June Issue of Vanity Fair

(Best Syndication) Vanity Fair is known for their provocative and controversial photos, and their latest issue with the partially clad Miley Cirus will not be any different. This time the subject of the photo-shoot is the 15-year old Cyrus; and a lucrative “Hannah Montana” Disney franchise may be on the line.

Already the teen actress has expressed regret. Risqué pictures of the young daughter of country singer Billy Ray Cyrus hit the Internet last week (See the videos below). In one image she was laying in the lap of her boyfriend with her shirt pulled up and stomach exposed. Another image showed her pulling her top down exposing a green bra.

The newest controversy revolves around the professional Vanity Fair photo-shoot with celebrity photographer Annie Leibovitz in which Cyrus appears topless and wrapped in a blanket. She also appeared draped across her father’s lap.

After seeing the Vanity Fair photos the Miley feels uncomfortable. In a statement published on the People magazine website she said "For Vanity Fair, I was so honored and thrilled to work with Annie. 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."

In an article in the New York Times, Brooks Barnes says parents are upset. Barnes says over the weekend parents “reacted with outrage”.

On her “Telling It Like It Is” blog, Lin Burress said parents should be cautious about the role-model phenomena. “I’m not surprised actually,” Burress said. “I figured it was only a matter of time before she was added to the increasing number of teen pop stars heading down the path towards becoming a tramp, right along with Lindsay Lohan and Britney Spears.”

There is a potential to lose or make a lot of money over this contriversy. Disney is backing-up the star according to Reuters. In a statement the Walt Disney Company said "a situation was created to deliberately manipulate a 15-year-old in order to sell magazines."

Vanity Fair shot back on the “Entertainment Tonight” TV tabloid: “Miley's parents and/or minders were on the set all day. Since the photo was taken digitally, they saw it on the shoot and everyone thought it was a beautiful and natural portrait of Miley.”

Barnes says it is “doubtful that one photograph - especially one that is tame in the context of an Internet awash in nude photographs of other starlets - could dent the Hannah Montana machine.” Retail sales for her franchise are expected to total $1 billion in 2008 and she has a movie and book deal in the works.

See what others are saying and join the discussion at our Forum

By Dan Wilson
Best Syndication News Writer