The it-borders-on-kiddie-porn photo of Miley Cyrus in the current issue of Vanity Fair magazine screams for comment from artists, photographers, parents, teens, and anybody else who wants to jump onto this controversy.
Miley, who was photographed by Annie Leibovitz, has issued a statement saying she’s embarrassed by the way the photo turned out. And her father, Billy Ray Cyrus, is reportedly upset.
Hollywood types have already weighed in with their “what’s the big deal?” comments.
Parents, what do you do you think?
Artists, is the photo truly art, as the Vanity Fair editors claim?
Photographers, if given the opportunity, would you have shot a famous 15-year-old half nude?
Bloggers, bring it on.
Artists often comment about how difficult it is to generate publicity for themselves. Commenting on controversial topics is one of the best ways. During the teleseminar I hosted on “How Artists Can Sell More Artwork from Online and Offline Publicity,” I suggested artists create a Google Alert for topics they want to follow.
Google Alerts will keep you updated weekly, daily, or several times a day about when that topic appears someplace online, either in a blog post or video or news story.
You’d think a family in the spotlight this long would be more savvy. Have they not seen Ms. L’s work? Nevertheless, I can imagine being lured into making a beautiful portrait that really isn’t appropriate for the age/image Miss Cyrus typically portrays. It’s just that the reality is creepy. IMO
I was already working on a response to the Miley Cyrus photos when I read your reminder. I titled my response “Miley Cyrus Photos–Don’t Get Caught With Your Pants Down.” I took the position that the photos (at least what I’ve seen on TV), show less skin than we see on many teens in prom dresses or bikinis, and less skin than we’ve seen on Miley at awards shows and on stage. It is perfectly normal for a teenage girl to want to look pretty.
On the other hand, since I write about publicity for theater producers, managers and owners, I also warned them to be careful.
Photo shoots with minors should be monitored by a PARENT and the photographs must be approved in writing by a PARENT! If there is any fault in this mess, it belongs squarely on the shoulders of the PARENT, Billy Ray Cyrus!