Hannah Montana
Is Miley Cyrus a Role Model?
By Daniel Muniz

In the smut world we live in which includes the likes of Britney Spears, Paris Hilton, and Lindsey Lohan, parents are going hog wild over Hannah Montana actress Miley Cyrus. Instead of young beautiful starlets getting arrested, going to rehab, or flashing their panties (or lack thereof), here is a teen sensation that looks great and acts innocently. In fact, Miley Cyrus endlessly spouts off to the public about her pledge of virginity.

But wait a minute. Hasn’t the public already been hoodwinked by another Disney connected pop princess who also talked about the virtues of virginity?

It didn’t take long for the world to realize that Britney Spears was nowhere near as pure as she tried to portray herself to be. In fact, Britney is now an embarrassment to the many people who once thought so highly of her.

Now does it mean that Miley Cyrus is headed down the same path?

No, not necessarily. It is very possible that she could live a long fruitful life that doesn’t involve sex tapes and an early grave. And she could very well avoid the fate that so many child stars had when they achieved enormous success at an early age. However, she does exhibit some of the same disturbing characteristics.

For example, much like Britney Spears, Miley Cyrus is publicly touting the value of virginity and living a pure life while off stage she wears way too much makeup and dresses like a porn star. In fact, that is exactly what celebrity gossip columnist Perez Hilton likened her recent public appearances as.

Is that an unfair characterization?

Well, if it looks like a duck and walks like a duck, then it is only natural for people to think that it is a duck.

The harsh reality is that it is one thing to look classy and elegant but it is something else to have an appearance that is seductively sexy with a glitz that approaches the boundaries of trashy. Miley Cyrus hasn’t crossed that threshold yet but she has been flirting with it. And besides, the brutal truth is that one of the purposes of dressing in outfits that look tantalizingly sensual is to overload the hormones of the opposite sex. It is hard to imagine maintaining a vow of chastity while your clothes are setting off the sex alarms of every guy in the room.

And just like Britney, Miley Cyrus has a wholesome image on Disney and that is what she is paid to look like. But everywhere else, she is starting to dress like the adult Britney Spears that the world now finds so revolting. Although the Hannah Montana star doesn’t act anything like Lindsey Lohan or Paris Hilton and she has yet to flash her panties to anyone, the similarities are beginning to emerge.

However I find her behavior, good or bad, totally irrelevant. In all truthfulness, I really don’t care if she becomes a binge drinker like Lindsey Lohan or a party heiress such as Paris Hilton. And it really doesn’t bother me if she flashes her panties to the paparazzi or if she decides to stop wearing underwear altogether. And that is because I cringe every time I see parents groping around for role models for their children to emulate and idolize.

Why does our society have such an obsession of finding rich celebrities to be role models?

And what kind of obligation do celebrities have to a society full of young impressionable children?

First of all, some parents have set expectations way too high for Hollywood while dangerously lowering expectations of the role of being a responsible adult. It just rubs me the wrong way that these parents have given any kind of special status to a celebrity because it is not warranted.

Myself as a parent, I feel that it is important for me to be a decent person and behaves in a responsible manner. Of course I am not perfect but I believe that I am obligated to do the best job I can.

And I don’t think I am a cynical person but the question I feel that a lot more people need to be asking is why should celebrities who reside in multi-million dollar estates while living luxurious jet set lifestyles have any influence on a child? What about the person who is raising these kids and struggling to pay the bills and to put food on the table?

For me, I am a huge basketball fan and I enjoy watching the sport. Now if an athlete is a good person and serves his community in a noble fashion, that’s great for society but it doesn’t enhance my impression of him because I am more interested in his athletic abilities than in his personal life. And the same goes if he is a dirt bag. If he is doing something illegal, then he belongs in jail. If not, then I really don’t care even if he engages in seedy activity. It is just that my life doesn’t revolve around the antics of celebrities.

Accordingly, the role models that children ought to respect are the people who already have the greatest impact in their lives, which are the ones who are raising them and guiding them in growth and wisdom.

Does that mean that more people should turn off the television set or the video game console?

Everybody’s life is different and each day is filled with varied circumstances so it is up to the parent to use their judgment to strike the right balance. But one sure bet is to put celebrities in their proper perspective. It is only entertainment that they provide and the world that they live in is one of fantasy and illusion. It is the people living in the real world who really do make the difference in the lives of our children.

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