WHAT WAS SHE THINKING?

Back in January I wrote a defense of teen pop-star Miley Cyrus after some so-called "lesbian" pictures of her and a friend began to circulate the internet. This was after another entry from last July where I listed Miley as one of the young stars representing hope for Hollywood's future. Now I find myself eating my words after both her recent Vanity Fair photo shoot and more leaked photos of her posing provocatively.


I have heard the varying arguments on the Vanity Fair thing. I know that some people are saying that it's "beautiful" and "artistic". Okay. If we are speaking in the technical sense then, yes, it is artistic rather than pornographic or whatever. But whether it is an artsy photo or not, the fact still remains that she is a fifteen-year-old girl and the vast majority of her fans are under the age of 10. I know that she is supposedly wearing a nude shirt under the sheet or something like that, but it still gives the illusion that she is naked. In what world is it not erotic to be posing wrapped in what appears to be nothing but a sheet? Whatever the excuses, this is still so obviously intended to be a sensual photograph and I think it is wildly inappropriate.

I think that it is natural for a fifteen-year-old girl to express her sexuality. However, to me, owning one's sexuality means being comfortable with, proud of and aware of one's body. A fifteen-year-old girl expressing her sexuality should not come in the form of her body being sexualized in a way that promotes some type of weird voyeurism in a culture that seems obsessed with the infantilization of beauty. I don't want it to seem like I am trying to say that there is something shameful about the female body. There isn't. The female body should be celebrated -- a belief that I think I have pretty consistently advocated. But as my previous point indicates, I don't think this is an appropriate way of doing that.

I know that Miley has spoken out about this photo and said that she didn't realize, blah blah blah and that she is "so embarrassed." I don't believe that for one second, and Vanity Fair has said that Miley's parents and/or handlers were on set the whole time and saw and approved of the digital version of the photograph. Making Miley's statements even less believable are her newest leaked photos:

The excuse that they were "private photos" and were never intended for the world to see only really works once. By now I think this girl should be smart enough to realize that nothing she does is really ever going to be private. Yeah that sucks, but it's the truth. So why is she continuing to take provocative photos of herself when she has to know that everyone in the world is going to end up seeing them? I don't care what she does in private, but I do care about the image she presents to the world -- an image that millions of little girls are going to emulate. Little girls like my six-year-old sister. I don't think it's really appropriate for a fifteen-year-old to be a sex symbol under any circumstance, but I think it's even less appropriate for a fifteen-year-old girl to be publicly sexualizing herself when she is meant to be an icon for young children.

Furthermore, this all indicates a certain amount of hypocrisy in Miley's and her family's supposed values. In the past she has spoken out against sex before marriage, stating that she believes in "purity." She has also openly spoken about being a "Christian" (read: born-again Christian). Now I have a real problem with Evangelical Christian "values" to begin with, so I don't really care whether she is following them. But it is annoying for me to hear her say on the one hand that she wants to remain "pure" until marriage and then on the other hand to see her displaying her body for every pervert, pedophile and adolescent boy (or girl!). Is she trying to say that the only thing sacred about the female body is the hymen? So much for being wholesome.

The whole thing really bothers me because I wanted to believe that she really was a good role model and might actually make it through her stardom untainted. But I was wrong. But, you know, at least the other young women that I wrote about last summer still seem to remain good role models. Of course, Emma Watson and Raven Symone have never reached the legendary superstar status of "Hannah Montana". So, can a young girl really become so famous, so fast without making these types of mistakes? In our society can a girl really be under such intense scrutiny without eventually engaging in some type of exhibitionism? It seems like the answer is maybe no, but I really couldn't say. Miley seems to be one-of-a-kind in the way that things have happened for her.

But then again, all of this attention and focus on Miley and on "fallen" stars such as Britney and Lindsay really takes a lot of attention away from the fact that there are many young women who grew up on film or on TV and didn't make these types of mistakes. Those girls and women are too often forgotten, and certainly don't get enough credit. They really should be cited more often as evidence that fame is not a guarantee of dysfunction.

Hilary Duff, a young woman who never reached Miley's level of fame, but who has followed a similar career trajectory as the fifteen-year-old, was very diplomatic when speaking about Cyrus' Vanity Fair shoot: "People are pushing you to do something, and if you want to do it, that's your choice, you know? It's not what I would choose to do, but if she did then that's fine. That's her choice." The notable part of her statement being "It's not what I would choose to do." Duff, now 20, is no longer an icon for little girls, but from the ages of fourteen to sixteen she starred in the popular Disney Channel series Lizzie McGuire, making her a household name among girls aged seven to fourteen. During her Disney years she also starred in a Disney Channel Original Film, Cadet Kelly, which at that time became the most watched program in the Channel's history. She went on to star in several films which, thanks to Duff's popularity among young girls, ended up being quite successful at the box office. In 2002 she began a music career, with her albums being popular within the tween and teen audience. In 2007 she was listed as #7 in Forbes "Top 20 Earners Under 25." She has also made it onto Maxim's Hot 100 list. Although I have a big problem with that stupid list, I guess it shows that guys think she's sexy.

Even during Hilary Duff's years of high popularity, she always managed to maintain a pretty wholesome image, even when she was dating Good Charlotte singer Joel Madden at the tender age of 17 (he's nine years her senior). Even now that she's no longer a minor, she has managed to be sexual while still leaving something to the imagination. Just take her Maxim photo shoot from last year. The cover is about as revealing as it gets.


But even if she had wanted to be more revealing, it doesn't matter anymore. She's 20 and no longer a Disney Channel star. The important thing is that when she was, she was never caught up in the type of controversy that Miley has found herself in.

There are plenty of other examples of former child/teen stars who managed to avoid controversy during their younger years (Natalie Portman, Raven, Mandy Moore, Emma Watson, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Anna Paquin, Christina Ricci, Melissa Joan Hart, Soleil Moon Frye, Scarlett Johansson, Jena Malone, Michelle Trachtenberg, Amanda Bynes, Tia and Tamera Mowry, and Reese Witherspoon. Even the Olsen Twins kept it clean during their early years). So let's give them some credit and remember that not everyone is doomed for failure.

Fame is not an excuse for bad behavior and poor judgment. As Mandy Moore says in reference to her own life, "It’s a choice to put yourself out there in such a public way, and I really don’t thrive on that attention." I'd like to end by linking to an awesome article about Natalie Portman, which gives her "formula" for success. The writer of the article makes perhaps one of the most important points in point number one (Be Smart):

"Lots of starlets can say they did a hot photo spread for Maxim. But how many can claim to have co-written a research paper that was published in a scientific journal? Portman did it — twice.

But being smart isn’t just about having a bachelor’s degree in psychology and speaking several languages. Portman is smart about her image. She traversed two minefields early on — she wasn’t just a child actress, she was a child actress playing sexually precocious roles in “The Professional” and “Beautiful Girls” — but came out unscathed.

How? Well, take a look at her behavior. Does she say moronic things to interviewers? No. Does she embarrass herself publicly? Never. Do you see much of her in the press when she’s not out plugging a movie? Are her personal habits and relationships analyzed and deconstructed throughout the tabloids? Nuh-uh. And that’s because you can avoid that stuff if you want to. But you have to want not to be photographed all the time. And that’s smart."

I couldn't have said it any better myself. If only Miley were listening.

SEXUALIZATION IN ACTION: IN DEFENSE OF MILEY CYRUS

A part of me feels guilty for dignifying this story by analyzing it in a blog post, but there is something so unsettling to me about the latest Miley Cyrus "scandal" that I ultimately feel compelled to put in my two cents. Okay, so the story is that sometime around the Christmas holidays, some personal photos of the Disney Channel sensation and another girl were leaked online. The pictures, as one can see, are pretty tame and in all likelihood completely innocent. I'm sure that Miley never intended for the public to see them in the first place and she has defended herself saying that they are no big deal: "They're nothing bad! At first, I was really upset. It really sucks. [The girl in the pictures] was a friend of mine that's a normal girl. [Now] she has to go to school and deal with this crap. It's two girls at a sleepover, and if all of a sudden that's bad, then what is the world coming to?

"What I decided before I came out to LA and started working was the minute I didn't have fun was the minute I go home. I don't want to go home, and I don't want to not do what I do, because I love it, but this...it's Satan attacking."

Pretty much I first found the whole thing totally amusing. It's nice to see that the most scandalous thing about this fifteen-year-old is that she is pretty much just like every other fifteen-year-old. I would be worried if the girl weren't able to let loose and have a little innocent fun. Furthermore, this whole thing has resulted in some pretty hilarious headlines, such as "Miley Cyrus Defends Herself Against Shared-Licorice Lesbian Teen Romp Rumors." I mean, come on, it sounds like something out of fake news or maybe the cover of National Enquirer! And Miley's response itself made me chuckle, with the reference to "Satan attacking" -- spoken like a true evangelical! I know that when I think of what an attack from Satan would look like, Hannah Montana being accused of taking lesbian photos is definitely the first thing that comes to mind. But after I got over the amusement of the thing, there was something about it that was giving me a bad feeling and I couldn't really put my finger on what it was. So I've thought about it a lot, trying to tease out precisely what was making me feel bad about it.

First of all, there's the homophobia inherent in this whole thing. I mean, would people think it's scandalous if there were a picture of Miley giving her alleged boyfriend Nick Jonas a peck on the lips? That would be one hundred times more sexual than these pictures, but I doubt anyone would call it "sexual". So what is so provocative about these two girls? In the past I have analyzed the double standard between same-sex affection and male/female affection. What is so wrong about a little girl/girl affection? Everyone can relax because I'm pretty sure that Miley Cyrus is as straight as they come, and she was just goofing around in this photos. But if she weren't, would we really call these pictures provocative? They are no more erotic than a boy and girl holding hands, or as I said, a peck on the lips. Inappropriate behavior for a fifteen-year-old? Only if the gay thing makes you nervous. And this whole episode is showing me that, clearly, it makes a lot of people nervous! I guess no one wants their kid looking up to a lesbian pop star. But, actually, that's not really the biggest issue for me ...

This isn't the first time that Miley has had to deal with undeserved scandal. Just a couple of months ago, thanks to someone's photoshopping skills, she had to spend some time quelling pregnancy rumors. And reading comments following articles about the teen pop star, one gets the feeling that people actually want her to fail. Following a post on Perez Hilton where the celebrity gossip blogger praises one of Miley's songs, comments follow such as: "She's a skank ass hill billy and needs to get her little white ass out if Hollywood. She is a bad example and I am sure give her a year or so.", " Her father should really watch her with the way she dresses, maybe the next Britney or Lohan" , "Why would I want my children looking up to a spoiled little brat who is probably gonna be the next Lindsay Lohan?"

Yet nothing that Miley has done up to this point has indicated that she is heading in the direction of such former teen stars as Britney or Lindsay. Back in August I wrote about the positive images of young girls on TV today, and Miley was one of those I mentioned. I compared the way she dresses to the dressing style of Britney when she first burst onto the scene at age 15 (the same age that Miley is now). Miley's wardrobe looks like that of Laura Ingalls Wilder compared to the get-up that Britney wore back in the day, yet rather than ripping on Britney I seem to remember quite a few people getting titillated over her sexy schoolgirl gear. Miley has come out and discussed how important she feels it is to keep her clothing on the wholesome side: "I say what I'm comfortable in and what I like and nothing that's too out there. I like to look kind of like what girls would want to look up to, and their moms and dads will say, 'Hey, that's cool. That's different.' ... I look way young, and that's the way that's more comfortable for me."

Last month I brought my six-year-old sister to the Hannah Montana concert as her Christmas present (yes, I am the best big sister in the world and yes, I am also a masochist), and I have to say that nothing about this girl screams erotic. She projects the image of a young teenager, which is precisely what she is. While I think she's adorable on her TV show (which thanks to Emily, I have seen more times than I would like to admit), I actually find Miley to be kind of annoying precisely because she is such a young teenager. She's loud and a little bit crazy (just watch her music video that I posted below) with questionable music talent, she tells interviewers about how she put Ramen noodles in the microwave for 11 minutes and her views on purity reflect the development of a girl who clearly still has much more of the world left to see and a whole lot of her own sexuality left to explore. But those very things that make it difficult for me to watch her on Oprah are the things that make me want her to stick around. She acts precisely the way I think a fifteen year old girl should act! I think that, unlike some other child stars before her, her parents do not seem set on exploiting their child for their own personal gain. According to Miley, she gets grounded when she misbehaves or mouths off and she had her monthly allowance lowered and her credit cards cut up when she bought an expensive Prada bag. And her parents have promised her her own private area of the house if she lives under their roof until she is at least 20. While Miley's mom, Tish, is often at her daughter's side, you won't see her jumping in the spotlight like Dina Lohan or even Lynn Spears. I get the genuine feeling that Miley's parents want her to live her dream, but not at the expense of her integrity.

So I think I am coming to understand why this whole alleged "scandal" bothers me so much. It's like we are witnessing this young girl being sexualized before our eyes. It's like people want this wholesome, innocent teenager to be way more sexual than she is, so things are blown completely out of proportion. People try to turn innocent photos of two friends into something erotic. A ridiculous pregnancy story spreads like wildfire only because people actually believe that this fourteen-year-old is having sex! Miley goes shopping at Victoria's Secret and the press questions whether it is appropriate. The fact is, of course it isn't inappropriate! She was probably buying underwear or body lotion, not some lacy corset or pearl thong (Heck, I was shopping at Victoria's Secret when I was Miley's age!). But they want to put the story of a young pop princess shopping at a lingerie store out there because some nasty people are going to find something erotic about that. I find it really, really unfortunate. Here I am writing about how refreshing it is to see some positive images of girls that show the world that a young female can be strong and successful and beautiful without being hypersexual. Yet it would appear that the world doesn't know what to do with a pop star that doesn't want to be a sex symbol. That is what disturbs me.

I think that no matter how much she claims to love her job, Miley will only be able to take so much of this before she cracks and moves back to Tennessee. She has stated on several occasions that her parents have told her that as soon as the job stops being fun, the family can move back home. Either that, or she's going to be won over by the subliminal message that she's only interesting if she's promoting some type of sex appeal. Either way, the young girls looking up to her are going to be losing something. So my message is, people, get off of Miley's back! Unlike some people, I actually want my younger sister imitating Hannah Montana and not the Pussycat Dolls.

Hope for Hollywood's Future

In a celebrity world full of false idols and poor role models for young girls, it is always refreshing to see a rising star that actually reflects positive values and authentic talent. Having a six-year-old sister and working with lots of young girls over the years, I have become especially conscious of the fact that there are few great role models out there. Sure, there are some talented female performers, but talent is not enough. The questions to ask: are there strong female role models in TV and movies for young girls to see? Are the actors playing these characters people that also reflect the values of their roles within their own lives? Well, there certainly aren't enough of the former and rarely can one find both the former and the latter.

Even though it lately seems like there are an exceptionally high number of very young female celebrities getting negative attention for partying, substance abuse, eating disorders and the like, it also seems that there are a rising number of promising young stars. I just recently read a blog entry about Emma Watson, the young star of the Harry Potter films, which inspired me to delve into this topic. There was a brief period of time where Emma was getting some negative press for her supposed "diva" like antics, which included her taking a bit longer than her co-stars to sign on for the last two Harry Potter projects. Reports claimed that she was "tired of being known as that girl from Harry Potter" and that she wanted to move on to different projects. Other reports stated that it took a couple extra million dollars to "lure" her back.

But now Watson seems to be everywhere, and there is no trace of the diva-like image that was painted of her only months ago. Instead, she is being praised as someone appearing "intent on carving a career of substance" and giving the "promise of a brilliant woman primed to emerge from the girl we've watched grow up these last six years." And sure enough, Emma speaks with a maturity and determination that reminds us that not all child-stars are doomed to follow the path of Lindsay Lohan. Discussing her final holdout on the last two HP movies, Watson explains that it was her commitment to her education and not professional maneuvering: "I didn't sign the contracts sort of immediately because I needed some time to just figure out, actually, the logistics of ... making two Harry Potter films and combining that with my school timetable. I really want to go to university. I really wanted to continue what I was doing, and I didn't want to give either one up. And so I was really in this kind of difficult position. And it just took a bit of time just to block out how I was going to make that work."

On her character Hermione, Watson says, "There are too many stupid girls in the media ... Hermione's not scared to be clever. I think sometimes really smart girls dumb themselves down a bit, and that's bad ... I'm a bit of a feminist. I'm very competitive and challenging ... When I was 9 or 10, I would get really upset when they tried to make me look geeky, but now I absolutely love it. I find it's so much pressure to be beautiful. Hermione doesn't care what she looks like. She's a complete tomboy."
Speaking of Hermione, let's give a big thanks to J.K. Rowling (author of Harry Potter) for creating such a fantastic female character. True, she could have made the book Haley Potter or something, but even though the hero is not female, Hermione truly represents the brains behind all the Harry Potter adventure. As I heard one person put it, she represents the "cosmic force." She's not only the smartest kid in the book, she also does not shy away from danger. In the 5th book it was Hermione that took the first steps to organize the illegal student organization Dumbledore's Army. It's awesome to see little girls worldwide looking up to her.

But back to Emma -- as for the benefits of fame and fortune, she proclaims that although she has made enough money to never work again (and all at the ripe old age of 17), she "would never want that." According to Emma, learning keeps her motivated and her education keeps her "in touch with reality." As for her future, the young actress has expressed interest in the theater and now perhaps modeling, as word on the street is proclaiming her as the new face of Chanel. One thing is sure, this is a young woman that I would not mind my baby sister looking up to.

Here is a clip of Emma playing the famous Hermione in 2005's Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire followed by a very recent interview on David Letterman





The Disney Channel must thank its lucky stars for the day it decided to sign this young woman to play the lead role in their television series about a normal girl leading a double life as a teen pop sensation. Since Hannah Montana first aired last year, it has quickly become Disney's most popular show. And its leading lady (or should I say girl?) has become a household name among every family with girls over the age of 5. Following in the footsteps of such former child stars as Britney Spears (The Mickey Mouse Club), Lindsay Lohan (The Parent Trap) and Hilary Duff (Lizzie McGuire), Miley Cyrus has become part of the Disney franchise. But the promise of this young actress and singer is unlike anything that has come before. Her show premiered in March 2006 to the highest ratings in the Disney Channel's history (with 5.4 million viewers) and is the No. 1 cable show among the 6-14 ("tween") age group. It is No. 2 among all channels, second only to American Idol. In 2006, the Hannah Montana soundtrack debuted as No. 1 on the Billboard Charts and last month the double-disc Hannah Montana 2/ Meet Miley Cyrus CD also debuted at No. 1, beating out Kelly Clarkson's My December. At only 14 years old, Miley is the youngest performer to ever attain that level of success.

And it is not a lack of talent that has gotten her this far. Her dad, singer Billy Ray Cyrus (who also plays her father on the show), compares her comedic acting to a young Lucille Ball and, just like a father, has nothing but praises for her musical talents: "Musically, she is — this is the only time I'm going to brag — she's the real deal musically. I can't wait for you to hear what she's been writing and the songs that come from inside of her. You know the saying she's got an old soul? Well, she's got an old soul, and her old soul's got a lot of soul." And she gets songwriting credits for every "Miley Cyrus" song: "I write all the time. Miley Cyrus wrote every song on that CD. I write in my sleep." Of course, "songwriting" credit can mean a lot of things (I once heard Ashlee Simpson explaining her songwriting contributions by saying that sometimes a "word" or "emotion" would inspire her and then the 'other' songwriters would turn it into actual lyrics and music), but I'll give her the benefit of the doubt for now.

And many of her songs reflect the values that the show seems to promote. Lyrics such as "Who said, who said, I can't be president / I say, I say, you ain't seen nothing yet" , "Don't let anyone tell you that you're not strong enough / Don't give up / There's nothing wrong with just being yourself" or "I know where I stand / I know who I am / ... I know I can change the world" and "I'm unusual not so typical, / Way too smart to be waitin' around / Tai Chi Practicin' / Snowboard champion / I could fix a flat on your car" may not be complex or highly developed, but they send a very positive message "girl power" message out to youth. I remember cringing when a group of elementary age girls that I was working with started singing from memory the words to Justin Timberlake's "Bringing Sexy Back." These songs are ones that parents can feel okay about their kids singing along to. And the show itself always attaches positive lessons to the episodes, such as one in which Miley attempts to make her best friend act more like a "girl", only to have that plan backfire on her. Those of you who, like me, grew up in the 80s and 90s may be reminded of classic shows such as Punky Brewster.

Of course success does not always a role model make. It is more than her achievements that makes her someone that her target audience can look up to. Like Emma Watson, it is a head set firmly on her shoulders that gives her promise for the future. Jason Earles, 29, who plays her older brother on the show, says that Miley, "could be awful if she wanted to. But she's not. She's about as sweet a person as you could want." And with solid values and strong family relationships, it seems hopeful that the young Cyrus will not follow in the footsteps of other former Disney tweens. As Miley herself says, she thinks about the bad paths she could go down, but doesn't worry that it will happen to her, saying that her music and her family keep her focused -- and hopefully the millions of little girls like my sister that think she's the coolest thing in the world.

Below view a couple clips of Miley as Miley Stewart/Hannah Montana and an interview of Miley Cyrus on ABC News:







Long before Hannah Montana was even a twinkle in the Disney Channel's eye, another young woman was making her mark on this kid's network. Raven Symoné's name has been known in the world of television ever since she was cast as Olivia on The Cosby Show at the age of 3. But it was her leading role on Disney's longest running show That's So Raven that made her a well-known figure amongst young girls everywhere. The show, about a teenager with psychic abilities, first aired in 2003. It was later nominated for an Emmy for "Outstanding Children's Program." Also in 2003, the then 17-year-old performer starred in the Disney Original Movie The Cheetah Girls. That film was followed up in 2006 with The Cheetah Girls 2, the channel's 2nd most-viewed film to date, of which Raven was also an executive producer.

Now 21 years of age, Raven Symoné projects an image of success, maturity and modesty -- no small feat for someone that has been in the business for nearly her entire life. Despite her success as a singer, songwriter and actress, she chooses to maintain a low-profile, managing to avoid the controversy and publicity that so often surrounds former child-stars. Today she owns her own production company That's So Productions and has over the years been awarded with 6 NAACP Image Awards.

In a world overwhelmed with stick-thin, barbie-blonde celebrities, Raven has always stood out to me as a positive image for all young girls, but especially for girls of color. There are too few opportunities for young women of color to see themselves positively reflected in the media. That's So Raven brought a diverse cast of stars to the Disney screen while The Cheetah Girls, with three out of the four main characters being young women of color, has helped to change the face of role models for kids.

Below you can view a clip from That's So Raven and an interview on Regis and Kelly.





If I were to choose an actress to epitomize a role model for young women, I would have to pick Natalie Portman. At 26 years of age, she is several years older than the others mentioned in this post and she represents a future that I would wish upon all of them. Like these other actresses, Natalie has been in the business from a young age, "discovered" at the age of 12 and shortly afterwards cast in the film The Professional. Since then Natalie has acted in many films such as the recent Star Wars trilogy, V for Vendetta, Garden State and Closer (for which she received an Oscar nomination). She has also acted on stage in productions such as The Diary of Anne Frank on Broadway.

But it is what Portman has accomplished in addition to all this that makes her someone that all young women can look up to. Education has always been of utmost importance to her; she has even been reported saying, "I'd rather be smart than be a movie star." In high school she wrote a paper on "The Enzymatic Production of Hydrogen" which was submitted to the Intel Science Talent Search. She attended Harvard beginning in 1999 and graduated in 2003 with a degree in Psychology. During her time at Harvard she was a research assistant, coauthoring two research papers which were published in professional scientific journals. Born in Jerusalem, she also speaks fluent Hebrew and has studied French, Japanese, German and Arabic. In 2005 she worked on her graduated studies at Hebrew University in Jerusalem. She appeared as a guest lecturer in 2006 at Columbia University's course Terrorism and Counter-terrorism.

Natalie has also devoted herself to many different social and political causes. She has been a vegetarian since the age of 8 and has advocated for various environmental causes. In 2004 she publicly campaigned for John Kerry's presidential campaign, traveling the country and speaking to various groups. She has traveled as an Ambassador of Hope for the organization FINCA, an organization that promotes micro-lending to help finance women-owned businesses in poor countries. She has appeared on the PBS program Foreign Exchange with Fareed Zakaria to discuss microfinance. Said Zakaria, "I am generally wary of celebrities with fashionable causes ... she really knew her stuff."

She has also kept herself away from scandal and left little for celebrity bloggers and gossip columnists to say about her, showing that fame and deviant behavior need not go hand in hand. Natalie can give hope to future generations of up-and-coming young women in Hollywood, proving that the life of an actress can in fact be positive, multi-dimensional and inspiring.

Watch a scene of Natalie in the film Garden State opposite Zach Braff and afterwards see an interview of her on David Letterman.





Of course these rising stars are only three among many other very talented young women. I hope that we continue to see even more girls like this emerge in the future. It is my sincere wish that the futures of these young women will be as promising as they seem, and that there will continue to be others that follow in their footsteps and provide a similar hope to those of us who don't want to see our seven-year-olds imitating Beyonce and Shakira.