Let's Dial-Down the Dialogue About Miley at the Teen Choice Awards

The airwaves are abuzz about Miley Cyrus' performance of her new song, Party in the USA, at the Teen Choice Awards (broadcast this past Monday). Reactions have run the gamut from outright condemnation to artistic kudos. One thing is certain: things will never be quite the same for the Hannah Montana star.
Every family makes their own choices about what is appropriate for their children to view and how to best communicate their values, but Ms Twixt takes issue with people labeling this young woman (she is 16 years old) as a "slut". Regardless of your stance on the appropriatenes of Miley's performance or even your views on the motivations behind this dance choice (see Anastasia Goodstein's well-written post on this at YPulse and the LA Times article for a corporate perspective), as parents we need to dial-down the vitriol. She is, after all, somebody's daughter too.
This is a "teachable moment" and a great opportunity to continue the discussion with your tween on what behavior is consistent with your family's values, the influence of the media on body image, the role of celebrities as entertainers as opposed to role models, etc. This instance is but one of many opportunities to engage in a productive dialog with our daughters and their coming of age - let's show them how we can do this with respect for all parties.