Former Teen Star Tiffany Defends Miley Cyrus' "Sexy" Image
Credit: David Livingston / Getty Images ; George Pimentel/WireImage
In her 80s heyday as a teen pop sensation, singer Tiffany favored acid-washed jeans, sneakers, long-sleeved shirts and not too much makeup.
But that doesn't mean that she disapproves of today's much less modest generation of singing teen stars -- especially Miley Cyrus, 17, who has worn cleavage-bearing dresses and skin-tight bodysuits, danced on stripper poles and simulated lesbian kisses on stage.
PHOTOS: Miley's raciest outfits
"Miley Cyrus is on a great track," Tiffany, now 38, told UsMagazine.com at Saturday's EW Comic-Con party at Hotel Solamar in San Diego.
"I know that there are a lot of people that say well when you are so young you shouldn't be sexy," the "I Think We're Alone Now" singer conceded.
"I think that in today's world you kind of have to be [sexy]-- to be competitive in the market," Tiffany told Us. "I think that she is doing it appropriately. And it's always a fine line there."
PHOTOS: Other child stars who grew up fast
"But I'm a huge fan of hers. I think she's gonna have a long career," she gushed, adding praise to Cyrus' mom and dad, too. "Her parents are guiding her right, and it really matters what base you have around you. Very much so."
Although Tiffany stayed buttoned up during her teenage fame, she did pose nude for Playboy in 2002. She has a 17-year-old son, Elijah, from her first marriage, and has been married to second husband Benn George since 2004.
PHOTOS: Miley's fave look -- short shorts!
The 80s icon is attending Comic Con to help promote Mega Python vs. Gatoroid -- the campy scifi flick in which she costars with her former rival Debbie Gibson.
"It was awesome!" she said. "We were always planning on doing something but I think people were expecting more of a musical… and it's not."
PHOTOS: See what your fave stars from back in the day are up to today
Although she and Gibson achieved pop success around the same time, the flick was their first time to bond. "I knew her, but we never really hung out...we have a fond respect for each other but I didn't know if we would end up being buddies."
"It's really nice to be able to say we are really good friends. Of course we always play up the cheeky side...we had the little catfight -- we were loving it!"
Tell Us What You Think
118This is all bull oh she's growing up just fine....bla bla bla bla look at britney this is how she started out and look at where she is at today because of the non sense her parents let her pull.... My three year old niece still looks up to this what I thought was a "GOOD" teen role model but i guess not any more???? I swear if i ever caught my own daughter or my own niece wearing something like that. I would smack her silly because no 17 YR OLD girl should be going out side looking like some tramp off the side of the road.... i'lll tell you my niece ain't watching her should any more you can't act one way on tv and then turn around and she young girls who look up to you that's its okay to dress like that its wrong?????
I don't like the outfit but I love the new Miley.I hate hannah montana.
The people that got somethin to say about Miley Cyrus. First off you dont know her to judge. Shes gettin more money than you would ever be doing and who cares if shes dressing sexy shes grown. Shes gonna keep doin what she does no matter what you gotta say so go somewhere wit your hatin ass talk. I love Miley!
GUYS SHOULD WEAR SHORT SHORTS oh and mileys growing up dam shes still a good person . BTW GUYS SHOULD WEAR SHORT SHORTS ITS ALL OVER THE RUNWAYS LOOK IT UP
y do people say she is the next brittany. okay so she is becoming sexier but this doesnt mean that she is going to do everyhting brittany did. y cant poeple say she is just miley and introduce a new person in the business who is doing her own thing and feels gr8 about it. i agree with tiffany. look at selena or demi, nobody thinks of them as real artists and nobody thought that miley is until she became sexier. she is the 13th best pop artist in 2010 and were is selena and demi. not there!!!
It really annoys me that she says she's so grown up and mature, but as soon as she's criticized (appropriately so, I might add) it's "I'm just a teenager, cut me some slack". Funny how she wants the freedom of being an adult but not the responsibility. Personally, I correlate adulthood with being responsible, whereas she associates it with being sexy and "edgy". I guess she really does need to grow up. How ironic.
I think that if Miley really had confidence, and her parents were in her life more, than she would be a better person. But Tiffany is right, in today's market you do have to be competitive, to make money. :(
i think if miley believed in herself, she wouldnt need to dress like that. Does she ever stop and think about her young fans?
My daughter used to love her - now she thinks she's a skank - as do I. The outfits are wearing are not something most 17 year old would be wearing. Her parents should try and control her image. It sucks that every time a new young singer comes out,they only last a couple of years before they turn into a child trying desparately to be an adult. The outfits are offensive and I'm so dissapointed in both the child and the parents.
no, she totally pulled a britney/x-tina thing over here. i was actually defending her for a while, but she dates ALL her costars, she dresses like a $luuttttt, and a bad baaaad influence for her litle hanah montana fans and other little girls. look at selena gomez...
Im sorry but but as soon as I saw that pic and I know its old the first thing that came to mind was Toddlers in Tiaras. Miley is 18 in 4 months and in that pic looks 13... thats sad because she is not dressing appropriately. Girls can look seriously attractive without looking like that... she needs a professional stylist and someone to map out what direction she should take because she's throwing it all away bigtime..
omg LMAO @ snow is fun. I think it looks whorish because it looks whorish. and i am 23. it has nothing to do with the way i look, but the way these girls are perceived, if you have to dress like wh ore to sell music, then maybe you should make better music ;) and umm sweetheart you are aware that you are doing EXACTLY what you accuse "older" women of doing, you are bashing their looks for bashing the look of someone else. hypocrite much? I wonder if you could pull off any of these outfits? Yeah thats what i though
I think people should just let Miley be. She's 17 years old, almost 18 already. Miley is a beautiful and talented teen. People should stop judging the way she dresses and focuz on more important things like the way she sings or acts.
It's good that Tiffany & Debbie Gibson don't condemn Miley Cyrus for displaying her sexuality. It does seem that there are older people (namely older women in their late 30s & older) who fee the need to put down women who are younger. In 2009, Miley Cyrus, Britney Spears (28 in 2009), Rihanna, Lady Gaga, etc. are often condemned usu. by older people esp. women in their late 30s (37 or older) & older for displaying sexuality. Why this happens? Because some of the older women hate the idea that younger women are prettier & because of jealousy, they attack people like Miley Cyrus & it wouldn't surprise me if some of you who condemn Miley Cyrus do it because you're jealous that Miley Cyrus is prettier than you are.. Sure there are pretty 40 something women but all things =, a 20 something woman is prettier or in Miley Cyrus's case, an 18 year old woman. When Madonna was younger (her 20s to 34 years old), she was scored & condemned for displaying her sexuality. Yet after she had 2 kids & was in her 40s, Madonna was called as 'sexual peak'-praised for behavior which brought condemnation in her younger years. Whether it's the lesbian kissing scenes Madonna did in her older years or other things, etc. Sexual peak is a myth. Younger women are just prettier, but they get condemned for displaying their sexuality. Madonna was pretty from 1984 to 1992, but Madonna has peaked out & isn't that pretty anymore-she's not ugly but her best years past a long time ago.
Miley is a big disappointment. I know so many younger kids that look up to her and her role as hannah montana. I know she wants to try and get away from disney but barely wearing any clothing doesn't really help. It just portrays yourself being trashy and not classy. You're pretty much saying that it's okay for kids to dress up like this nowadays.
What does old Tiffany know about career longevity? She lasted from '87-'89 and by 1990 she was history. And Miley's "sexy" image hasn't done her good so far - her recent album bombed, becoming her worst selling album and so did her recent movie. Miley will be a has-been by the time she's 20 at this rate.
tiffany was one hit wonder . she can defend for miley all she wants , but it wont help . im a fan of miley , but i can agree that she's turning into birtne spears. we dont need anymore chicks shaving their hair off or being LILOS . but it seems like she is goin down that path and she needs to SLOW DOWN :(
I don't like what Miley is doing!!! Is Tiffany a parent??? I'm sure that Tiffany would think differently if she was a parent!!! I can't be believe that Miley's parents let her do these things!!!
I think Miley rox!!! People don't look at her to see what she is wearing. Itâ??s not about what she looks like although she is pretty. People just listen to and like to sing her music and watch her movies. Miley is like super talented. The songs on recent CD, Can't Be Tamed are the best so far. Her last movie, the Last Song was an epic and I think she deserves an Oscar for her performance. She has a long career ahead of her in both singing and acting. People are just jealous because they know they could never be as cool as her. So, just grow up leave her alone.
Thank you so much Tiffany that you approve that a teenage star that millions of infants look up to gives them the right impression of how to behave and dress properly as a teenager.