Miley's "Controversial" Picture

Take a good look at this picture:

Do you know who this is? Most of us of college age don't really know who she is...she's the new posterchild for Disney and little girls everywhere. Her name is Miley Cyrus, but she's better known as Hannah Montana to those who, like my younger cousins, are of the Disney Channel age.

I don't normally pay much attention to celebrity news, but I was looking through the headlines on Yahoo! when I stumbled across a link saying she was embarrassed about some pictures. I know from watching an episode or two of Hannah Montana, an episode of Oprah, and talking to my little cousins that this girl is kind of a big deal so I decided to check it out. Was she about to join the ranks of Britney Spears and Lindsay Lohan, to name a few?

Apparently, she posed for some pictures in Vanity Fair, and this is one of them. The other is a picture of her laying across her father's lap (her father is Billy Ray Cyrus, who I honestly didn't know was a celebrity until I started hearing her name). She says she's "embarrassed" by the photographs and that she took them because "she thought they were artistic". Let's analyze.

In this picture, you can tell they're trying to have an artistic effect. But there's something about her facial expression that gives it away and makes her look more like a water sprite than an innocent teenager who stars on Disney. I don't really like the bareback effect, because it doesn't really flatter her. She looks pale and cold, more alienated than anything else.

She's upset about this picture because of the article that went along with it. Disney spokesmen say that the magazine was trying to manipulate a teenage girl. What I want to know is, how isn't ANYBODY trying to manipulate this girl? I don't even think she can legally drive yet, but she's wearing flashy makeup and small outfits made for adults and handling responsibilities made for adults. What do you expect? She's supposed to be a role model for little girls, but all she does is make them want to wear more make up and more glitter to fit in, even though what we should REALLY be teaching little girls is how to be themselves because as you get older it becomes a hell of a lot more difficult to figure out.

You know who is a true role model for little girls everywhere? Bindi Sue Irwin, the daughter of the late Steve Irwin (yes, Crocodile Hunter). I've never seen a more educated, well spoken, poised 8 year old! She appeared on an episode of Rachael Ray and I must say, her mother is blessed to have a daughter like her. If only THAT were what was glorified in this society rather than how good (or bad, in my opinion) someone can sing and whether or not they LOOK like they MIGHT be a good role model.