Review: “Framing Britney Spears” Makes Us Re-Examine Our Treatment of Famous Women
By Lily Scheckner
By Lily Scheckner
In its highly rated 6-episode series “The New York Times Presents,” the news organization covered grave topics from the killing of Breonna Taylor to the Australian wild fires in 90 minute segments. Why, then, would the New York Times turn to a largely retired pop star for their grand finale? And why did that episode, in particular, whip the internet into such a frenzy?
“Framing Britney Spears” begins with the ever so American tale of a talented, charismatic young ingénue. From a young age, Britney was passionate about acting, singing, and dancing, despite coming from a poor family in a small town. As she started to break into the industry, it was clear that Britney enjoyed every aspect of her newfound career. She was cast in The Mickey Mouse Club, Disney’s all-singing, all-dancing children’s TV show, in 1992 at the age of 11, alongside stars such as Justin Timberlake and Christina Aguilera. But even before her first real role, the child actress faced startlingly inappropriate comments. In one of her first ever TV appearances on the TV show Star Search, Britney belted out “Love Can Build a Bridge” with incredible charisma and poise. After her amazing performance, the host Ed McMahon (who was well into his sixties at the time) told Britney that she has “nice eyes” and asked if she had a boyfriend. Visibly confused, she responded in the negative, reasoning that boys are “mean.” McMahon then said, “all boys are mean? I’m not mean. What about me?”
Unfortunately, this was just the first step in the general mistreatment of Britney Spears by both the media and the public. As her fame escalated, so did the strange and normalized fixation on Britney’s virginity/sex life, which the documentary alleges might have been partly because of the Monica Lewinsky–Bill Clinton scandal, which changed the conversation around sex by putting women at fault. This became evident when Britney and Justin Timberlake came forward with their relationship. While they were the face of teen romance for several years, the tabloids turned on Britney as soon as they broke up. This was followed by a general escalation of drama. Britney was viewed in an even more starkly negative light, and soon began to crack under the pressure that the paparazzi placed on her.
The last straw was when Britney shaved her head. While generally portrayed as a sort of mental breakdown, the documentary painted it as something that freed Britney from the constant societal expectations that she faced. Whether that was the case or not, it prompted the public to start talking about (read: making fun of) Britney’s mental health, especially concerning her marriage/children. And this finally led to the real point of the documentary: Britney Spears’ conservatorship by her father, Jamie.
Britney Spears was and is incredibly successful. She has released new albums, gone on world tours, and guest starred in several popular TV shows (Glee, Jane the Virgin) since her conservatorship began. So why would someone who is seemingly so in control of her career need to be constantly monitored? Many fans (and apparently the New York Times) are of the opinion that Britney should be freed from her conservatorship (hence the #FreeBritney movement). The documentary explores the various facets of this movement with a more official lense.
The one issue with this eye opening documentary was its authenticity as a source. While it was produced by a very credible news organization, the New York Times was unable to reach any of the notable persons involved for comment, from Jamie Spears to Britney herself (although the documentary subtly hinted that she may have never received the request in the first place). Because of this, most of the information was based on public knowledge, clever guesswork, and shadowy anonymous tips. An entire segment, for example, was based on analysis of Spears’ Instagram account by a pair of fans who run a successful but amateur podcast called “Britney’s Gram.”
I rate this documentary a solid 4.5/5 stars, and here’s why. This film isn’t about Britney Spears at all. This is a larger conversation about everything from feminism to mental health. I believe that this film as a whole should not be a trend, but rather something every person should keep in mind while considering both the lives of female celebrities and women in general. The only reason I would deduct .5 stars is because of the understandable lack of sourceable facts. Despite that, I have never so passionately recommended a documentary as a “must-watch.”
Sources:
Image Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1wRN5muenY
“Framing Britney Spears” begins with the ever so American tale of a talented, charismatic young ingénue. From a young age, Britney was passionate about acting, singing, and dancing, despite coming from a poor family in a small town. As she started to break into the industry, it was clear that Britney enjoyed every aspect of her newfound career. She was cast in The Mickey Mouse Club, Disney’s all-singing, all-dancing children’s TV show, in 1992 at the age of 11, alongside stars such as Justin Timberlake and Christina Aguilera. But even before her first real role, the child actress faced startlingly inappropriate comments. In one of her first ever TV appearances on the TV show Star Search, Britney belted out “Love Can Build a Bridge” with incredible charisma and poise. After her amazing performance, the host Ed McMahon (who was well into his sixties at the time) told Britney that she has “nice eyes” and asked if she had a boyfriend. Visibly confused, she responded in the negative, reasoning that boys are “mean.” McMahon then said, “all boys are mean? I’m not mean. What about me?”
Unfortunately, this was just the first step in the general mistreatment of Britney Spears by both the media and the public. As her fame escalated, so did the strange and normalized fixation on Britney’s virginity/sex life, which the documentary alleges might have been partly because of the Monica Lewinsky–Bill Clinton scandal, which changed the conversation around sex by putting women at fault. This became evident when Britney and Justin Timberlake came forward with their relationship. While they were the face of teen romance for several years, the tabloids turned on Britney as soon as they broke up. This was followed by a general escalation of drama. Britney was viewed in an even more starkly negative light, and soon began to crack under the pressure that the paparazzi placed on her.
The last straw was when Britney shaved her head. While generally portrayed as a sort of mental breakdown, the documentary painted it as something that freed Britney from the constant societal expectations that she faced. Whether that was the case or not, it prompted the public to start talking about (read: making fun of) Britney’s mental health, especially concerning her marriage/children. And this finally led to the real point of the documentary: Britney Spears’ conservatorship by her father, Jamie.
Britney Spears was and is incredibly successful. She has released new albums, gone on world tours, and guest starred in several popular TV shows (Glee, Jane the Virgin) since her conservatorship began. So why would someone who is seemingly so in control of her career need to be constantly monitored? Many fans (and apparently the New York Times) are of the opinion that Britney should be freed from her conservatorship (hence the #FreeBritney movement). The documentary explores the various facets of this movement with a more official lense.
The one issue with this eye opening documentary was its authenticity as a source. While it was produced by a very credible news organization, the New York Times was unable to reach any of the notable persons involved for comment, from Jamie Spears to Britney herself (although the documentary subtly hinted that she may have never received the request in the first place). Because of this, most of the information was based on public knowledge, clever guesswork, and shadowy anonymous tips. An entire segment, for example, was based on analysis of Spears’ Instagram account by a pair of fans who run a successful but amateur podcast called “Britney’s Gram.”
I rate this documentary a solid 4.5/5 stars, and here’s why. This film isn’t about Britney Spears at all. This is a larger conversation about everything from feminism to mental health. I believe that this film as a whole should not be a trend, but rather something every person should keep in mind while considering both the lives of female celebrities and women in general. The only reason I would deduct .5 stars is because of the understandable lack of sourceable facts. Despite that, I have never so passionately recommended a documentary as a “must-watch.”
Sources:
Image Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1wRN5muenY