High School Musical's Vanessa Anne Hudgens and the Naked Photos

Early Thursday morning, September 6, 2007, I heard the alarming news on the radio: "Vanessa Anne Hudgens has nude photos that are circulating the Internet." The photos' authenticity is still being verified." -- the announcement went something like that. Whether or not the photos were real -- which were later confirmed to be authentic -- my main concern at that moment was, "Did my 6 and 8 year old hear the report?" I felt like somebody publicly proclaimed, "Santa's not real. And for that matter, neither is the tooth fairy and the Easter bunny!" I wanted to run and cover their ears!

The character of Gabriella in High School Musical played by 18 year old Vanessa Hudgens is so wholesome, innocent and level-headed that one would tend to believe the actress who portrays her was equal in persona. And to hear that she actually consented to having nude photos taken, then emailed them to a boy (Drake Bell, Nickelodeon), was disconcerting. Hudgens may be of legal age now, but was she a minor when she took them? In my opinion, even 18 years old is too young to be posing for nude photos - private or for profit. If my children should discover Gabriella's nude picture scandal, would they understand that what she did was inappropriate? It is a conversation, I would rather postpone as long as possible because it'll undoubtedly lead to other pre-teen curiosities & questions: dating, goals, boys, physical development, etc - topics that are clearly much too advanced for my girls.

I understand that Hudgens is entitled to her private life and even to make her own mistakes. It is just unfortunate that individuals like the one who released the photos onto the Internet can easily harm others without any conscious hesitation. Not only did they mar the reputation of the young Hudgens, but also potentially mar the fans of Gabriella whom she portrays.

I will still allow my children to be fans of High School Musical; forbidding them to watch a longtime fave movie would do more harm and would probably cause them to watch & pine for the show in secret which I feel is definitely damaging to our parent/child relationship.