I 100% agree with you. I grew up learning not to make those kinds of faces. The white kids at my school know that too. To Mary: We dont bash people who make ‘poofy’ lips because everyone wants them (ie angelina jolie). you can’t call that making fun of black people when americans have created a multi-billion dollar industry (plastic surgery) to get full lips and big boobs.
but i do agree that there are more important things than miley’s personal life.

Mary´s last blog post..I cursed the mountain before I climbed it

At any rate, of course if our child makes a rude face, we are to correct them. Good Lord, I didn’t even allow my children to roll their eyes at me! When I grew up, my mother told me that if I ever said the word “nigger,” she would slap me in the face. This, from a mother who never even gave me a spanking! So, I took it very seriously. (Even just now, I thought a hand from somewhere would come out and smack me just for typing it. And I think everyone should feel that way about demeaning others for any reason.)

But I do think Miley is a very nice person who is struggling to be a kid in a world where she is given far too much privilege. It’s an age old story. And I am prepared to give her as many breaks as I need to so that I am not part of the force that constantly scrutinizes her.

Cathouse Teri´s last blog post..It’s Cold Out There But It’s Warm In Bed

I believe it is the responsibility of young stars to maintain behavior that reflects their status as a role model. But who enforces that responsibility? We can’t expect a 16 year old, necessarily, to realize that for themselves. Ultimately it is up to the parents to make their children understand.

Never in all my life growing up has making “slanty eyes” been just a silly face. It’s always been derogatory, even if it hasn’t been specifically to make anyone of asian descent feel bad, it was, quite truthfully, making fun of asians.

So, yes, Miley was wrong. And yes, she is a kid, and Michael Phelps is a kid, and all our kids have done crappy things we’re ashamed of. It’s not an excuse, it’s just reality.

Vinomom´s last blog post..Superbowl 2009

I agree that over-reacting to a picture like this sends a bad message to kids. However, you wrote this about Miley: “but they can only learn things based on what they are exposed to on their own roads. Miley lives a sheltered and rather ridiculous life.”

I agree. And I would remind people that there are a lot of kids who lead sheltered lives. That’s why Mama Llama won’t move out of a metro area, to avoid those sheltered kids who might make fun of her children. For kids who lead sheltered lives, if their only exposure to the rightness or wrongness of a slant-eye face is Miley Cyrus photos, then it’s entirely appropriate for parents to say “don’t do that. What Miley Cyrus did is mocking to asians.”

By all means, people should talk about more newsworthy things, and take pride in Obama’s presidency as a sign that America is changing. But if you see your kids making slant-eye gestures like this, rather than shrug and say “kids are kids”, tell them not to do it, then move on.