Sasha and Malia Obama Should Not Go on Hannah Montana

Recently Bill Ray Cyrus and the producers of Hannah Montana both publicly requested that Sasha and Malia be guests on Malia's favorite show, Hannah Montana. This strikes me as a cynical attempt to capitalize on the recent popularity of the first daughters.

The Obama daughters have already generated an outstanding amount of media interest through their desire for a puppy and their Huxtable-like cuteness. While it would surely be a thrill for the daughters to appear on the wildly popular show, there could be some very negative effects of appearing on the show.

We have seen both what the pressures of stardom can do to child stars and the children of presidents and politicians. Undo media attention and the pressure of the spotlight has negatively affected many children who have sought or been thrust into the media spotlight.

Former child stars such as Britney Spears and Lindsay Lohan have shown the negative affects that media spotlight can have on kids and that can affect them as adults. Both of them have had issues with sex, drugs and mental problems and to this day can not live a life free of the paparazzi. All the child stars from Different Strokes had trouble with the law. Todd Bridges did time in jail and Dana Plato died from an overdose. The Olsen twins have also had their bouts with the paparazzi and drugs and Drew Barrymore entered rehab at the age of 14. River Phoenix died of an overdose and Jamie Lynn Spears underwent an extreme amount of media scrutiny after she became pregnant at the age of 16.

As if being the daughter of a president wasn't enough pressure. Gerald Ford's son, Steven Ford was an actor on The Young and the Restless and also struggled with alcohol addiction. Ronald Reagan's daughter, Patti Davis famously posed for Playboy and had a well publicized rift with her parents as and her brother Ronald Reagan Jr. also had a famous rift with his father and is now a commentator for left wing radio station, Air America.

Both of Bush's daughters have had their issues with alcohol which have been well publicized. I know several people who went to school with Barbara and the tales of her drinking and sexing are legendary (including an incident on the top of a secret service car while the secret service watched). Several members of the Kennedy family have struggled with alcohol and drug problems.

Being a President's daughter is pressure enough on children seven and ten. Do they really need the extra stardom and pressure of appearing on a popular TV show. It will be impossible for them to lead normal lives, but the added pressure and media exposure can only have negative affects. Do they need the paparazzi waiting for them after school? Going on her first date with the secret service would be bad enough. Does Malia need to have TMZ following her too? Will the media takeout post a picture of Malia with her first zit? These kids won't be able to have Facebook and Myspace pages like normal children because of media intrusion.

After the Obama daughters got so much attention for appearing on Access Hollywood, Barack Obama had to say that they won't be having more interviews. The Obama daughters have a chance to be wonderful role models from young women of all races. Undue media attention and the temptations of the entertainment world can only hinder their chance of being well rounded mature young women free of pressure, stress, depression and drugs.

Sasha and Malia should receive media attention for being part of the first family and not as separate entities to themselves. We have seen the negative pitfalls of child stardom and while a few child stars have made the transition to mature grounded adults, many others have gone through stress, pressure, mental problems and substance abuse. Let the kids be kids. Let them watch Hannah Montana like all the other seven and ten year old girls. They should be sheltered from the media not thrust into it.

Comments

[veganphoto]

Nice hearing the voice of reason.

[joceeco]

Being that Billy Ray Cyrus has a relationship with Shawn Hannity, President Obama should ban all things associated with Hanna Montana from his girls and America!

[lunchlady]

Given the Cyrus' political inclinations I'm not sure they really appreciate the Obamas' adulation, except that its' good for business. Money is still non-partisan, sort of.

[TwinX]

I feel as though I 'have a feel' for the Obama's, as far as how they parent goes.

I would imagine the girls begging and pleading their parents to say 'yes', and the parents laughing (rightly in my view) in their faces.

Normal kids, smart parents. What's not to like?

[Bitsko]

"This strikes me as a cynical attempt to capitalize on the recent popularity of the first daughters."

Cynical? It's pure capitalism, Mr. Gane-McCalla.

[ReasonIsMyReligion]

Excellent post.

Sasha and Malia should not be turned into the nation's -- or that show's -- mascots.

[TRYKER]

They should also be sheltered from Hannah Montana. Its all commercial, all the time. Its indoctrination.
No, they shouldn't be on any show as guests, they are children of the President of the country. That is a different level.
If the White House wants to share a bit of their lives, like when the puppy comes, I'm sure they will.

[sugarfree]

I agree with you TRYKER, Hannah Montana is to advanced and the Obama girls could very well
pick-up some bad habits being so young.
They really should not be watching Hannah show, i would hate to see what would happen to them if they spoke to Michelle or Barack in the tone of voice that Hannah speak to her Dad on that show.
Todays Kids needs to see other kids who speaks to their mother and father with respect..
Some Kids has lost that respect for their folks and that is sad.

[IndyReader]

The difference between the Obama kids and all the child/young adult actors you named is that if Malia and Sasha came home from a Hannah taping their swelled heads would immediately be punctured by two people who are excellent parents. Now, Piper Palin...

[Estreet1964]

I sincerely hope that the Obama's are smart enough to know better than to feed their children into Disney's marketing machinery. The way they use and exploit not just their stars but their viewers to reap their billions is nothing short of disgusting.

[Marioli]

The show asked them to appear - and that.s all. I don.t have the impression it will go anywhere further. The Obamas can very well take care of their own children, they don.t need America to tell them what to do and what not. It seems a bit indecent to do so.

[pinkbunny]

I agree ! Obama is our President, that doesn't give us the right to tell him and his family what to do with their private lives.

[Shrinath]

I was going to say the same thing you said. It is best to leave the Obamas to let their children do and they know them best. Somehow I find this article ridiculous. As is they need parenting lessons or opinions from the nation. Please. Cheerio!

[pgurlatl]

Because they will be the most protected first family ever, the bubble they will live in will be of the worst kind. The pressure to do well will be magnanimous because everyone is waiting for the black family to messup. It is just a recipe for disaster.

Ask Amy Carter.

[Paw1]

Take a pill, Casey. The kids weren't asked to co-star indefinitely or become professional actresses. They were simply asked to be guests on a show they like, presumably once. I can't believe Barack or Michelle Obama would allow them to make a habit of it. They don't seem to be that kind of parent.

Bad enough they will need to be on their best behavior at all times in public and everything they do or say will be dutifully reported across the media landscape for the next four years. Let them enjoy one small perk of their father's fame while they can.

[sandistorms]

Thank you. I thought I was the only one who thought this person was going overboard on an over thought runaway train.

[LollieDotCom]

I can almost hear Obama humming "If you don't know me by now...." Or maybe that's Michelle. Maybe they're humming it together. I could be way off. But I sure don't think either of them is going to green light that - with or without advice.

Before the election I was a mess. I had to take anti-anxiety meds twice a day through the month of October. I was convinced that if Obama didn't win by a landslide, the Republicans could steal it again. I guess I had Post Traumatic Voting Disorder. But now that he's won I see all these people freaking about how "he better do this and he better not do that." And I am cool as a cucumber. He's got this. NodramaObama has got this under control. And yes, I know he'll make some decisions I don't agree with. But then, what do I know, I'm not Obama. No comparison. We were pretty much all smarter than Bush and very few are as smart as Obama.

Considering everything is an analogy for other things, I'm just going to sit back, watch, listen and learn.

[wisewomcat]

To me, it seems as if the Obamas' have raised those two girls pretty well on their own. Do you also plan to tell them what bedtime books to read? (If you have actually been advising them all along on how to raise their children, then my apologies, and you deserve a pat on the back for all your good instruction)

[Shrinath]

^5! Well said!

[RobertHenryEller]

The good news: Malia and Sasha have two great protectors and role models: Their parents. I think we can depend on the Obamas to know the right thing to do. I like the fact that so many people have taken to the Obama girls, and are concerned with their welfare. Fortunately, Malia and Sasha seem to have great parents, and we should accord the Obamas the same respect in this regard as we would give any other family.