Although Miley Cyrus seems to have stemmed the tide of criticism following her racy Vanity Fair photo shoot, rumor has it that Disney might have a replacement lined up for her in case of another publicity fallout. The New York Post reported that Selena Gomez, who already stars in Disney Channel’s “Wizards of Waverly Place,” could be the company’s new sweetheart.
The Post reported that the 15-year-old Gomez, who once appeared on Cyrus’ show, “Hannah Montana,” as her competition is lesser known ut that Disney is ready to push her to the forefront.
It’s unlikely that the photos will derail Cyrus’ career, although they seem to be in poor taste given the constant speculation about young stars like Jamie Lynn Spears, Vanessa Hudgens and Lindsay Lohan. Between her shows, albums and music, Cyrus will likely more than stay afloat. But the 15-year-old performer may have gotten a small taste of what it’s like to fall from grace in the eyes of parents and fans.
Move over Miley?
The new boys in town
Every so often a group of cute, young, seemingly squeaky-clean young men come onto the scene as the next big boy band, and it appears this is the Jonas’ Brothers day in Hollywood. The three brothers – Nick, Joe and Kevin – hail from northern New Jersey and are quickly heading to the forefront of Disney Channel stars.
Although the boys are known primarily as a music group, they’ve already begun making a foray into acting with appearances on shows like “Hannah Montana” (and it doesn’t hurt that Nick, the youngest in the group, was dating “Hannah” star Miley Cyrus for a time). They also have a reality television show, and an upcoming Disney series that likely will propel them to heights similar to those of Cyrus and “High School Musical” stars such as Zac Efron, Ashley Tisdale and Vanessa Hudgens.
Although Jezebel editor Dodai Stewart said female stars who become icons for pre-teens girls are “safer” in the eyes of parents because there is not the same sexual element as with young male performers, the time may be ripe for the Jonas Brothers.
Cyrus, Tisdale, Efron and Hudgens are among the most sought-after celebrities in Hollywood right now, and the appeal of such young stars is not just for pre-teens and adolescents. The “Disney machine” seems to have hit the jackpot yet again, and the ascent of its stars seems far from over.
Celebrity gossip site editor compares Disney stars of today with those of the not so distant past
Although it might sometimes seem that the current crop of ‘teen stars, like Miley Cyrus, Zac Efron, Ashley Tisdale and Vanessa Hudgens, to name a few, is the most widely marketed (and likely highest paid) group of young performers on the scene, they’re just par for the course in a culture that is always seeking the next exciting phenomenon, according to celebrity gossip site editor Dodai Stewart.
When asked about the attraction to pop idols such as Britney Spears in the late 1990s and Miley Cyrus today, Stewart, who is the editor of Jezebel (www.jezebel.com) and former editor of teen magazine J-14, said much of their success has to do with crossover appeal.
She says that for Cyrus, who reaches fans across multiple platforms, including her television show, “Hannah Montana,” music and a recent movie, the timing simply is ripe for her to make it big.
“What else is new and fresh right now?” Stewart said. “Everybody has Britney fatigue; the box office is in such a slump right now. Miley is super accessible, the appeal is broad and it’s easy to digest.”
Stewart pointed out that although Cyrus and company are all over Hollywood right now, they are far from being the first of their kind.
“These things come in waves,” she said. “Before, there was Britney, NSYNC and the Backstreet Boys.” Spears and two NSYNC singers, Justin Timberlake and JC Chasez, also were Disney Channel stars.
Many of today’s performers are part of what Stewart calls the “Disney factory” (“Hannah Montana” is a Disney Channel show; Efron, Tisdale and Hudgens made it big in Disney’s “High School Musical,” and both girls had appeared on other shows on Disney Channel), while others, like Drake Bell and Jamie Lynn 
Spears, got their breaks on Nickelodeon. Cyrus seems to be leading the pack; Stewart credits this to accessibility to her shows and music (“Hannah Montana” plays on Disney five days a week; Cyrus’ songs are on Radio Disney, with some playing on more mainstream stations), and to her personal appeal.
“You feel like you can be her, or be friends with her,” Stewart said. She compared the 15 year old to NSYNC, and said that although that boy band was smartly marketed, Cyrus is a safer bet for parents of young girls.
“[Following Cyrus] is less sexualized than fantasizing about being with these guys,” she said.
Despite the similarities between early Britney Spears and “the Miley Cyrus situation,” as she called it, the editor believes the younger performer is grounded enough to avoid Spears’ highly publicized pitfalls.
“Miley strikes me as slightly different from past [stars],” she said. “Maybe it’s because her dad [“Achy Breaky Heart” singer Billy Ray Cyrus] is on the show, but I feel like there’s more guidance there.”
Mom-approved Miley makes her mark at the Academy Awards
‘Tween star Miley Cyrus left her alter ego, Hannah Montana, at home as she made her mark at the Academy Awards earlier this week. In addition to being a presenter and appearing on the red carpet before the Oscars began, Cyrus was featured in Barbara Walters’ pre-show special.
Mothers of pre-teen girls around the country must have breathed a sigh of relief when Cyrus side-stepped making a criticism of pregnant Jamie Lynn Spears, but reaffirmed faith and family values as reasons why she will not find herself in Spears’ situation or in those of other troubled stars.
Many mothers approve of Cyrus as a role model for their young daughters, and have given her show, “Hannah Montana,” the thumbs up in their households. One New Jersey mom, however, said some of the songs the teen performs as Miley have a slightly more provocative slant than those sung by “Hannah.” Certain song lyrics and outfits worn by Cyrus in her concert movie raised the particular mother’s concern, but not enough to keep her daughter from watching the show.
