Deeper and deeper

When it comes to the great thinkers of our time, several prominent names spring to mind.

There's Noam Chomsky, the linguist, philospher and political activist. Or how about Richard Dawkins, the ethologist, evolutionary biologist and science author? And don't forget Germaine Greer, the bra-burning, John McCririck-troubling feminist.

Chin scratchers and pontificators of the world rejoice, for another eminent name can now be added to those esteemed ranks. So far, her literary canon only extends as far a single volume of memoirs, but give her time. After all, she's not even legal for another eight months.

She's only 17 but Miley Cyrus is already an influential thought-leader - regularly courting controversy the way Ashley Cole attracts skanks. As a post-feminist icon, Miley embodies the conflicting duality of modern teenage life.

Whether she's posing for 'Lolita'-style pictures, pole-dancing on an ice cream cart, or encouraging her nine-year old sister to look like the female Gremlin, Miley knows how to stimulate ideas. Even if those ideas are "what were her parents thinking?" or "Someone get Gary Glitter on the phone."

Rather than the randomly inconsistent behaviour of a pubescent girl with a massive marketing budget behind her, Miley would like it to be known that she's very much in control of her own destiny. Because, it turns out, she and new boyfriend Liam Hemsworth are "deeper than normal people".

In a new interview with Teen Vogue, the toothy temptress revealed that the two lovebirds found an instant rapport on the set of weepie 'The Last Song', thanks to their mutual maturity and depth of thinking about, you know, stuff:

"He definitely showed chivalry: I remember him opening the door for the director, and I was like, Wow. He's very grateful for what he has, but he doesn't let it go to his head. I'm like that too."

Like all great philosophical minds, Miley understands who she is and why she's successful. Or, at least, the singer-actor-model-songwriter thinks she does: "It's refreshing to work with an actor who isn't also a singer and dancer and musician and artist and this and that. I'm sick of quadruple threats who do everything when they should stick to one thing."

Perhaps Miley should try sticking to one thing too. Just so long as that one thing isn't talking.