I remember 15. It was not my best year. Family photos reveal that I was at that “awkward stage” one which I think lasted entirely too long. Oh to have just one picture of me that looked anything like the one of Miley Cyrus in a sheet. If I had looked like that 28 years ago you’d find the photo blown up to wall size and it would be hanging over the sofa even as we speak. I think she looks phenomenal. And yes, if that were my daughter I would feel the same way.
I spent yesterday afternoon on a field trip to Libby Lu with my seven year old. If you aren’t familiar with the store/destination allow me to describe it for you: Pink-everything in the store. Pink and plastic-everything in the store. Pink, plastic, and engraved with the words Princess or Rock Star-everything in the store. Feather boas, lip gloss, wigs, hairpieces, glitter, glitter, glitter AND Miley Cyrus as Hannah Montana everywhere. The music of this and other teen-queens blasts over the loudspeakers as young customers are dolled up in tight shiny silver pants and tee shirts complete with the midriff gap that allows for the prominent display of little girl belly buttons. It is the destination for birthday parties and gatherings of the under 12 set.
I hate Libby Lu, and I hated what my naturally adorable chubby cheeked little one looked like once she was covered in blue eyeshadow and styled with hair teased bigger than something out of 1980. It’s not that I don’t like her to indulge in fantasy/imaginative roleplay. We encourage that at every turn. Hell I am her mother-I still act and talk to myself and occasionally live in my own imaginary world-that’s what makes life fun. But I don’t like it when the focus of her role play is look at me and how sexxxxy I am, and make no bones about it-this is about sex, or sex and money. Younger and younger girls are being sold the idea that staying a little girl too long is a bad thing. Put away the Barbies and the bicycles and move on to makeup and body piercing before you finish grade school, and then buy buy buy the makeup and jewelry here at Club Libby.
As we watched the girls prancing about one of the mothers commented I wonder if there’s video somewhere of seven year old Hillary Clinton that features her in a boa with a microphone dancing about shaking her ass? Doubtful. I know, I know, just because they are all dressed up at seven doesn’t mean that the girls are precluded from ever amounting to something-but I just wish they received more messages of substance. Where does a girl go to learn that she can be anything, anything she wants? Where does she learn that her brain can be the sexiest thing about her? Where does she learn that being the President is a realistic dream? Where does she learn that PINK! isn’t the only color to paint with and PRINCESS/ROCK STAR the only worthy life destination?
At Libby Lu there are giant posters of Miley/Hannah everywhere. Hannah with her long blonde wig and her silver microphone. Hannah the rockstar and Miley the singer/actress with the cool life. Miley/Hannah being sexy and cool-in a store geared toward children. On the cover of Vanity Fair are beautiful pictures of Miley sans makeup or glitter or pink halter tops being sexy and cool-on a magazine geared toward adults. The Vanity Fair photos are appropriate for the target audience whereas the Miley/Hannah posters are not. Yes, I know the argument-she’s fifteen and shouldn’t look like that on a magazine cover geared toward adults. True. But she’s there, and that call is one for her parents to make. They let her pose for the posters and for the cover-both show the same lack of good judgement if you ask me.
Frankly, if I have to pick between the two the Annie Liebovitz photos of Miley in a sheet win hands down for beauty, artistic integrity, and value. I would rather my little girl see, or grow up to be, the Miley in those pictures any day over the PINK explosion of commercialism that reigns at Club Libby- if for no other reason than maybe it will inspire her to grow up to be an Annie Liebovitz, or someone, anyone other than another Disney Princess or teen rock star with glitter in her hair.
