Our culture is divided, not schizophrenic.

Donna (So-Cal mom) and I had a good talk that she is parlaying into a post about the Miley Cyrus thing. You might be interested to read that.

The average middle class person found the Miley Cyrus thing inappropriate. We don’t think or live that way.

Those caught up in the celebrity culture—such as Joy Behar who I quoted—were all “hey this is how it is.”

IMO, they’ve lost perspective. In their opinion I probably have a broomstick up my rear.

But I am their audience.

And I am 100% consistent.

I have always been against this type of thing. I’m not being hypocritical or inconsistent. I’ve blograiled against Bratz, lingerie for kindergartners, trashy makeup and all the things of that ilk.

In fact, I find that people are fairly consistent on this type topic. They either reject it across the board or don’t.

So how does it continue to flourish? Because of those who don’t see the big whoop to it, including the people who keep making this crap, photographing it, and putting it in front of our faces telling us it is good.

This is the country that elected W. Twice. After all. (Low blow? Maybe, but I thought his double victory was a really low blow.)

There isn’t to my mind a double standard at play not in general.

There are two standards, which is totally different.

So…what if I ran across my daughter’s school teacher’s MySpace page, with sperm cartoons and off-color joke?

I’d find it wildly inappropriate.

I was 20 something too and made my fair share of goofball decisions, but I also didn’t broadcast them on the Internet. THANK GOT!

Discretion and valor. That’s what I’ve got to say. It’s a finer point Gen Y and beyond would do well to ponder.

They are welcome to have trashy pages. Free to do so, but not consequence free.

So long as it didn’t parlay into the classroom I don’t think I’d factor it in that hugely, although my personal estimation of the teacher and her maturity would definitely falter.

ironically, I might care more in junior high, when my child might run across it.

Anyway…this really isn’t a narrow-mined, judgmental bit. I consider a lot of things…you know I do.

But the truth is that teachers ARE role models, as is Miley Cyrus. And as a parent, I have to decide if THIS is the type of role model I want for my kids—or a person I trust.

Did you know that before 1920, most teachers had to be unmarried to keep their jobs. If you ever read The Headless Horseman, you know that Ichabod Crane was a schoolteacher. Now I’m not saying the Johnny Depp Crane, but the nobby, too thin, geek.

My husband (a teacher) says that these images are what is behind some of the lack of respect for teachers. We expect them to be spinsters and geeks.

I don’t find anything inappropriate about the pictures. The Media is such a hysteria machine. I do find the one of her lounging against her Dad a little skeevy. Just because there’s a sexual element there that shouldn’t be. But, that could be just my own priggishness coming out.

Luckily, our daughter’s teacher also has 2 kids in the school and regularly shows up at birthday parties. This at least lets the kids (and parents) remember that this is a real person with a real life.

Now, as the father of a 6 year old karate-princess, who has eschewed the Berenstain Bears for The Suite Life et al. I have only one thing further to say:

♫ Life’s what you make it.. so let’s make it rock!.. ♫

Now someone get this godforsaken Miley/Hannah CD out of my car.. it’s starting to catch on.