If you've made it through junior school, you have probably never heard of the Disney tween sensation Miley Cyrus or her alter ego Hannah Montana. Well, that is, until a couple of weeks ago when her decision to bare her back in some arty Vanity Fair pics caused a furore across puritan America.

Christian groups objected, parents were outraged and the Disney machine did everything it could to keep an appropriately humbled Cyrus out of the public eye.

By Hollywood’s standards, this 15-year-old’s minor indiscretion is hardly shocking — Melanie Griffith moved in with her 22-year-old boyfriend when she was only 14 and Drew Barrymore was in rehab by the age of 13. Hell, Nickelodeon had a far bigger problem on their hands when Jamie Lynn Spears — the star of their tween sitcom — got knocked-up. Slight overreaction perhaps?

Perhaps, but in Tinseltown the crime very often has little to do with the punishment. Scandals that should have sunk careers have often propelled them to new heights and, for an unfortunate few, a minor lapse in judgment has led to infamy, social ostracism and roles alongside Tara Reid.

We look back at some of the juiciest scandals of the past 20 years and the careers that they have trashed… or at least temporarily stalled.

Whacko Jacko

Where does one begin with Michael Jackson’s little indiscretions? The year 1993 seems like a good place. When accusations of child molestation first surfaced in 1993, the King of Pop paid more than $20-million to make them go away. His loyal fans overlooked his dalliances with little boys and for the next decade continued to fill his coffers.

In 2002 however, he shocked even his most loyal subjects when he dangled his baby Prince Michael II (also known as Blanket) over the railing of his hotel balcony, clutching onto the boy’s ankle with one hand. His seemingly endless facial restructuring and skin lightening did little to allay suspicions that he was a little, well, whacko.

Fresh allegations of child molestation in 2003 landed Jacko in court and although he was acquitted on all charges in May 2005, the grisly details and his bizarre court appearances did not help his already faltering career. Rumours of financial problems that began surfacing in 2006 have persisted and the King of Pop has made no sign of reclaiming his throne.

Another strong contender on the wall of weird is former heartthrob Tom Cruise. Couch-jumping Cruise was already showing signs that a trip to the psychologist was in order when he declared his undying love for Katie in a display of athletic enthusiasm on Oprah, but suspicions were confirmed when in May 2005 he lambasted Brooke Shields for taking antidepressants for post-partum depression.

Taking his anti-drug stance a step further he criticised the 'Today Show' host Matt Lauer for suggesting that Ritalin has actually helped some people. Following these all-to-public displays of opinion, Paramount ended its long and successful relationship with the actor in August 2006, citing his ‘recent conduct’ as the reason.

While the ‘Mission Impossible’ actor will no doubt recover from this career glitch, those who saw his performance on that illegally leaked Church of Scientology clip — yes, the one where he talks incoherently and laughs hysterically for at least eight minutes — will agree that, at the very least, he needs to reconsider his stance on psychiatric drugs.

America’s not-so-sweethearts

For at least a decade, Meg Ryan held the title of Romcom Queen. Yip, we loved her when she faked an orgasm for Billy Crystal, when she got mail from Tom Hanks and when she charmed the pants off Hugh Jackman. But when she jumped into bed with Russell Crowe on and off the set of ‘Proof of Life’ in 2000, we stripped her of her title.

Not surprisingly, the fling didn’t last. Ryan hasn’t had a hit movie since the scandal, but Russell Crowe went on to rake in the Oscar nominations — even a telephone-throwing-temper-tantrum in 2005 couldn’t dent his flourishing career. Cuckolded hubby Dennis Quaid was able to cash in on his wife’s infidelities by starring in a couple of instantly forgettable films.

Nipplegate

Americans are fond of football. They are also not completely averse to gratuitous displays of the female anatomy. Just not together, as Janet Jackson discovered when she ‘accidentally’ bared her breast to half of America during a live performance at the February 2004 Super Bowl.

During their performance, Jackson’s duet partner Justin Timberlake ripped off part of her leather bodice, revealing a nipple-shield-adorned breast. The audience of 90 million were not impressed. Broadcaster CBS was issued with a $550 000 fine and Jackson was held up as an example of all that is immoral about modern America.

She was forced to withdraw as the lead in a planned ABC biopic on Lena Home and her eighth studio album ‘Damita Jo’ sold poorly. CBS would only allow Jackson and Timberlake to attend the Grammys if they publicly apologised at the event — Jackson declined and Timberlake accepted the condition and apologised for the ‘wardrobe malfunction’. Timberlake emerged from the scandal unscathed.

Sinead O’Connor also learnt a lesson about the power of live television broadcasts, when she wrapped up a performance on 'Saturday Night Live' by ripping up a picture of the Pope. Her futile attempts to justify her actions — a protest against child abuse — were ignored in the flurry of Sinead-bashing that followed. Radio stations banned her songs, former fans trashed her albums and she never regained platinum status.

Boob-flashing and Pope-bashing are bad; lip-synching your entirecareer propels you into a whole new league. Milli Vanilli duo Rob Pilatus and Fab Morvan — you know, the guys with dreads and shoulder-padded suits — were stripped of their 1990 Grammy (and any remaining credibility) when their producer revealed that the pair were professional lip-synchers, who hadn’t sung a single word on their chart-topping album. Pilatus committed suicide in 1998 and Morvan has failed to launch a successful solo career.

Sticky fingers

Hollywood’s favourite klepto is, without a doubt, Winona Ryder. Unfortunately, her little unauthorised shopping trip at Saks Fifth Avenue in 2001 has made everyone forget that she was once an esteemed actress. Although she completed her 480 hours of community service for her $5560 fashion faux-pas, Ryder has yet to appear in a movie worth mentioning. No, ‘Mr Deeds’ does not fit the bill.

Ms Ryder’s sticky fingers are hardly worth mentioning in light of Mr Snipes’ recent conviction for tax evasion. Yip, earlier this year everybody’s favourite vampire-slayer was found guilty of tax evasion (a whopping $15-million) and sentenced to three years in prison. Although three years in prison is bound to put a damper on his career, Snipes may still come out fighting with a sequel to his 2002 prison film ‘Undisputed’.

Crack is whack!

Whitney Houston’s good girl image of the '80s and early '90s began to falter when she married Bobby Brown in 1993. The relationship seemed to have a negative effect on the singer’s career as she randomly cancelled shows and appearances.

Her emaciated appearance at the Michael Jackson: 30th Anniversary Special in 2001 confirmed suspicions that she was suffering from either an eating disorder or a drug addiction. In a 2002 interview with Diane Sawyer, she reacted strongly to the allegations.

“Crack is cheap. I make too much money to ever smoke crack. Let’s get that straight. Okay? We don’t do crack…Crack is whack.”

Indeed it is. Houston’s 2004 rehab attempt failed — as did Brown’s horrid reality show — but she did manage to complete the programme in 2005. She has subsequently divorced Brown and plans to refocus on her career.

Divorce unfortunately did little to rectify the scandal-ridden career of Britney Spears. Panty-less partying, bizarre head-shaving, failed trips to rehab and an ugly custody battle that has involved at least two stints in hospital have made the pop star a poster girl for just how much can go wrong.

No wonder Disney is all hot under the collar about Miley’s little photo shoot — it will be a while before anyone forgets that Britney was introduced to the world on Disney’s Mickey Mouse Club. The wholesome family channel is full of princesses in urgent need of a fairy-godmother.