This week, I have decided to focus on a central figure for portraying the negative image of women in Hollywood: Britney Spears. Yes, I have mentioned her in other posts, but she has had so much drama, and the media focuses hate on her so often that she is always worth mentioning.
Not only is the media focused on her singing career, but also her drug and alcohol abuse, her sanity, her mothering skills, her shopping habits, her court appearances, her rehab, her family drama with mom and dad, her sister's life, her boyfriends, her ex-husband, and everything else imaginable. She has been loved, hated, scrutinized, and everything else imaginable.
When Spears was the epitome of the good, virginized, pop-singing teen the country was behind her, and she was a role-model for young girls everywhere. In my mind, when this changed was after she was known to have broken up with Justin Timberlake. Since then, the media, as far as magazines, tabloids and scandalous news sources like E! have torn apart every aspect of Spears' life.
Yes, Spears made some poor decisions as a mother, like holding her daughter on her lap while driving, but let’s not pretend that Spears is the only mother to make a critical error in judgment. The only reason that the country even knows about it is because the paparazzi are following her around.
Yes, Spears chose a man as her husband who seemed to only want to advance his own career.
Yes, Spears drank too much, and did some crazy things, and went to rehab several times.
But, why is this the public's business. Spears did sign on to become a celebrity, but to what extent do we as a society need to air all of the dirty laundry of a human being. To what degree does Spears' mothering skills and husband choices influence her ability to be a singer.
We as a society made Spears into the celebrity that she is, and we made her into the bad-role model that she now is by focusing on her negative aspects, and showing them to the entire world. If we had not shown those aspects and exploited Spears' life to the extent that we have, Spears could still be the role-model she once was.
Google Play Store
6 years ago
3 comments:
While you make a good point of the fact that the media does focus entirely on the negative aspects of Britney Spears' life and therefore "air her dirty laundry," we do see Britney Spears' as maybe a little crazier then she actually is. But at the same time, her crazy life is non-stop. Its not just a couple of isolated incidents that are overly publicized. She has been a continuous scandal for a couple years now. The paparazzi isn't hunting for her crazy life they are merely capturing it. While that is her choice, bringing children into that lifestyle is another thing.
W. Sherritt
To be honest I stop watching, reading and talking about celebrities in the news a long time ago. It doesn't matter who you are, what you do or how much money you have. One day you can be up at the top, idolized for who you are and what you stand for. Then the next day your at the bottom being booed at and thought of as bad influence on Americans youth. America is fickle and if there isn't any drama attached to it, it isn't note worthy.
Chris Selix
I remember reading an article that said that B Spears is our sacraficial virgin, thrown into the volcano. Based on all thate she has been through, and how it has been something of a media obsession, I think the article might have a point. Before Britney, it was maybe Courtney Love, and before her...? Maybe Marilyn Monroe.
Maybe its regional pride (I'm from the South of the USA), but I'm am a fan of Spears if not her "media image". I actually like the music that she creates/fronts/whatever. Its fun to dance to. Plus, Spears seems to always figure out how to stay in the spotlight and stay solvent, something other celebrities have difficulty with.
Post a Comment