Miley Cyrus Causes a Sensation By Posing Topless In Vanity Fair

I had a hard time painting 15-year old Miley Cyrus because when one stares at her for a long time, she looks like a chubby cheeked child one minute, and then seconds later, she appears as a hung-over, hard-bitten, 20-something party girl waking up in the bed of a stranger and in bad need of a shower. Do I paint her looking innocent, or do I pick up on the overt sexuality simmering through her come-hither gaze? I was never able to make a decision. I'm quite curious of your opinions about Miley's Vanity Fair photo shoot - is it kandy koated kiddie porn or simply an artistic portrayal of a young girl seeking the spotlight? Medium: liquid pencil, watercolor, acrylic, ink on paper, digital color. SOLD 

Comments

[Villain]

If she was about 4 years younger, these would have been hot.

[haley]

MILEY would never do that!!!!!! she didn't mean for that vanity picture to turn out as a VANITY PICTURE!!!!!!!!!!! people lie about celbs to get money..... anyone who is not stupid should know that!!!

[hmm...]

Maybe i am the only person who feels this way, but I looked at the Vanity Fair pic and immediately thought Miley looked like a vampire, or a zombie or something. Like, creepy and dead. Not sexy, maybe trying to be sexy the way little girls might, without understanding the whole "sexual assault" thing, but not sexy... Yeah, she just looks waaay too pale, her lips look bloody, and her eyes totally look haggard. Maybe Liebowitz was going for the pedophile-necrophiliac audience?

[Seeking Girls]

Hey great site and I loved this post. I am going to subscribe to your feed so I can be updated on your site.

[kassidy]

i think that she is setting a bad example for younger girls in this picture...yeah sure it would have been different if she WAS 20 or whatever and i think thats why so many people are so upset because she is so young and is already takeing naked pictures

she always seemed like she had her ducks in a row...you know? she was always the type of girl that didnt need to take naked pictures to be loved by her fans...and if she is trying to send a message that she "older" then she needs to stop because she not. she is still just 15 years old

and let me ask anyone with a girl that is 15...would you ever let your daughter take pics like this that the entire world was going to see??

not really right?
i think that she needed to stick to her innocent act for just a little bit longer...set a good example for the millions of pre teens that look up to her so much. she needs to realize that whatever she does...there are millions of girls watching ant wanting to be just like her..and i bet that that sucks to have to watch every move you make but it kinda comes with the job...she either needs to take nude pictures or be a "pop" star.
and again it wouldnt have been so bad if she was 18 19 or 20 but shes not..and i feel that she let some people down...but i guess thats just my opinion.

[Lizzie]

Surely if she's a child she should not take the responsibility of apologizing for the photo?
I'm 14 and there's no way you'd get me watching Hannah Montana or whatever it's called but the fact of the matter is that it is not a particularly sexual shot. It is not the product of abuse. It is very artistic. If she were posing as an under-age porn star then perhaps young girls would be in danger of sexualising themselves and parents would have something to worry about. If you're a parent worrying about this why not stop your children viewing paintings by Balthus? They are a lot more obscene but are still beautiful and totally acceptable forms of art.

[Miley fanatic]

This is all just unfortunate. Miley is a star for her Hannah Montana character, and this was just the wrong direction for her to attempt to steer her career.

[badger]

Right. . . That's what we all have in our family album. That's me leaning against Daddy with my hand on his thigh, and then . . . oooh, right after that is me wrapped up naked in a bedsheet.

I think ole Annie pulled as fast one on these two and made them think it would be sophisticate and cool - and it just looks pretty darn creepy. Hannah Montana meets Dad's Banana.

[tete]

miley is a joke. at first she said i like it. then she know that was going to happen.

[Marie]

Groping Mickey!! Hysterical!

[junky]

How come Annie is getting off scott free? NOBODY has said ONE WORD about her decision to direct Miley into that pose. I've heard that Annie directs everything on set and stars do what she says. So what's with the silence towards Annie? Are people scared to criticize her?

[ali]

It is just the product of Annie Liebowitz knowing how controversial it would be, and a naive young girl who isn't sure who she is yet. If she were 18, it would be Ok, but for a 15 year old this is not appropriate. The difference between this and girls her age at the beach wearing bikinis is the concept that she is nude under the sheet. It is obviously about what is not seen. Another reason this drew so much attention is that her portrayal in the photo is exactly opposite of the character she plays on tv, and her public persona of being wholesome and bubbly. Anything contradictory is immediately intriguing.

[ariel andrade]

miley,i heard and thought it was like showing evrything,but when i actually saw it,i was like wow because evryone is making such a big deal about it.u still rock!

[lameo]

She looks like she was just saved from drowning. The pic is ugly and the color scheme is rainy and disgusting.

[the.jj]

I think the photo was creepy; even creepier, however, was the photo of her draped across her dad, both in skin-tight jeans.

I hate the hypocrisy inherent in this whole situation. If Miley and her fam would've just admitted, "Yeah, it was supposed to be sexy," I would've found the whole thing easier to, ahem, swallow. But to protest that they "didn't know" what was happening is RIDICULOUS.

At which part didn't you know that the picture was going to be at least IMPLYING sex? The tousled hair? The lipgloss? The bare back? The bedsheet? What else could that photo be implying?

It's like the Cyruses tried it and then got scared by all the negative reactions, and then tried to pretend that had no clue. I'm not buying it, or Miley's comments that she was so embarrassed... apparently you weren't embarrassed enough!

[San Francisco Queen]

Me at 15 years old? I was dropping LSD at Woodstock - really.
---
USA Americans - wanting sex, drooling over models, always sex, sex sells cars, always ads for erectile dysfunction. But never, ever ADMIT that we like sex & sexuality - that would be a sin.
I chose to leave CT & have lived in San Francisco 30 yrs. - where people accept that we're sexual beings, which then allows people to choose when it's appropriate to be sexual.

[ErikaEve]

So not bad I have way worse. Right now there are a few pictures of me from New Year's going around my school and trust me she wins my vote for most covered up.

[Ashley]

I think this picture stunk and whoever thinks it was sexy or lovable is STIPID!!!! Imagine you being her how would you feel? She was pressured into it and Annie you SUCK!!!!!

[TheBadRabbit]

It's about time we got to look at something besides that slag Amy Whine-house. I'll admit, the photo pushes the envelope a bit, but this is only offensive if you're Amish.
Rock on, Miley. Get it while you can.

[Liggy]

Personally I thought the photograph had artistic merits, however, I didn't think it was an appropriate pose for someone of Miley's age. A pose like that for someone her age just feeds the perverted minds of pedophiles...

[Yara Gharios]

How could people do that to a 15-year-old???? It's like you've been told that you were invited to a birthday party and (instant place) and when you get to that place in question you find out it's a strip club!! How can you say that she's the one who made this decision????/

[Demon Kitty]

I dare say this is not about teenagers fucking. This is about teenagers WANTING to fuck adults.

I think Hollywood pimps this out and she was seeking the spotlight.

[zomgflipflop]

I think the picticures fit perfectly with the slutification(lol) of todays youth(Myspace anyone?).
Seems that these days it's cooler to get caught showing off your twat then having some sort of brain-activity going on for you, or I dunno..having dignity?

[Jenn F.]

It's a combination of two many things that add up to an inappropriate photo... the just-rolled-out-of-bed hair, the dazed expression, the appearance of nakedness beneath a sheet. All of that on a kid who's no where near adulthood yet?! No doubt everyone's talking about it.

And yes, the magazine's primary audience is quite a bit older. Bad call. People are slowly becoming desensitized to underage girls being pimped out. Besides, she's a Disney star... what the hell were they thinking?!

The target market for Hannah Montana is 8 to 12. I know this because I'm currently stuck working on a pile of Hannah graphic design work. In most of the images that Disney has provided to work with, she's dressed like a 25-year old woman heading out to a club. Complete with platform stilettos. I kid you not. My biggest issue is with the fact that the target audience is 8 to 12. That's who are most interested in this girl, and want to emulate her look and behaviour.

People are pushing her to grow up fast. Like most young girls, she's anxious to do so herself. But she holds a level of responsibility that most 15 year olds don't carry... there are legions of 8 to 12 year olds that are watching and copying her every move. If she's not capable of making good choices in consideration of this, someone should be helping to guide her.

Besides, what does it say about people's intelligence level when sex is the only thing that appears to really sell a magazine?

[Shelly]

I'm kind of torn myself.
Anne Lebovitz is my all time favorite portrait photographer. This photo is very lovely. But not for the viewing of children. Miley might be 15, but her $$ comes from the parents of 7-12 year olds.
I would give my first born to work with her...
However, my first born is 10 and is TOTALLY into Hannah Montana. I had hoped she wouldn't see this, but she came home from school and told me something was up with Miley. I told her Miley's turning into a Hootch.
I don't know what do do except put more Pat Benatar and No Doubt on her Ipod...

i think US really needs to check their double standards for this "teen stars" and teenagers in general. its ok to advertise sex and sensuality but its not ok to show it somehow? im a photographer myself so i might be bias, but i think Leibovitz really did a classic portrait, its innocent and intriguing. How somebody sees child porn in this is something that leaves me O_o i guess it is their own "perspective".

[Junebug]

Candy or attention? Neither, it's gross, and the grossest are those of her and her dad.

[Demon Kitty]

In the words of Defamer, the 2nd most important text in the English Language other than The Sun:

We're so confused. An extra day's digestion of the Miley Cyrus/Vanity Fair photo "scandal" hasn't cleared much up for us in the way of morals, betrayals, exploitations and career management of the young Hannah Montana star, but the public meltdown has alerted us to a more basic truth that is helping guide us through the fog of outrage. This isn't about Miley Cyrus without a shirt on or if she's been seen somewhere in her lingerie, or if her father dropped the ball.

It's simpler than any of that; this whole thing comes down to picture of a 15-year-old looking like she just got the shit fucked out of her. And if there's anything America loves more than a war, it's teenagers fucking.

[Demon Kitty]

I am so glad I didn't see the pic of her and her father! GROSS!!!!

I don't know what to think. I really don't.

Yes, she looked like she just got fucked. Vanity Fair didn't have to make her up like a Baby Crack Whore.

I don't think she should have apologized. Teenagers are sexual, but what audience are we catering to here. What is the age of the audience? Are we catering to a bunch of horny teenage boys? I say no. I think the male audience is - ahem - OLDER.

[Eize]

To be serious...

Compared to the nekkid pics of Vanessa Hudgens that were spilled on the net, this is pretty tasteful. I just wish Vanity Fair deleted the one where Miley posed with her father.

[Sara]

I'm really tired of everyone ranting "she's JUST A CHILD!"

I also thought Miley's apology was a cop-out. She apparently had no problem with it until irate, crazed parents screamed slut and bloody murder her way.

It's important not to underestimate the power of media, but it's also imperative we not forget that parents are ultimately responsible for the well-being of their children. Instead of calling this 15 year old a slut where your child is in earshot and will then go to school using the same word, find out what your child thinks about the photo- chances are you are blowing it out of proportion.

[vern]

Thank you Viper for pre$enting a do$e of clarity!
Thi$ is a DI$NEY chick, after all!!!! Thi$ $hould be a picture of a $ide of Beef hanging, for all the "arti$tic" merit and faux $exuality.
Annie Liebovitz i$ $ooo over-rated, all her picture$ look the $ame lately. $he $hould get over her$elf and realize, catching that pic of John & Yoko wa$ plain lucky!
Oh, if only $he could learn $omehing from the geniu$ that is 14!

[midevil]

In hollyrude, sex sells. That photo with her father is even creepier.

You got it again, 14.

[parker]

I think it's a tasteful photo but I still find it creepy that she's only 15. She's still very much a child and the photo does suggest adult themes. The photographer may not have intended for it to come off that way, but that is how most people will see it.

[Viper Tetsu]

Mother Mary in an Achy-Breaky mullet, an Annie Liebowitz shoot? Talk about delusions of artistic grandeur...and with a pseudo-arty kiddie porn chaser to boot. Spot on, dear Quatorze.

That clacking sound you hear, folks, would the jackbooted footsteps of Uncle Walt's stormtroopers. You VILL NOT paint Mickey und Chiminy und Vinnie ze Pooh MIT OUT PERMISSION!

[jerms]

The photos are artsy and well done, but then you realize that this is a 15 year old girl. Even Britney wasnt' singing her "not yet a woman" song at that age...

Having her appear topless is inappropriate. They could have had her pose with more clothes on and still sell the magazine.

Bottom line: 15 years old = TOO YOUNG to be presented thusly. Even if she's a pop star and vying for attention.

[glenn maguire]

With the ink drying on her memoir deal, this scandal makes the tomb a must read for everytween between now and then. Skankville,
U.S.A., indeed. Pitiful.

[Mags]

The funniest thing here is how you see Goofy's arms reaching up to grab her - I always did have my suspicions that Goofy might be a secret letch!

Mags

[Annie]

Seems to me that somebody got some bad advice from her manager - or maybe not...

Do you think Miley and her family are making these decisions by themselves?

[scungilli]

i think this is the cold product of the thoughtless mechanism that strives to make food look appetizing, clothes look stylish, and everyone look attractive ...

[soup]

The media's got major double standards for women/girls anyways. I think this particular uproar showcases America's puritan roots, and the attraction/repulsion in the media for dark sexual subjects.

There's been a rash of naked photo shoots lately (think Lindsay) for attention so I'm not surprised other fame gluttons chose to use similar tactics.

[Salmonella]

What is the big deal? Or more importantly, why is she everywhere? She and her family are just looking for attention, I say: don't give it to them!

[littlerobotgirl]

I am a little confused as to what everyone else was doing as a 15 year old. I don't quite remember the part where I was lounging around with my father as he gazed lustfully at me while my head slid further down into his lap. Annie Leibovitz is a brilliant woman, but I did not like this shoot. She looks like a girl being pressed into a sensuality she does not possess. She is no nymphlet, as Humbert would put it. Why didn't they just continue the disney pictures that have come out as of late? Wouldn't she make a cute Belle? Why is she in Vanity Fair anyway? Who really wants to read about Billy Incest Cyrus or this poor girl? By the way, I don't think it's the backless that is as shocking as the 'bedroom eyes' look/pose. She seems to do that a lot lately.

No one is helping her to discern right and wrong. My parents/grandparents would never have let anyone order me to take off my top for a picture, nor would they let me sit in my room with a web cam and a boy on my own.

Your painting definitely caught the dichotomy of a little girl pressed into an adult role.

[lydia]

She does look like Gollum, she is quite unpleasant looking, dresses and poses like a skank, and it seems her parents are not doing their job in creating boundaries. Excellent art 14, you capture her perfectly. The photo may inded not show her breast , yet it is all in the eyes, and the suggestive pose, come hither for intercourse, intercourse.

[Jen]

I do think the pic has that "I just got laid" vibe to it. If they wanted to put her in a cute backless top, its one thing. But the sheet...You guys get the idea.

Having said that, Miley knew EXACTLY what she was doing. She has been in the business for years now and she is playing the media like a cheap fiddle. Good on her, I say. Swim with sharks and you better have a nice sharp set of teeth yourself.

[Jeff]

She looks like the poster for Les Miserables, so I'll go with artistic.

[Laura @ Hungry and Frozen]

Whether it's art or porn, what I found odd is that she is apologising for a pre-meditated photoshoot. It's not like this is something taken on a camera phone - it was Annie Leibowitz for heaven's sake. So, she knew it was happening and now she's all like, "I had no idea it was happening?"

There's something about it that reminds me slightly of that quite famous painting, with the young girl and the broken pitcher...which makes it more artistic in my mind. Still, equating Hannah Montana with creativity in my mind is a bit difficult. I like your take on it, personally 14 :)

[Eize]

The one where she lies against her Dad brought on the creeps, but Miley's photoshoot is NOTHING compared to this:

http://community.livejournal.com/ohnotheydidnt/22916520.html

The Hogans are gross!

[Shannon]

Another brilliant creation 14! This made me laugh out loud!

[Dr. L.]

You nailed it, as did Annie Leibovitz. Miley is a both/and. The other photo with her father is equally as creepy. "Family associations as entertainment/porn."