Leibovitz Apologizes For "Very Beautiful" Photo

Annie Leibovitz has decided an apology is necessary for her too-grown-up portrait of 15-year-old Disney Channel star Miley "I feel so embarrassed" Cyrus:

"I'm sorry that my portrait of Miley has been misinterpreted," Leibovitz said, according to US Weekly. "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."

The picture is (a) beautiful, (b) over-sexualized, and (c) tasteless even in context – a Vanity Fair profile of a child celebrity facing the pressures of adulthood. We expect and appreciate edgy photo stunts at magazines (like Lindsay Lohan in New York) but this one feels icky. Bad call.

Cyrus, role model to millions of young girls through her character Hannah Montana, has already apologized to her fans. Everyone is so sorry. A Disney spokesperson, faulting Vanity Fair, gave an especially telling quote to The New York Times: "[A] situation was created to deliberately manipulate a 15-year-old in order to sell magazines."

Uh-huh. Because Disney would never use Hannah Montana to sell anything.

Comments

[anon]

I think you are completely wrong here. This isn't sexual at all. It is a beautiful portrait of a woman who has been packaged and manipulated by DIsney, now laid bare and personalized by Annie Liebovitz. I think it is very telling and my point is proven by the way people are manipulating the situation.

[dsgoen]

I don't find anything sexual about this. As Liebovitz remarks, it is a classic portrait. Cyrus and Liebovitz have no reason to apologize or be embarrassed.

The lack of clothing emphasis goes along with the minimal makeup. This is not about sex. This is a person the way she really looks, not a person who has been made into a product.

So, people want to think that she is naked under the blanket? I have news for you, she's also naked under any of her clothes.

People need to grow up and accept that everybody has a body. Not everything is about sex and/or money, despite what our culture seems addicted to. People who are embarrassed about viewing this portrait should be embarrassed about the way their psyches have become so screwed up and dirty minded.

[Geeta]

I feel this is really blowing things out of proportion. I completely agree with dsgoen. And I think this portrait of Miley is really beautiful. It reminds of paintings by famous masters like Rembrandt. And is of course, quite "innocent" when compared to the nudes painted by those painters. If you could look at those paintings and see the "beauty" there, u have no right to crib about this photo.

And hats off to Leibovitz. This portrait is not "adult." Miley looks exactly like a 15-year old and fresh, and innocent.

[LS]

Interestingly, the gender issue comes into play here. How many photos do we see of young male celebs--say, Michael Cera or even Zack Ephron--in "classic" Thomas Eakins-style poses? I'm not offended by the Miley Cyrus pic, but the ensuing press releases of apology do point to something particular to the female body and its representation.

[JS]

This is absolutely ridiculous. There nothing wrong or creepy or distasteful about that photo.

[jeffj]

If you are sexually attracted to 15 year olds, then (by definition) you will see the picture as sexual. An analogy are republicans who are anti-gay are (usually) gay themselves.

[Walter Briggs]

Annie was being Annie..

Are we supposed to 'believe' Billy Ray didn't know the creativity of "the famed photographer Annie Leibovitz"? Yeah, sure.

Annie should not have apologized, and she should not change who..and what she is..a really great visual artist.

[Otto]

What I really think ridiculous is Leibovitz apologizing... For what? For being a photographer? It smells like pure self-promotion. About the picture: I don't think she's sexy - she looks like a regular girl who just woke up after a wild party full of alcohol and drugs.

[John Armstrong-Millar]

Well what can you say. It's the second time in a month Annie Leibovitz has made the news. Good PR I say..

[Doktor]

I think the photo is sexual - how can anybody deny this it abviously plays with nudity. I also think its pretty. Nevertheless I am disgusted by Annie Leibovitz tactics in working with her models(and the people she works for). It became obvious when I watched the video of her shooting the queen. And this one just proves it. The photo is pretty, Annies way of working not.