Miley Cyrus starring in vlog

The “Hannah Montana” show is so yesterday. Now you can watch Miley Cyrus in the “Miley and Mandy” show, her self-created reality series on YouTube.

Its breakthrough episode? When Cyrus, 15, and back-up dancer Mandy Jiroux, 21, mocked rival Disney stars Selena Gomez and Demi Lovato, who host their own YouTube show, “The Real Demi Lovato.”

Both shows, or vlogs (short for video logs), are part of a trend by teen stars to bypass overprotective parent companies – in this case Disney – and connect with fans through online video portals.

Others who have their own YouTube channels include the Jonas Brothers (featured in tonight’s new Disney Channel movie “Camp Rock”), actress Allyson Stoner, and Miranda Cosgrave of Nickolodeon’s “I Carly.”

But Disney celebs dominate the genre, with a mix of seemingly home-made promos and slice-of-life clowning.

Is it a defiant attempt by the teens to be their own image-makers? Or a savvy marketing campaign to use spontaneous footage to foster an illusion of intimacy with the stars?

Maybe both.

“To do non-Disney shows, these stars have to get approval, but YouTube has somehow slipped through the cracks,” says Molly MacDermot, editor of M, a fan magazine for tweens and young teens. “They like this control they’ve got, where they can do their own thing.”

“Disney has given them the nod because it generates viewers and makes kids feel like they’re part of the stars’ personal life,” Sweeney says. “If something goes wrong, it’s like with Miley Cyrus and the ‘Vanity Fair’ cover, they’re able to say, ‘Oh, it’s not our fault’ and back out of any responsibility,” Sweeney says.

One draw of the YouTube shows is that they’re open to interpretation. When the Jonas Brothers quipped, “My, how the tables have turned” in one short video, M magazine searched for meaning. Was it a message to Cyrus about the band’s soaring popularity, after months of serving as her opening act?

Like a high school feud gone viral, the “Miley and Mandy” parody – titled “Is My Make-up Too Dark?” – also invited commentary, with viewers debating whether the duo’s intentions were playful or malicious.

Since it was posted two months ago, the webisode – which spoofed “Wizard of Waverly Place” star Gomez modeling a Power Rangers tee, and Lovato asking fans about her eye shadow – has gleaned more than 2 million views.

Fans posted nearly 50,000 comments, both pro and con. Hundreds even made parodies of the parody.