Rumors of Miley Cyrus Underwear Pictures Surface, Raise Questions About Teenage Sex Symbols

Is Hannah Montana star Miley Cyrus giving internet gossip junkies a new meaning for "the best of both worlds" with adult pictures? That's what the rumor mill would have us believe.

It was reported earlier this week that new pictures of Miley Cyrus in her underwear had surfaced on the web. According to the rumor mill, these new pictures are far worse than the previous "racy" pictures of the Disney Channel teen diva that had surfaced online. These new pictures have been described by some reporters as coming close to "child porn."

Other questionable pictures of Miley Cyrus that began circulating online in recent weeks featured the teenage sensation in a bikini and getting cozy with a female friend. The new pictures at the root of the underwear scandal make those earlier pictures look very Disney-like indeed.

Miley herself responded to the infamous "sleepover" pictures, insisting that they were "nothing bad." No word yet from her camp about whether she sees the alleged underwear shots as equally innocent, or whether she even admits their authenticity.

Considering the current state of Hollywood weirdness, the obvious question becomes: How can we stop this girl from becoming Britney Spears?

Maybe I'm a hopeless romantic, but I think there's still hope for Hannah Montana. Britney Spears, in my opinion, is a very unique case. (That's an understatement if I've ever made one.) Much can be explained by recent reports of a history of mental instability in the Spears family. The last star to "turn into Britney Spears" was Jamie Lynn Spears. I don't think that's a coincidence.

So maybe Miley Cyrus will follow in her family's footsteps instead of Britney's. In that case, she'll release one mediocre but sensationally well-received single and fade into obscurity.

It's always easy to blame the parents. But for some reason I find it almost impossible to blame the "Achy Breaky Heart" guy for anything. I mean come on... he's the "Achy Breaky Heart" guy.