Was the Wicked Witch Right?

I was in high school before I saw The Wizard of Oz in its entirety. You see, they always -- and I mean ALWAYS -- showed the movie on Sunday evenings. I grew up in a family that went to church on Sunday evenings (we still do). This was in an era before Hulu and Netflix, before Redbox and Blockbuster, before a bazillion channels. It was so pre-DVR it was even before -- are you ready? -- video-CASSETTE recorders! That's right. I'm that old.

Anyway...where was I? Oh, yes! Do you remember the scene toward the end in which Dorothy throws the water on the Wicked Witch of the West? As the witch is melting away, she wails, "What a world! What a world!" I feel a little like that this morning.

This should be a great day. It's the first day of junior high school for my baby girl. I'm so proud of her and excited for her! She's gonna rock that school!

But while I'm so happy about my little girl, there is another little girl all over the internet this morning. Twitter, Facebook, gossip sites, mainstream news sites, all of them are talking about one thing: Miley Cyrus. On the off chance that you're living under a rock, and somehow missed it, you can simply Google her name. The first several links will be her performance at last night's MTV VMA broadcast. Miley has managed to overshadow Taylor Swift's vulgar language, not heard on-air, but clearly visible in video clips.

So while my little girl was getting ready last night, double-checking her backpack, planning her lunch and reviewing her (very modest) outfit for the first day of school, someone else's little girl -- she is only 20, remember? -- was wearing enough makeup for several hookers, NOT wearing much clothing, singing about "molly" (although that was censored) and dancing in a way that can't even be called "suggestive" (there was no question about that dancing). While my baby girl was annotating her required summer reading, someone else's baby was making an obscene spectacle of herself; sure, people are talking about her this morning, but to a man, they are condemning. And I do mean "man"; the men I follow on Twitter were clearly appalled by Miley last night.

Before I write anything else, I want to make it very clear that I believe there are children out there who will go terribly astray, in spite of having amazing parents. Free will, you know. But I can't help wondering, as a mother, how Miley's parents feel this morning. I can't imagine reading, seeing and hearing the things said about my daughter that people are saying about Miley today. I know I'd be questioning my example, my words and my actions as a parent.

I feel badly for Miley Cyrus. In the eyes of the world, she's an adult, able to make her own decisions. But in the eyes of the world this morning, she's also a sad, pathetic joke. And she's twenty years old. Let that sink in for a minute. What were you doing when you were twenty? So yes, I was disgusted by her attire and her behavior. But I am also sickened and saddened that a young lady with such talent and promise has gone so wrong.

At some point, don't we, as a society, need to take some responsibility for young women like this? Brittney Spears, Madonna, Lady Gaga, Courtney Love...the list is endless. In fact, the list goes much further back in history. Marilyn Monroe, anyone? When do we stop making young girls feel like they need to be "sexy" (I use that term loosely in this context) and behave in an outrageous manner to gain attention? When do we tell them it's not necessary to push the envelope of common decency in order to break out of their childhood (even if that childhood was played out on a television show)? When do we tell our little girls, "You are beautiful because you are smart and kind and brave"? When do we tell them, "You are enough"? I say, today.