Happy {Belated} Birthday
A week ago, I wrote an article on Britney and her so-called comeback. That was before she became BFF with Paris and admonished underpants, giving everyone a perfect view of where Sean Preston and Jayden James made their world debuts.
Ah well, a year ago I had high hopes, and at least now she's a divorcee and a mother of two. Upgrade?
Britney has made a fool of me time and time again, and yet I still love her. It's the most abusive relationship in my life, but I can't quit her.
Someday, this imposter, with the nasty extensions and the crooked lipliner, will be gone. Someday, this girl will come back to us:
Nora, you are the only woman I know who proudly posts naked pictures of Britney Spears on her blog. Who's next? Jessica Alba in a push-up bra?
Your Glibberish post was fabulous, by the way.
You know, I don't think I'll be jumping on the Jessica Alba bandwagon. There's a possibility that X-tina will make the grade, though.
I KNOW. That trampy young thing worked my gay nerves. Now she's just trash and I'm embarrassed I ever had a moment.
I so much agree with everything you say! For some reason I've stayed loyal too - it doesn't matter what she does - she's unique - an icon - a living work of art.
I was inspired by your excellent article, "Why Britney Matters" to put down my own thoughts and I hope you will not mind if I share them with you.
I very much like the way you write and It's so good to read some intelligent comments about Britney instead of repetitions of the (usually vindictive) guff that is put about in the tabloids.
I am a 60 year old concert pianist and the head of the keyboard department of a specialist music school - but I love Britney's music - much to the horror of nearly all my friends and colleagues. The odd thing about their attitude is that, although they say things like "How can you like her - she's awful!", they almost invariably know only one of her songs - if that - and have completely swallowed what the media have said about her personal life. This acceptance of received attitudes seems strangely at variance with their academic degrees, andI am becoming increasingly fascinated by the way Britney seems to awaken strong prejudices in both males and females - however well educated they seem to be. Women frequently imply that she can't be any good as a musician because she looks beautiful - a surprising view in these supposedly more liberated times! and men either like her only for "bum and tits" reasons or despise her because her music is not gritty or techno enough for them. Recently a well educated young lady gave me the following reasons why I should not like B's music: 1. "Have you seen how awful her skin looks without makeup?" 2. "She doesn't write her own songs", 3. "She's manufactured." Interesting reasoning for someone with a good university degree! To the first comment I could only reply that I can't think of anything less relevant to my enjoyment of her singing, to the second; neither did Elvis, Frank Sinatra, Billie Holiday, Tina Turner etc, etc, etc, write their own music, and to the third; nearly everyone who is a professional musician has had lessons or some kind of coaching. In my business we spend our lives trying to "manufacture" or train performers, to draw out their talent and help them to find opportunities. This includes not only classical performers and soloists but also those who have gone into jazz and lighter music. Unfortunately, the majority of them simply don't have to talent to succeed. Britney's success is due to a huge extent to her own musical talent and personality - so many aspiring artists just don't respond to the "manufacturing" process. Maybe some of the resentment people feel towards her is that they feel they could have done what she did if they had had her opportunities - and she certainly makes it look easy!. Perhaps they don't realise that B came from a very poor family in a small town and worked extremely hard and consistently at her athletics, dancing and singing to before she could persuade anyone to promote her. Very few have sufficient passion about what they want to achieve to work that hard.
I admire her musical talent and, as a performer myself, am aware of the way that "art conceals art" (and that hard work conceals hard work!) Particularly impressive are her sense of phrasing, the changes of colour in her voice and the way she can soar through a long line and build the tension in a song. She can make a song completely personal in a way that is unlike anybody else - and which is difficult to imitate (plenty have tried) and she has an extraordinary sense of rhythm and timing (get anyone to copy one of her phrases and hear the difference - her musical fingerprints are unique).
My own feelings about Britney are - surprisingly even to myself - not sexual, and I get fed up with people implying that her undoubted physical charm is the only possible reason I (or any other male) could want to hear her. I have never had a fantasy about B, neither do I want to have sex with Rodin's sculptures, but she tugs at my heart in a similar way to, say, "The Kiss", "La Danaid" or "Idole Eternelle"(alright - perhaps I have had fantasies about "Idole Eternelle"!). I am happy to admire her from a distance and I am grateful that she exists. She is a living work of art and her music makes me happy.
Sorry it's such a long comment!