Unless you have been asleep since Sunday or have just chosen to retreat from society, you most likely have heard about the MTV Video Music Awards and the controversial performance of Miley Cyrus. Actually, after watching a video of it online, controversial is way too tame of a word to describe what I saw.

Perverted, filthy, and disgusting come much closer to doing justice.

Whether the performance was a true reflection of the new Miley or just a marketing and publicity ploy to show Miley has grown up, she has definitely made the transition from teen idol to adult sensation. The more the performance is talked about, the more successful she will most likely become. (Talk about perverted.)

To be fair, Miley was not the only one involved in the action. Robin Thicke played a significant part in the performance, as well, but since I had no real idea of who he was until I Googled him and found out he is a pretty big deal currently (and is the son of Alan Thicke from Growing Pains), my thoughts focused on Miley and the changes she has made.

You see, I used to watch, and re-watch, Miley’s Hannah Montana movie and shows with my daughter and truly enjoyed them. I also love the messages in some of her songs, especially The Climb.

Maybe she had to do something shocking to continue to shed the squeaky-clean image she developed as a child star so she could appeal to a wider audience. Maybe the pressure facing a 20-year-old superstar to stay relevant and in the limelight clouded her judgment, along with the judgment of all of her people. I am not excusing or condoning her actions, but since I have no idea of the pressures a 20-year old in her situation is under, I am also not going to condemn her. She chose her actions and will need to live with the results of them.

Instead, what I want to do, and what I think all parents of young children should do, is thank her.

Yes, that is correct – thank her.

Miley’s actions should be a reminder of why we, as parents and other people who care about the well being of young people, need to encourage our children to find role models closer to home and to stop worshiping at the celebrity altar. (I guess many adults could be encouraged to do that, as well.)

I am glad my daughter has not yet been bitten by the celebrity-worshiping bug (unless you count Harry, Hermione, and Ron as celebrities). I am glad she has not yet looked to celebrities to decide how to live her life.

I want my daughter to look to her teachers at school, who, with true passion and little pay, empower our children to learn and believe in themselves.

I want my daughter to look to our neighbor, who earned her PhD while parenting and working from home, and is now empowering teachers to become the best teachers they can be.

I want my daughter to look to her godmother, who helps lead her local Girls on the Run program, empowering girls from 3rd to 8th grade to be emotionally and physically healthy and confident.

I want my daughter to look to her mother, who, after being a stay-at-home mom, working part time in direct sales, successfully jumped into the corporate world and now empowers other women to be successful in business and in life.

With so many wonderful women to influence my daughter on a daily basis, I hope she never needs, or wants, to look to the celebrity world for examples on how to live her life.