempt to shield them entirely from it? Do they wait until the children ask about it? Do they wait and hope the controversy blows over? Or do they entirely forbid their children from watching Hannah Montana? In an attempt to make amends and save her contract (which is more important?), Miley has issued an apology. But will that be enough to prevent her from becoming the next Britney Spears who ironically started on The New Mickey Mouse Club?
As a parent of an 8-year old fan, I say, try to ignore it. Hopefully word hasn’t spread to my daughter and if it has, I hope she will ask me her questions about it rather than speculate amongst her little friends. I don’t think this scandal is that bad, however, because of the Spears parallels, I’d be lying if I said it didn’t make me a little nervous.
I agree. Hopefully any child would go with questions to their parents first. I think any parents would be a t least slightly interested. Hopefully it does blow over.
Agreed. My opinion as a nonparent is really irrelevant, but I would say to wait until they ask, or intervene only if you are hearing wrong stuff from them (where the wrong stuff could matter of course).
Yes. I heard her friend tell her once “Did you hear Miley is upset because people are calling her a lesbian?” That was upsetting to me – don’t want to go into stuff like that at age 8, but luckily she was just like, huh? and went on doing whatever.
Good that she was able to dismiss the comment and go on. I wouldn’t want to get into those issues at that age either.