i went in The New York Times Presents: Framing Britney Spears thinking, I’ll see what they have to say, but what is this documentary really going to tell me that I don’t know yet? I was a teenager at the height of her success and MTVs Total request live was nothing less than a formative experience for me. I have a belly button piercing. I traveled across the country to witness the Las Vegas residency. I may not be brave enough to call myself an expert, but if I were at a trivia night and the topic was Britney Spears, I’m sure I would have that round locked. And then I watched this documentary, and it changed everything I thought I knew.
It’s not that much Framing Britney Spears taught me a lot I didn’t know about her career, but holy hell it opened my eyes, especially looking at the events of 20 years ago through the lens of today. I have to admit, I took this experience into the # FreeBritney movement quite skeptically as well. At times it might have felt out of proportion or a little dramatic and we all know the danger of spreading conspiracy theories all over the internet. But my thoughts have definitely shifted on this issue, and it not only feels legitimate and more urgent than ever, but yet another example that, despite the song on her 2000 album, might be What U See not always what you get.
Right away, this document confirms its credibility with the inclusion of Felicia Culotta, or Fe, as long as Britney fans will know her. It’s especially notable that she takes us into her life today and her career at Britney and how that has changed over the years, while remaining her bright, cheerful, optimistic self, never making outright or damning claims in one direction or another. the other. Others. She makes it clear that her participation in the documentary is to “remind people why they fell in love with her in the first place”, and she is very successful in that mission.
What doesn’t take long to get crystal clear, however, is that we, the people, Britney have failed. Similar to last month Tiger documentary, this one is a raw and brutal exploration of fame in America and just what a dangerous game that always turns out to be. In any case, this story is even more messy and certainly more worrying. Britney hasn’t had her comeback yet. But what this special one reveals may be key to helping her do that.
While early moments yield first-hand testimonials suggesting that Britney was not the doll she thought she was in the early stages of her career, then it becomes terrifying to see how the media, and thus all of us, this young woman treated. The misogyny of the early 2000s will make you nauseous. That journalists (often male, natch) felt it was within their right to ask such curious and personal questions about her breasts, body and virginity is disgusting. But then we ate it. Ex-boyfriend Justin Timberlake is always an easy target, but he’s involved in this too, early in his solo career when he was desperate to be accepted, via a clip where he commented on a dumb guy on a radio show – a it would not go unchecked today. Britney was judged for every choice she made and no one seemed to hold back. When Kendel Ehrlich, the wife of the former Maryland governor, bluntly said she would shoot Britney, the pop star’s instinctive and innocent response to ‘ew’ is as heartfelt and succinct as it gets. This documentary features more than one interview where Britney bursts into tears and I think we just… watched?
Her demise is accurately chronicled as the careless circus it used to be, but the fast sequence of the clips allows viewers to watch as the light leaves her eyes. It’s there at the beginning of the relationship with Kevin Federline, but at the end, along with her hair, it’s gone.
In addition to Felicia, those who worked with Britney at the peak of her career, including Decider boyfriend and former MTV VJ Dave Holmes, as well as New York Times editors, music and media industry professionals, paparazzi and lawyers, weigh in. They all paint a picture that you really shouldn’t feel guilty about. Even if we didn’t contribute directly, we didn’t help when she was clearly crying out for it. As a fan I feel complicit. The images of the night with the umbrella are difficult to look at, but impossible to look away from. I remember being in the Bahamas on spring break then and seeing that image on the cover of a tabloid in a small market where you weren’t allowed to flip through magazines unless you bought them. Imagine walking away from that image! But I did. I couldn’t believe it was true and I didn’t want to believe it was true. And I can’t believe we let it get to this point.
But we did, and Framing Britney Spears explains exactly why: It’s likely that Britney was suffering from a serious case of postpartum depression, but we just gawk at her shaven head and laughed at the many jokes about it. This says a lot about the treatment of women, the best known in America, and you will certainly ask: what were we hoping to achieve with this? What did we expect the outcome to be? Why didn’t we help? And what can we do to make it right now?
Enter Britney’s father, Jamie Spears, who begins to interfere when her health is as fragile as ever, and, as the documentary suggests, likely for his own financial interests. That’s when the conservatory starts. Framing Britney Spears gives context to Jamie’s interest and involvement in his daughter’s life throughout her career, which has not been stated so explicitly so far. The attorneys here, with a degree of involvement from both Britney and Jamie, do an excellent job of thoroughly explaining certain elements of a conservatorship case, while also highlighting what a tremendous legal impact it could have for years to come – both on her life and also in future cases. Fans concerned for her safety and freedom as part of the # FreeBritney campaign are also being interviewed outside the courthouse, showing their support with homemade neon pink signs.
The one thing this heartbreaking, annoying and dazzling documentary knows for sure is that this moment is and should be a wake-up call. You will hear the phrase “we don’t know what we don’t know” more than once and that is real and unfortunately the truest fact present. We don’t know what her current mental state is today – we just know what it was, what we hope it is, and the potential that remains. We can’t be sure if Jamie’s control is harmful, although there is little to suggest it is necessary or helpful. We know an agreement must be reached that feels safe and satisfying for Britney, her dad and her fans.
The documentary also wisely taps into her Instagram, which is regularly parsed for clues about her well-being, her desires and her current stability. I want to believe that the selfies and the dancing and the “Q & As” and the modeling videos and the random emoji-filled captions are those of a satisfied and even happy woman. But please know that it will be a real challenge to hold on to that belief after seeing this.
Framing Britney Spears is a must-watch not only for Britney fans, but for anyone with even the slightest interest in modern pop culture. It asks as many questions as answers, and maybe it’s up to us to lead the conversation or protests outside the courthouse after seeing this. It’s impossible to emerge without feeling extremely guilty about the way she was treated, growth over what we now consider acceptable (although there is still a lot of work to be done), and ultimately an urgency for this unique situation. This document can and should inspire many important conversations in the legal, music and media industries. Framing Britney Spears is entertaining to watch, but more than that, it’s shocking and hopefully motivating.
#FreeBritney
Flow The New York Times Presents: Framing Britney Spears on FX and Hulu