Is It Okay To Say Hayden Panettiere Is Hot?

Today we're gonna answer a tough question: is it okay to publically proclaim that an underage girl is sexy, without being labeled as a pedophile?  Keep in mind, we're obviously not talking about hitting on underage girls or interacting with them in any way (IF YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN -- *WINK*!!!!!), this is more of a discussion about discussing.

Here's our case-in-point: Heroes star Hayden Panettiere, the cheerleader who can heal herself.  She's 17-years-old.  Here's a recent picture of her:

Wow.  Okay, is it cool to call her hot if you're over 18?  I say yes, and here's why:

1) Her age.  She's 17.  If she was 15 or under, no matter how hot you think she is, as far as you're concerned, she isn't.  16 is kind of a gray area.  I would play it safe and say 16 is off limits, but if you slip and make a lewd comment about Emma Roberts, you could probably talk your way out of being thrown into the pedophile pit.  On the other hand, while 17 isn't legal, she's close enough to 18 that she can be discussed.  Saying a 17-year-old celebrity is sexy is like driving 7 miles above the speed limit.  It may not be completely kosher, but you're probably not harming anyone, so who cares?

2) She's a celebrity.  This doesn't give you license to shout obsenities at a Dakota Fanning film, but people in the public eye are opening themselves up for scruitiny, whether they like it or not.

3) She's smiling!  If she were frowning, or covered up with a burka, I don't care how famous she is, you've got to respect that underage girl's right to privacy.  However, if she seems cool with the attention, you'd be a monster if I didn't at least write a blog post about her.

However, you kind of have to judge these things on a case-by-case basis.  If you're in your 20's, you'll probably get more leniency than a 45-year-old.  In general, I'd keep your comments relatively clean.  Also, be careful about calling non-famous underage girls hot -- your crew might get freaked out, especially if someone knows her.  Awkward!

So to you, Hayden Panettiere, I say: "Ha-cha-CHA," "Va-va-va-VOOM," and so forth.  Is there a legality clock for her yet?

[Update: If only Lindsay Lohan had read this before going on Conan.  She might have been a little more cautious.]