Freedom of expression or brain washing?

In one of the discussions this past week, Mr. O'Connor brought a very interesting suggestion. He shared how he was going to buy tickets to folk music concert, and was bombarded by fans of the Disney channel's Hannah Montana. Where has she come from? Did the Disney channel pick her because she was a socially-minded artist looking to express anything to her audience, or did Disney pick her because she was a girl that they could use to manipulate millions of teenage girls with? She now has a not just a TV show and an album out, but also a clothing line and who knows what else. Remember when music used to be about making a statement?