Two Day Magazine

Celebrity blogger, Perez Hilton (whose real name is Mario Lavandeira, Jr.) was in trouble recently for posting a photo of Miley Cyrus that showed her exiting a car, seemingly without her underwear on. Readers of his infamous blog were told not to click on the link to the photo if they were “easily offended”.

There seems to be conflicting reports about this photo that was quickly removed from Perez’s site. Some say that she had underwear on in the photo, while others state the the photo was doctored to look like she wasn’t wearing any. Either way, it is an uncomfortable and demoralizing situation for anyone to be in, especially a 17 year old girl.

While this may not seem like a big deal to many, considering the countless photos of Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan and Britney Spears floating in the internet without their panties on, the real issue is that those ladies were of legal age, while Miley is still a minor.

The photo proved to bring controversy to Perez, in an odd twist of fate. Here he is, reporting on the lives of celebrities, and finds himself the topic of conversation, instead.
But, does this photo qualify as child pornography? Even if the photo was doctored? And, can Perez really go to jail for positing this photo? What about the paparazzi that shot the picture in the first place?

Under the United States law, child pornography is defined as the “visual depiction of minor children under the age of 18 engaging in sex acts.” This definition covers depictions or photographs of children’s genitalia. If caught with these types of visual depictions, there is a conviction on a state or federal level of up to 15 years in prison and a lifetime registration as a sex offender.

However, in order for Perez to face any sort of criminal charge, Miley Cyrus would have to report this to the police or prosecutors would need to launch an inquest through the local District Attorney or US Attorney’s office.

Yet, some advertisers aren’t taking to kindly to what has transpired on the website, are taking matters into their own hands. ABC has already pulled their ads for “The View” from his site, along with TVLand.

Cyrus condemned the release of the photo to Ryan Seacrest on his KIIS-FM radio show, saying, “Isn’t it funny that things like that, that are so negative have to come out right before my record [Can’t Be Tamed]? It’s like no one can let positive things happen. All I can do is focus on the positive and I hope this record does well.”

While many will agree that Perez is a bully of sorts, calling celebrities names (like Slutty Cyrus), the sad truth is, the more controversial he gets, the more traffic to his site. While many advertisers would like to show that they take the moral high road, most don’t because more clicks on the site means more views of their ads and in capitalism, it’s all about the green!

I feel sorry for Miley, I have always detested the “upskirt” photos. I remember one that really infuriated me was when the paparazzi tried getting a photo of actress Jessica Alba by laying on the concrete in the middle of the sidewalk so that she had to step over them, in a long dress, while pregnant. It was disgusting. The exploitation of people in our culture and our lack of respect for one another has me worried as to where we are heading as a civilization. People have lost their value, and so we have become disposable.

As I look around the web lately, everything has gotten so nasty, so mean-spirited, so divided. Perez’s scandal is actually quite tame in comparison to what is going on in not only our society, but around the globe. We all seem so angry. We all seem so frustrated and demoralized. Maybe it’s the global economy tanking. Maybe it’s the healthcare crisis at home. Maybe the BP oil fiasco, or perhaps the religious scandals happening on a daily basis. Whatever the cause is, this country really needs to start changing its energy or we are just going to keep sinking faster into the abyss.