Framing Britney Spears (available on Hulu)
I’ve never felt one way or the other about Britney Spears, but you can’t go on the internet lately and not see articles about this documentary and the #FreeBritney movement. There were reports a decade ago of rumored mental health issues, and her father taking control of her finances, but hasn’t everyone just moved on?
Our documentary takes us from young Britney singing in church in Louisiana to appearing on the tv show Star Search with Ed McMahon (Google him) who comments on her beautiful eyes and inappropriately asks the ten year old, if she has a boyfriend. No, she answers “boys are mean” Ed says, “I’m not mean, how about me?” Can you just say CREEPER! After watching the documentary, I look back at this situation as a foreshadowing she will have with people’s assumption based on her looks and stage personality.
Soon, Britney is in NYC, working on her career. Her father, Jaime is a failed businessman (failures many times over) and her Mom, while totally supportive on Britney’s career has a five year old at home and can’t stay in NY. Jaime’s one quote here is his telling a talent manager, “Britney is buying me a boat” Luckily, Faith Culotta, another resident of her hometown in Louisiana has just finished a nanny job in NY and offers to act as a chaperone to Britney. This begins a decades long friendship between the two women, with Faith narrating the documentaries early portion of Britney’s rise to stardom. Faith gives insight on Britney’s spirit of giving back, by handing out $100 bills to random residents of her hometown at Christmas.
NY delivers her a role in the Mickey Mouse Club, then after it’s cancellation she returned to her hometown to finish high school.
However, Britney is a performer and soon she is recording music and her career is taking off.
I guess it’s because of her blonde hair, attractive looks and the music she is performing, she is becoming more sexualized by the media. During one televised interview, the male reporter carries on a full conversation regarding her breasts! Another asks if she is a virgin! And after a breakup with Justin Timberlake, Diane Sawyer, yes DIANE SAWYER asks her what she did to break poor Justin’s heart. She then plays a news clip of the wife of the governor of Maryland who is so upset with Britney’s performances “If, I had an opportunity to shoot Britney Spears, I think I would” Hello this was said in 2003!! She was 22 years old!!
Fast forward to 2004, 23 years old married to Kevin Federline, a backup dancer, pregnant, then pregnant again…two babies in twelve months. It’s at this time, that Britney starts displaying worrying behavior, that mom Lynne speculates Britney is suffering from postpartum depression.
The tabloids love Britney, she sells magazines, two quick pregnancies, and now her marriage is failing, and with her questionable behavior she loses custody of her sons. This leads to a slew of incidents with paparazzi as she tries to gain entrance to visit her children, and who can forget her late-night trip to a barber shop where she shaves her head.
In 2008 it’s all too much for emotionally fragile Britney, and she is admitted to a hospital for a psychiatric evaluation. Britney ultimately loses custody of her children to ex-husband Kevin.
It’s at this time that the court places her under conservatorship lead by her father, which gave him total control of her body, health care, money and all assets.
Britney ultimately gets her life in order and is knocking it out of the park with sold out concerts and multi-platinum albums. She becomes the sixth highest earning female musician in 2015, culminating in a residency in Las Vegas. But how can she be so successful, be able to perform at sold out concerts and still determined by the court to need a conservator?
Under conservatorship her father is managing her career, saying what she can and cannot do, where she will perform, what interviews she can give, and he is being paid very well for it. I have to ask what set of skills does the multiple failed businessman have that qualifies him to manage her affairs?
Just a few months ago, Britney tried once again, to have her father removed from his position over her. She even agreed to a continued conservatorship, but she wanted her father gone. Unfortunately, the court didn’t remove him, but added a co-conservator of her choosing.
In looking over Britney’s life, which she’s only 39, you can see how victimized she has been by so many, making judgements based on her appearance and her music. From being attacked by Diane Sawyer, used as a publicity ploy by Justin Timberlake, in the headlines by a governor’s wife for in her opinion being a poor role model for teenage girls, her breasts being a conversation during a televised interview, to becoming a personal ATM machine for her father. I can’t believe she’s still alive at this point.
Framing of Britney Spears, is rated B.
The documentary is quick, about 75 minutes and if you are a Britney fan, this is a must see. Me, I wasn’t a real fan before, but after seeing everything she has gone thru and continues to endure, I’m rooting for her. She says she won’t perform again, as long as her father has control over her business and I don’t blame her. She has a sizable estate, wait him out Britney!!
As for a drink… in the early 2000’s Britney was the face of Pepsi so how about a rum and Pepsi?
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