Cyrus Early Breakout Contender for Tacky Taste Award by Marilyn Beck & Stacy Jenel Smith on Creators.com

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Cyrus Early Breakout Contender for Tacky Taste Award

Cyrus Early Breakout Contender for Tacky Taste Award/Sanderson 'Terrified' (Kind of) Over Being Controlled by Internet Community

Here it is, only February, and already we have a strong candidate for this year's Tacky Taste Awards: poor pitiful papa Billy Ray Cyrus, for the GQ interview in which he blames "Hannah Montana" for pretty much all the ills in his life — including the end of his marriage and his concerns over the behavior of his 18-year-old daughter, Miley.

"The damn show destroyed my family," he proclaims. He gripes that every time there was a scandal, like Miley's awards-show pole dancing or her sexually provocative Vanity Fair photos, his daughter's "handlers" had the nerve to put him before the press to take the heat.

"'Somebody's shooting at Miley! Put the old man up there!' Well, I took it, because I'm her daddy, and that's what daddies do. 'Okay, nail me to the cross, I'll take it," he whines.

Good daddies don't allow their little girls be photographed topless cuddling a bed sheet at age 15, or join them for creepy couple-style shots that hint at incest. Billy Ray's mea culpa in GQ is all about how he should have been more of a parent and less of a friend to Miley, but doesn't include anything about his responsibility in matters like photos in which he was personally involved.

To many observers, his true priorities have often shown through the thin veneer of a family-man performance. This is the guy who tended to frown, sigh, purse his lips, become clipped or otherwise give evidence of his distaste whenever press asked Miley-related questions — instead of Billy Ray-related questions. Even in the best of times. And now he's talking to GQ because, well, it has something to do with a new album. He rode Miley's coattails into an obviously fervently desired fresh wave of fame. And now that his "Hannah Montana" ride is over, he's in GQ, pointing fingers at everyone else for her excesses.

Hate to achy breaky it to you, Billy Ray, but GQ would never have been interested had it not been for her.

ON THE EDGE: William Sanderson is having a blast playing a 20,000-year-old bartender in an establishment at the edge of the universe in Current TV's new "Bar Karma" series.

However, the esteemed character actor admits the fact a bunch of Internet users out there are determining aspects of his character and storyline "terrifies me. They might want me to wear a Speedo," he deadpans.

"Bar Karma" is the production sparked by video game king Will Wright ("Spore," "The Sims"), who envisioned a TV series created by an online community. Former Nickelodeon Entertainment President Albie Hecht heads the creative team that works in conjunction with the Internet group convened by Wright.

In fact, the community was responsible for putting Sanderson's character, James, into a suit, and Sanderson likes that. The "True Blood" and "Deadwood" veteran calls James "an impossibly old cynical misfit whose grasp on reality is loose, and who is flexible with the truth.

"It's a gift to be doing this," adds Sanderson. "The writing is really good. And the premise is interesting ... What would happen if you could change your life?"

As far as his casting, "Probably the fact I was in 'Blade Runner' didn't hurt," he says. At 63, he's figuring that "Bar Karma" might just be "my last hurrah. I'm going to wrap it up after this, probably. But I'm very happy."

INDUSTRY BITS: Speaking of fathers working with daughters, Ricky Schroder is getting ready to film "Wild Hearts" with his real-life daughter Cambrie, 13. The one-time child star, who had a ranch for a number of years that he'd escape to between series and movie roles, wrote and is producing as well as directing "Wild Hearts." It's the tale of a headstrong Malibu teen who goes off to the Sierras to be with her mysterious bio-dad, a rancher.

Speaking of triple threats, Christopher Moynihan ("A Mighty Wind," "Coupling") is getting ready to star in his "Man Up" ABC comedy pilot, for which he also serves as writer-producer. Teri Polo is in the cast as well. Industryites have been expecting a first-rate product from Moynihan, widely considered a big-time talent, for a while. We'll have to wait to see if this is it.

To find out more about Marilyn Beck and Stacy Jenel Smith and read their past columns, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.

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