Britney Opens Up in New Documentary

The Britney Spears documentary aired last night and it was an intimate look at the mechanics behind one of the biggest pop stars in the world. However, it was very sad.

The documentary featured candid, tear-eyed interviews with the singer (who admitted that her dream is to take her sons and her "dream man" to a remote island somewhere where no one could get to them), and shots of her days in rehearsals - including a sound bite from Madonna, who, upon hugging Spears backstage before their Dodgers Stadium performance last month, told the camera crew that she feels very maternal towards Spears.

Spears told the film crew:

    "'I hate that because I like to see people making the most of their situation and being positive.

    'I'm a true believer in that it's all in perspective and let's be positive, and let's do that.

    'And me sitting here complaining and stuff like that, I hate it.

    'I hate it when people do that."

I know she's answering her detractors with this. In general, and using Spears as an example, I get incredibly incensed when people, who are doing well financially and are successful, are attacked when they express some sadness or dissatisfaction in their lives . I've long maintained that Spears suffered from postpartum depression but according to many critiques I've read online and have heard elsewhere, money and fame exclude depression and HOW DARE Spears feel the least bit unhappy with her life when there are millions of people who would give a rib to switch places with her! You're famous! You have money! You're NOT ALLOWED to be depressed. You know, because money and fame are the antidote to depression.

I want to slap those people. I haven't the slightest desire to word that a sentiment in anyway that undeservedly indulges political correctness; for someone to deny someone feeling or deny their emotional state out of jealousy is, to me, near-participation in pushing someone to the edge.

I know she's a celebrity and I don't know her and to be honest, I've ever purchased a single one of her albums, but I so want her to do well. I can't help but feel this human sympathy for her. When she denies that she was a "victim of success" I sort of disagree with her. She was constructed and built up by pop-mob mentality and torn down because that's what we do in our culture. We want a beacon, and example, a representative of someone who grabbed the American Dream, someone who Made It, but when their star is too bright, when they ascend too high, we have to jerk them back down by their ankle. I think the fascination with Spears is that she's come to represent the classic underdog - and many empathize with her because of the SOB ex-husband or the kids, etc.

I hope Spears gets everything she wants. I hope that the public realizes that they chased this girl throughout her youth, throughout her months as a new mother, I hope they realize that they were there during every one of her best - and worst - moments. I think to truly "make it" is to overcome exactly what I described above: to survive society falling in love with, and ultimately turning on you. When you can survive that you have arrived. It looks like Spears is just about there, and she's one of a few.

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Comments

[rebecca]

When she shaved her head and broke up with her husband via text, I told Jason, "That girl has PPD."
The sad part is that she was just stabbing at normality...she just wanted a husband and kids and a normal little mommy life. I so want her to WIN.

[Sam]

My mom and I have often commented that there's no way she could have avoided going a bit nuts - when you have people following yuou INTO THE BATHROOM, something has gone hideously wrong. She wouldn't have even needed PPD; constant stress from hounding would have done it for her.

[jonniker]

For what it's worth, a friend of mind used to manage her publicity and my, there is much going on there beyond what any of us even see, it would appear. She suffers not only from society cruelly ripping her down after building her back up, as well as depression (PPD fo' sho'), but she's also a bit of Tom Cruise.

She was, at one time, very closely managed and carefully guarded -- near the beginning, when her reputation was sky-high, of course. Then after her marriage, she eschewed all of that and let the management of her image fall by the wayside. Word is, her behavior wasn't any different then than it is now, it was just kept in better public check.

[Barbara]

Britney is a person who deserves the same respect any other stranger should get. I don't blame her for her success and failure, I totally think her parents suck. I've long ranted against the evils of child stardom, even when it is managed well. Childhood is for mistakes, not public adoration or ridicule. It's just not.

That said, I watched about 30 seconds of the interview. Spears said, "I'm a smart person." I have two prejudices in this world. 1: Anyone who says, "I'm a good person." usually isn't. 2: Anyone who says, "I'm a smart person." usually isn't.

Truly good and smart people say, "I'm better/smarter than that." when discussing mistakes. Just my opinion.

[jodifur]

I feel like she didn't really say anything. Like, lots of people shave their heads. Really who?

But I do feel bad for her. She was so manufactured from a young age and then she just fell apart.

[Katie Kat]

Yeah, I have to agree with you! It pisses me off when people say "You have a great life, you have no business feeling bad or being depressed." As if someone can just tell their brain to NOT feel that way.

Britney was obviously suffering from some sort of psychological problem, whether it was PPD or bi-polar or whatever. And it was sad to see her just go ass over tea kettle into the brink. Even more sad is the fact that I just don't think she's clever enough to really ever be out of it without major intervention from people who really care about her. When that is missing, she is a complete and total mess.

[Kathy]

Agree with everything that's been said here. I only got to see the last half-hour, but found it incredibly sad. The combo of massive fame at an early age, plus whatever psychological problems (PPD, depression, bipolar...) is a bad, bad combination, plus there's a lot of denial that comes with that. (No, I'm not a doctor, but I've seen family members in the throes of depression/mania. I'm no expert, but I can empathize.)

[Turi]

I always have to remind myself that beauty, fame and wealth do not buy happiness (they'd just buy a whole lot of other stuff I need). This poem keeps my kvetching about celebrities in general in check:

Richard Cory

WHENEVER Richard Cory went down town,
We people on the pavement looked at him:
He was a gentleman from sole to crown,
Clean favored, and imperially slim.

And he was always quietly arrayed,
And he was always human when he talked;
But still he fluttered pulses when he said,
"Good-morning," and he glittered when he walked.

And he was rich—yes, richer than a king,
And admirably schooled in every grace:
In fine, we thought that he was everything
To make us wish that we were in his place.

So on we worked, and waited for the light,
And went without the meat, and cursed the bread;
And Richard Cory, one calm summer night,
Went home and put a bullet through his head.

-E. A. Robinson

[Jen]

I never really liked her music tell her Blackout album came out. But I can relate to her insanity from my father. He has bi-polar and has done at LEAST as crazy stuff as Britney, only he's not on film 24/7 or in the public eye, so few know about stuff like him almost burning himself to death, TWICE! Shaved head? That's nothing! He's a big fan of Britney as a person he sees himself in also. Only he's been on meds for a while and is very stable now. We both hope Brit gets well the same. I'm so sick of the cruel bastards who get off on her pain and those who are or have gone through that kind of hell.