If you've turned on the television, picked up a newspaper or opened the internet in the last couple of days you've probably heard about the uproar over racy pictures of teen idol Miley Cyrus published in Vanity Fair.

In case you've been living under a rock, Miley Cyrus is the 15-year-old daughter of country music singer Billy Ray Cyrus. Who can forget "Achy Breaky Heart," mainly because they played it to death on the radio.

The picture that caused the following media storm featured Cyrus in what appeared to be a topless shot. She is clutching a nude colored bedsheet, so no actual nudity is shown, but the pouty sexuality of the picture is present nonetheless.

So why the flack when so many other teen stars have faced everything from drug rehab to teen pregnancy? Perhaps it is the wholesome image Disney has painted of Cyrus and tried to market to millions of children nation wide.

Cyrus is the star of Disney's "Hannah Montana," a tween show about a young girl who finds herself suddenly thrust into stardom. She is a pop star by night, but lives a double life when she takes off her blonde wig and tries to be a normal girl during the day.

I've watched the show a few times myself. I think it's cute, although the acting is atrocious. But, that's not very different from most of the cheesy Saturday morning offerings.

I have to admit, I've been following Cyrus some in the media. In the wake of stars like Lindsay Lohan and Brittany Spears, you can't help but wonder if all child stars are doomed to scandal. I had hoped Cyrus wouldn't find herself in this kind of trouble.

The picture her publicists are now painting is that the risqué photo was snapped at the end of the shoot, after her parents had left. I'm sure it comes down to what was just a bad choice on Cyrus' part, one for which she is being heavily criticized.

To me, I'm sad to see Cyrus chose to pose for the picture, but it's not entirely surprising. Parents are outraged, saying their children look up to Cyrus. My question is, what's changed? The fact of the matter is you just can't let television dictate morals to your children. If we do, my goodness we're in trouble!

Think about it, when's the last time you watched a romantic comedy where the couple involved didn't end up in bed together before the movie was over? You would be hard pressed to find more than a handful.

We've built up sex and sexiness to be the ultimate prize. It's no wonder Cyrus found herself falling into that trap.

So, my take on the matter is cut the young girl some slack. And parents, use this as a lesson to teach your kids about making good choices.