Never did I ever think I’d say this, but I feel sorry for Britney Spears. Yes, Britney Spears – the millionaire entertainer who used to have a smokin’ hot body and incredibly beautiful face. The one who lost it all when she made the horrible decision to marry the sperm-spreading machine that is Kevin Federline. But I still feel sorry for her.
OK, she made the choice to marry Kevin, and so I can’t feel too bad for her on that one. She also made the terrible decision to air “Britney & Kevin: Chaotic” on the UPN network, showing the public just how unfortunate her life turned out to be after the fateful day she met Kevin. Then came the infamous driver’s-seat-baby incident. It was incredibly shocking and stupid of her to drive with her then five-month-old son, Sean Preston, in her lap without any form of protection, and it serves her right to get caught by the cameras. She barely acknowledged the incident, quickly blaming the persistent and upsetting shutter-snappers before finally admitting it was a “mistake.” She should have instead used the event as a platform to educate other clueless parents. Because of these aspects of her reaction, the girl has to sleep in the bed she made. However, I think that the public has forgotten that Britney is just as dense as any other young, first-time mother – she just gets splashed on the cover of US Weekly whenever a mistake is made.
So, first came the lap-baby episode in February. Then her parenting skills were brought more into question in early April when word got out that Sean Preston had fallen from his high-chair after “something snapped,” according to published reports. Rumors spread like wildfire across the Web, with Sean Preston’s injures ranging from a skull fracture that caused permanent brain damage to a simple bruise on the noggin (which was the truth). Her mug was plastered all over the covers of Star and US Weekly, but the fact remained that she wasn’t even at home at the time of the accident. Sean Preston was in the care of a nanny who was later fired. That didn’t stop the gossip blogs from having a field day with Ms. Spears after the Department of Children and Family Services responded (as they do in all cases, not just with celebrities) to the incident. They determined that no harm was done by the parents. It’s an unfortunate mishap but an accident none the less. The girl simply needs a break, but no one’s about to give that to her. Especially now.
The latest batch of Britney-bashing came just last week when she almost tripped while carrying Sean Preston in one hand and a glass of water in the other. Her platform shoes and long jeans caused her ankle to roll. While neither she nor Sean Preston ever hit the ground, this caused a ferocious uproar of Internet activity when the video was released on TMZ.com. I had imagined, thanks to the oh-so-accurate accounts from the gossip blogs, that a horrible accident occurred where Sean Preston’s head was bashed against the concrete, blood was spilling everywhere, people were crying, puppies were being sacrificed and kittens were eating each other. But of course, everything had been blown out of proportion, and she had simply tripped up a little bit. Shit, that happens to me at least once a day, no joke. I usually fall straight on the ground. Thank god no one looks at me at that moment, and usually I’m not holding a big baby when it happens. I couldn’t imagine a video of that being released on the Internet for everyone to scrutinize. I’ll say it: poor thing.
It’s hard to remember that celebrities are just people, but that’s all they are. As much as they’d like to think that they’re above everyone else, it isn’t true. Britney is just a young, inexperienced mother of an almost two-year-old son who happens to be rich and famous, which, at this point in her life, is more of a hindrance than a blessing. I can safely say that I never, ever, ever wish that I were Britney Spears. I make mistakes, and I couldn’t handle millions of people judging me every day. Could you?