As an American sweetheart and one of the most important pop sensations of the millennium, Britney Spears has been a constant subject for the media since the very conception of her career. From a variety of unauthorized documentaries, tell-all interviews with her family members and the constant media attention that seemingly exposes every aspect of her personal life, it would appear that every triumph and struggle she has endured has been broadcasted to the world.
But, on Feb. 5, a new documentary entitled “Framing Britney Spears” premiered on Hulu/FX as a part of the New York Times investigative documentary series “The New York Times presents…” Immediately, this documentary separated itself from the plethora of Britney Spears’ content, as it highlights the ways in which the media’s representation of Spears fueled the negative public perception of her and furthered unrealistic expectations for her to live up to.
The documentary highlights how Spears was expected to uphold her perfect ‘good girl’ persona despite the constant media attacks made against it. It features many examples of talk show hosts asking Spears questions about her sexuality, breast size and past relationships with men. This is just one way the documentary illustrates the deeply embedded misogyny within Hollywood and the stark reality of what women in the industry are forced to endure.
In 2007, Spears had a public breakdown. Though it is very clear that this was never meant to be public — and the very fact that it became a high profile event showcases the core problem with the media — her loss was their gain. The documentary indicates that the last straw for Spears was her inability to escape the neverending stream of scrutiny coming her way as she was unable to remain the ‘good girl’ that everyone seemed to want.
Instead of using this public cry for help as a way to put a spotlight on mental health, media sources turned her suffering into an exploitative game and wanted to know what was ‘wrong’ with her, rather than understanding the things that could’ve led to her feeling this way. Because, at that point in time, she had been successfully framed as the ‘good girl gone bad,’ and since too many people profited on her downfall, no one truly tried to stop it.
A main profiteer from her breakdown was Spears’ absentee father, Jamie Spears, who became her conservator, CBS News reported. This gave him the ability to control her finances, appearances and other personal decisions. He has held this position for over a decade, and, because of this, fans are now speaking louder than ever about the #FreeBritney movement, which pushes to get Britney out of her conservatorship or at the very least, to remove her father as her conservator.
Spears has had to publicly deal with challenges throughout her career, many of which she’s conveyed to fans through music. The chorus to her song “Lucky,” released as a single over two decades ago, has never rung so eerily true:
“She’s so lucky, she’s a star
But she cry, cry, cries in her lonely heart, thinking
If there’s nothing missing in my life
Then why do these tears come at night?”
At the time of release, this was a simple commentary on the potential hardships of celebrity and the United States’ culture of celebrity worship. She makes the point in this song that yes, she and other celebrities do seem to have it all in terms of finances, but they are still humans with issues of their own. In the end, they will never truly live up to the public’s standards.
‘Framing Britney Spears’ tells the tragic story of how media manipulation and toxic celebrity worship create unrealistic standards for individuals in the spotlight. Furthermore, it sheds a light on the mistreatment of women in all venues of a patriarchal society, sparking conversation across social media platforms. It’s a sobering reminder that even a woman as powerful as Britney Spears couldn’t escape the unrealistic expectations women in the spotlight must live up to and the constant exploitation that they inevitably endure.
