Friday, May 2, 2008

Tootsie Talks ~ Some People Listen

Tootsie's weekly advice column. She's no expert, although she's not really sure what constitutes "expert". If it involves school, she attended the school of Very Strong Opinions. Questions are welcomed. Answers may borderline ridiculous.


Alternate Title: Miley Cyrus, WTH?!?

Seriously? What where you thinking? You're at the top of your game. A bazillion -give or take a few- young girls idolize you. No one in the world is more popular than you are, right now. What in the stinkin' Christ compelled you to agree to that Vanity Fair photo shoot? Haven't you heard of Britney, Jamie-Lynn, Lindsay Lohan, and one of those Olsen twins? Personally, I don't think the photos are any big deal BUT YOU HAD TO KNOW THE CONTROVERSY THAT IT WOULD CREATE! I don't know if you weren't thinking or just letting others do the thinking for you or if you were just getting a little too cocky. You gave the media gossip gold, sweetheart. They were waiting for exactly this and they didn't even have to wait until you were like twenty. You wasted no time. Who cares if your parents and handlers approved. They aren't you. They don't now have to live with the media circus that will become your life. They won't be stalked or chased down busy streets. Paparazzi won't be waiting impatiently to get that money crotch shot of them. You're on damage control now and unfortunately, I think it's too late. The media will follow your every move. Breaking news about where you shopped, how much you spent, and where you bought your coffee will replace serious issues like how many soldiers were wounded or killed in Iraq today.

So take a time out. Retreat. Stay out of the limelight for a while. And for the love of God, if you do nothing else, wear panties at all times.

31 comments:

Anonymous said...

I totally agree with you Tootsie--she is going to go down the tubes just like LiLo and the Britster if she keeps this up.

Burgh Baby said...

I'm having a hard time caring about anything good ol' Miley does. I'm thinking she'll be old news by the time I hit the teen craze thing, so I'm watching out for the next big thing.

Question for you--if I were to go drop $100 on some summer clothes for myself, what should I get?

Texasholly said...

She is ahead of her time at only 15. It is probably a new child star record which is something to brag about in its own right or rite or I don't think I am thinking right or rite this morning.

MommyTime said...

Honestly, I think the flap about the sheet-draped picture is overrated. I'm much more horrified by the hideously incestuous photo of her draped across her father's lap as though she owns his nether regions. YIKES!

But I'm with you on the panties thing. 100%.

calicobebop said...

Amen on the panties! This pop culture enthusiast is tired of celebrity hoo-has. My retinas need a break.

Michelle Hix said...

How sad that our motherly advice to young girls is "where your panties"...ha ha.

Anonymous said...

I am soooooo with mommytime about the "couple" picture of father and daughter. Billy Ray was one year ahead of me at our little Kentucky high school. (NO! He did not know me, although he did seriously date my friend's friend. Okay, enough name dropping.) Anyway, he was Bill Cyrus then and a very cute baseball player. Connected politically on the local level, but that was about it. Not too much in the most likely to succeed arena. To say that his success came as a shock to the community would be the proverbial understatement.

Lisa Wheeler Milton said...

The 'I love my Daddy' shots freaked me out a little bit. They seem a little too close for comfort.

(And someone in the room - SOMEONE - must have known that picture would be a problem.)

scargosun said...

Rock on Tootsie. I totally agree with you. All I could think about when this story came out was, this is totally a Brit move.
Thing is, if she had not whined about it, there would be no where near as much frenzy.

Wineplz said...

what do you expect from parents that let her legally change her name from the one bestowed upon her at birth to be bastardization of her nickname, Smiley?
I just hope that they at least learn from the media flak that they need to get her back on the down-low and doing the G-rated stuff...at least until she's a good 20 or so. At least when Harry Potter did that nude scene in that play he was in, he was much older and legal.

Allison said...

Amen sista!

San Diego Momma/Two Funny Brains said...

Wait!!!
Where are the beauty and fashion tips????

I've got hair issues!
(But I'm so with you on the Miley thing.)

Now back to my hair. Should I get it cut like Jackie on Work Out? (http://www.bravotv.com/Work_Out/season/3/photos/gallery.php?e=trainer_gallery_jackie) Or is that a poseur cut?

Deb
sandiegomomma.com

Nicole said...

Miley Cyrus always failed at being *artistic* whether it was her look, her music, her performances, or her photoshoots. She's just a young chick in hollywood trying to outshine every other young chick in hollywood. And so far, I'd say she has been doing a fabulous job. Britney and Paris are probably jealous. Of course, none of this means I have an ounce of respect for the girl (or pretty much any other attention whore in hollywood!). Personally, I think Hilary Duff (Lizzie McGuire) was cuter, more talented, and obviously classier.

One Reader said...

Too much time has been wasted on this. Personally, my daughter doesn't know what Vanity Fair is (she's 9) and the fact that Miley did a photo shoot for them still hasn't come up on her radar. She is a super huge fan, but we as parents are supposed to monitor the media that she comes into contact with. It's kind of our job, yo. Any who, I also thought that the shot of her with her father was beautiful. It seems to me that we are putting entirely too much emphasis on the other photo and it might be rubbing off a little on the father daughter pic. I'm sorry if I came off a little preachy, but this is exactly the kind of thing that bothers me. The only reason people are up in arms is because of the influence she has over the younger girls... But she only has as much as we as parents allow. Thank you.

Shania said...

The jokerish makeup disturbed me more than the photo. What could the makeup artist have been thinking?

Jennifer S said...

I agree with MommyTime about the pictures of her with her father. Who poses like that with their DAD?

At 15, she was old enough to say that she didn't feel comfortable. She's savvy, she knows how things work. She just didn't think it through, and neither did her parents or handlers. (whatever handlers do)

That said, I also think, BIG DEAL. There are a lot of actual problems in the world, as you said, Tootsie.

Anonymous said...

So far, I'm thinking I'm glad my kids can't sing or act.

ALF said...

Right on, sista.

Madame Queen said...

Lots of sturm and drang over nothing, if you ask me. It probably wouldn't have been as big a deal if she hadn't come out and apologized for it before anybody knew anything about it. And you can't tell me that Disney didn't know about the pictures. Something tells me that Disney has that girl under pretty tight rein.

They accomplished their goal -- publicity.

DeeDee said...

Thank goodness I have two boys and the whole Miley/Hannah thing is not an issue in my house!!

I'm sure she'll bounce right back though and the world will settle right back onto its axis. I just can't believe all the crap those pictures have stirred up. I mean come on is it really THAT important!?? I loved your last bit of advice for her though. About 2/3 of the skankletts in Hollywood could benefit from that little gem!

By the way, I found your blog through DadGoneMad. I've posted a complete list of everyone who left their blog link in a post called Blog Rolling With My Homies over on my blog, so if you want to see it come on over and sit a spell. I don't bite…that hard anyway!

Tootsie Farklepants said...

For the record, I will reiterate that I don't think the photos are any big deal. I also thinks it's up to parents to dissuade their children from putting stars on a pedestal as a role model. My point is that she had to know the controversy it would create. Publicity is publicity is not always a good thing.

JCK said...

Amen, SISTUH! Not too bright. I haven't seen the pictures, but the one shot of her lying across her dad's legs tilted to the camera suggestively sounded pretty creepy.
Maybe wait until you're 18 and do it without big daddy.

Anonymous said...

I had high hopes for her. I hope this is just a slip and that it isn't just the first in a series of events leading to severe debauchery and ho-ism.

Anonymous said...

Ah poor Miley. I think her cocky little 15 year old brain just got the better of her and her parents didn't step in in time. Hopefully she'll bounce back.

As a point of interest (or not), I came here through Dad Gone Mad and DeeDee. I'm lagging behind in the commenting race...so off I go.

Anonymous said...

1 Mommytime's right for me, the pix with Dad are creepy.
2 What's so bad about the sheet? It shows less than her in a bikini
3 I don't find her attractive in the least
4 What's the big deal about panties, on or off?

ADG

As Cape Cod Turns said...

Wear panties, very good advice for all of us!

Susie said...

So "Miley" is a kid and theoretically can't really be making decisions for herself. So what is Vanity Fair's excuse? Or her parents for that matter?!

Jenn @ Juggling Life said...

It's just one more example of the early sexualization of girls--I can see why she'd think it was okay--what 15 year old girl doesn't want to look sexy. It's up to us parents to use judgement on behalf of our CHILDREN.

Anonymous said...

Zounds. I have to say, I'm all for personal responsibility but she is still a teenager, and therefore life-stupid by definition.

I still blame her parents more for the whole mess. What teenager wouldn't be excited to be "artistically" photographed by Annie Liebovitz, one of the worlds most famous photographers? She didn't know any better.

Having said that, amen to the continued daily donning of the undies. That's definitely within her control...

dkuroiwa said...

So...let's see if I got this right...she says that she is embarrassed by those Vanity Fair photos and sorry that she did them...BUT...no one has mentioned the skanky photos she posted herself on MySpace (or whatever) of her in her underwear (she actually wears them, but very little else!!)...and very seductivly draped across some young guy. Color me 'confused' but...WTH?!?!
And yeah...the "me and daddy" shots...~~shiver~~those are just wrong.

Laski said...

I had high hopes that she was going to be a little smarter than that . . . oh well.

Someone mentioned how it really stinks now because who would her daughter look up to? Um. So, are celebs all we have from which to choose?!? What about humanitarians, authors, painters, musicians (not just pop tarts!), teachers, scientists. Oh, I know . . . our moms and dads . . .