By Sean Stephens
2019’s “Judy” shined a rare light on a beloved icon sucked dry by the entertainment industry. Much like Britney Spears, Judy Garland was thrown into a ravenous industry at a young age and put through the wringer of a misogynistic world. Much has changed since the age of Judy Garland, but the same standards are forced on women. Just like Judy, many women have been destroyed by fame, leaving behind only their legacy. It is a legacy we hold more honorable than we did the human behind it. Whitney Houston. Amy Winehouse. When they finally succumb to the pressure, we then raise them back up to their legendary status.
“Framing Britney Spears” puts the microscope on the power of salacious media, showing our culture’s insatiable hunger for drama and destruction. It is a look at the ugliest side of how humans devour the demise of seemingly perfect and powerful celebrities. About halfway through the documentary, a clip is played from Family Feud, making the now infamous head shaving moment the challenge’s main punchline. While the contestants revel in the opportunity to shout the most obscene responses, we are forced to see the disconnect from empathy. When we’re given the common enemy, all bets are off. We consume. We mock. We destroy. The person behind the joke is dehumanized by distance, their fame and money seen as a shield. The problem with that form of celebrity consumption is humanity stops for no one. Britney Spears doesn’t miss out on grief. She doesn’t skip over heartbreak. When we consume her failures for entertainment, we completely devalue the woman behind the story.
Watching the conversation shift to what our expendable culture did to Britney Spears, we should be thankful she’s still here. It gives us an opportunity to do better and make it right for one of our legends. The consumption of celebrity culture has shifted in the last decade, but with the rise of social media, we can take our comments right to the source. May we all think twice before making a mean comment or sharing a photo that hurts others. May we learn from this that empathy does not have to stop just because we’re typing it on a phone. Lastly, may we finally #freebritney.
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