I came in The New York Times Presents: Framing a Britney Spears thinking, I’ll see what they have to say, but what will this documentary that I don’t know yet really tell me? I was a teenager at the height of her success and that of MTV Full live application it was nothing less than a formative experience for me. I have a navel piercing. I traveled all over the country to witness the Las Vegas residency. It may not be bold enough to call me an expert, but if I were on a night of trivia and the subject was Britney Spears, I’m sure I would have this round blocked. And then I watched this documentary and it changed everything I thought I knew.
Not so much that Framing Britney Spears He taught me a lot that I didn’t yet know about his career, but open hell opened my eyes, mostly to see the events of 20 years ago through the lens of today. I admit I also got into this pretty skeptical experience with the #FreeBritney movement. Sometimes it has felt perhaps overwhelmed or a bit dramatic and we all know the danger of spreading conspiracy theories over the internet today. But my mind has definitely changed on this subject, and not only does it feel legitimate and more urgent than ever, but another example that, despite the song on their 2000 album, perhaps What U See is no always What U Get.
This document immediately establishes her credibility with the inclusion of Felicia Culotta, or Faith, as Britney fans will know her. It is especially remarkable that he takes us into his life today, as well as his career with Britney and how this has changed over the years, while maintaining his bright, cheerful, optimistic self and never making direct or condemnable claims. in one direction or another. She makes it clear that her involvement in the documentary is to “remind people why they fell in love with her in the first place” and, in this mission, she is very successful.
However, what soon becomes clear is that we, the people, have failed Britney. Similar to last month tiger documentary, this is a raw and brutal exploration of fame in the United States and, precisely, of the dangerous game it always proves to be. In any case, this story is even more messy and certainly more troubling. Britney is not back yet. Although what this special exposes may be the key to helping her achieve it.
While the early moments offer first-hand relationships that suggest Britney wasn’t the puppet she was believed to be in the early stages of her career, she becomes a terrifying testament to the way the media and, for so much so, all of us, we treated this young woman. The misogyny of the early 2000s will make your stomach ache. That journalists (often men, natch) find it within their right to ask such curious and private questions about their breasts, body, and virginity is disgusting. But we ate it then. Ex-boyfriend Justin Timberlake is always an easy target, but he’s also involved here, at the beginning of his solo career when he was desperate to be accepted, through a clip of him making a dumb comment on a radio program. will not be unmarked today. Britney was judged by every choice she made and no one seemed to hold back. When Kendel Ehrlich, wife of the former governor of Maryland, said she would shoot Britney, the pop star’s instinctive and innocent “ew” response, is as genuine and succinct as it gets. This documentary shows more than one interview in which Britney breaks down in tears and I guess we just … see?
His fall is explained exactly as the sloppy circus he was, but due to the rapid succession of clips, viewers can see the light coming out of his eyes. It’s there at the beginning of Kevin Federline’s relationship, but in the end, along with the hair, it’s gone.
In addition to Felicia, weigh those who worked with Britney at the peak of her career, including fellow decision makers and former MTV VJ Dave Holmes, as well as New York Times editors, industry professionals. music and media, paparazzi and lawyers. They all paint a picture that is really hard not to feel guilty. Even if we don’t contribute directly, we don’t help when she clearly cries out for it. As they do, I feel complicit. The images of the night with the umbrella are hard to look at, but impossible to look out at. I remember being at that time on spring break in the Bahamas and seeing that image on the cover of a tabloid in a small market where they were not allowed to look at magazines unless you understood them. Imagine moving away from this image! But yes. I couldn’t believe it was true and no to want believe it was true. And I can’t believe we’re letting it get to this point.
But we did, and Framing Britney Spears explains exactly why: Britney is likely to suffer from a severe case of postpartum depression, even though we just chatted with our heads shaved and laughed at the numerous jokes about it. That says it all about the treatment of women, the most famous in America, and it sure will make you wonder: what did we expect from this? What did we expect the result to be? Why didn’t we help? And what can we do to make up for it now?
Enter Britney’s father, Jamie Spears, who begins to get involved when her health is as fragile as ever, and as the documentary suggests, probably for her own financial interests. That’s when the conservatory begins. Framing Britney Spears it provides a context to Jamie’s interest and involvement in his daughter’s life throughout her career, which so far has not been so explicitly stated. The lawyers here, with a degree of involvement on the part of both Britney and Jamie, do a great job explaining in depth some particular elements of a case of conservatism, while emphasizing the enormous legal impact it could have. over the next few years, both in his life and in future cases as well. Fans concerned about their safety and freedom as part of the #FreeBritney campaign are also interviewed outside the courthouse, showing their support with neon pink homemade signs.
The only thing this groundbreaking, infuriating and eye-opening documentary knows for sure is that this moment is and should be a wake-up call. You’ll hear the phrase “we don’t know what we don’t know” more than once and that’s really and sadly the truest fact. We don’t know what his current mental state is, we just know what it was, what we expect and the potential that remains. We can’t know for sure if Jamie’s control is harmful, although there is little to suggest that it is necessary or beneficial. We know she has to come to an agreement that feels safe and satisfying for Britney, her father, and her fans.
The documentary also cautiously tackles her Instagram, which is regularly analyzed to find clues to her well-being, her desires, and her current stability. I want to believe that selfies, dancing and “Questions and Answers”, fashion modeling videos and subtitles full of random emojis like all hell, are those of a happy and even happy woman. But please know that it will be a real challenge to stick to that belief after seeing this.
Framing Britney Spears is a must-see not only for Britney fans, but for anyone with even the slightest interest in modern pop culture. It presents as many questions as answers, and it may be up to us to direct the conversation or protests out of court after seeing it. It is impossible to emerge without feeling extreme guilt for the way they treated her, a growth with respect to what we now consider acceptable (although much work remains to be done) and, ultimately, an urgency for this unique situation. This document can and should inspire many important conversations in the legal, music and media industries. Framing Britney Spears it’s fun to watch, but even more so, it’s shocking and hopefully motivating.
#FreeBritney
current The New York Times Presents: Framing a Britney Spears and FX and Hulu