Published: May 04, 2008 10:01 pm         

Annie, Miley Ray’s ‘Achy-Breaky’ photo session gathers attention

This Side of the Fence column

The recent nanosecond blip on the media’s radar screen concerning Annie Leibovitz and teen star Miley Ray Cyrus reminds me why I stopped holding in high regard most Hollywood celebrities many years ago.

A majority of them don’t mentally operate in the same universe that we common folk do. In other words, they must think we’re stupid. Please hold your applause until the end of the column.

Here’s a bullet-point recap of one of the most blatant publicity stunts attempted this year.

- Walt Disney teen star Miley Ray Cyrus poses for legendary photographer Annie Leibovitz for the June issue of Vanity Fair magazine.

- Her father, Billy Ray Cyrus, also poses with her.

- Parents and family organizations condemn the photo that shows the 15-year-old clutching a blanket with her back exposed.

- In varying accounts, both Billy Ray and Miley Ray express outrage and apology for the photo, claiming the young star was duped by Leibovitz and the magazine.

- Disney executives say the magazine “manipulated” their TV sitcom star for sales.

- A ton of publicity is created for Miley Ray Cyrus.

If you google the name Miley Ray Cyrus, or her birth name, Hope Destiny Cyrus — she’s going to legally change it next month — roughly 147,000 images of the G-rated star of the Disney show Hannah Montana appear on screen.

And deservedly so. She’s No. 17 on the latest Forbes listing of celebrity earners under 20 years of age, will purportedly make $18 million this year, has a $3.5 million book deal with Disney in the works, and her sold-out concerts are topping the music industry charts. Oh, did I mention the movie she has coming out soon?

Disney executives have parleyed Cyrus’ “girl-next-door” popularity into big bucks too, through advertising deals, merchandising, clothing and much more. One media account claims Disney stands to rake in over $1 billion in revenue due to Cyrus.

With that much money on the line, it’s a fair bet the Cyruses cleared any and all photo shoots with Disney executives before Leibovitz clicked nary a shutter.

You don’t win a recording contract for the hit “Achy-Breaky Heart” — Billy Ray’s 1992 signature song which made him famous — without having some media savvy.

Plus, ABC News reports the digital photos were viewed by the Cyruses immediately after they were taken, without exception. Other accounts say they did not view them, however.

By publicly denouncing the photo and Leibovitz, Billy Ray and Miley Ray had to know the scandal-starved media would be there to revel in their apparent discomfort.

Throw in the comments by Disney and the talking heads have one more saucy story to spin up, down, and across the country.

Leibovitz publicly said she was “sorry” that people were “misinterpreting” the “classic portrait” she took of Cyrus.

ABC news also reported Miley Ray apologized for personal photos which surfaced recently on the Internet where “she bared her midriff and bra.”

Miley Ray called the photos “inappropriate” and “mistakes” and apologized for them as well.

I’m sure that even Britneyy Spears would agree with my assumption that those are crocodile tears streaming from the eyes of Billy Ray and Miley Ray.

And this time, I’m not falling for it and neither should you, oh wise and intelligent reader.

Moralists and others can debate whether the photograph was inappropriate or not, but that’s a whole different column. If she were my daughter, I would have never allowed the photographs to be taken in the first place.

Cue “Applause” sign. Carpe Diem, everybody; have a great week.

— Christian lives in Greenbrier County. E-mail: cgiggenbach@register-herald.com