Monday, April 28, 2008
-
Miley Cyrus Vs. Vanity Fair Vs. Pop Culture
Monday, April 28, 2008
Miley Cyrus Vs. Vanity Fair Vs. Pop Culture
Annie Leibovitz recently had a photoshoot with Miley Cyrus. During that photoshoot Leibovitz took what critics now are calling a controversial shot that subsequently has embarrassed Miley Cyrus. If you'd look at the picture you might be embarrassed too, especially if you're 15 years old. The picture has Cyrus exposing her back and looking over her shoulder. Oh yeah, she appears topless.
Now little Miley doesn't want the shot going through the press and neither does her family. Vanity Fair is now trying to back up Leibovitz's 'artwork' and say that the shot is legitimate. Sorry Vanity Fair, but whether or not Miley Cyrus liked the picture at the time you should have been mature enough in making the decision to just delete the picture, no matter if you thought it was artwork or not. The reason being - Miley Cyrus is a 15 year old tv actress that is a big role model for pre-teens. Girls and boys grow up with her being an influence directly on them. This certain picture is demeaning to Cyrus and is the leading factor to destroying her career and making her into a naughty girl that she's not.
Let me tell you something Vanity Fair and to the rest of pop culture, leave Miley Cyrus out of this. You've already corrupted and destroyed the futures of role models such as the Olson twins, Lindsay Lohan, and most recently Jamie Spears. How about you let Cyrus out of ths and actually let her be a good role model instead of destroying her future? How about you quit pressuring her into making stupid decisions that you, yourself wouldn't do? How about you have a little integrity for once and quit taking away something from a generation that will help them to become better than our corrupt selves? Miley Cyrus isn't in this to do what you want, she's in it to do what she wants, and that's to be a good role model. And if you don't believe me how about you ask her father, Billy Ray Cyrus, who has been supportive of her the entire time.
Let me give you, Leibovitz, a personal shout out for being immature about this whole thing and claiming that what she did was 'art'. In fact, I feel sorry for you that you would convince a 15 year old girl that what she was doing was good even though she probably has no inkling as to what good photography is. I'm not saying that she's dumb and has no idea. I'm saying that she's young and has no idea. Whenever I was 15 I could honestly care less what I looked like in a picture. If someone told me I looked good then I thought that I looked good. Shame on you Leibovitz. You should be fired from your job because you failed to be professional about your job.
Let me give another shout out to the editor of Vanity Fair for being just as unprofessional. An editor's job is to make sure that the material being produced has nothing explicit and has no mistakes. If you ask me this is explicit and is a huge mistake. But you even went beyond the 'job' and decided to put this as the center-fold of the magazine and followed through by backing up Leibovitz. You are just as guilty if not more than the culprit who took the photo in the beginning.
America, you should be easily upset by this transgression as well as angry. You're 10- and 11- year old daughters, sons, brothers, sisters, neices and nephews are watching this and being exposed to this. If you'd sit down and watch Hannah Montanna (Miley Cyrus's show on Disney) you would probably be as content as I am with letting them watch the show. It provides great stories of growing up as well as a cast that doesn't have corrupt values. My sister watches this show and when I walk into the room when she's watching I know that I don't have to worry about changing the channel on her. I know I can trust the show that it will deliver a good message to her.
But pop culture is trying to continuously take this away. Look at what they did to Lohan. How many times has she been in rehab? Instead of trying to prevent a problem and making her look like a role model pop culture sucked her in and made her into another person. Instead of telling her to put down the beer when she first picked it up they took a picture of it and made sure that our parents and kids knew about it. Pop culture ruined Britney Spears when she first came out as well. In fact in her first video that was run on MTV they tried to picture her as a cute school girl wearing a mini-skirt and pig tails. She was 17 in that video and they were already trying to portray her as sexually seductive. I'm sure she didn't know, she was only 17 years old. Maybe if pop culture would have tried to help her instead of ruining her every chance they got then maybe she wouldn't be trying to hide from the media these days.
So here's my ultimate point to pop culture, to Vanity Fair, to Annie Leibovitz - lay off already and get a life. Maybe your lives absolutely suck right now, but quit trying to put successful stars down. You're all adults now. You should've hit that thing called maturity once you started your occupation. So instead of hurting a good cause why don't you help it. I don't want to see another good role model hit the gutter because you told her drugs, alcohol, and sex were ok. I don't want to hide another face from my sister that she once looked up to and make excuses as to why I won't let her watch that face anymore. I like Cyrus. She has a supportive family, a good career, and an even better future. Lay off of her.
-
recommend
- recs 18
- give stars
- votes 37
-
share
-
email
- sent 1
Comments (289)
AMEN
That is pretty sad to justify such a picture and call it art... what is the media doing to kids these days? They keep pushing the envelope and this is way too far.
I feel sorry for that Miley girl because the media just wants her to fail in a big way so they will have a big news story.
I agree that the cover photo of Miley Cyrus is inappropriate but I also think that with her being so young, she needs to have an advocate that will tell Vanity Fair and Annie Leibovitz that she won't be doing any type of nudity.
And I really don't think that pop culture is to blame for indiscretions of the Olsen twins, Lindsay Lohan, and Jamie-Lynn Spears. No one forced those girls to behave inappropriately.
Why do role models have to be teen pop stars? Miley Cyrus did not ask to be a role model for teen girls, she got famous because her father was a country star in the 90's.
I think that she and her father should have put their foot down at the photo shoot and not after the fact. Yes, she's 15, but she's also capable of making decisions herself. She made the wrong one by taking off her shirt in the first place.
And honestly, I've seen the pictures, they are nothing to write home about.
You're so right, and it needed to be said.
They all say 'oh, we want good role models for our kids, we want a good, wholesome person for our kids'
Well, they're all dirty rotten liars.
They really want them to fail, to fall flat on their face with an exposed butt so they can get a good shot from it.
Anything for a good shot, right?
The media just loves to sensationalize people's one big (or even little) mistake. To some effect, it's Vanity Fair's and Leibovitz's fault for convincing her that its ok to pose topless but if her teacher and grandma were on the set that day- they should have stood up for Miley and taken some responsibility for the situation.
You guys must be joking. It's not like Vanity Fair told her to pose topless, and if they did, it's not like she couldn't refuse. Miley has no excuse to be embarassed or blame Vanity Fair for anything. She chose to take pictures of herself in a bra on the Internet. Who forced her to do that? Miley has to make a choice. She can be a GOOD role model for young girls or she can become the next Paris Hilton or Lindsay Lohan. I'm disgusted that little girls look up to her. They look up to Mileys character (Hannah Montana/ Miley Stewart), but are they ready for Miley Ray Cyrus?
I just did my photography project on Annie Leibovitz.. well part of it anyways. Personally I am not a big fan of Cyrus, I just think she is overrated. But the truth is I find it hard to believe she is my age AND presented an Oscar. It's not fair. Then again, I don't want her to be another cliche like Lohan or Brit either. Gwash. And she got featured in Vanity Fair...
I am .. stunned.
I agree, the media always wanted to make a big deal out of the badness in the celebrity lives. How often do you hear good stories about good things they have done? Rare. It is always about unwanted pregnancy, drugs, divroces and child abuse.
However I also agree that media isn't always to put blame on whatever actions the people chose to commit. I have always believed that media should have had some respect and leave people alone to their own privacy. How would you have felt if media was all over your face just because suddenly you are getting married or whatever.
Her parents and minders were on the set, and personally, I don't see what the problem with the photos is. They aren't actually indecent, but are very indicitive of the types of photos that Annie has taken for the last 40+ years (and yes, they are very artistic). A dress to the Oscars shows more skin then Ms. Cyrus shows in these photos.
The problem is that the media blew it up to these proportions and classified the photos as provocative when they really aren't.
As for the media being at blame for the actions of the Olson twins, Lindsey Lohan, and Jaime Spears, covering their immature antics isn't the same as causing them.
This is really a non-issue, and Ms. Cyrus doesn't deserve to be talked about as if she made a mistake.
How about her parents. Her parents are responsible for her. They're also to blame for this. They were all there. They saw the photos before they were published. The entire family agreed to release the photo. They saw it and said it was beautiful. The family is to blame for letting their child pose like that.
This is just business as usual. They are prepping her fan base for the grown-up stuff she will no doubt transition into. Turn the TV off, go outside and play.
Coming from a photographer, if the Cyrus family didn't want Miley to
have those shots taken, Billy Ray should've been more on the ball about
the contract. If Billy Ray is so active in Miley's career, where was he
to prevent the shot in the first place?
Also, I'm 17, and trust
me, I know what's seductive and what's not. Britney Spears new that
that music video was seductive. Not fooling anybody.
Miley Cyrus
lost my respect the minute the rumors came out of some question that
she took some "scandalous" photos with friends. She's gone the way of
Vanessa Hudgens now.
As far as pop culture being to blame, I
agree-- but at the same time, society feeds pop culture. We're as much
to blame as the media is.
*Britney Spears KNEW
You know, this wouldn't be a big deal in Europe... There's even magazines that show teens in the buff in non-sleazy yet still sexual positions to show that teens should express their sexuality in healthy ways.
Oh, and another thing -- No one is commenting on the fact that both of her parents were present at the photoshoot and that if they objected to such photography/poses they should have realized what was taking place and stopped it immediately..
I just think, overall, America has two polar opposite sides: it's uptight and very sexually repressed, or it's overly sexual, sleazy, and even perverted. If you show any bit of sexuality you're deemed perverted and "a bad role model." People just need to chill. Yes, she's 15. Yes, she's the star of the most popular Disney tween show. But aren't she and her parents allowed to make their own decisions on what is decent without a backlash forcing them to change their minds about the whole thing?
::pulls out the double barrel shot guns and locks his would-be daughers in the house, erects an electric fence, and man the guard towers. Pipe in filtered video and uninstall sat tv.:: There...all taken care of...
It's great that her father is so close. The media is building her up and bidding time to initiate her fall from grace. They simply want to create gods to tear down for their own greed and twisted enjoyment. There is a great South Park episode about it.
@Viktorious1 - watch out, she's trying to dig a tunnel under the house!
Good entry. I totally agree with everything you've just said! Well done!
Why did she take her top off? Things shouldn't even have gotten this far. Stupid Miley and stupid family.
@momma2babies34 - the media will stop covering all that kind of gossip when people stop buying tabloids.