Is Miley Cyrus Toxic to Children?

Probably not, but her jewelry may be. Miley Cyrus's entire line of necklaces and bracelets has been pulled from the shelves of Wal-mart after tests determined that they contain high levels of the toxic metal cadmium. This is an awful scandal for both Cyrus and Wal-mart.

First, how did this oversight occur? According to the Associated Press, which broke the story, the jewelry was imported from China. The article explains that Wal-mart began a policy last month to require suppliers to prove their products contain little or no cadmium, but this jewelry must have slipped through the cracks.

According to Wal-mart, the jewelry is probably not a threat. Cadmium is only known to be toxic of ingested. But the retail giant tells AP that the jewelry was not intended for children. That claim, however, borders on preposterous, considering that virtually all of the teen star's fans are kids. But Wal-mart probably means that very young children, who are more likely to bite or suck on a product, wouldn't generally wear the jewelry.

Still, the damage is done. Events like these can cause some customers to lose trust in large retailers like Wal-mart. Product safety is generally something of a base-motivation for consumer purchases. Just ask Toyota. Even if no lawsuits come from of this incident, it could result in a pretty bad tarnish on the firm's reputation -- especially given parents' likely reaction since the product has a hugely popular child star's name attached.

This incident should also serve as a lesson for entertainers turned retailers. What's a great way to anger your fans? Sell them harmful products. You shouldn't put your name on a product without doing significant due diligence first. In the case of Cyrus, it's hard to imagine that at 17-years-old, she should have been expected to ask her distributor if the products contained cadmium. But celebrities need to keep in mind these kinds of concerns when pedaling products bearing their name. In the case of Cyrus, she should be concerned about losing the trust of parents, in particular. They, after all, are the ones who pay for her movies, music, and now retail products that are making her rich.