There was a time, a few years back, when I could not tell the difference between all the young, cute girls who starred on the popular Disney Channel television shows. Then, Hannah Montana made Miley Cyrus a HUGE superstar and I saw her first interview on The Oprah Winfrey Show. I was floored by her immense popularity. After that, I took notice. Not just of Miley, but of all the other girls on the scene like Raven Symone and Selena Gomez and Demi Lovato. They were all young and talented and every little girl began to worship them. You could not miss the posters and bed sheets in all the tween stores. But I couldn’t tell you which one starred in iCarly or Suite Life of Waverly Place or Wizards of something or other.
Demi Lovato and Miley Cyrus in 2009
Then, Miley grew up and showed her independence…maybe she showed a little TOO much of her independence. Moms like me got upset. What happened to this adorable young star with the big smile whose Daddy was her best friend? It was reminiscent of when Britney tumbled off that role model pedestal we all built for her.
I now know who Selena Gomez is because she recently started dating boy wonder Justin Bieber. That’s probably NOT what she wants to be known for, is it? And then there was poor Demi Lovato. The headlines were bad. She got in a fist fight with one her back up dancers. She canceled her tour. Some said it was because she was depressed about a breakup with her best friend, Joe Jonas. There were also reports that she cut herself and had an eating disorder. Just some really awful, sad stuff.
Demi left the scene, went to rehab, and took care of herself which, I think, was the most important decision she’s ever made. I hope she also got lots of hugs from her Mama. These kids are just that…kids. They are young girls growing up in front of us. They were blessed with extraordinary talents, but that doesn’t mean they don’t struggle with peer pressure and body issues and heart break too. And, let’s be honest, it’s magnified for all the world to see. I know it was their choice (maybe?) to go into the entertainment business and I don’t think I would allow my daughter to enter that world until she was AT LEAST 18 years old, but the truly awesome thing about falling down in front of everyone is that you can also show the world how you can stand right back up. And that’s what Demi did. In front of everyone.
Here’s the premiere of the video for her brand new song, Skyscraper. It’s raw and real and beautiful. This is what girl power is all about.
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