This month fans of the American pop-star Britney Spears watched with horror as the New York Times Presents’ latest episode, “Framing Britney Spears” took a deep dive into the life and times of a star who has lost her rights and is now fighting for her freedom. Released on February 5th on FX, the docu-series serves up many chilling lessons about the 39-year-old’s life and the role that her father, the media, and fans have played.
Lesson 1: Conservatorship This word “conservatorship” has been floating around the mainstream media but what exactly does it mean? So, literally, Britney’s father (Jamie Spears) is in control of her life, finances, and decisions. It sounds just as bad as it is. In the state of California, a conservatorship is meant to be a legal safeguard for those who cannot take care of their personal and financial affairs. So, with an elderly relative, a cognitively disabled child, or someone who has been under extreme mental duress; a conservatorship can be a preventative step so they are not taken advantage of. In Britney’s case, they placed her into a conservatorship starting in 2008 when she was experiencing some mental health issues—giving her father full control and decision-making power. While Britney herself has admitted that it was necessary at the time, the decades-long legal battle leaves her fighting in court for more autonomy. Many fans and skeptics have criticized this legal framework saying that it is counter-intuitive that a person who can release platinum-selling albums and perform a Vegas residency but doesn’t have the mental capacity to pay her own bills? Something seems fishy.
Lesson 2: Justin Timberlake was not an innocent bystander The documentary brings up the legendary romance between Britney and teen-heartthrob Justin Timberlake. Yes, we all remember the amazing denim on denim outfits but at the time the romance was unfolding it was hard to see just what the media was up to. During the documentary, they remind us of the headlines that held Britney responsible for this breakup and painted her as a cheater and sex-fuelled heartbreaker. Timberlake’s publicists also used the break-up as an opportunity to release the music video for the single, “Cry Me A River” with a suspicious Brit-look alike featured in the video. This was a time when the American public was obsessed with sex (remember the whole Monica Lewinsky and Bill Clinton impeachment scandal?) well the trick-down was an over-emphasis on Britney’s sexuality. Justin sure did nothing to quell the misogynistic and nasty voices in the press that condemned Britney for the breakup. He has since released a formal apology to Britney and Janet Jackson via Instagram. Is this enough to let him off the hook?
Lesson 3: Fans Are Partially Responsible The new documentary features a look into Britney’s life and career like fans have never seen before. Interviews in the “Framing Britney Spears” documentary include: a family friend who traveled alongside Spears for much of her career and acted as her chaperone, the marketing executive who created Spears’s image, a lawyer who is working on the conservatorship case, and the lawyer Spears tried to hire in the early days of the conservatorship to challenge her father’s control. That being said, there is still an aura of responsibility that it is impossible not to feel when watching. As adoring fans, we wanted to be let into Britney’s life no matter the cost, even when the cost was the pop star’s sanity. In the 1990s there was no social media and for every record sold, TV interview, and magazine cover printed there was a price to be paid. This fame led Britney to be one of the most beloved artists in the world and her ascension to global stardom seemed like the American Dream, but there was a cruel side. Our feverish obsession with the star fueled a 24-7 invasion of privacy and daily abuse from the paparazzi. When it was good we bought albums and merchandise and when it was bad we bought tabloid magazines, tuned into talk shows, and laughed at the late-night skits about her behavior.
