Stop laughing at poor Britney
First of all, I'm not a Britney Spears fan. In fact, there's very little I actually know about her, her life and her career. However, today when I stepped on the bus, entered my first class, took a break for a refreshing cola-beverage and finally came home, her name popped up every time. The reason I don't watch TV is because I don't want all that celebrity bulljive shoved down my throat, but enough was enough. I finally had to find out what the big deal was.
This is what I've found: a former Queen of Pop and star of my pubescent fantasies recently got divorced for ambiguous reasons, flashed her **** to the media (recurring some of those pubescent fantasies), stopping by a rehabilitations centre for a few hours before shaving her head and winding up in another rehab clinic, and handing her two kids over to their estranged (if not just strange) father.
Now it's pretty clear that Miss Spears has lost some part of her mind (a decidedly expected fate when you consider her alleged friendship with international superwhore, Paris Hilton). What gets me is that people all over are making fun of the series of unfortunate events surrounding the Baudelaire chi—I mean Britney Spears.
Now it's one thing if you think that she's completely talentless as a singer, songwriter and actress — tenfold on that last one — but a lot of people are in Hollywood. If the writers of the Scary Movie Series should still be allowed to make movies while retaining their rights to breed, than Britney Spears doesn't seem all that bad.
Anyway, the issue here is that on radio, on the Internet, between people who've never have, nor ever will come in contact with her, are just ripping her apart. And when you think about it, it's a little unfair. Back in '98, when she first elevated herself to Princess Holy-Shit-Lookit-Me everyone was making fun of her then “virginal” image. Now, for whatever reason, she's finally snapped and succumbed to drugs, rampant partying, public nudity and hair . . . shaving.
That same situation would be extremely sympathetic if it were happening to a character in a dramedy starring Hugh Grant. But because it's happening to a figure that we're all familiar with, it's okay. We don't know her, we don't need to: it's funny, right? In the end, someone who was successful at something let her life slide and has resorted to some pretty desperate measures for attention, and now she's in rehab (which is good, because that always works) and it doesn't matter who that's happening to, it's kind of sad.
I'm pretty sure that no one poked fun at Layne Staley's drug addiction when it hit its public height. I'm not even pretending to place Spears anywhere near Staley's level of musicianship, but the point remains: when the rock star lifestyle catches up to someone, “funny” isn't exactly the best way to describe it.
So, while publicly kissing Madonna for shock value, fifty-five hour marriages and kick starting the failed musical career of a dirt-bag nobody can be funny, I think there comes a time to ease up a little. At least if she gets better than we can make fun of her again.
Editorial opinions or comments expressed in this online edition of Interrobang newspaper reflect the views of the writer and are not those of the Interrobang or the Fanshawe Student Union. The Interrobang is published weekly by the Fanshawe Student Union at 1001 Fanshawe College Blvd., P.O. Box 7005, London, Ontario, N5Y 5R6 and distributed through the Fanshawe College community. Letters to the editor are welcome. All letters are subject to editing and should be emailed. All letters must be accompanied by contact information. Letters can also be submitted online by clicking here.
This is what I've found: a former Queen of Pop and star of my pubescent fantasies recently got divorced for ambiguous reasons, flashed her **** to the media (recurring some of those pubescent fantasies), stopping by a rehabilitations centre for a few hours before shaving her head and winding up in another rehab clinic, and handing her two kids over to their estranged (if not just strange) father.
Now it's pretty clear that Miss Spears has lost some part of her mind (a decidedly expected fate when you consider her alleged friendship with international superwhore, Paris Hilton). What gets me is that people all over are making fun of the series of unfortunate events surrounding the Baudelaire chi—I mean Britney Spears.
Now it's one thing if you think that she's completely talentless as a singer, songwriter and actress — tenfold on that last one — but a lot of people are in Hollywood. If the writers of the Scary Movie Series should still be allowed to make movies while retaining their rights to breed, than Britney Spears doesn't seem all that bad.
Anyway, the issue here is that on radio, on the Internet, between people who've never have, nor ever will come in contact with her, are just ripping her apart. And when you think about it, it's a little unfair. Back in '98, when she first elevated herself to Princess Holy-Shit-Lookit-Me everyone was making fun of her then “virginal” image. Now, for whatever reason, she's finally snapped and succumbed to drugs, rampant partying, public nudity and hair . . . shaving.
That same situation would be extremely sympathetic if it were happening to a character in a dramedy starring Hugh Grant. But because it's happening to a figure that we're all familiar with, it's okay. We don't know her, we don't need to: it's funny, right? In the end, someone who was successful at something let her life slide and has resorted to some pretty desperate measures for attention, and now she's in rehab (which is good, because that always works) and it doesn't matter who that's happening to, it's kind of sad.
I'm pretty sure that no one poked fun at Layne Staley's drug addiction when it hit its public height. I'm not even pretending to place Spears anywhere near Staley's level of musicianship, but the point remains: when the rock star lifestyle catches up to someone, “funny” isn't exactly the best way to describe it.
So, while publicly kissing Madonna for shock value, fifty-five hour marriages and kick starting the failed musical career of a dirt-bag nobody can be funny, I think there comes a time to ease up a little. At least if she gets better than we can make fun of her again.
Editorial opinions or comments expressed in this online edition of Interrobang newspaper reflect the views of the writer and are not those of the Interrobang or the Fanshawe Student Union. The Interrobang is published weekly by the Fanshawe Student Union at 1001 Fanshawe College Blvd., P.O. Box 7005, London, Ontario, N5Y 5R6 and distributed through the Fanshawe College community. Letters to the editor are welcome. All letters are subject to editing and should be emailed. All letters must be accompanied by contact information. Letters can also be submitted online by clicking here.
