Yes, I am an adult who has seen every (or almost every) episode of Hannah Montana.  I’m supposed to know what my kids are watching, right?  Actually, they really get a kick out of me watching it with them, which is very cool with me.

I’ve been disappointed in the past few episodes I’ve seen, though.  Miley Stewart/Hannah Montana seems to be getting more and more bratty and diva-like.  I am only talking about the character on the show; I’ve heard rumors that Miss Miley Cyrus is getting this way too, but don’t know whether that is true or not.

For instance, in the final episode of the second season, Hannah is auctioned off (as a date) to heartthrob Johnny (played by Corbin Bleu of High School Musicals 1, 2, and 3) and to family arch nemesis Rico – at the same time.  She goes on the date with both, and while Rico is obnoxious, ultimately Johnny is disgusted by Hannah’s nasty behavior toward him.  Later, at school, he tells “real girl” Miley that he really likes regular girls, like her.  Even so, I’m not sure she really gets the message – because she goes on to be just as bratty in Season 3.

Episode 1, Season 3 is sort of a throwaway episode, in which Jackson and Lilly seem to really like each other, romantically (I won’t give away the ending).  But Miley continues acting super-bratty, trying to keep Jackson and Lilly apart for her own selfish reasons.  As usually, she supposedly learns her lesson by the end of the episode.

But those lessons learned never seem to last long.  In Episode 2, Miley goes over the top.  She’s now 16, and trying to get her driver’s license.  She has bad luck at the DMV.  The examiner gets into her car with dog poop on his shoe, and then proceeds to blow yellow snot all over the inside of the car as well.  She finally pulls over and tells him to get out, which of course results in her failing the driving test.  She can’t take it again for two weeks, but there’s a party that night, and she can’t be seen getting dropped off by her brother or her dad!  Gasp!

So, she ends up using Hannah and some backstage passes to BRIBE a DMV worker into letting her take a driving test as Hannah Montana, with NO PROOF OF IDENTIFICATION.  She passes, but gets pulled over on her way to the party, and is busted for driving with Hannah’s drivers license while looking like Miley.

Eventually, she convinces the officer and his daughter that she really is Hannah Montana, and then Dad arrives as well.  They don’t say whether she gets any consequences for her actions, other than an hour or two in jail and the shame of having Dad drop her off at the party and announce her arrival with a bullhorn.

Folks, this is fraud.  Miley committed fraud.  According to California DMV regulations (http://www.dmv.ca.gov/dl/driversafety/fraud_guideline.htm), if she were a real person, she could be blocked from obtaining a driver’s license for at least a year.   I’m guessing there might be a problem with the bribery, too.  And in reality, this probably would have resulted in Hannah Montana being reviled like Britney Spears or Lindsey Lohan.  On the show, she gets off with the usual “lesson learned” ending.  I don’t think that’s a good message for kids.

In previous seasons, Miley/Hannah has sometimes been bratty, but more in a normal kid kind of way (spats with brother, thinks dad isn’t fair, etc.).  This season, unless they’re setting her up for a BIG lesson-learned episode, I’m not impressed.  I’m not even sure whether I want my kids to keep watching.

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