The Photographer Speaks
Filed under: Media Minute > Miley Cyrus
Famed photog Annie Leibovitz says that the pictures she took of tween sensation Miley Cyrus for Vanity Fair have been 'misinterpreted'.
In a statement, Leibovitz says, "Miley and I looked at fashion photographs together, and we discussed the picture in that context before we shot it… The photograph is a simple, classic portrait, shot with very little makeup, and I think it is very beautiful.”
This "controversy" just isn't gonna die! (At least not until tomorrow.)
Posted: April 28, 2008 at 3:15 pm
Even though she agreed to photographed this way, Annie Liebowitz, Vanity Fair, her parents are ALL guilty of sexually exploiting this girl.
Child pornography.
yooo its seriously not that bad.. shes not naked or anything and its not half as racy as her other pictures… i just feel bad cause she looks so pale.. not a very flattering pic of her she looks very unhealthy.. but honestly, people are making a big deal out of nothing!
She is just a kid, you all need to lighten up! Let her be a 15 year old without making her into a monster. As a parent of a 13 year old, I think she needs to be left alone, and to allow her parents to raise her, not a bunch of hipocrital brats, like you all seem to be. LEAVE HER ALONE.
I think people stop saying bad things about her including you Perez. If she is 15 so what. Even a ten year old can do that so please give her a break. If Miley does someting it doesn't mean that all kids should that. That is where I blame the parents of those poor kids. It is there job to look after their kids not MIley's. She is just a person who is trying to make a living. so give a rest.
Wtf how is this bitch getting fans :S She looks like Satan.. Nd shes a big BITCH in r\l
I can't believe this little whore.
She is quite content to take damn near naked photos of herself looking like a slut and posting them on the Internet, but then tries to blame Annie Liebowicz for a relatively harmless looking photo that was taken when her whole family was there.
wow kinda a slut cuz if she wanted to still have her"good girll" reputation she wouldn't have done this *whore* *stupid*
I think Perez is disgusting for calling her a slut. Fuck you, fuck everyone for picking on a little girl who is only trying to establish a future as a Hollywood icon.
i can not beleive she did this i am crying and pissed but i still love her to death and she is only 15 so give her abreak she is gonna do this no matter what and some people think i'm crazy but i still love her and she is still my idol so everybody out there just plz leave her alone
Fact of the matter is…she is 15 years old. There is nothing tasteful in a near naked 15 year old. Her parents should never have allowed this…there are sooo many ways she could have posed…and all those ways would have her clothes on. A pose like that regardless of how anyone tries to cream coat it is sexy…which is something a 15 year old should not be! People then make a big deal when starlets go all celebrity crazy…well dont condone things like this at such a young age…its completly disgusting.
LEAVE MILEY ALONE!!!!!!she is 15 and and and just leave her aloen eplz plz plz when you mess with miley you mess wityh me and i am crying sooo hard rite now so plz just lay off
just leave her alone plz plz plz
Re: Chase – Her face has looked like that in pictures since the end of last year. I thought i was the only one who noticed. She looks like someone shitted on her face.
This is NOT up to the morals of one person vs another. You'll find that these kinds of pictures are actually illegal in most states, - California being one of them. The father (as guardian/enabler) and Liebowitz (as photographer/enticer) are in some VERY hot water. The law specifically states that these types of pictures cannot be taken for money and distribution if the subject is under 18, - and the KID obviously is.
Wat the hek is rong wit her !! I was starting 2 like her buuut after I saw this! All i hav 2 say is ..
SLUTT. Wat a stinkin RETARD shes freekin the worlds POP PRINCESSE!! Wat a freekin SLUTT! I no i should like her cuz im only 10 but still !! I hav a girl in my class that luvs her !! Cant wait 2 tell my hole skool cuz I bet they dont no !! shes a discrase 2 pre-teen pop music!!!!!
Luv ,
Melanie
Re: Mimi – U r crazy !! Shez freekin 15!! come on im only 10 n if i did that wood u think im normal ! I wood never do the sh** shell do cuz im not a hoe or a slut!!!!!!!!!!!!shez stupid!!!!!
too young to do this
but its her life
let her mess it up
had the perv nextdoor taken those photos or "art" as they are reffered to, he/she would have been arrested…leibowitz you have the right to remain silent…
who really cares?
isnt that illegal child pornography and daddy was there and allowed it wtf
Nudity of kids or teens is not child porn. To be child porn, it must be pornographic for one. Have you not hear of Sally Mann, Jock Sturges, David Hamilton? Yea, the Feds tried to bust them, but of course it was all nonsense. You people are so stupid that comment out here, I may just have to run from Perez because I might catch your stupid disease.
Classic portrait??? What??? Ok, I GET classic art, with the beatiful nudes in the paintings, but . . . errr . . . those women were certainly not 15. I doubt Miley was thinking about paintings such as Botticelli's Birth of Venus (i know, no "artistic" sheet draping there), so this leaves classic photographic portraits. AND DAMN!!! my senior high school portraits were pretty classic - nice dress and pearls - what the heck is this "classic"? Pedophilic classic? if that's what they were going for, they got it spot on. yeesh
lezzwitch is a notroious letch: she wanted some o dem yung nips.
I dont think anyone other than a fat 40 year old man in his moms basement would find this sexy anyway, being that this little girl probably hasn't even hit puberty yet! she's a child, this picture is suggestive and disgusting, seriously. DISGUSTING.
I don't miley! It's her parents fault!! They should have known better!!
What is the big deal? the photograph is very beautiful. Amercia is so screwed up. Thank you BUSH!
Christ. Christian fucking douche kids wear less to the beach. Calling ALL RELIGIOUS CUNTBAGS–go back to high school or at least get your GED…so you have the ability to contemplate deeper issues other than a 15 year old's skin…you pieces of shit.
Re: tizzy – So true. Let's flush these Republican Nazi's out of office. They have ruined our entire country. Our economy, education, media, health care, human rights, environment, international relationships and military have been destroyed. Stand up America. Love your country and vote for change! Then we can work on throwing Bush and his cronies into jail…those lying sacks of shit.
Honestly, HONESTLY NOW - This is common, amongst 12 and 13 year olds by themselves on MySpace. People in Europe and Asia are looking at this and laughing their asses off at everyone who criticizes these pictures and pictures like them. Why? Uh, didn't you know, this kind of stuff is what America stands for? At least, to the rest of the world. If you just let your celebrities control the nation's image, its going to backfire just like this because up and coming celebs have to LIVE HERE. 7% of a country isn't going to revamp the horrifyingly low standard the world views of the United States. Cuba has better health care and Europe has free post-secondary education. You can't get any lower than where you are now.
And as for "my daughter Idolizes her" so what? YOU'RE HER MOTHER for Christ's sake can't YOU do something about the ethics she grows up with? Or do Americans not know how to do that either? Clearly.
Maybe Leibovitz, in a post menopausal sex vacuum, see this as a shot of childish innocence. The rest of the world probably sees it as one step above child porn. This young girl has been totally sold to us. Her coy photo may be saying she's not sure if she likes to be pimped but she's still willing. The controversy may take until day after tomorrow to die because usually Leibovitz has better taste.
I dislike Hannah Montanna/Miley Cyrus, i aint going to lie. But come on people! Miley made a mistake, dont we all? I think its a pretty picture. You guys are just jealous because you guys dont have an oppertunity to do this. I bet 99.9% of you would totally do a cover shoot like this one, if you had the figures to do it. Miley looks beautiful. Dont hate! But i do agree with some of you people
She is too young. Only fifteen, and there is definity something wrong with her parents for letting her do something like this, although, there is no need for all these hateful comments. Lots of people dont like her, some do, some dont, thats reality. Dont make yourself look like a fool, by posting comments like "she's a slut" or something like that. We all make mistakes, everybody has those days. haha lmfao. Anywho….thats all for now. Bye peoples…..
#328, oh, aren't you cute! Trying to act all ejimicated and using those big cuss words! Whose the cute little atheist trying to be so big and bad, oh..so cute and soo soo angry. Your lack of education is so evident by your lack of ability to communicate without using obscene language…your mother must be so proud…or is that a touchy subject? It would be interesting to know what's locked up in YOUR basement, Fritzl!
Re: Melanie
– If you're only ten, why are you on this site, because you're so wholesome and innocent? Don't your parents pay attention to what you are doing?
I think it is horrible…miley parents are to blame…she is a CHILD still and needs to have parents there for her to make sure she doesnt become like all the other show biz kids!! What the hell is wrong with her parents?!!!!!!
I BET ANNIE GOT A BIGG BONUS FOR GETTING HER TO TAKE OFF HER CLOTHES AND AGREEING TO BE PHOTGRAPHED AND MOM AND DAD WERE IN OUT OF THE ROOM WHATEVER THIER EXCUSE IS I STILL BET THE BONUS FOR ANNIE GIRL WAS HUUUUUUUUGH
who cares!! its just her back whats the big deal
Re: Bella – Bella, it's ridiculous of you to compare European culture with the USA…Most of Europe will fit into the state of Texas which makes it easier to get around - take a train, ride the bus, walk, or all of the above. Europe has been around much longer than the USA and people seem to know their way around the place alot better than we do here in the USA…We're still trying to get "it" right, but we're making one hell-of-alot-of-money in the process. Billy Ray left the room because his "people" told him to…that his wife could take the hit. Yes, Annie is a pushy dyke…she'll do anything to get our attention…but she's a professional and never pushes the envelope too far…picture the Bush twins in the same pose…NEVER !!! So…when you break it down…don't buy the mag. if you don't like the photo…it's all good.
The photo with her father is far more disturbing that this one. Its not "nearly nude" for God's sake.
This photog is a bitch. Maybe Miley was too dumb to understand but this
bitch knw what she was doing. Our society can not stand innocence. If it
were me I'd sue her ass.
SLUUUUTTT
this is all bull shit,you do not photograph a 15 year old GIRL, looking like that,she is like a lolita for gods sake,what were her parents thinking,oh wait,i know, $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
So Annie Leibovitz discusses the picture with an underage minor. Is she for real? Her excuse is that a 15 year old gave consent. Is it just Annie who's a perv or all dykes?
Even if it were Miley (and not her sick parents) who wanted to take this shot, she sholdn't have been allowed by her folks to do it. Famous or not, 15 is 15 and still very much a child.
p.s. This story is made even more disturbing by the fact that confirmed 60something 'lez Liebowitz isn't recanting and just keeps going on about how "beautiful" the photo's are. By the way, a picture cannot be "misunderstood" Ms. Liebowitz; as the saying goes "a PICTURE speaks a thousand words"
I hate to say it, but she isnt pretty at all. she needs to keep her mouth closed. I really like Selena Gomez, she is so pretty
Kiddy porn is kiddy porn regardless of who takes the pics, Annie or the weirdo down the street!
i can honestly say I am very libera. i am a photographer who appreciates art and artistic expression composition, it WOULD BE a beautiful shot FOR A25 year old not a 15 year old. i heard ryan seacrest saying whats the big deal a bikini is worse! and here is my comment on that…A BIKINI IS NOT WORSE…it implies shes at the beach swimming. a pic of miley with DARK BLACK (MESSY aka sex hair) wrapped up in a sheet pale and naked with RED LIPSTICK OF ALL SEXY COLORS implied to me SEXUAL intentions, sexual thoughts. if i were her daddy id be pissed if she were my daughter id kick her booty. she has plenty of time to be a slut and get pregnant whats the RUSH! the photographer should have just smudged her lipstick while she was at it! i can honestly say my boyfriend has a 15 year old daughter and if i came to him saying look at this great shot i took of her hed literally rip me a new one! SO MILEY OR NOT! A 15 YEAR OLD HAS NO BUSINESS TAKING A PICTURE LIKE THIS, it may not show anything but her back but it implies a whole lot more.
As a thirteen year old girl, I do not think of Miley Cyrus as a role model. She has had scandels with photography before. She needs to grow up and realize that you can't always blame other people. She originally said that she liked the picture but now she's taking that back and saying that someone took advantage of her. That is complete BS!! If she really was a good role model and didn't feel comfortable with the situation then she should have said so. Both of her parents were there and both approved the picture so stop blaming other people and own up to it.
I think everyone is forgetting that Miley is 15 YEARS OLD…she is NOT a baby and guess what? Shes barely a child anymore! I teach kids younger than her and trust me, the innocence everyone wants to believe teenagers have? NON existant and its naive to think that way…I see a beautiful photo shoot of a young girl who is becoming a young lady in the harsh limelight of fame. Luckily she clearly has the strong family support to allow her to BE a teenage girl, and feel beautiful and grown up, while still keeping her feet on the ground (and out of the bars) and her head on straight. And as for Billy Ray…get over the Oedipus complex people…its a father who loves his daughter and is truly close with her…Im not surprised that it's such an unfamiliar sentiment to see demonstrated to the American public, many of whom are preoccupied with criticizing the lives of others while their own 15-year-old daughters post half naked pictures of themselves on MySpace.
everyone needs to get over it. the kid would show more in a bikini. if this is considered the most newsworthy topic, all the worlds' problems must have disappeared overnight.
well firstly i think she is EXTREMLY overrated. but i have to ask
why is everyone making it such a big deal.
like wtf? "kiddy porn" ? her BACK is showing.
oooh big deal. nothing inappropriate is exposed so lay off.
who gives a fuck .
ok well firstly i dont even like her that much, i think she is extremely OVERRATED.
But i have to ask … why is everyone making such a big deal.
HER BACK IS SHOWING. nothing inappropriate is exposed!
"slut" "kid porn" you people are pathetic.
ITS A BACK. big deal.
you people need to shut up about it its not ur child or ur problem so shut about it its none of your business who gives a effin f about your freak n opinion on the pic miley is her own person i young adult yea maybe she shouldn't b doin dat but its not like its nude but y'all didn't talk trash when vannasa of high school musical didn't so y care now miley is not a SLUT HOE WHORE OR ANY THING SHE SHUT AND GET I FREAK N LIFE
uuuugh! apologize for WHAT? taking beautiful pictures with a legendary photographer? MILEY NEEDS TO STOP APOLOGIZING BECAUSE SHE DID NOTHING WRONG!
Sexual child molesters DONT care if its artsy, they see a child toppless wrapped in a bedsheet…
and her father doesnt care ?
At her age I think the photog. was bring out an innocence about her not sexiness. Its a tasteful pic. I dont think she was actually trying to be sexy in this pic, cuz she isn't doing her fish lip (wanna be sexy) thing, like she does in alot of her photos. I dont think she needs to apologize for this pic. Now on the red carpet when she was wearing a red dress, in just about every pose she had those ridiculous pouty fish lips maybe yea.
SLUUUUUUUTT!! and its bullshit that they say she was "manipulated"
omg people are doing such a big deal out of it i see nothing rong wit those pics people are just weird theres nothing wrong wit them its not like she naked or anything wat the heck
she looks like she just got rolled
i think this pic looks artsi…i like it… maybe it cud b better. but i dont think its risky or inappropriat
Re: Tara –
Watching fascinated. Did you see the *other* picture? That's creepy.
i dont think these pictures are bad. and her parents were in the room with her when she was taking them. so everyone should shut up because they wish they were skinny like her. =)
Annie Lebowitz—you really suck the big one…….Why didn't you use your own kids for this "fashion shot".
People like you are whats wrong these days–ya always want t get it before the next photog…of the "SEX KITTEN LOOK"…………….for Gods Sakes–this kid is only 15 years old.
I hope someone sues the pants off of you—after all —how can a minor agree to a soft porn shot anyway.
Your a PIG Lebowitz !!!!
You need to keep your filthy hands off of children in the future…..and if you want to add porn shots for old male perverts to enjoy—find someone from your own family or friends.
Annie Liebovitz is a lecherous old lesbian! How dare that woman a 15 year old for "shock value" of her stinky photos!
And Vanity Fair- you obviously give this old dyke WAY too much editorial control.
This outrageous affront to common decency will not be tolerated!
Liebovitz should be immediately Fired- and I hope Conde Nast gets sued for child pornography.
Leave this girls alone for god sake. Yes she may be a little whore in the making but this is a beautiful shot. You guys dont have a problem looking at hustler/playboy. So why is it such a big deal? Because she is 15? Okay well she was "working" that is her job!
i think she looks nice and if she wants to be a whore well good for her.
So what? Her back is showing. It IS a beautiful photograph. What the hell is the big deal anyways? Her dad was there, its obviously ok with her family.