Second Wave of Risqué Photos of Miley Cyrus Create Stir Online

Miley Cyrus thought the worst was over after photos of her sharing a piece of candy with a friend. It appeared to be a near-lip lock resulted in the smearing of her squeaky-clean reputation as Disney's 'It' girl and star of Hannah Montana, a sitcom about a girl who is a pop star by night, an average teen by day.

The last week has brought more photos to media attention. Many Web sites are alleging that they're of Cyrus, and, if true, are further damaging Cyrus' image as one of the last good role models for young girls. The tamest of the collection of photos show Cyrus holding the camera at arm's length standing in a string bikini with her trademark lopsided pout, but the two photos everyone is talking about are the racier ones, one of which she is holding her shirt up to reveal her stomach and a skimpy pair of panties. Even more disturbing is the one where she is lying on a bed, braless in a tank top that leaves little to the imagination in micro boy-shorts. They're a pedophile's dream.

The blogosphere is buzzing and many young fans vehemently defend Cyrus saying that this is just what teenagers do. Some are even swearing the photos are not of Cyrus and must be photoshopped. Similar claims were made about Vanessa Hudgens, star of High School Musical, until Hudgens openly admitted that the photographs were her, but that she hadn't intended on anyone else seeing them but her boyfriend.

A fan attacked the writer of one blog, saying, "She's a teenager what is she suppose [sic] to do sit at home and drink tea???"

Apparently, from the view of most of the teenagers commenting, she is supposed to sit home and take scantily-clad photos of herself and post them on the internet. The popular view of the teenagers responding to the blogs chastising Miley's posting of racy pictures of herself say she has done nothing wrong.

However, the latter pictures just released would be enough for most parents to be highly disappointed in their children and even may result in the deleting of a few MySpace accounts.

Cyrus hasn't yet issued a public statement about the most recent photographs, but she was highly upset over the reaction regarding the near-kiss photo with a friend and told Z100's Niko, "There was nothing wrong with it. It's two girls at a sleepover. And if all of a sudden that's bad, then what is the world coming to?"

Near the end of the interview, Cyrus says, "It's Satan attacking and it's just one more thing I have to deal with."

Many pictures are also out there of Miley Cyrus at public events in very low-cut dresses with makeup that could be considered overdone for a girl of her age. Anyone familiar with MySpace sees photos of girls heavily made up in provocative poses all the time so is this just business as usual? Some dismiss it as the harmless new teenage standard; however, is it too sexy for girls of fifteen?

It's well-known that teenagers are masters of emulation and copy the latest fashions and trends faster than parents are even aware of them. MTV glorifies standards now that would have been taboo 10 years ago, such as teenage homosexuality, on shows such as the ever-popular Next. At some point, we have to start asking if today's broadcasting standards are too loose and leaving an undesirable mark on the behaviors and attitudes of today's teenagers.

Teenagers will dismiss these thoughts just as previous generations did about their claims that things were crossing the line. Remember when Elvis and The Beatles were considered offensive to many parents? Some teens will consider all these new standards, horrifying to many, as "progressive change" and deny that anything they see on television or internet really influences them. That might lead to some piquant observations on just what is progressive and what is not.

Most trends trace back to our entertainment industry, as much as some might want to deny the influence. Trends are one thing, but it seems there is more at stake here - the changing of our morals as a society.

While Miley's actions may be a minor infringement compared to what other young celebs have been in hot water for in recent years, there is a time when we have to start asking ourselves when enough is enough. As a society, are we viewing young girls as sex objects before they are ready to harness and cope with their own identities and images?

Who can forget Britney Spears as a fresh-faced young beauty with a sultry voice suggestively dancing down school hallways in a short schoolgirl skirt and braided pigtails, her bedroom eyes locked on the camera as she crooned and preened with sexuality far beyond her years? Who could have imagined the downfall of the pop princess who had it all?

Over the years, we've very literally watched her grow up in the spotlight and we've watched her wither away under the flash of paparazzi bulbs until her life was in ruins and her own children were even taken away from her. It is reported that the Associated Press already has her obituary written out and the paparazzi are invested to be there the moment her star finally fizzles out.

There is a greater investment in Britney's story...because we've all followed it from the beginning. We've seen her deny rumors about losing her virginity to then-boyfriend Justin Timberlake. We've seen her talk openly about her religion and belief in God. We've heard teenage girls sing her songs and seen them wearing Britney Spears merchandise. Then, somewhere - all that started falling apart. There was the early-morning Vegas wedding that was annulled later at the urging of Britney's publicists, the infamous lesbian lip lock with Madonna, the Federline marriage, the trashy reality series, the adoption of ignorant behavior that she thought others would find endearing that backfired, the mishaps of bad parenting after she had two children back-to-back, the alcohol usage, the rehabs, breakdowns, the divorce, and the failed court appearances.

We've watched the public troubles of other teenage starlets as they blossomed into sex objects far too young. Lindsey Lohan has been in and out of rehab and publicly been involved with drugs, drunk driving, and less-than-innocent behavior. Mischa Barton has found herself in trouble with the law, recently, after drunk-driving and possessing marijuana. Paris Hilton never had a good name in the news to begin with, yet she appeared as a heavy fixture in teen magazines and quickly became a teen idol for her careless behavior, fashion savvy and fatuous remarks (aka. "That's hot"). Britney Spears' own sister is setting forth in the footsteps of her sister, announcing her pregnancy at the age of 16.

The reason these kinds of things are in the news more than positive stories is because scandal always draws a crowd...unfortunately, those scandals are involving those that are supposed to be a positive role model for younger generations.

The best parents can hope for is to use these girls as examples for our daughters of what not to do. There are still a few teen stars out there that are providing hope in keeping their noses clean. Hillary Duff is still a teenage favorite who unfortunately, is not given much credit for staying out of the news. Mandy Moore also seems to have escaped teen stardom relatively unscathed.

What seems to happen to many of our teen idol sweethearts is that they try to grow up too fast and leave the saccharine-sweet mold of their "childhood" behind at some point - usually much too soon and which may be where the problem lies. Miley Cyrus is only 15 years old. She's got her 20s and 30s ahead to be a sexpot, if she so desires, but sexing up their acts at an early age seems to notoriously be what makes these young starlets burn out way too soon.

There is also the forced lack of parental involvement. Instead of parents being able to parent the way they want to, they now have a child that's famous which brings in a whole new set of parents, publicists, directors, and others whose incomes depend on keeping a young celebrity in the news. Their children also now wield more power over the parent than the parent could possibly wield over the child. Parents who parent a star child rigidly are often the ones slapped with lawsuits, parental emancipations, and tell-all books about how mistreated they were by their mothers and fathers. It's all the more reason for most parents to think twice before they decide on taking their child to that Disney audition.

In a 20/20 interview, Billy Ray Cyrus recalled, "I don't ever remember a show ... from the time that she was able to walk that she didn't end up out on stage."

In a new song Ready, Set, Don't Go, Cyrus says he illustrates his daughter's rise to her own stardom, "It's about that moment in every parent's life where you realize that your child has grown up, and you're at that crossroads where you gotta' let 'em go."

At 15, Miley Cyrus is not quite ready to be let go. Maybe Billy Ray should hang on a little longer for the sake of Miley and all the fans around the world that sleep outside in line just to get tickets to her concerts.