Isn't having bones crushed by machinery as more of the Wile E. Coyote-esque kind of accident than the Spinal Tap-esque kind?

To me, Spinal Tap-esque implies an unfortunately-scaled stage prop, percussionists positioned perfectly for posthumous posterity, or incorrectly-prepared sandwiches. (Nigel's cry, "Look at this - it's a catastrophe!" as he surveys examples of the latter is a heartbreaking moment in documentary film.)

Was Miley genuinely embarrassed by the picture?

Maybe. But she did take her top off in front of a photographer and her assistants, so it might be just a wee bit disingenuous to claim surprise that the pictures came out looking a little racy.

"Jennifer Aniston and John Mayer?"

That can't be a serious relationship, right? Isn't the story on John Mayer that he's a lot like a carpenter run amok - nailing everything in sight?

those Miley pics aren't bad at all - I mean, I wouldn't have my 15-year old daughter photographed wrapped in a sheet with full makeup and touseled hair, with that "smoldering come-hither? oh, do I dare you?" look. still, it was a photo-shoot and the pictures don't seem to cross a line of decency for a minor.

now, if my 15-year old daughter were photographed in her mess of a room, wrapped up in her bedsheets, with bedhead and her headgear on it would ring a little more true-to-life.

love Ms. Liebowitz tho - I wonder if Miley has any clue about her photographer.

KARNAK THE MAGNIFICENT: "Carmen Electra pole-dancing game and anything else featuring Carmen Electra."

ED MCMAHON: "Carmen Electra pole-dancing game and anything else featuring Carmen Electra."

KARNAK THE MAGNIFICENT [shoots Ed a look before tearing open the envelope and extracting the question]: "Name two reasons why your wife might catch you abusing your Wii."

ED MCMAHON: "Hey-O!"

(spits coffee all over her keyboard)

I'm glad to hear that Kenny Chesney's injury was not sustained by his hat. Holy moley, the fans would've ripped him to shreds were he not to appear with a covered pate.

Again with the - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KgG3d7NkPRQ

What Miley Cyrus (et. al.) should be embarrassed about is everyone falling all over themselves apologizing/expressing dismay over the Vanity Fair photo shoot. I looked at all those pictures and no one had their eyes covered. Everyone there knew Miley had her top off, no one was trying to stop the shoot from happening, so clearly no one there had a problem with it, INCLUDING the subject.
It's not only disingenuous to cry foul now, it's downright insulting to the intelligence of her fans...
Oh, nevermind.

No snark: it was nice to read that Lou and Laurie got hitched.

"And Romeo had Juliette
And Juliette had her Romeo.
And Romeo had Juliette
And Juliette had her Romeo."

"I won't be a sweaty bride." That's a freekin' brillian quote. And I can totally dig it. I hate going to summer weddings for the exact same reason. All dressed up and whaddaya do for hours? Sweat. Not cool.

I'd be more embarrassed about being draped provocatively over my dad for the picture with the article above. Creepy.

Eh. I know someone who did a photo shoot for a magazine (not VF, but a similar newsrack mag, not a nudie book) and she said that the photogs always push the subjects into going just a little further. In her case, she also ended up feeling a little embarrassed for the amount of exposure she got (and the amount of criticism she got from parts of her fan base), although overall she said she had a good time.

omni is too clever by far. i'm stilll laughing at that YT link...heheheh...suks being kranky on mondy am.

SaraBeth sez:

"I'd be more embarrassed about being draped provocatively over my dad for the picture with the article above. Creepy."

My thoughts too. Ick.

Yes, let's remember, Miley's 15. She said something about liking Annie and how Annie's "puppy dog" look helped push her. That certainly would imply some pressure. The pics aren't that bed, but she is a 15-year-old dressed up to look like she just had a morning romp. It's a little weird. But, her parents were THERE! Why didn't they stop it? I think she's trying to push between her wholesome appearance and growing up into her own person and had a misstep here. I bet she's genuinely embarrassed (ANYTHING could embarrass me when I was 15..). I feel bad for her.

But she can take comfort in her billions, I guess :)

The photog can push, but the subject still has to act. It's called voluntary action. It's not like they held her down and took her shirt off.

This is doubly hilarious because Daddy Dearest is quoted in Parade this weeked as saying he doesn't worry about her making bad decisions. Guess he hadn't seen the photo shoot results yet.

Why does Hilary care about Star Jones' divorce? That is taking the "I care about everyone, see I am not a robot" a little too far.

Ooh goodie, another toy that glorifies the stripper lifestyle. Just what we need.

I'm sure her parents are trying to inch by inch guide her career to a more mature level. They'll be walking that tightrope till she turns 21 but if they're not careful they'll end up with yet another child star tragedy statistic.

Oh and she can't help it if her daddy's a hottie!
Mickie
http://www.styleswag.com

Yes, but she's 15! 15-year olds are presumed to be unable to consent to lots of things. It would up looking a little creepy (though not illegal of course) on Vanity Fair's part, tarting up a 15-year-old to sell magazines. That's my only point.

In other celeb news, the Reliable Source reported that Colin Firth couldn't get into the Bloomberg party because security didn't recognize him! I'm so embarrassed for the city...

Vanity Fair may have 'tarted' Miley up but her parents were right there, consenting to it. VF is off the hook as far as I'm concerned. The Cyrus family has only themselves to blame for their 'embarrassment.'

"Colin Firth couldn't get into the Bloomberg party because security didn't recognize him!"

If only someone had brought their camera phone.

But she can take comfort in her billions, I guess :)

Posted by: Sigh | April 28, 2008 9:11 AM

********

And the rest of us will just have to wait until she fills out, turns 18 and recreates LiLo's iconic recreation of MM's iconic photo shoot.

byoolin:

Ah - now, you've done it. I'm gonna have to dig up my "New York" CD. I thought that was nice, too.

And oh...my...god. The Pregnancy Breast Fairy definitely visited Halle Berry. She looks fabulous, but I fear for her balance...

Those pictures are "racy"? I mean, she is 15, so I can see how people don't want to go to far. But, I don't think there's a whole lot of sexuality there.

My god, we can see her shoulders! WON'T SOMEBODY THINK OF THE CHILDREN?!?!?!

ep, Hillary was at Star Jones' wedding, that is why she is being asked about it. They were talking about that on ET this weekend.

Am I the only one who has a hard time buying Milly Cyrus as a 15 year old? How many 15 year olds are that put together that they can handle a 70 date concert tour on top of everything else she's doing and not implode? People in their 20's can't even handle that very well. I really think she's at least 18 or 19. If not, well, I;m shocked and her parents and VF should both be slapped silly for letting her pose essentially topless.

Mad dap for Kenney Chesney. Playing through a whole concert with a foot that had just been crushed. Wow.

Isn't most of her fanbase around 8-10 yeard old?

Isn't most of Vanity Fair's readers waaaaay over the legal age of consent?

I see no problem here then.

If your 8 year old is reading Vanity Fair, you've got more problems on your hands than Billy Ray does.

After Liz go so riled up about Kate showing an exposed shoulder on Lost last week, she must be in a tizzy about Miley.

Yeah, I don't mean to sound like a total prude; it was a combo of things that made the picture look off to me. The outfit wasn't any more sexual than the drapes we wear in our high school senior photos, but the looking over the shoulder and messed up hair and red lips. All a little creepy. I'm annoyed her parents let her and the only point I'm making (which I think is pretty noncontroversial) is that I think it's creepy (not illegal or deserving of outrage) of Vanity Fair to do it to sell magazines with a very young teenage girl. I think it's weird to sexualize girls at that age. Of course a young girl is going to wear short skits (I did!), but this is a little different. I barely know who Miley Cyris is; I'm actually a little surprised at how much I formed a strong opinion about this!

I love it when paparazzi get run over.

Whatever, her shoulders are visible. The fabric's thick, and she's quite effectively covered by it. I wouldn't call the photos racy.

Also? It's Annie Leibovitz and Vanity Fair, not some skeezy tabloid. Both have impeccable reputations for gorgeous, artistic photos. If Annie Leibovitz asks you to take off your shirt for a photo, you do it and trust that she has a good reason.

From the NYT: "A Disney spokeswoman, Patti McTeague, faulted Vanity Fair for the photo. "Unfortunately, as the article suggests, a situation was created to deliberately manipulate a 15-year-old in order to sell magazines," she said."

This is the same Disney corporation that reported revenue of $35.5 BILLION for the year ending Sept 30, 2007, right? The one with the net income of $4.7 billion? It's that Disney that seems to think Vanity Fair is a little greedy?

Just wanted to check...

Does anyone remember how old Brooke Shields was when she posed (genuinely topless) in the Calvin Klein ads saying, 'Nothing comes between me and my Calvins.'? Her mother's exploitation of her was worse in my opinion but it's a pretty fine line & I won't be cutting the Cyrus 'rents too much slack.

I was for being topless, before I was against being topless!

"I'd be more embarrassed about being draped provocatively over my dad for the picture with the article above. Creepy.
Posted by: SaraBeth | April 28, 2008 8:58 AM"

I'm with you, SaraBeth. What was Big Daddy Cyrus thinking? That photo is so creepy it squirms. I haven't seen any of the other photos, but that one just screams "unhealthy!"

I think we need to redefine the term "topless" and "nude." The NY Times article says Miley is topless. In my view, if you cannot see the goodies than its not topless or nude. Is having a sheet covering your front with an exposed back any more revealing than wearing a halter top? In recent weeks there has been media frenzy about nude layouts of other celebs but their arms are always strategically placed or their back is turned. Save your indignation for real nudie shots like Vanessa Hudgens.

When I saw the photo of Billy Ray with is 8 year old daughter, all I could think was "uh oh, in 7 years we'll be going through all this crap again"

Post baby body? Don't
you mean post baby BREASTS? I cant't see anything below them. Sooo, how does her stomach/waist/hips/thighs look? I don't care how they look--she's gorgeous with or without huge breasts.

Did you notice that Miley also admitted that the green bra and other pictures were of her and that she didn't think those pictures would become public? The ones not taken by VF, but by some old boyfriend?

She doesn't understand that pictures taken that reveal underwear, or that make you appear to have been naked and in bed, are provocative.

So she's either naive or trying to reach out to some other audience, beyond her fan base.

Whoa, Halle!! Feeling bovine? She must of held off on breastfeeding for a while before stepping out in that outfit. Oh, yeah, and Colin Firth could show up at my place. He'd have NO trouble at the door other than my being able to get it open fast enough.

"And oh...my...god. The Pregnancy Breast Fairy definitely visited Halle Berry. She looks fabulous, but I fear for her balance..."

Posted by: Chasmosaur | April 28, 2008 10:02 AM

Yep, I think we can safely assume she is breastfeeding. That can happen, plus it has only been a month since she has given birth.

I second, third or 4th the opinion about the photo w/Miley and Billy Rae- that is waay creepier to me than the "topless" pic.

Having worked in the media biz I can say that before photos are given final approval at a big publication like VF, the subjects are given plenty of time to review and approve the images. Believe me if Miley's parents, handlers, etc. had raised a fuss, those photos would not have appeared. And yeah, it's a little ridiculous to be raising cain over the shots when your parents and other adults were present.

I had a "friend" who pimped her son as a "model" to make money for his college fund. The kid was about 9. He was photographed in underpants. And although his mother claimed he had a great time doing it, obviously the kid is going to do whatever it takes to make mom happy. That doesn't make it right.
I don't see any difference with Miley Cyrus. She's under 18, and her parents have the judgement of a gerbil in heat.

Yeah, the Billy Ray and Miley picture-eww.
Eww!

Y'know, I knew this was going to happen. I knew that people would say, "eh, no big deal" to the Miley Cyrus photos. Yes, you see just her shoulders, but c'mon: the context is clearly "sex kitten." This isn't her in a sundress; context is everything.

The question is -- why? Why sex her up at age 15? Why is that necessary? If you want to do a suggestive photo shoot, there are plenty of other people who'll sit for it. Hell, why not wait three years to see her topless? What is the hurry?

And, though her mgmt team, parents and Cyrus herself will get a ration of crap about this, you know who will skate? Liebovitz. Think about it. She's coaxing this young girl to take her clothes off for a national publication? Why?! But hey, it's no problem; she's an "artist." Uh-huh.

I really am baffled when people say they wouldn't let *their* kid do it, but that it's okay for another kid to do it. And yes, it is not the mag for 8-year-olds; the idea here is for VF's target market (older people) to be titillated by a 15-year-old. And everyone -- the mag, the photographer, the parents -- is on board. (Believe me, this stuff gets approved by all parties.) You guys don't find that creepy? For real?

The photo is not that great either. I mean Liebowitz has tarted her up like Lolita - pretty cliche, if you ask me, though it has given me pause for thought. Maybe this is the only statement of a tween queen: I'm young and I want it all, so I'll dress any way I can for who ever is out there all for maximum publicity, until I figure out who I am.

Liebowitz is a great portrait photographer, casting the topic in a new light, but these photos are unremarkable - maybe because at 15 there's not much there. Miley is the new hood ornament of an entertainment industry, and they're going to drive with her up there till she falls off. Adult seductiveness is the next step for Miley or else she will become irrelevant as a super-duper star...which may have been the look Annie was going for.

Also, those pics, layouts, etc., etc., were a done-deal months ago. I think the response to the magazine stuff has more to do with quelling rumblings about her own immature photos floating around rather than a situation she engaged in as a consensual almost-adult with other consensual adults. heh heh

I don't know why you made Jennifer Love Hewitt's comment a "Say What." I think it is a wonderful word of wisdom. I was a sweaty bride. Don't make my mistake!

The true definition of "publicity" shot.

The comments on VF regarding the Miley thing are fascinating. Either shrill hysteria about it being child porn or complete opposite. Also several of them refer to her "in bed" wearing a sheet with touseled hair despite the fact that there are pictures that show she was sitting on a stool in front of the background--which I think says a lot about where they are letting THEIR imaginations go.

There are also pics that show her posing with her dad in a similar way but she's wearing a kind of baggy shirt and it makes all the difference--not so provocative, mitigates the ick factor.

What a weird culture we live in.

Miley didn't have painted-on clothes; wasn't pregnant; wasn't completely nude, lounging next to her agent; and wasn't straddling k.d. lang. This is pretty tame, by Vanity Fair standards.

"If Annie Leibovitz asks you to take off your shirt for a photo, you do it and trust that she has a good reason."

Sorry, no good reason for a 15-year-old girl to pose like she just had a wild night out with frat boy. Stupid move.

Much as I love Annie L's photos, this is a minor child we are talking about and one whose parents were out to lunch when making this decision.

Plus Annie's job is not to support the argument for her subject's canonization but to provoke. Score one for Annie, zero for Billy Ray and Miley.

I'm with byoolin -- no one can claim they had no idea these photos would look racy.

Disney is trying to protects its money, and the Cyrus family should stop taking publicity hints from the Lohans.

Um, why does Hillary care about Star Jones? Or any celeb divorce du jour?

That's the problem with these manufactured celebrity controversies: they obscure real issues.

Instead of arguing about whether Miley Cyrus should have posed "topless", we should be persuading Halle Berry to pose topless.

Byoo-la-lah!

"If Annie Leibovitz asks you to take off your shirt for a photo, you do it and trust that she has a good reason."

I beg to differ. I know how to say "no" and trust that Annie Leibovitz would respect my good reason.

Ooops, disregard my Hillary question, I just read the previous post that answered it. Left coast, late arrival ... :-)

Instead of arguing about whether Miley Cyrus should have posed "topless", we should be persuading Halle Berry to pose topless.

Posted by: Sasquatch | April 28, 2008 3:47 PM

*********

I am weeping at the awesome beauty of your suggestion.

Down boys.

Re: the Miley pictures -- Can you say "publicity stunt"?

Get Annie Leibovitz on the line, stat!

We need her to persuade Halle Berry to take off her top.

[VF Editor]: "No, Annie, I said take pictures promoting JailBREAK!"

I've been thinking a lot about this today. I guess this is one situation in which one person's "art" is another person's kiddie porn.

As a parenting expert, parents are asking me how to handle the situation with their tweens. While everyone makes mistakes, let's be honest. Tween role models aren't allowed the same amount of space for slip-ups.

Parents and tweens are watching their icon's every move. That's the problem with being American's tween idol. They're under 24/7 surveillance. They're overexposed through TV, magazines, internet, texting, and every other media outlet that tells all. Mistakes in Hollywood are broadcast in ever direction within moments and publicists and spokes people are left to figure out what to do next.

Regardless of whose fault it is, it happened, and parents are looking for answers. I definitely sense that people are beginning to expect the worst when it comes to teen/tween role models. I mean, people are just sick of it-- Britney Spears, Lindsay Lohan, Paris Hilton. Miley is their girl-next-door...and parents are praying that their girl next door is not named Lolita.

http://drrobyn.wordpress.com/2008/04/28/miley-cyrus-role-model-ruined/

Dr. Robyn

It wouldn't surprise me a bit if there were more than one sex offender sitting in jail right now for possessing material similar to the Miley Cyrus pictures mentioned in this piece.

Brittany II is starting it looks like to me. And I always thought Billy Ray Cyrus seemed so sensable.

Billy Ray Cyrus sensible? Not Mullet Man!

I THINK SHE HAS BEEN DOING DRUG OR SOMETHING IT SHOW ON THE NEWS HER PICTURES OF HER NER NAKED

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