I’ve always believed that celebrities make two big sacrifices the moment they become popular in the eyes of the world – one is the invasion of privacy which is inevitable since their status automatically make them public figures ready to be dissected by everyone and the other is the commitment to become positive role models, especially to the youth. I’m pretty sure they can handle the first compromise with flying colors because being the target of showbiz reporters and paparazzis ups their market worth. However, a good number cannot always lay claim to being good role models. It can be the hardest to assume if their true characters are far from the kind of image their handlers want to project.

So when I chanced upon the article about the Worst Celebrity Infliuence of 2009, I am no longer surprised. What ticked me somewhat is that the person who copped the title is 16 year-old Miley Cyrus who happens to be an underage Hollywood celebrity associated with the Disney Channel as Hannah Montana and in Rated G Walt Disney movies. I am amused, though, that the very people who voted her as such in the polls are the same ones in her target fan demographics – the youth.

When you factor in the kind of money she makes, the least she can do is make sure that she sustains a consistently favorable image to her fans and showbiz followers worldwide. Read the following article and you will know why she is summarily tagged as the “bad influence” of 2009.

Miley Cyrus voted worst celebrity influence of 2009

Reuters, Oct 28, 2009 1:02 pm PDT
Miley Cyrus, one of Disney’s hottest stars of the past three years with hit records and hit films, has been voted the worst celebrity influence of 2009 by the very people who made her a star, tweens and teens, according to an online poll on Wednesday.
Cyrus, 16, took 42 percent of votes in the poll for AOL’s JSYK.com (Just So You Know) website aimed at 9-15 year-olds, pushing Britney Spears and rapper Kanye West into second and third places, respectively, in a section on worst celebrity influences of the year.

No reasons were given for the poor showing of the singer-actress and the popular star of Disney Channel’s “Hannah Montana” television series.

But the ranking follows a year which has seen Cyrus controversially dating a 20 year-old model, making “slant eyes” in an informal snapshot criticized as mocking Asians, and being accused of pole-dancing on a teen awards show.

Cyrus also came in No. 4 in the category of favorite female artist, behind 19-year-old country sensation Taylor Swift, “I Kissed a Girl” singer Katy Perry and R&B star Beyonce. The poll attracted almost 50,000 votes.

“I think Miley is in an interesting space where she is trying to graduate from being ‘Hannah Montana’ and a Disney channel celebrity and coming into her own and having a career beyond Disney,” said Stephanie Cohen, editor of JSYK.com.

“I think her fans still want her to be the sweet Hannah Montana and she is trying to age up…Parents are definitely resisting it,” Cohen told Reuters.

Cyrus has been one of the biggest teen idols in the world since 2006, selling more than 7 million albums, starting her own fashion line, and taking $154 million at the worldwide box-office for “Hannah Montana: The Movie” in 2009.

West, whose interruption of Swift’s acceptance speech at a music award show in September was deemed the most shocking moment of 2009, took 19 percent of votes in the worst celebrity influence section.

Swift, the best-selling U.S. artist of 2008, has risen again in popularity this year.

“I think Taylor Swift has done a great job of showing her true self and coming across as very sweet and down to earth. A lot of her songs are about the underdog and teens can really relate to her,” said Cohen.

Elsewhere, the stars of vampire movies “Twilight” and its forthcoming sequel “New Moon” dominated the JSYK.com poll. Kristen Stewart was voted favorite female movie actress and Taylor Lautner surged past Robert Pattinson in both the favorite male movie star and “cool guy you’d like to hang out with” categories.

Full results can be found at http://www.jsyk.com

(Reporting by Jill Serjeant; Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)

I’m no Miley Cyrus fan, but I don’t expect to see her in (facebook) photos like this:

Nobody’s perfect but if someone like Miley Cyrus has the Hollywood power to put in one good thing after another instead of the opposite, then why can’t she be disciplined enough, or altogether careful at the very least? I won’t accept excuses that she’s just an ordinary American teen because she is not. No ordinary teen earns millions of dollars and commands her father to stay by her side like an obedient pup who can’t even make the slightest bark in contradiction.

Anyways, I’m just happy my young niece doesn’t idolize the girl and, in fact, switches channels whenever Miley is on the small screen. ‘Nuff said.

Thank God it’s Friday!!!