Miley is regretting her decision big time. But haven't we all regretted decisions at one time or another? That's why this is a great opportunity to discuss decision-making with our kids. (Note: I've included discussion questions with a scripture passage below)
Here's the skinny: Last week I was surprised by an email from a blog subscriber telling me that Miley had just taken some shots of herself in her underwear and one shot of herself pulling her shirt down exposing her green bra. I didn't post anything because there was some debate as to whether it was truly Miley or not. No statement was issued.
Well... this morning a new set of photos have emerged... and it's no secret. Associated Press spells it out:
Miley Cyrus is taking issue with a photo of herself that's going around, and it's not another amateur, truth-or-dare Internet snapshot - it's the handiwork of Annie Leibovitz.
"I took part in a photo shoot that was supposed to be 'artistic' and now, seeing the photographs and reading the story, I feel so embarrassed," Cyrus said Sunday in a statement through her publicist. "I never intended for any of this to happen and I apologize to my fans who I care so deeply about."
The photos, appearing in the upcoming issue of Vanity Fair, were taken by Leibovitz, a renowned celebrity photographer whose edgy, silver-toned portraits have included subjects such as Angelina Jolie, Scarlett Johansson and a naked, pregnant Demi Moore.
The picture doesn't show any nudity, but it shows the shirtless Miley covering her front with a blanket and showing her bare back to the camera. Even though this picture isn't pornographic, it disturbed Disney and Miley enough that they both issued statements. And most people agree that Miley had been duped so Vanity Fair can just sell magazines.
Obviously this makes me sad. Miley is one of the few superstars that I've felt pretty good about kids watching and listening to. She seems to have a faith, although I've never heard her talk too specifically about it (Remember people, just because she said "I want to thank my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ" at the recent awards, that doesn't mean anything. Don't ask me to list the people who have said those exact words receiving awards). But, her parents are once again proving to demonstrate questionable judgment.
THOUGHT FOR DISCUSSION WITH OUR KIDS:
So what can we as youth workers and parents do about this? I think that this issue like many issues is a jumpstarter to dialogues with our kids about decision making. I'd use this statement from Cyrus in the Associated Press article:
"I think it's really artsy," she told the magazine at the time. "It wasn't in a skanky way. Annie took, like, a beautiful shot, and I thought that was really cool. That's what she wanted me to do, and you can't say no to Annie."
CNN expands on this:
And you can't say no to Annie. She's so cute. She gets this puppy dog look and you're like, 'O.K.'"
then this...
"I took part in a photo shoot that was supposed to be 'artistic' and now, seeing the photographs and reading the story, I feel so embarrassed," Cyrus said Sunday in a statement through her publicist. "I never intended for any of this to happen and I apologize to my fans who I care so deeply about."
Then I'd ask our kids:
- Why do you think Miley changed her mind after she saw the pictures?
- Have you ever made a decision and regretted it later?
- When we make decisions based on "what feels right at the moment," are those decisions always right?
- What guideline should we use for making decisions?
- The world sometimes puts on a lot of pressure to do wrong. Miley said that it was hard to say no to Annie... with her puppy-dog-look she was very convincing. Is there someone it's hard for you to say no to?
- How can we equip ourselves to make good decisions even when "the pressure is on" to make bad ones?
