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makes milk go bad really, really fast. It is said, of course, that with great power comes great responsibility. Not so for the celebrity. Child molestation, murder, hissy fits. Celebrity is entitlement. Celebrity is privilege. Celebrity is license to ill in the worst kind of way. Ask O.J.

True, true. . .I don't have a young daughter who may or may not be unduly influenced by Miley's behavior. . . but who really needs the protection here? The little girls who adore her, or Miley Cyrus herself who is, unfortunately, a part of the child-star machine which turns children into little adults, forces them to peak at the beginning of the game, and then leaves them to live the rest of their lives watching the rear-view instead of looking at the road. I agree with you. A celebrity should set a good example. Should. And the fan base should then follow that good example. But this is not why celebrities are created. The celebrity is a collective mythology, a fiction through which the commoner may live vicariously a life which is above the rules and beyond the budget. And while a celebrity should set a good example, the minute they do the attention turns to someone else. Bono is great, but he doesn't sell papers like a bombed out Amy Whinehouse. And even as they are condemned the celebrity is envied. Celebrity is humanity's bipolarism at its finest. And who suffers more from this bipolarism than the celebrities themselves who live their lives with a million conflicting voices telling them what to do; look pretty, smile, don't step there, show us some skin, how dare you show us some skin, now apologize, say it like you mean it, you don't really mean it, say it again! Snap! Snap! Snap! This is how much we love you! Snap! Snap! Snap! This is how much we hate you!

You should be ashamed of yourself.

Miley Cyrus the celebrity was not created to be ashamed, or regretful, and she certainly was not created to apologize for photos of her back. She is young, and mistakes can be expected, especially when living at the business end of the camera. Children like to feel grown up. Celebrity children are told in a thousand terrible ways that they are grown up. And when the gears jam the people running the machine panic. Perhaps someone told Miley to apologize, and so she did. Perhaps she doesn't understand that she is above the rules and beyond the budget. And perhaps she doesn't realize that making her feel bad makes the non-mutants feel better. But she will learn. After all, Miley Cyrus is a celebrity. And whether we portend to like it or not, Miley Cyrus was created to do what she damn well pleases.

Learn more about this author, Steven Duncan.
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