For the first time in my adult life, I have cable television. Now that I’m not limited to the rabbit-ear networks, I’m finally able to go off in search of a special group of celebrities. We’ll call them Disney’s Squeaky Clean Brat Pack.

They have perfect skin, shiny hair and ultra-white, toothy grins. They are fashion forward and very mature. And apparently, these bright and shiny tots are the geese who lay gold-plated eggs for Disney.

I recently waited for an oil change to end at a local business with a few parents. Their children couldn’t have better manners. They were hypnotized by The Wizards of Waverly Place, a sitcom about young wizards trying to fit in at a trendy L.A.-like place.

The volume of programming Disney produces is awe-inspiring.

“Oh, and this is just the American stuff. This isn’t Australia or Japan,” a young mother said, her baby girl dozing on her shoulder. While this mom said she preferred a network for toddlers, one that airs Wonder Pets, she’s up on Disney.

Lucinda Breeding

The company has some of the top-grossing music available. The most recognizable acts are also the most criticized.

Miley Cyrus, the pint-sized progeny of likable, second-rate country star Billy Ray Cyrus, straddles a really ticklish line.

She’s beloved by little girls and “tweenagers” for her endlessly singable tunes, and her easily copied fashions and hairstyles. Disney surely adores her for generating huge profits. Hannah Montana merchandise moves.

She’s mocked by both grouchy critics and indie music buffs who deplore the assembly-line nature of acts like Cyrus and the Jonas Brothers. Their music is hyper-pop, and sweet enough to cause tooth decay.

Christy Lemire, an Associated Press film critic, was cheered by Cyrus’ performance in the Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus Best of Both Worlds Concert Tour IMAX movie released last February. She said Cyrus was the kind of young performer you want to root for and that she hoped the superstar wouldn’t crash and burn like another more seductive blonde pop star.

The Jonas Brothers are a Hanson-like outfit that performs radio-ready songs with a stylish wardrobe and hair. They look cool enough to fit in at school, but they don’t scare parents.

There’s no doubt that Cyrus, the Jonas Brothers and the principal cast of the Disney blockbuster High School Musical put in lots of effort and work with some of the best producers and managers in the business.

Chances are, they’re savvy young artists who have a lot of focus and the kind of energy only found among the young. But these performers are packaged, and Miley and others like her are the Tiger Beat magazine crew.

But they don’t get the kind of credibility afforded other acts that are just as mass-produced. (Ne-Yo, we’re looking at you. Usher, you too.)

Why do the masses like to roll their eyes at Miley, and her alter-ego, Hannah Montana? Her show and her music are the ultimate fluff, right? But is she any lighter weight than the Beatles were when they first broke in the states, with confections like “I Wanna Hold Your Hand?”

It could be that Cyrus’ target audience is the young female demographic. Her products are aimed at preteen girls, for whom all thinks pink and sparkly are fashionable.

Girls, teenage girls and college women are a powerful market, and it’s a demographic that has an impressively deep pocket. Girls and the ever-ripe category called “tweens” have shelled out millions to take home music and merchandising stamped with the Hannah Montana, Ashley Tisdale and Jonas Brothers brands. (The Jonas Brothers are a 13-year-old girl’s dream, with bubble-gum pop and tight white jeans.)

They do score extra credit for writing their own material. Before that, girls paid a lot to see Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera live.

Both women got their start in Disney’s reincarnation of The Mickey Mouse Club called MMC, which also was the incubator of Justin Timberlake. He’s rocketed right out of the much-maligned boy band arena, which also sells to the young and female crowd.

Entertainment for boys doesn’t get the same rap. Video games, sports and recreational markets — such as go-carting and paintball — aren’t mocked for being fluffy or light-weight.

It could be the absence of pink feathers and sparkles, to be sure.

But the competitive and action-centered character of boys’ entertainment is prep work, grooming boys to consume professional sports and high-dollar recreation when they turn 18.

Hannah Montana and the Jonas Brothers are likely training girls to make typical purchases after 18, too.

Cyrus has spent most of her young life working. She can belt in the tradition of the best of the Grand Ole Opry singers, and she can remember her choreography while mugging for an audience.

She’s in the same shaky acting league as her dad, but all in all, she’s a safe bet. And she’s already positioning herself to sell music to collegiate and adult pop music fans.

If she doesn’t burn up in the heat of the spotlight — a la Britney — Miley stands a chance to parlay her Disney start into a career than brings all ages to arenas. That success depends, though, on blasting past the sparkles, the pink and the little girls.

LUCINDA BREEDING can be reached at 940-566-6877. Her e-mail address is cbreeding@dentonrc.com.