Note to Hannah Montana: Seat belts are necessary not an accessory
Many parents would agree that 15-year-old superstar Hannah Montana, a.k.a. Miley Cyrus, is a good role model for kids. But a gaffe in her Disney blockbuster 3-D movie, "Hannah Montana/ Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert Tour" might challenge that opinion.
Why? One scene in the movie shows Miley and her dad, country music star Billy Ray Cyrus, riding in the back seat of a Range Rover on the way to rehearsal for the concert tour. Neither was wearing a seat belt.
Why should we care? Because, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in about 55 percent of passenger vehicle fatalities in 2006 (the latest data available), the occupants were not wearing seat belts. Even worse, in the 13- to 15-year-old age group, that percentage climbs to 65 percent. Unfortunately, we’re not surprised by these grim statistics because a 2002 survey by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety showed that when parents were dropping teens off at school in the morning, nearly half the teens weren’t using seat belts.
It seems to us that Miley, her father, and Disney had a perfect opportunity to help influence teens and counteract—rather than encourage—this trend. Then again, as Hannah herself sings, "Everybody makes mistakes." Maybe Hannah, Billy and Disney, will take a tip from the rest of Hannah’s song and get it right next time around: "Nobody's Perfect! I gotta work it! Again and again 'til I get it right. Nobody's Perfect!"
Update
Miley's dad, Billy Ray Cyrus, says "we made a mistake" and agrees that seat belt use is "important." Read the full story.
Posted by: Steve D | Feb 13, 2008 11:46:12 PM
Ok, only in the USA would there be a backlash of comments about the use of seat belts. The rest of the civilized world has seat belt use mandated by law because they are so effective at saving lives. So look at this a different way.
Suppose a 14 year old role model / movie star was shown in a Disney film smoking cigarettes. Suppose this was shown as cool behavior. What would you say then. What would you prefer, that you child started smoking because their idol did or that your child always buckled up because their idol did. I think the readers here underestimate the influence film stars can have on young readers.
Posted by: Susan | Feb 13, 2008 7:55:53 PM
I'm glad someone else said something about school buses because that's exactly what I was thinking. I don't see Consumer Reports blasting America's school systems and working to get belts on those vehicles, yet here they are going after a young actress for some reason. I've noticed a trend in the media recently to try to find something wrong with Miley Cyrus, so I guess I shouldn't be surprised that Consumer Reports has jumped in there.
Posted by: rachel | Feb 13, 2008 7:04:30 PM
you know its a little crazy that a magazine would print something like this. I mean hello not every one wears their seat belt, why single her out? yes she's a role model to kids, but come on. Back when britney spears was normal and said she didnt smoke and then someone caught her smoking it wasnt made into such a big deal, why this?
smoking and not wearing a seat belt kill people, everyone knows it.
Posted by: Galen E | Feb 13, 2008 6:13:13 PM
I believe that while this doesn't deserve national news, this is an important piece and if its part of the script, its there and filmed that way. If its not, its not.
In all honesty, they are probably NOT in a moving vehicle and thus no real harm.
However, I would also argue that some children will notice this. Children notice the most obscure and tiny inconsistencies and will seize onto them. Parents, you know what I'm talking about.
Does this deserve national news? Probably not.
Is the fact that people continue to not wear seatbelts a problem? yes, yes it is. And any steps we can make as a society to mitigate the loss of life due to people ignoring this simple step, we should make.
Hannah Montana! WEAR YOUR SEATBELT!
Posted by: Paul R | Feb 13, 2008 5:49:22 PM
Well, if the Hannah Montana apologists would stop kvetching and understand that she and Papa are role models, and do set examples, maybe you all would understand that it does matter. We are part of a community together and public figures do affect others, even if it is in a movie.
The hyperbole here in attacking CR makes me think that this is part of a sad anti-government, libertarian streak in the society and even an organized, defend Hannah effort!
You all probably also think it doesn't matter when Hillary & Co. failed to leave a tip--after all, that's a private matter and up to her. For some, it reflected an upscale insensitivity to working folks. (Later, it came out that they added it to a bill.)
There's been a sea change in TV shows with drivers and passengers routinely wearing seat belts-- and with actors not smoking-- and that's all for the best. Now if they could only portray adults that act like adults that could help, too!
CR clearly spends virtually all its time on the bread and butter issues, on product safety, so comments suggesting otherwise are a real stretch.
I'm just amazed at what a nerve CR struck by daring to raise this issue. I commend CR for doing so-- it reminds people of the issue, encourages people to wear seat belts, and maybe will even get movie producers and script writers to pay a little more attention to what they portray.
Posted by: Josh | Feb 13, 2008 5:42:38 PM
Good Grief - let's stick with product reports.
Posted by: V | Feb 13, 2008 5:15:48 PM
Seriously, we know the importance of wearing a seatbelt. If others don't, well let's hope we weed them out of the gene pool. But either way, get a life. That's a very american thing to do, to freak out about a scene in a movie while you're sending your sons and daughters to die in a war and/or eating yourselves to death.
Posted by: Walt | Feb 13, 2008 4:47:01 PM
Get a life and write about something worthy. Have you ever watched a movie for entertainment? Kids can ride on school buses without wearing a seat belt (because they are not installed on most school buses) and you're going to harp on this kid for not wearing one. Even the states that do have seat belt laws normally do not pertain to rear passengers. Report on more pressing issues!
Posted by: PJ McCombs | Feb 13, 2008 4:35:16 PM
News flash: Miley Cyrus is not your BFF.
Posted by: Susan in Colorado | Feb 13, 2008 3:53:02 PM
You got to be kidding me??? You made this 'situation' worse by bringing light to the subject. I doubt that anyone would really notice to begin with. Mistakes happen and it was something overlooked. I don't think this is front page news. What next, Miley forgot to look both ways before crossing the street?
Posted by: Cathy | Feb 13, 2008 3:18:29 PM
It's easy to say it's parents' responsibility to keep their kids safe, but wait until you have teens. Teens act on the example of other teens and they often don't follow long-established family rules if they think they won't get caught. I've got another example for you, taken from "The Queen of the Road" column in the Contra Costa Times, my local paper. The media should show *negative* consequences for unsafe teen behaviors.
"While watching one of my favorite programs, "Monk," I got a little perturbed when one of the regular characters, a 16-year-old girl, received her license and on what appeared to be the very next day was transporting three other teenagers. Then, she picked up the police captain friend of her mother, and he said nothing about the fact that she has to drive with an adult over the age of 25 when carrying passengers under that age with a provisional license.
The program takes place in San Francisco. I think this is a bad example for teenagers who might be watching the program."
Posted by: Ana | Feb 13, 2008 2:27:11 PM
OMG!! REALLY!! Have you not have better thing s to look at then a Hannah movie. The kids were there to enjoy themselves and I never even noticed that there wasn't a seatbelt on. Please lets look at cleaners and other everyday items that we are exposing our kids to. Let these kids enjoy a movie without judging. I feel strongly about seatbelts, car seats adn tethers in the car but come on. It's things like this that causes a young star to drift away. This makes me like her more for my kids because nothing else bad was found that they had to come up with this. Get a real job.
Posted by: Elizabeth | Feb 13, 2008 2:26:35 PM
This comes down to a simple privacy issue. Mind your own business. Miley Cyrus and her father are not reponsible for educating the world about seatbelt safety. That is what parents are for. It is beyond ridiculous that a consumer publication is going to attack this girl and her dad for a simple mistake that is their business alone. Who hasn't forgot to buckle up their seatbelt once or twice? And my view is if it does not hurt you, then keep your criticism of it to yourself.
Posted by: bruce | Feb 13, 2008 12:58:05 PM
Wow, what an awesome marketing opportunity to tag on this story to the headline news that Miley Cyrus is getting right now for her concert movie. I also didn't notice that she brushed her teeth after she ate dinner that night. Maybe you could bring that up to the American Dental people to get them some free publicity also? Or maybe next, you could just show some soldiers in Iraq driving around without seatbelts? I hear the war is also a popular news item these days and you could do the same thing with that that you did with this..
Posted by: Concerned Citizen | Feb 13, 2008 11:51:53 AM
I can't believe that this made national news. This country is going to need a lot of help in the upcoming years if this is what we are focused on. I understand saftey and all and I am a father. I feel that the media pushes too much for entertainment figures to raise our children. The media puts way too much coverage on what these entertainers do and to me makes it sound like that our kids are doing what they do. I just don't get this kind of story at all. Maybe I am missing something but if Miley Cyrus is wearing a seat beat or not should not be national news. There are a lot of more pressing issues to be covered in this country than that.
Posted by: annoyed | Feb 13, 2008 11:34:02 AM
This is pathetic. Kids would not have even noticed if you had not pointed it out. Jamie Lynn Spears is pregnant...in REAL LIFE. This is a movie. I think the finger should be pointed at you. Not Mylie Cyrus.
Posted by: Jeri Fantuzzo | Feb 13, 2008 10:14:20 AM
Hummmm, now how many school buses aross the United States
are making seat belts available to 13-15 year olds or even younger? While you are watching the parents pull up in front of schools, with kids not wearing seat belts, look over at all those school buses pulling in, with children standing up and walking around on the bus. Miley buckle up! Remember you have goof balls watching.
Posted by: Pam | Feb 13, 2008 9:19:41 AM
There are far more important things than not wearing a seatbelt--in the backseat of a vehicle--in a movie! Although I do wear my seatbelt, I personally feel that wearing one (or not) is not something the government should be regulating. When my son was little, I made sure he was in his baby seat, then the toddler seat, then a booster seat, then regular seatbelt. From the time he was old enough to buckle the seatbelt himself, he ALWAYS does it--even now that he's in college. I didn't need a movie to "help" me in this area, or any other area of parenting. I did it myself because I'm the parent.
(Why is Consumer Reports reporting on this anyway?)
Posted by: Melissa | Feb 13, 2008 9:18:54 AM
Dear Consumer Reports,
I am the parent of a 10 year old daughter whom I take full advantage of sending her to school that my taxes pay for. I am a little concerned that you have a lack of information regarding Miley Cyrus. At one point in time, this kid went to a regular school. Her mother and father put her in the hand of our educational system and look what happened.
She rode the bus and noone taught her to wear a seatbelt!-JK
IF YOU ARE THAT WORRIED ABOUT KIDS AND SEATBELTS GO AFTER OUR EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM! QUIT TRYING TO GET RATINGS BY NAME DROPPING AND LOOK AT THE BIG PICTURE. I have to say I was a fan of the mag but this makes me ill and I will rethink the trash that I thought was a treasure.
Stick to what your used to and quit trying to be the next TMZ!
Posted by: andrea pitts | Feb 13, 2008 8:54:05 AM
This article is precisely what is wrong in America today- Placing blame on a 15 year old, clean, Christian-based role model and her father for the deaths of teenagers in America. Miley is one of the few role models that I feel comfortable with letting my daughter idolize and to find fault with her for something that took place on a movie set is absolutely absurd. This was obviously an oversight with the movie producers-Yes, she should have been wearing a seat belt, but she wasn't actually ON THE ROAD DRIVING. With all the Britney Spears and Lindsey Lohan's running around in America today, I find it hard to believe to pick on Miley Cyrus for something so trivial.Shame on you Consumer Reports. Miley and Billy Ray, you rock!!
Posted by: Doug | Feb 13, 2008 8:30:43 AM
This is really refreshing to see prople finially making statements such as this and getting off the kick that its always someone else's fault for what they decide to do. Self responsability, self accountability, and and self control is more of what we need in this country. Now if we could just get our government to gain the same integrity. Now thats a fantasy!
Posted by: Deana | Feb 13, 2008 7:23:48 AM
Seriously? Its the BACK SEAT! Last I checked, its not law to wear one in the back seat after a certain age/size. Is she jumping up and down on the seat? Come on, get a life. No teenager is goping to say "hey miley didnt wear a seat belt so neither will I" How many movies do we see where the driver or passenger arent wearing belts? GO report on them!
Posted by: Chris | Feb 13, 2008 7:07:08 AM
This is completely ridiculous. Those type of scenes are filmed on closed courses under expert supervision, so a seat belt is not necessary. The people who should be chastised here, are the parents who are writing and/or supporting this type of nonsense. Maybe you should spend more time educating your children and less time on the computer complaining (by the way, do you even know where your kids are right now?) Maybe if you took the time you are wasting here, to tell your child, 'this is a closed course with safety professionals nearby, that's the only time it's safe to ride without a seatbelt,' your children would understand and would be safe. Parents who start these kind of arguments are the ones who have no idea where there children are. Your kids our pregnant at 13, smoking crack and running away from home, while you are trying to hold companies like Disney responsible for your lack of parental guidance. Get a life, do your job as a parent and stop blaming other people/companies for you laziness.
Posted by: BubbasMom | Feb 13, 2008 4:28:13 AM
Don't you people have anything better to do? Last time I checked, I am responsible for teaching my daughter right from wrong not Disney or any other tv show or movie my daughter watches, let alone a 15 year old girl who is still growing up herself.
Are you perfect? Dig inside and think about how it would feel to be 15 and have the media talking about every mistake you made. And we wonder why all of these teen stars end up with so many emotional issues. Just give these poor kids a break! We as parents are responsible for teaching our children right from wrong and not anyone else!!!!!
Posted by: James Reedy | Feb 13, 2008 3:43:06 AM
This is exactly what is wrong with the Country today to many people wanting to make us belive the way they do. Everyone do everybody else a favour shut up mind your own buisness! As far as seat belt laws go they are just plain old dumb if you want to wear one then fine if you dont thats fine too its your life to live as u see fit not as big brother the goverment or anyone else sees fit. This is America were free to do as we please in the pursuit of happiness and wearing a seat belt has never saved another drivers life and parents are in charge of there own children if they wear one fine if not then they might learn the hard way.