Say goodbye to Lizzie McGuire; Hilary Duff's new tough stuff image

Look, I know the Disney stars have to grow up at some point, but what's so wrong with taking the good girl image with them into their adult years?

"After the premiere of Hilary Duff's first R-rated movie, War, Inc., Newsday reporter Lewis Beale described Duff's character, Yonica Babyyeah, as "a foul-mouthed, oversexed and underdressed Central Asian pop singer so outrageous she makes Madonna look like a nun." When Beale asked her about repeatedly dropping a "major expletive" in the film, Duff said, "Not only am I doing that, but I'm smoking, letting boys put their hands ... the character was a bit vulgar. I don't think using the word ... would have bothered me if I had said it once or twice, but it's throughout the whole movie. But I'm just acting." With regard to alienating young Lizzie McGuire fans, Duff shrugged off any potential fallout. "I think that's the risk that I take," she said. "But I'm growing up, and my fans are growing up with me. I think there will be mixed emotion about it. But if I lose fans, well, I don't want to limit myself in my career." [newsday.com, 5/18/08]

Hilary once graced the esteemed short list of positive role models, yet now joins the majority ranks who stoop to the lowest Hollywood common denominator in an effort to further their careers. Seems to me, that the way to set yourself apart from the plethora of Hollywood bad girls is to um, be a Hollywood good girl. Wait, was that an oxymoron?

On a more positive note, my mother-in-law who is a huge Focus on the Family fan, tipped me off to a quote she read in an email she received from PluggedIn Magazine. Selena Gomez, the 15-year-old star of Disney Channel's Wizards of Waverly Place, has asked her father to get her a promise ring to symbolize her commitment to remain sexually abstinent until marriage. "He went to the church and got it blessed," Gomez said. "He actually used me as an example for other kids. I'm going to keep my promise to myself, to my family and to God." (Original source: FoxNews.com; 6/10/08)

She followed with a few more quotes from PluggedIn Magazine regarding those endearing, Jonas brothers and the purity rings they boldly wear:

"The boys made a decision when they turned 12 years old to put those rings on their fingers. We didn't give them these rings as a pledge of perfection, but as a reminder of values. Our hope is that they'll always know that there's a good, right way to treat the opposite sex." —Kevin Jonas Sr., father of the boys who are known as the Jonas Brothers [usatoday.com, 6/16/08]

And check this one out:

"I always stop and give myself a reality check. I ask myself, 'Is this something a 15-year-old should be doing?' and if it isn't, then I don't do it." —Demi Lavato, the star of Disney's latest tween movie hit, Camp Rock, which features the Jonas Brothers [Wall Street Journal, 6/17/08]

I wonder if this gal knows Miley Cyrus and could pass along that wisdom? Anyway, I wanted to encourage you that there are a few positive role models out there, trying to make a positive impression on your children. Of course, I'm fully aware that at any given moment any one of the above role-models can stray over to the wild side. It seems like yesterday that I was singing high praises to Miley Cyrus for being a positive role model. How quickly things can change. Which is exactly why we need to point our children to real-life role models with a proven track record and downplay the Hollywood scene. Some of the best role models can be found on our own family tree, in our homes, and serving at our churches.

Who are some role models that you are pointing out to your children?

And Memaw, if you're reading this, I am officially making you my Virtue Alert Research Assistant. Oh wait, make that Volunteer Virtue Alert Research Assistant. Effective immediately. :)

A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold. (Prov. 22:1)


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