First I would like to say that I think it is a beautiful picture; BUT she is only 15 years old and she is being portrayed as though she is naked in bed. Not to say that this is all her fault; however her younger fan base does not read Vanity Fair... Its scary to think of what type of "fans" will be.

Peggie Giambra, Buffalo, USA

Oh my god! These mothers have got too much time on their hands and have nothing better to do. Yes she is 15 so that makes the photo slightly inappropriate but would it be any different if she was wearing a bikini which shows probarbly more flesh than the picture does. The mothers need to grow up.

Bernice, Essex, England

Ah, America.... let's not focus on important issues like poverty, job loss, the disaster taking place (and taking lives) in Iraq.

No, instead go on the good ol' Yankee sex patrol. If it ain't white bread and mayonnaise it must be wrong. Burn any Beatles albums lately??

Lila, Trieste, Italy

I think, it's no big deal. 15 and 16 year olds showed their backs before. Everyone is making a big deal cause she's famous. She's still the same sweet person. If anyone's angry, get over it. It was meant to be artsy, not bad. She apologized, so get over it. Its not playboy.

Karen , hubertus, USA

No matter how artsy the photo is,,,a 15 yr old girl has no business posing that way when millions of preteen girls admire her. Better judgement should have been used by Annie Leibovitz and the parents should have remained at the photo shoot the whole time.

Bert, Southern California,

Oi mate, its aplogiSed not apologiZed!!!

Dee, London, United Kingdom

I think the photo is stunning. It reminds me of a Vermeer, but I would think there is too much flesh on show for Dutch renaissance portraiture. The chiaroscuro technique is marvellous, so you could be forgiven for calling it Italian. That said the overall balance, the impish look and splash of red that draws the eyes over, dare I say it, French. It would be interesting to listen to the opinion of an art historian. Of course we could just listen to the continuous ramblings of the perverse, the fetid, and the mad.

Larry, Stratford,

Honestly people , you guys just need to leave the poor girl alone , I mean no offense to Britney Spears and all , but look what happened to her , with the poperatize or however you spell it , but it drove her into insanity....

Cody, Poplar bluff, United states of america

The 'half-naked' in the title is completely inaccurate. Cyrus was wearing a silk stole over full-length dark jeans. This whole palaver is the product someone's perverse reaction, not any impropriety on the part of those involved with the photos.

Rachel Marie Walsh, Belgravia, United Kingdom

Dena,

Look in the Oxford ENGLISH dictionary for the correct spelling on the word apologised.

Nothing wrong with the photo, nothing is on show that should not be.

Honestly, you'd think some of these people had just stepped off the Mayflower the way they react.

Darren, Norwich, UK

Dena

Just for the record we do NOT spell apologised with a 'z' in the UK. An apology to James Bone would now be deemed appropriate.

LIz, Welwyn Garden City, UK

Bily Rae was there when all this was going on, And he allowed it to happen. In fact he was having his picture taken with is daughter. He is the father and grown adult, and it his responsiblity to see to it that she does not do these things. It does not say much for him. Nor Annie.

sharon, Maryland, USA

James Bone from the New York Times needs to learn how to spell. Its apologized not APOLOGISED! I can't believe you are an editor! This is the first sentence in the Miley Cyrus ad.

Dena, Midlothian, united states

Oh Lord! If you put straps over her shoulders and on the sheet it would look like a low cut backless dress. We have seen more skin on younger girls at award presentations wearing even lower backless dress!!

David, Canada

David Joe, Brampton, Ontario, Canada

Does anyone really care?

Alex Penn, Kingston, UK

OMG She is not half naked! She is showing her back only. What are we going to start doing cutting her down like we did Brittany Spears. Maybe that is what is wrong with Brittany now. Have you ever listened to her CD? There is nothing about sex, drugs or violence. Just leave her alone!

Angela N, Destin, FL, USA

My daughter is 4 years old and absolutely adores Hannah/Miley. I am very careful what I let her watch and to see her posing in that manner was offensive. When my daughter saw it she was shaken by it. American is striving to forsake any for of morality. Purity must be Born Again!

Tiffanie, Richton Park,

How can this girl be compared to britney! she is totaly inoccent in this whole affair, like she said she thought it would be artsy. I dont see what the issue is! it's not provocative at all shes only showing her back! The blame though should be shoulderd by the magazine as they know their audience

mark , LONDON,

If you look on the Vanity Fair website you see a photograph of the shot being set up. She's wearing jeans & has a sheet covering everything except the top of her back. It's hardly Playboy people. If you wanna get a offended perhaps you want to look at the far more provocative photos online...

Polly, Suffolk, UK

Whats the issue here? Is she taking drugs? Is she drinking? Is she doing any one of a million other bad things she could be doing? No. Shes... oh my god, she is... she's showing her BACK!!! Thats shocking!! ok, I see what you all mean now, showing the bare top half of a back can not be allowed!

Mike, LA, CA

Does nobody think that someone should have been looking out for this 15 year old child who obviously is mature enough to realize she made a mistake. Considering there were plenty of "responsible" adults there who could easily have advised her against this photo shouldnt we lay off her?

KB, London, UK

I completely agree with the closing comment from Robert Thompson. Need we recall the hysteria surrounding Janet Jackson's immoral 'wardrobe malfunction'? This is a banal publicity stunt, nothing more. If this had happened in a European country, no one would have batted an eyelid.

Robert, London, UK

Back off Miley, and place the blame where it belongs, with the magazine! Unfortunately kids are exploited everyday. She is a teen she is going to do the same stupid stuff all teens do, famous or not. GIVE HER A BREAK! And it's only HELPING to sell the Mag by sensationalizing it all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Kristi, Decatur, USA

I think everyone needs to stop being so critical of Miley. She's apologized and is obviously upset that the photo did not turn out the way she thought it would. Quit condemning her for this one situation that has happened.

Jennifer Bradshaw, Alexandria, USA

Miley Cyrus is going to end up just like Britney Spears. Just like her. She has like 6 million kids watching her. She needs to get her act together

Hannah Young, Raleigh , U.S.A

i think everybody just needs to give Miley a break. She said it herself, nobody's perfect, she isn't either. I think she was being genuine and totally real when she said that the photo was meant to be "artsy."

Thaina, Clearfield, USA