Gentle Readers . . . and Maxwell,
I wasn't interested in Britney Spears, but I remember when I first saw her. She was on the Disney channel's The All New Mickey Mouse Club, a show my children sometimes watched. Britney bounced around and sang with other cute kids (1993-1996).
Later, she got to be curvaceous, and requested that someone named Baby hit her one more time.
Finally, she shaved her head in public and eventually became a conspiracy theory: #FreeBritney
Several months ago, I got around to watching The New York Times Presents: Framing Britney Spears (2021) and was shocked by the story that unfolded––Britney stalked by the paparazzi, Britney a dollar sign in her daddy's eyes, Britney hearing from Diane Sawyer that the wife of a former governor of Maryland wanted to shoot her because of her sexy image,* Britney telling a lawyer she knew she couldn't stop the conservatorship from happening but she just didn't want her dad in charge of it and then the lawyer wasn't allowed to represent her.
So, the conservatorship was put in place and 13 years later, Britney Spears is fed up. The fans who wanted to free Britney had it right all along. Britney has spoken:
Ma'am, my dad and anyone involved in the conservatorship and my management who played two roles and punishing me when I said, 'no.' Ma'am, they should be in jail. Their cool tactics, working for Miley Cyrus as she smokes joints on stage at the VMAs, nothing has ever been done to this generation for doing wrong things, but my precious body has worked for my dad for the past f***ing 13 years, trying to be so good and pretty. So perfect because he works me so hard when I do everything I'm told. And the state of California, my father, ignorant father to take his own daughter, who only has a role with me if I work with him, they get back the whole course and allow him to do that to me? That's given these people I've worked for way too much control.
Britney's father is paid by the conservatorship, and of course, Britney has to pay the legal fees surrounding the conservatorship––an amount in excess of one million dollars per year. And I wonder how many people got paid off to set all this up. No doubt they were paid with Britney's money.
Britney, as I said at the beginning of this post, I wasn't interested in you, but you have my attention now. As a woman, as a feminist, how can I not care?
Infinities of love,
Janie Junebug
*See quotation in my title
Totally agree! She got the short end of the stick in this. I truly sympathize with her situation.
ReplyDeleteI was shocked to learn the extent of the control exerted over her.
DeleteI had no idea that her father still had control over her, to be honest. Totally support her getting free of it all. Her father has been living off of her since he was a little girl. Terribly sad.
ReplyDeleteIn the documentary someone who has been involved with the family for many years said that when Britney first had some success, her father said he wanted to buy a boat. That was it. He wanted a boat.
DeleteThat's succinct.
ReplyDeleteI (still) have zero interest in Ms. Spears as a performer. But a conservatorship of an adult is something that should rarely happen. When it does, it must be term-limited and up for re-examination in court every couple of years. The power of the judiciary is mindboggling in Ms. Spears' case.
ReplyDeleteMy interest in her doesn't extend to her performances other than her being forced to perform and now saying she will not perform again unless the conservatorship ends.
DeleteIf what she is saying is the truth, and I have no reason not to believe her, it's horrifying. No one should have that much say over another person.
ReplyDeleteConservatorships are usually put in place for someone who is incapacitated in some way. Ms. Spears does not appear to be disabled or unfit to make decisions.
DeleteI so get what you mean felt the same myself
ReplyDeleteThe situation is odd. I doubt if it would have been done to a man.
DeleteI totally get that! I feel exactly the same way, past and present! (and hi! I think I'm back to blogging!)
ReplyDeleteI'M SO HAPPY TO SEE YOU!
DeleteWhat a greedy POS her father must be!
ReplyDeleteI'm sure dollar signs roll around in his eyes every time he looks at her. He seems to have no concern for her wellbeing. She said she was forced to perform when she had a temperature of 104.
DeleteHer story is indeed a sad, sad one. I hope her father gets removed from the conservatorship and, if need be, replaced by someone more at arm's length.
ReplyDeleteA financial group called Bessemer Trust became co-conservator a while back. I don't know if their involvement is acceptable to Britney or if they're controlled by her father. After all these years, it's probably time for the conservatorship to be dissolved.
DeleteI think I'm the same way. I was never a fan and still aren't, but as a person how can you not feel for her predicament.
ReplyDeleteExactly. I'm not interested in going to a Britney concert, but she's a human being and shouldn't be owned by her father.
DeleteIt is gender based too. No young man would be placed in a similar position.
ReplyDeleteLet her free - free to live her life and make her own story (which may include mistakes).
Absolutely true. Britney's story has also made me aware of what a terrible person Justin Timberlake is.
DeleteI am not exactly sure which side of the fence on conservatorship I stand on. One of my DIL's practiced family law and became disillusioned with it. She now is a guardian for several older individuals who can no longer fend for themselves and have either no family members or none willing to take the responsibility for their care or finances. She also represents 2 minors who have issues with family .
ReplyDeleteI know how much she worries about all of her clients, and often has to put her now family on hold to take care of unexpected situations.
On the flip side there have been some recent allegations locally where it seems there are a group of conservators who are in it solely for the money.
I hope Spears is in a good place mentally and able to take care of her own business, so the courts will end the conservatorship. At the very least she needs an unbiased conservator.
That's a really hard situation for your DIL. Britney seems to be doing well. She's in a long-term relationship and wants to have more children.
DeleteI know. At first I mocked the "Free Britney" movement. But they've done a remarkable job to show us the true story. Her dad's a monster. Free that lady. She's a beauty and ever-talented.
ReplyDeleteLove.
I didn't know much about Free Britney. I was astonished to learn her fans were right.
Delete