Miley Cyrus has radically changed her image for her new album.
Miley Cyrus was an unknown 13-year-old when she debuted on a Disney Channel comedy series, "Hannah Montana." Then she posed for Vanity Fair magazine topless with only a sheet covering her breasts.
The photo touched off a firestorm of controversy over the sexualization of young teens, and Miley has been in the spotlight ever since. Now 17, her sexual antics on stage still draw criticism.
But Miley is far from the only young teen who flaunts their sexuality in the public eye.
From a young Britney Spears' Catholic schoolgirl outfits to Miley's Annie Liebovitz photo-shoot, image-handlers manufacture and exploit sex at an increasingly younger age, according to papers like The New Haven Advocate.
Then, virtually overnight, the little girl comes of age and goes “bad,” ostensibly as a result of her own “creative” choices, the article asserts.
Bondage clothes, chrome stripper poles and sexy French maid Halloween costumes are suddenly being marketed to teens and preteens.
Even Dakota Fanning, 16, a veteran actress and established A-List star is ramping up the sexual quotient.
She posed recently for Marie Claire magazine in sexually provocative clothes that could have passed for soft kiddie porn.
Most recently, Kendal Jenner, the 14-year-old step sister of Kim Kardashian posed in a series of racy bikini shots taken by photographer Nick Saglimbeni.
Critics once again raised an issue about her age.
"Going into this shoot, it was never my intention to be provocative or too racy," she told People magazine.
"It was a beach shoot, and I was wearing beachwear. I am happy with my age, and am not trying to rush into anything too soon," she added.
"I look forward to all the milestones my teens have to offer– sweet 16, turning 18, and so on."
Kendal is the least known of the Kardashian clan, which also includes sisters Kylie and Kourtney, all of whom are reality television personalities.
To ramp up Kendal's profile, her handlers turned to racy photos. She's following a well worn path.
Ali Lohan, the 16-year-old sister of actress Lindsay Lohan, has also posed provocatively and is photographed regularly by paparazzi wearing flimsy tops without a bra.
"Gossip Girl" star Taylor Momsen, who just turned 17, has made fishnet stockings and bustiers her trademark on stage with her band, The Pretty Reckless.
The tough-talking, foul-mouthed teen bristles at any comparison with Cyrus.
"I'm not looking to be Miley fu*king Cyrus," she told FHM magazine recently.
"I'm not dissing Miley personally. However, I do think the Disney bubblegum sh*t that the world is living right now is pathetic. I thought we passed that repression."
Cyrus, who just finished the final season of Hannah Montana isn't looking back.
She just released her third non-"Hannah" album, Can't be Tamed. A video for the song was like a declaration of independence.
Cyrus raised eyebrows by wearing skimpy outfits and including scenes of back-up dancers groping her.
During a series of European concerts to promote the album she wore even more revealing outfits and kissed girl dancers.
"I can't base my career off of the six-year-olds," Cyrus told reporters recently. "It's the 16-year-olds, the 26-year-olds I'm trying to reach for now. I have to move on."
But pre-teens already have a new "role model."
Miley's 10-year-old sister, Noah, has that demographic covered.
She raised eyebrows recently when she and eight-year-old friend Emily Grace Reaves teamed up with Ooh! La, La! Couture to come up with "trendy, sweet, yet edgy" clothes. (Check out the video).
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