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Discussion Forums » In The News
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Miley Cyrus: She’s No Role Model
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10 Apr 2009, 01:31
Eat Yellow Snow
Post Count: 216
They say not to confuse a performer with the role she plays, but Miley Cyrus is sure making it hard on us, especially now that she's starring in a movie about a young pop star acting like a diva.

Let us count the ways reality is blurring. Miley Cyrus plays a character named Miley Stewart. Her TV dad is her real-life dad. In her new movie, "Hannah Montana: The Movie," the character is even called Smiley Miley, a reference to her father's childhood nickname for her.

If she doesn't want to be confused with her character, why's she going this route?

It wouldn't matter so much but for two things: Miley Cyrus is adored by kids; and, her off-screen behavior since her rise to fame has been appalling.

Some of her headlines would make Hannah Montana blush all the way to Tennessee. She has been caught:

- Posing in her underwear in cell phone photos;

- Posting a YouTube video in which she goes "Mean Girls" on rival Disney stars;

- Making slanted eyes in a photograph, which many people viewed as a racial slur;

- Parking in a handicap spot when buying milkshakes;

- Saying she would "ruin" the band Radiohead after they declined a special meeting with her at the Grammys.

I'm leaving out two faux scandals: the Vanity Fair photo shoot of her wrapped in a sheet, and the fact that she's dating a 20-year-old. The first is something her parents should have prevented. The second falls into the "who cares" category. It's not our business, and a four-year gap is nothing at this age, particularly for someone who already has established her career.

The rest of the things do matter, though, and I just don't buy the "she's a kid" excuse.

The idea that all kids do this sort of thing is absurd. All kids do not do these things, and to suggest otherwise is an insult to the good sense and humility that most teens have. I worked as a high school teacher and have many teenage nieces and nephews. There are plenty of sensible teens out there. I've seen them with my very own eyes.

For a teen who knows she's in the public eye to do this sort of stuff suggests she's either none too bright or views herself exempt from normal consequences.

I'm going with the latter, based on her decision to park in that handicap spot, and I don't care that she's been diagnosed with tachycardia — one of the revelations in her autobiography. Anyone who can jump around a stage like that can walk a block for her ice cream.

To take a parking spot set aside for people with actual disabilities indicates an enormous entitlement complex, a notion neatly reinforced by her Radiohead tantrum. This is one of the most unpleasant qualities a celebrity can have, and certainly one of the worst attitudes to demonstrate to children.

Miley herself has demonstrated a weak grasp on what it means to be a role model. She told Fox News, "If you look at me as a role model I agree with it, but if you look at me as an idol, I don't. An idol for me is someone you want to replicate, you want to be them and I don't wish that on anyone, to lose what they have personally."

Actually, that's what a role model is -- someone who models behavior worth emulating. An idol is someone you worship without question, and that's what Miley is asking of her fans. Worship me! But don't do what I do!

It's high time for her to actually learn from her mistakes, instead of continuing to brush them off as a sign that she's learning.

"I always say the minute you stop making mistakes is the minute you stop learning," she said to Fox News.

This is such baloney. Look, people make mistakes. We all do. But the good mistakes, the ones that have something to do with learning and not just jerkiness, come when we're trying to do something challenging. Like, for example, when we're taking on a role in which we play a character with a different first name than our own.

The kind of mistakes she keeps making show that she's not actually learning anything.

For now, Miley Cyrus continues to be a great role model for kids, but only in unintended ways. She shows that talent, wealth and beauty are superficial things, and are no replacement for character. She might not be learning much from her mistakes, but our kids can.

------------------------------------

UGH~!~ This article made me so mad!!! I think Miley seems like a great person (even though she has made a few mistakes, who can say that they haven't?). Anyway, SHE IS STILL JUST A KID!!! Could you imagine living your life in her shoes? For being as young as she is, and being "famous", I think she's doing ok for herself. True, she has made some stupid comments about a few things here and there but SHE IS JUST A KID. You live, you learn... making mistakes (especially at her age) doesn't make you a bad role model, right?

"She has been caught:

- Posing in her underwear in cell phone photos; that should be her business, PERIOD!!!

- Posting a YouTube video in which she goes "Mean Girls" on rival Disney stars; I haven't seen this yet so I can't really comment.

- Making slanted eyes in a photograph, which many people viewed as a racial slur; Are you effing kidding me? I'm not going to comment much on this one either..

- Parking in a handicap spot when buying milkshakes; Hmm, maybe she didn't realize that it was a handicap parking space? It is possible people~!!

- Saying she would "ruin" the band Radiohead after they declined a special meeting with her at the Grammys. Again, she has said some things that aren't very bright but again.. people make mistakes!!!

I'm leaving out two faux scandals: the Vanity Fair photo shoot of her wrapped in a sheet, and the fact that she's dating a 20-year-old. The first is something her parents should have prevented. The second falls into the "who cares" category. It's not our business, and a four-year gap is nothing at this age, particularly for someone who already has established her career. I am convinced that the photoshoot or her wrapped in a sheet is BS (I haven't seen it and I haven't heard about it until I read this article), and her boyfriend being 20 shouldn't be an issue. She does have parents after all, isn't it there job to deal with that sort of thing? Furthermore, the girl does seem to be quite mature for being only 16.

The rest of the things do matter, though, and I just don't buy the "she's a kid" excuse." Technically, she still is a kid. Not a young kid but still a kid. Damn, I mean give the girl a break~!

Anyway, I'm not a big fan or anything but I do watch her show on the Disney Channel. She's adorable (and Robbie Ray is mighty fine, ya'll!) *lol* Totally kidding bout that last part. :D :D :D Just the same though, I think people need to get off of Miley's case and stop being so judgemental about every little thing she does.

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10 Apr 2009, 01:48
Acid Fairy
Post Count: 1849
She's an idiot. She is on the route to being a proper little slag, no two ways about it! So glad I'm English so she isn't as in our faces as she is in the US!

I think people are just being critical cos god DAMN she's freaking annoying!
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10 Apr 2009, 01:48
~*Shannon*~
Post Count: 462
I think it's high time parents stop blaming tv and radio personalities for their children's bad behavior. WE, as the PARENTS, should be the ones teaching our children what is right and wrong, what is good behavior and what is bad behavior, and that good behavior is what you want and bad behavior is what you don't want.

Frankly, I think Billy Ray did a crappy job at raising his daughter, but so are all the other parents who aren't teaching their kids that just because this girl on the tv screen and radio does these things it doesn't mean THEY have to do them, too. It's not Miley's job to raise the kids, it's the parents job.
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10 Apr 2009, 02:35
Fiat
Post Count: 288
TOTALLY agree Shannon. If Miley wasn't on our television screens there would be some other poor example for our kids to look at. Let's stop trying to eradicate bad examples from the media and instead focus on simply raising our kids.

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10 Apr 2009, 04:30
valerieeeee
Post Count: 274
You're saying the photo shoot is BS? It totally exists. And she was wrapped in a sheet.
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10 Apr 2009, 05:07
Eat Yellow Snow
Post Count: 216
Hmm, well either way. . . I still think she's a rad lil' chick. =) She's still young & has quite a bit of growing up to do. Which means that she still has a lot to learn & plenty of room to grow. :D :D :D
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10 Apr 2009, 06:11
T.A.I
Post Count: 269
Ugh. Whatever. Let her do what the fuck she wants. All the rest of us do. Why should it change because she's on fucking camera?

You people call it "proper parenting in the eyes of the public?"

I call it "you just want to her to be sheltered and not do things the EVERYONE ELSE IN THE WORLD does from time to time."

Seriously? I park in the handicapped spots around campus all the time for 2-3 minutes while I run and get something or pick someone up. The world just stopped.

I've made slanted eyes in a photograph too.

How old is she? She's a fucking teenage girl. They're going to want to "ruin" people's lives when they're pissed off at them, regardless of how smiley and disney one is.

Ugh.

Christ, first people bitch about people not being positive role models on TV and the Radio for children, and then you bitch about them watching too much TV and such.

Honestly? Who fucking cares. If you live in middle america, and you give a shit that she took pics in her underwear or parked in a handicapped spot, then I say that you have nothing better to do with your life and need to go look at the "demotivational pics" thread going on right now. Specifically, go look at the suicide pic. You need it.

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10 Apr 2009, 06:24
Eat Yellow Snow
Post Count: 216
Finally!!! You and I can agree on something!!! :D :D :D
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10 Apr 2009, 06:55
~*Shannon*~
Post Count: 462
So just because everyone else does it means she shouldn't be held accountable or people shouldn't think less of her?

Great, so I'll go tell her that "everyone else" is jumping off of the Golden Gate bridge and maybe she'll do it, too.

Just because everyone else is doing it doesn't mean everyone else should be doing it.
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10 Apr 2009, 07:18
T.A.I
Post Count: 269
Three words:

"Context specific situation."

I'm saying that everyone is out to find the next greatest role model for their child, and the second that role model does something that is against what parents wanna teach, they're suddenly all over the person, yelling at them to "be responsible" and basically do what the public wants them to. Honestly, when you were a kid, I'm sure you did and said things that were just as bad, risque, naughty or worse.

What you're asking her to do, in essence, is to jump off the golden gate bridge, because YOU want her to. Because people want her to be a good role model for kids, whatever she does that is un-rolemodelish is going to be cirticized. Period. End of story. The girl is now trapped in hollywood.

She's another Britney Spears. She's another Lindsey Lohan. She's a child star who has stepped into hollywood, and is now trying to have fun and do what she wants, and is being targeted by parents because what she is doing is setting a bad example for their kids.

It's not that hard to tell your children "because Miley does it...because Britney does it....Because Lindsey does it...doesn't mean that you have to."

It's quite simple. If you want to tell her what to do and tell her what she should and shouldn't do, that's great. It's called "advice." However, advice doesn't need to be taken, and can be ignored, and if someone ignores "advice", you shouldn't be offended or outraged, because she's a young teenager and old enough to think for herself (And so help me god don't even get me started on the "She doesn't know what she wants" bullshit). If she wants to park in handicapped spaces or take pictures in her underwear or hell, even run around LA naked, that's her deal, and she's going to suffer the consequences in her own way.

If you wanna parent her, then by all means, wrestle legal control of her away from her father.
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10 Apr 2009, 16:59
~*Shannon*~
Post Count: 462
I agree that it's up to the parents, and THEY should be the ones teaching their kids right from wrong. HOWEVER, you made it sound like just because "everyone else does it" it means that she is justified in doing it herself. There is no justification in acting like she does. "She's just a kid" and "everyone else does it" isn't good enough reason.
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10 Apr 2009, 17:16
T.A.I
Post Count: 269
Well, if other teenagers and adults get away with acting out, why shouldn't she?

Whether something is "justified" or not is up to the mind of the interpreter. And in the end, does she really need justification? However she justifies her actions as "fine" or "okay" is her business. So long as she's not justifying her actions to excuse murder or drugs, or any action that otherwise inflicts direct physical harm to herself or another person, she's not doing anything wrong in my opinion. When it comes to whether it's right to pose for a picture in your underwear or not is a matter of opinion that is up to the discretion of the person looking at that picture.

And in the end, is she does crazy, off-handed shit, that's her deal. I say go for it. Fuck justification. It's life. Have fun. Just do it.

And to the parents out there who cry foul about her needing to be a positive role model?

If you think you're such a great influence on your children lives, and feel "justified" to command or tell another person what they should or shouldn't do JUST so that you can get a more positive role model for your child, then I have faith that you shouldn't need to be doing it at all in the first place. If you're a good parent, you should be able to teach your kids not to behave wildly, and not need to rely on role models to set the examples.

However, keep in mind that when it comes to children and teenagers, sometimes because you don't see or hear about something doesn't mean that it's not happening. Behaviors are first learned to be hidden or done outside the scope of parents and public attention, rather then eliminated all together. ;)
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10 Apr 2009, 19:11
~*Shannon*~
Post Count: 462
I'm not arguing this from the side of "she's a role model". As I have said before, that is the PARENTS job, and if the parents aren't doing their job, then they have no business opening their mouths ANYWAY.

BUT, just because someone is a kid, a teenager, and everyone else is doing, has done it, or probably will do it doesn't mean that she should be given free reign to do it. Whether she is in the public eye or not has nothing to do with it. SOMEONE should be helping her realize that some of her actions are destructive. Preferably her parents, but obviously Billy Ray couldn't care less. You CAN have fun without engaging in destructive behavior.
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10 Apr 2009, 20:25
T.A.I
Post Count: 269
Hm. Well, her parents have their work cut out for them if they wanna keep her their precious little baby. However, there's gonna be a point where Billy Ray's influence is going to be worth next to nothing. For me, when I was 16, that was it. My parents basically knew that there was no point in trying to reason/argue with me on anything, because in the end, it was either my way and what I wanted or nothing. However, I've not done anything to ever prove to them that their "giving in" to my demands was any kind of regrettable. For Miley...that remains to be determined.

Otherwise I can see the headlines in 4 years:

"MILEY CYRUS DRUNK PHOTOHRAPHS!:

"MILEY CYRUS "CROTCH SHOT" AT LOCAL CLUB!"

"HANNAH MONTANA GOES WILD IN MONTANA!"

.etc, .etc

She's gonna do it, but I see your point here. If her parents gave a shit, they might be doing something about it, but at the same time, it's hollywood, and some scandals are leveraged for publicity. *shrug*
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10 Apr 2009, 06:29
.Blue Bella.
Post Count: 743
She's not a kid, she is a teenager in control of her life. And if she's a kid, her parents should be intervening and putting their foot down in these situations, but they seem to encourage her.
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10 Apr 2009, 06:56
~*Shannon*~
Post Count: 462
PRECISELY!
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10 Apr 2009, 01:50
Eat Yellow Snow
Post Count: 216
"It's not Miley's job to raise the kids, it's the parents job." I agree. :) Lady Acid Fairy: Miley can be annoying sometimes... very annoying. :P
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10 Apr 2009, 02:13
ღMiss.Melody
Post Count: 28
my girls love hannah montana and they know that miley cyrus is hannah montana. but other than that what miley does doesnt make a difference in if my kids like her or not, what she does should make a difference if you consider her a role model for your kids then you need help, YOU as the parent should be your childs role model not a little kid on tv. anyways, i believe that her making slanted eyes in a picture isnt being racist...she could just be making a funny face. the media needs to get over themselve and stop trying to ruin peoples lives.
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10 Apr 2009, 04:24
Eat Yellow Snow
Post Count: 216
"the media needs to get over themselve and stop trying to ruin peoples lives." I agree. :D
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10 Apr 2009, 04:46
Chris
Post Count: 1938
The media isn't trying to do anything. The media puts out what they think is entertaining and whatever will make the most money. They shouldn't be relied on to set any kind of example for children. Movies and TV != real life.
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10 Apr 2009, 03:23
RealLifeComics
Post Count: 571
Is she 18 yet?
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10 Apr 2009, 03:31
starsmaycollide
Post Count: 408
She is 16.
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10 Apr 2009, 03:36
Villy
Post Count: 204
Is her career dead yet? PLEASE? PLEASE?

I will do ANYTHING, just for her career to be dead so I won't have to hear that irritating voice or look at that ugly mug again!
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10 Apr 2009, 04:41
valerieeeee
Post Count: 274
I totally agree with you. I can't stand her.
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10 Apr 2009, 04:27
Eat Yellow Snow
Post Count: 216
I like Hanna Montana. I watch a lot of the Disney Channel shows though. Anyway, she's not out promoting sex, drugs, or anything of that sort. I think she's a decent person over all. =) Yay!! Go Miley!!!
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