Building up celebrities and then dropping them deep in the ground is a favorite pastime of many Americans. 1n 1999, Britney was our favorite new pop star with her number one hit, "…Baby One More Time." She became the idol of millions of teens all over the world and continued to have hit single after hit single. Sure, some ripped on her singing, her sometimes robotic songs, and her silly dance routines, but she wasn't the demonized person that she has come to be. Where did it go wrong and why do we love seeing Britney's self destruction?
I would say the Britney backlash had its origins when she performed "I'm a Slave for You" at the MTV Video Music Awards in 2001. Innocent, sexy Britney turned into sleazy (but still sexy) Britney. The album this single came from, Britney, didn't have the impact of her past albums. Then, Britney did the ultimate no for a pop diva: she released a movie, Crossroads, which didn't exactly win rave reviews. Crossroads was actually a decent, fun film. Still, we hate our pop divas to be movie stars: just ask Mariah Carey or Madonna!
In 2003, Britney went from being sleazy to being outrageously raunchy. Like Janet Jackson, she was going to strut her true stuff now that she was an adult. She kissed Madonna at the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards (Christina did too, remember?) during a performance of "Hollywood." She released her best album to date, In the Zone, with overly sexual themes. The killer dance track, "Toxic," became a top ten hit in America and a number one hit throughout the world. In The Zone sold around 3 million copies in the U.S.A, a very respectable amount considering the state of the record industry. Still, many critics and music industry insiders were happy to call Britney's career "over with." They couldn't stand to see a pop star, who was predicted to fail after her first album, still score hits.
.jpg?t=20120527181101)
Article comments
1 - El Bicho
well done, and I agree. I wish they would just leave the poor girl alone.
2 - Liz
Very thoughtful article. People love diving in other people's misery. It makes them feel better about themselves for some reason.
3 - Bob
People love to see the downfall because the subconcious knowledge that many of these celebs are more f'ed up than the average person, yet somehow rose to the pinnacle anyway. I think that triggers resentment that turns into "joy" when everyone finally figures out that the emperor has no clothes.
Take Britney, for example: forget for a minute the veneer that the starmakers wrap her in; what you're left with is a girl from rural Louisiana who barely finished high school (using tutors at that) who never got a chance to learn real life on real life's terms like the rest of us.
4 - Kyleska
I think it's a lot like driving by a car accident. These celebrity party girls are a train wreck, and we're just slowing down to watch the accident get worse and worse. Jealousy? sure. But it's really just entertainment. Like Nascar wrecks, hockey fights, America's Funniest Videos, etc...
5 - Mydreams
Leave Janet outta Britney's mess, us Janet fans will take Janet's wardrobe malfunction over Britney's bald head any day......aight.
6 - Karen
Thank you for recognizing how vicious the press and critics have become toward Britney. It scares me how so many people, who don't know her would wish such bad things to happen.
I'm a huge fan of Britney's. I love the girl she use to be. I love her music and she is an amazing performer. She's the only act I'll pay $100.00 a ticket to go see.
I don't care if she ever records again, I want Britney to heal herself.
God Bless her and her family.
7 - nugget
why does anyone care one way or another?
8 - Victor Plenty
I've never been all that happy to see any celebrity turning their own life into a train wreck. If a serious opportunity to help one of them get out of such troubles ever arose in my life, I'd probably do what I could to help.
I like to think I'd be equally willing to help, even if I didn't happen to enjoy the movies, music, or whatever the person had done to become a celebrity -- but of course I've never yet had the chance to prove that.
Seeing as how I'm not among the world's rich and powerful, I usually just don't spend much time thinking about celebrity trials and tribulations. Maybe that makes me a little odd, but I feel no loss for my shortage of schadenfreude.
9 - daryl d
Victor, you sund like a great person. I'm probably Blogcritics.org most bitter critic when it comes to celebs, but I never wish for their deaths or enjoy seeing them in rehab.
10 - Nightmare
Its like a reality show entitled:
"Hand some white trash $50MM and see what happens."
As Kyleska correctly pointed out, Britney wanted to be in the public eye. She craved it and made millions of dollars doing so. Unfortunately for her she does not get the choice to "turn off the cameras" when she wants.
If she did not want to be on the front cover of every magazine, come good or bad fortune, then she should have bowed out gracefully after making her first album. She would have then been the one hit wonder that everyone exected. She would have forgotten and she would be left alone.
Put another way, she made the decision to be in the entertainment industry. People, myself included, are getting a lot of entertainment out of seeing her run her life down the toilet. She has attained her goal even during adversity - well done Britney!
Aside from all this she has no idea what pressure is. She should try raising a couple of kids on a $15/hr salary and see what the rest of the world has to put up with before she starts crying about how horrible her life is. There would be no time for fancy hospitals and doctors to answer her every whim. A swift kick in the oversized ass might be what she needs more than anything.
11 - hiiiiiiiiiiiiii
britney is love<3!:)
12 - Bentley
Britney is a girl with no life. She has no control of what she does. Everyone took control of her life. I love britney you have no idea how much. she is beautiful and very ultra talented. people hate her for no reason. she has never done anything bad. she is not a mean person she does not talk bad about other people she is never rude. fame took her and destroyed her. we sat back and watched as she got destroyed. now a days if you look at her does she seem happy? she has no control over her money, barely any over her kids. shes not happy guys. we know that. she has this look in her eyes that pretty much says "help me". this is something that she is stuck with forever. she cant escape it. she cant escape her handlers the media or the paparazzi. people always say 'well why doesent she does retire and go live somewhere else?' think about it. she cant stop being BRITNEY SPEARS. How do you stop being BRITNEY SPEARS. i feel bad for her. shes such a nice person and a good mom. love you brit.