Vanessa Hudgens Photos and Should We Really Care?
A Rant by jdubhub

Even a cursory read of the submitted posts here on Xomba and darn near everywhere else in the ether shows that Ms. Hudgens' moment of carelessness is big news. Or is it?

I believe what is being missed here is that she is just a teenager. A teenager in love and desperate to hold onto her boyfriend. Some of us are more removed from our teenage years than others, but think about that awkward time in our common past. Gangly, uncoordinated limbs. Seemingly random outbreaks of dreaded acne. Our bodies changing and doing new things to us, sometimes in class in front of our peers. Cliques--either in them or outcast. That first crush that we would absolutely DIE if they found out. All of those wonderful things mixed together with a heaping helping of raging hormones.

Think about how you FELT while all of that was going on in your own life. Now, picture yourself with all of that inner turmoil being thrust into the spotlight and being told that all of the changes are inconsequential because you are a star and people have different expectations of you.

Could you do it? I know I couldn't when I was a teenager. I had my share of awkward changes and crushes on top of the brutal reality of being raised in an alcoholic, physically and emotionally-abusive home. It's a wonder I didn't go postal at least once in my young life.

But, the important thing to remember is I outgrew the awkwardness and developed into a mature (and maturing-still) adult and productive member or society. Almost all of us will outgrow the awkwardness and immaturity to go on and lead normal, healthy adult lives.

So, getting back to Miss Hudgens, we can say from our adult perches that she was wrong for what she did, but I will not pass that judgement on her. She was simply being a teenage girl doing what she thought was best in the moment to hold onto perhaps one of the most stable parts of her teenage world. She didn't commit murder or drive drunk in public flashing her pantiless bits for the paparazzi. No all she did was take some suggestive photos for her boyfriend and her boyfriend only. Somebody else took advantage of her naivete and stole the photos to prostitute Miss Hudgens' innocence for personal financial gain.

Somewhere in all of the prurient, hormonal hype surrounding the discovery of the photos, I hope that people will remember that Vanessa Hudgens is the victim here and probably not much different from you or me at that age. If the perpetrator of the theft and sale of the photos is reading this, SHAME ON YOU!

End rant.