Miley has come a long way from her Hannah Montana days

We can argue until we’re blue in the face that parents alone should be their kids’ role models. But the reality is that unless your kids live in a bubble, they will likely and inevitably look up to public figures like athletes, politicians, musicians and actors for what they accomplish on the field, in office and on stage and screen — as well as what they do in their free time.

Some in the spotlight do their best to ensure their overall professional message is in line with the wholesome image they project on a daily basis, like, say, Taylor Swift and Daniel Radcliffe. Then there are those don’t seem to care much what others, or kids in particular, must think of them. Perhaps what’s hardest to explain to little ones is when the stars they admire are setting bad examples.

I don’t fault famous people for doing what they do for a living and then ensuring their private lives remain out of the glare of the paparazzi — in fact, I applaud them for that. But the ones who go after our kids’ wallets and then set poor examples by living their lives publicly and poorly is disgraceful.

Take a look at some of at some of the new worst young role models for kids (and no, Paris Hilton, Britney Spears, Lindsay Lohan, Heidi Montag, Tiger Woods, Snooki, Ke$ha, Taylor Momsen and the cast of Teen Mom aren’t on the list — they’re old news):

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Miley Cyrus, Age 16

It’s not your imagination. 8 year olds today really do dress like 12 year olds did when you were young. There’s a name for this phenomenon: Age Compression. Its why clothes that used to seem semi-scandalous on 16 year olds are now marketed to girls in middle school. It’s why Miley Cyrus’ stage outfit, at left, barely raised an eyebrow, except for the eyebrows of concerned parents, which fled to the backs of their heads.

Sexualizing young girls is nothing new. Brooke Shields in Pretty Baby. Carroll Baker in Baby Doll. Lolita. But what’s happening here is different. Those were fictional characters in adult movies, not real girls with legions of other girls idolizing them. Their styles were defined by girlhood, with trappings like school uniforms, braids and lollipops. Miley Cyrus doesn’t dress like a girl, or even a teenager—she dresses like a woman trying to look as jaw-droppingly hot as possible. Continue reading »

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Miranda Cosgrove's new album, High Maintenance

Sunday’s New York Times Magazine was dubbed  “the youth issue” (note lowercase). The cover story: Peggy Orenstein’s fascinating profile of Miranda Cosgrove, star of Nickelodeon’s iCarly, and TV’s good girl of the moment. Cosgrove is carrying the torch once held by Miley Cyrus, which begs the question: Will Miranda Cosgrove mirror the Hannah Montana star’s very public fall from grace?

Like Miley before her, Miranda Cosgrove is packaged as spunky and sassy without being sexual.  Miley shed that image in a few fell swoops and scantily clad photo shoots. So far, the iCarly star is supposedly content with her “golden girl” image. But is it only a matter of time before the weight of being a respectable role model to younger girls begins to clash with the teen’s need to carve out her own grown-up identity?

According to Orenstein, author of the popular new book Cinderella Ate My Daughter, the squeaky clean image of these tween and teen girl stars may actually be part of the reason for their rebellion.

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Miley Cyrus hosted SNL 3/5/2011

18-year-old teen sensation Miley Cyrus hosted this weekend’s Saturday Night Live, and in sketch after sketch tried to prove to America – and no doubt, her Dad – that despite having recently spiced-up her image, she’s not such a bad girl after all.

Cyrus acknowledged her unshakable alter ego, Hannah Montana, in the opening monologue, describing the show as “The Disney Channel’s version of Black Swan.”  Cyrus went on to say, “I’m mostly a white swan kind of girl, but I’ve had a few black swan moments,” then launched into a musical number, “I’m Sorry That I’m Not Perfect.”  (Sample lyrics: “Sure I danced on a pole, and people called it sinning, but at least I didn’t date a porn star and tell everyone I’m winning.”)

Cyrus joined Kenan Thompson – also a former child actor – for a hilarious sketch called “Disney Channel Acting School,” which teaches important tools of the trade like loudness, being a brat and the “pause then dis.”  In an unexpected twist, Cyrus appeared on “The Miley Cyrus Show” as fellow teenage dream, Justin Bieber.  Thanks to her deep voice, she was convincingly able to create Bieber’s high timbre, and got great laughs with exchanges like: Continue reading »

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Miley Cyrus' dad says "Hannah Montana" was a big mistake, as was trying to befriend his star daughter

It’s never 100 percent clear to me why anyone is ever surprised when kids who get shoved into the spotlight at an early age melt down at some point later in life, like Michael Jackson, Britney Spears, Charlie Sheen, Lindsay Lohan, Corey Haim, Demi Lovato, and Jodie Sweetin, to name just a very (very) few.

While she hasn’t landed in rehab or jail to date, Miley Cyrus is starting to show signs of trouble like those before her have also displayed along their paths to destruction. A video of the “Hannah Montana” star smoking a bong and a video of her performing a lap dance have surfaced in recent months, but now that she’s turned 18, it’s hard to wag a finger at anyone but her.

Still, her dad, country singer-turned-actor Billy Ray Cyrus is speaking out about his role in his daughter’s antics, and the regret and fear he’s feeling as a result.

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Taylor Swift's new album Speak Now was released today.

Taylor Swift’s new album, “Speak Now,” was released today, but don’t expect to see the 20-year-old country star wearing lingere and writhing on a bed like some other pop stars you know and (used to) love.  Scott Borchetta, the president of Swift’s record label Big Machine, says, “Taylor will do things on her own terms.  There’s a lot of photo shoots she does that are, in her way, very sexy.  If sexy to you means taking off her clothes, or doing a Rolling Stone cover in her underwear, I don’t think we’ll ever see that.  That’s not who she is.”

Swift echoes that in her own way by saying, “I’ve kind of lived my life trying to be the age that I am in the right way,” adding, “trying to be 18 the right way, trying to be 19 the right way, 20 the right way.  That’s what I’m working on now—trying to be 20 the right way.  I feel like growing up, and musical evolution, should happen naturally, in the time they’re supposed to happen.”

Wow.  Isn’t that refreshing? Continue reading »

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Is Noah Cyrus following in Miley's footsteps?

Noah Cyrus, Miley’s 10-year-old sister, is getting a lot of flack for being photographed wearing what many believe to be an inappropriate outfit for a girl her age.  But it’s not the short-shorts or the tight tank top that has everyone in a tizzy.  It’s the dark blue bra peeking out from the top of her shirt that has tongues wagging.

It’s tacky!  It’s inappropriate!  It’s way too sexy!  What is a ten-year-old girl doing wearing a bra anyway?

The general consensus seems to be that this is just another example of a Cyrus girl acting trashy and trying to grow up too fast (see Miley’s new “Who Owns My Heart” video and Noah’s sexy Halloween costume from 2009). Continue reading »

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