So it seems that Britney had quite a weekend. First checking herself out of Eric Clapton's Antiga rehab center and then flying back to LA for a night of self mutilation (head shaving, tattooing), mad muttering ('I'm sick of people touching my head, no-one can touch my head') and desperration to make the front pages.
It's sad to see our little pop strumpet so obviously and painfully exposed - but it's also tremendous fun. Britney it seems is falling into the 'tragic' narractive arc that has to lead to either an Elton John style redemption or an Anna Nicole Smith type ending.
Anna Nicole has dominated the headlines here all week - in a way that she always sought but never managed when alive. A dodgy will, a paternity battle for her newly rich (or potentially rich) baby, a fight over her body, Zsa Zsa Gabor's husband, drink, drugs, death and somewhere in all of that something snarky and mistimed from Rosie O'Donnell.
Britney of course should be able to avoid the Nicole Smith trap. Anna needed the headlines in order to pay the bills. Her pathology for attention was of course what paid the rent as the fight over who got her elderly husband's money dragged on and on. She was a peculiar star in that she had absolutely no talent other than being able to generate headlines and sell pictures of her exploits as a result. She didn't sing, dance or act. She didn't model. She didn't write. Instead she showed up, she created a storm and she cashed the cheque as a result.
Brit' isn't in that situation - but her situation is equally out of control. She was manufactured. A perfect pop tart, singing perfect pop songs, wearing perfect pop clothes and making perfect pop videos. But the songs, the clothes and the videos weren't hers. She didn't have the voice to break free of the studio straight-jacket or the talent to break free of her image. The mouseketeer's only job was to stay beautiful, give good photo and keep her nose clean. So when the babies, the booze and the boys wrecked her looks and image there was nothing left. She's failed to uphold her end of the bargain and of course there was no-one there to stage manage her anymore.
People keep asking whether Britney can pull it back together. The answer is no. She's a product and if she's going to make it back then she's going to need to be put together piece by piece, note by note, gym session by gym session. Right now that's still possible - everyone loves a triumphant return from the brink; but if the next album flops expect to see the downward spiral of Britney take on fresh dimension.
1 comment:
The shaved look worked for Sinead... maybe that's her plan!! Trouble is - she was always a fat lass. Even when she was youngish she had to dress younger still to have sex appeal, but she's a big fat southern trailer park girl at heart. But i felt sorry for her when i saw the video of her talking to an ex-boyfriend, her near terminal stupidity was touching in a way. She just needed good people around her... she should come and live with me... my guru fees are very reasonable :)
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