“Everyone now, they look back and they’re like, ‘What happened to your sweet image that you used to be?’ And I’m like, then when I came out you thought I was too provocative. It’s like you can never win. No matter what you do, at the end of the day you can’t please everybody, you know. I’m not here to please…” (Spears, Primetime Interview with Diane Sawyer)
Britney Spears is an American singer/songwriter who helped revive teen pop. Her eminence comes from popularizing being provocative in music videos and performances during a time where it was obscure. Being one of the first, it brought along a lot of controversy surrounding whether it was okay for a teenager to dress up the way she did. Without her contribution to this new pop era, the popularity of provocative music would not have been as prevalent as it currently is. She was also the top teenage artist of her time and had several of her albums reach number 1 on Billboard. Britney’s contribution to pop culture through her catchy songs, and her signature raspy voice will be remembered for as long as music exists. Britney’s presence remains in popular artists such as Doja Cat whose music is predominantly provocative and carries parts of what made Britney eminent with them. Britney’s story around the many obstacles she has had to overcome will also be memorable due to the impact it had on pop culture media.
Britney’s struggles throughout her career have had a very big impact on her mental health. Her explosive rise to the top combined with her popularity meant she often dealt with a lack of privacy and respect by others. Many didn’t like the change in style and have tried to push a negative image on her to get her to stop. Having everything about her life publicized meant that she dealt with a lot of pressure to be perfect. She was constantly berated by paparazzi who often interfered with her ability to do everyday tasks. Her mental health was slowly getting worse and was what led her to her “mental breakdown” where again, it was publicized. She could not even go to the hospital without paparazzi blocking the ambulance’s way. She was admitted to a psychiatric hospital which led to a conservatorship that no longer allowed Britney to control her finances, estate, and her life including custody over her kids. Since then, she has talked about wanting to “be normal” and “take time to be normal”. As of this year, 2021, her path to reaching her goal seems to be getting closer with the end of her conservatorship.
I connect with Britney through the struggles she has faced. Even past the barriers I have with her, such as gender, age, and mental health, the most impactful commonality we share is one-sided misrepresentation. These barriers limit my understanding of Britney, but I know that we both have a single story that cannot be changed. Behind what everyone can see is different from what is truly there and what only I can see. I don’t believe anybody understands Britney, the same way I feel that nobody will fully understand me. Often as gifted learners, one common stereotype about us is that we are all smarter, and we are all the same mentally. Just like Britney was compared with other teen pop stars, I am constantly compared to my classmates in academic and social skills and when I am different from the rest, I am pushed back by others into fitting the role of how they view a gifted student. I hope that as a TALONS learner, I can push past these restrictions just as Britney has and use this to my advantage to be my better self. Britney’s story demonstrates fame can be bleak and how much mental illness is easily affected by others. I believe the struggles she faced led to the growth of her community and others in pop culture to be more understanding and aware. I wish to delve more deeply into her rise and what led her up to that and focus more on the positive aspects of her life and music career.
References:
Britney Spears. (2021). Biography.com. https://www.biography.com/musician/britney-spears
Britney Spears. (2021). Encyclopædia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Britney-Spears
Britney Spears says she lied about being happy on social media ‘because of my pride’. (2021). NBCNews.com. https://www.nbcnews.com/pop-culture/pop-culture-news/britney-spears-says-she-lied-about-being-happy-social-media-n1272320
In pictures: Pop icon Britney Spears. (2021). CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2021/02/09/entertainment/gallery/britney-spears/index.html
Sawyer, D. (2003). Britney Spears – Primetime Interview with Diane Sawyer. ABC News.
Hi Sinu!
Great job with your blog post! The post was smooth and well written as well as informative. I learned a lot about Brittney and her struggles.
One question I have is, what are her future plans to recover from the conservatorship and become a “normal person”?
Thanks
-Lucas
Hey Lucas, I’m glad that you learned a lot. To answer your question, it’s hard for me to say as I have never been in the shoes of Britney. It seems that right now, she’s trying to enjoy her life with the new freedom that she has. It doesn’t seem like she is necessarily trying to disconnect from social media, however, she seems to be trying not to dwell too much on her past and is trying her best to move forward. Thanks for your comment and question!
Hey Sinu, I love your post’s visual aspect, it looks very professional and organized. I like how you were able to address Britney’s obstacles in such a formal way, it made the paragraph intriguing and informative. I find it appalling how publicized your person’s life was, and I could see how harmful that was for her mental health. Your quote was powerful, and I like the message it has. Although you and Britney’s connections are minimal, your paragraph was very well written and I think you are a good choice for your eminent person, I hope you are able to develop more connections with her as you continue your project. It may have just been me, but I found that your paragraph looked a little long. It may have been because your pictures moved around your words so perhaps try to have fewer words or pictures next time. Overall, I loved reading your post, your writing is educating and fascinating.
-Mandy
Hey Mandy, it seems that you have developed a better understanding about Britney and I’m really glad that you did. I will definitely keep in mind how I format my blog posts to make it more organized. Thanks for your feedback.
That was an outstanding entry about Britney Spears, and I think you represented her well in your writing. I especially enjoyed the way you covered the negative side of fame and the importance of mental health. The only constructive feedback I have to offer is that your sentences were a little bit wordy. Honestly, that is my only critique, and I know you’re going to bring justice to Britney Spear’s name.
Hey Noah, thanks for your kind words and feedback. I appreciate it 🙂 and I will definitely work on being more concise.
Great job on your post Sinu! You’re writing style as a great flow to it and it is clear that you understand Brittney’s struggles and what makes her so eminent. I like how organized and well thought out your visual aspect is and your use of pictures to break up the text. One thing I would like to know more about is how you plan to deal with the barriers that you and Brittney have in your interests and background since you are so different. -Hannah
Hey Hannah, thank you so much! I’m glad you liked the visual aspects that I included. To answer your question, I don’t think that there is a way to truly break that barrier as it is not something I can really change or obtain. I don’t necessarily believe that the barriers I included are going to limit my research either. All I believe I can do is to continue to do more research and educate myself on what makes me and her so different as to develop a better understanding. Thanks again.
I appreciated the thoroughness of you explaining her controversies and obstacles, it was interesting to hear about how controversial she was considered to be in her early years. some constructive criticism might be that I didn’t fully understand why you specifically picked Brittany spears as your eminent person.
Hey Carolyn, thanks for your comment. I’ll take your criticism into consideration when talking about Britney Spears for next time. To briefly explain, I chose her because I admire her :).
The visual design of your blog looks very professional and is very easy on the eyes. Your writing is very clear and was highly informative on Britney Spear’s life and struggles. You were very specific about her struggles and the emphasis on the negative effects of fame. As for any critiques, I would suggest trying to cut down on the wordiness. It doesn’t detract from the writing, but it would be nice.
Hey Braeden, I appreciate your comment. I’m glad you noticed what I tried to put emphasis on. I will definitely take your criticism into mind. Thanks.