My post about Britney Spears

[BlueStater]

I figured this would be the best place to post this.

I'm trying as hard as I possibly can but I just can't feel any real sympathy for Spears. If she really is sick and needs serious help then I'm sorry. I fully admit always sort of rooting for her career to end since I've considered her a talentless airhead who did not deserve the years of exposure she got but this isn't the way I wanted to see it happen.

The reason I'm having trouble sympathizing with the girl is for a few reasons. One, she is not a GIRL. At 25 years old, she is an adult and is responsible for her own decisions. Nobody told her to party with that leech Paris Hilton or flash her private area at the paparazzi. That was her desicion. For another thing, we've been through so many publicity stunts throughout the past six years that I can't be sure if this a genuine mental illness or another cry for attention.

To me, Britney Spears eptimizes everything that is wrong with American society. I'm disgusted her career has lasted as long as it has when hundreds of people with real talent never get discovered. She hasn't even recorded a song in over two years. Yes, the media was stupid for giving her so much attention but you don't think she had anything to do with it? I just find it hard to take seriously someone who cries about her lack of privacy one second and then exposes her genitals in front of dozens of people another.

Britney probably isn't a bad person, just not very smart. Her children need a mother and she should focus on that rather than getting hammered with wealthy, obnoxious socialites.

This will be my only post on this subject. This isn't really my thing and I'm not sure if Britney is really sick or if this is another publicity stunt. Celebrities certainly don't need sickness as an excuse to do weird things, after all.

[Zavulon]

1. This will confirm my score on LionessPriyanka's sociopath test (48%), but

as long as she isn't hurting anyone else I am perfectly happy to see the train wreck continue. I agree with everything you wrote. I can't believe I'm going to say this, but here it goes: Kevin Federline is a better candidate to be a parent.

By now she should be relieved of custody of her kids, and like you I want to see her career end. If she wants to continue on the self-destruction binge, that's perfectly fine with me. I hope she and Lindsay Lohan crash and burn at the same time.

[Writer]

2. The problem is that she is no different than any OTHER 25 year-old in trouble.

But we hate her because she's "airhead Britney."

[grace0418]

5. I can't agree with that statement. When I was 25 I was certainly not by any

means mature (still have a way to go there) but I was on my own, taking care of myself, and I lived for a year on what that girl makes in a day. I knew my limits and got myself out of whatever trouble I got into. Plenty of 25-yr-olds get into trouble and make stupid choices, but not many go off the rails as spectacularly has Britney has. The fact that she has two young children makes it that much more revolting.

[Writer]

10. But what makes you think that every 25 year-old out there is like you?

[grace0418]

11. No more than every 25 yr old out there is like Britney.

That's my point.

[MissMillie]

3. Here's my thing

I don't know anything about Britney Spears. I really don't. I won't pretend that the National Enquirer is a good enough source for me to use as a basis to judge her life and even if it were, I think my energies are better spent elsewhere.

I hope that if she's in trouble, she finds some help. I hope that her kids grow up healthy and well-adjusted.

I'm not a fan of her music, but I don't believe that her being famous is keeping anyone else from being discovered (it's not a zero-sum thing for me). If she can feed her family by making music, then so be it.

What really pisses me off is that this sort of "news" somehow gets precedence over important stuff. Britney's back in rehab--that's news? An astronaut involved in a love-triangle--That's front page stuff? Anna Nicole's body was embalmed but not buried--well so what, neither has James Brown's.

And some of our most cherished newspeople are guilty of putting this on the front burner--Olbermann!!!

Two weeks ago a leader of the insurgency in Iraq made a statement about what would have to happen for the bloodshed to end there. It was printed in The Independent (Britain). Where was it on the news in the U.S.? Somewhere behind the story of Anna Nicole and astronaut triangle, that's where.

Why aren't we demanding more of our news media?

[Beer Snob-50]

6. Let's face it

most of the people in this country could really care less about what is going on around the world unless it has to do with celebreties (sp). My wife will not usually read an article in the paper unless it has to do with the rich and famous.

Let's face it, Tom Brady and Bridget Moynihan is more tantilizing than George Bush and Nancy Pelosi (BTW for those who care, I am not the Father of Bridgets baby!)

[MissMillie]

7. I guess I'd rather let the entertainers do the entertaining

and let someone else make the news.

But yes, I agree, I'm in the minority on this one.

[grace0418]

8. I think the success of people like Britney Spears *has* affected the music industry

and therefore has affected who does or doesn't get discovered. It may not be zero sum, but it is much, MUCH harder for people who actually have talent but don't look like Britney to get a break. I have many siblings in the music biz and they've seen it change over the years. When so much of the industry focuses on looks, idiotic dance moves, samples from old disco hits, and overdubbed vocals, it doesn't leave much room for anything else. It's all about marketing, real talent takes a back seat.

That said, I agree with you about the oversaturation of this stuff in the media. I think people don't want to even think about the real news. They just want to feed on celebrity gossip.

[MissMillie]

9. I think the cause of that is MTV

don't you?

Music used to just be a radio thing. Looks came into it long before Britney.

But your point is well taken.

[grace0418]

12. True. But in the beginning of MTV, there were plenty of bands out there doing

interesting videos that may not have even featured the band. Now, if there are any videos played, it's all about gyrating, silicone enhanced bimbos.

[regularguy]

4. I don't get it.

I fully admit that I might have missed something, but apparently the woman shaved her head. She went out partying sans underwear (young ladies without underwear? yucky poo!!!!! x( ). I'm not interested in her music, although I doubt it's any worse or more vapid than other similar pop music. Ok, maybe she's a spoiled, flaky celebrity, but still: What has she done that makes her symbolize whats wrong with America? Why should her children be taken away? I must be missing something...