Rock On Hannah Montana
I was reading the paper this morning and I happened upon an article about the uproar over Miley Cyrus aka Hannah Montana posing in a topless photo for Vanity Fair magazine (as it turns out she is not topless, but wrapped in a silk sheet in a very, alluring, adult-like pose). For those of you who care, the photo was taken by Annie Liebowitz, photographer extraordinaire. According to 15 year old Miley, it was a cool, artsy photo that she didn’t have a problem with– although she is now publicly stating that she is “embarrassed” by it! So, why are parents everywhere in America going ballistic over the photo?
As you may know, Hannah Montana is a Disney creation. And, for some reason, Disney has come to represent “good, clean American family values and fun”. If this is true, it begs the question: Why would Hannah Montana, who has been canonized as a wholesome, innocent, and drug-free All American teenage girl, pose in a sexually alluring photograph? I think the answer to the question is obvious—money! Miley’s handlers; agents (and parents?) probably understand that she likely has made as many million as she can playing Hannah Montana, the all American girl. They must have decided that it was time for Miley to grow up, become a sex icon and continue to sell as much merchandise and movie tickets as possible. After all, this tactic has worked for many other young female stars (and has also helped to sell tens of millions of dollars of inappropriate attire to girls aged 8-16), so why should Hannah Montana not be allowed to cash in on the opportunity? Isn’t becoming rich what the American dream is all about?
What I find disingenuous about the whole incident is that Disney is publicly outraged over the photo! I guess they have a right to be; Miley recently signed a new, multimillion, seven year deal with the company. If, contrary to popular opinion, her image is actually tarnished by the photograph, she may be worth less than less Disney expected and the company may not be able to recover its ROI on the Hannah Montana franchise. What I find even more astonishing is that many Americans truly believe that Disney represents (and is synonymous with) American family values. I hesitate to tell these folks that Disney is like any other multinational, publicly-traded company —primary goal is to make as much money as possible to provide profits to its stakeholders. Morals and ethics have little to with what actually makes Disney or any other corporation tick! In my opinion, American values ought to be taught to children by their parents, relatives and friends; not publicly traded corporations.
After seeing the photograph, my wife and I had very mixed feelings about the entire Miley Cyrus incident. So, we asked our nine (9) year old daughter, who is a big fan of Hannah Montana, what she thought about the photo. After viewing the photo, she said that “she thought that it was wrong for Miley Cyrus to have her picture taken that way because she is only 15”. My wife then asked: “How old she thought that someone should be before posing in a picture like that”, my daughter shrugged and said, “I don’t know, 25”? I must admit, that I was very surprised and pleased with her answer! For the record, my wife and I have never taken our daughter or two sons (ages, 14 and 12) to Disney—so I say “Rock on Hannah Montana”.
Until next time….
Good Luck and Good Job Hunting !!!!!!!!!!!
I think it was a good photo but as, your kid said, not right for someone 15 who is also a role model for other girls. Funny thing about it is, her parents were there and approved. Maybe it wasn't intended to look sexy. It does look a bit like the girl in the Les Miz ads.
http://is.gd/a1P
I Think its wrong she poses like that Im not going to her concert again!