I have officially had it with Britney Spears.

[janelle]

Posted on Tue, Nov. 18, 2003

Britney Spears grins and bears it, over and over and over again
BY RICH COPLEY
Lexington Herald-Leader


Mark J. Terrill/AP photo

Britney Spears gyrates while performing at the American Music Awards, Nov. 16, 2003.


I have officially had it with Britney Spears.

Not that she was ever in heavy rotation on my CD player. But since her 1999 debut, "… Baby One More Time," she's been in heavy rotation in mainstream media, only briefly ceding the spotlight to fellow pop tart Christina Aguilera.

It took Spears four years to go from cute girl next door to posing practically naked for the cover of Rolling Stone magazine, and she's taken a generation of girls to the brothel with her.

Look from the low-cut pants and mercilessly cut tops many girls are sporting today to the Bratz dolls, Britney and Christina-like Barbie knockoffs that have grade-school girls playing with the idea of being like Britney. True, a lot of this is the work of marketing forces, but Britney's been a willing vehicle.

Spears does have talent. She's been a stage actress and is a great dancer. But that's not what she's trading on. You don't get a recording contract with nothing.

Britney protests that she's unfairly singled out as other artists such as Aguilera and Beyonce are presenting themselves in a very sexual manner. There's a point, but Britney is the biggest star and began her career playing to very young girls who have been heavily influenced by her and her - ahem - music.

With the imminent release of her new CD, "In the Zone," coming out Tuesday, it has been clear that for Spears, it is not about music.

It's about her body.

If you think the Rolling Stone shoot was hot, you should have seen her bottomless cover for Esquire, and the inside shots, in which only well-placed necklaces stood between her and our imaginations. It's been going this way a long time. Her initial gimmick was dressing in a school uniform with the front of the shirt knotted instead of tucked in, to look a little naughty.

Since then, less has been more - more media, more exposure, more money.

Though Spears recently expressed some regrets about the photo spreads, she has long said she was not trying to be sexual.

OK, Brit. We have two choices: Either you're really stupid, or you think we are.

And if you are that dumb, you have had legions of managers and executives who knew exactly what was going on, letting you sell every shred of your dignity.

Defying this path are artists such as Norah Jones, Alicia Keys and india.arie, who have gotten attention through their passions for music and musical talent. There's the difference: They've exhibited musical talent, while Britney's fallen deeper into exhibitionism.

In the interview that accompanied the Playb - uh - Rolling Stone photos, Mark Binelli asked several personal questions before Britney protested, "Can we talk about my music ... "

So he complied, asking her to talk about her favorite song on her new album.

And she couldn't remember its name.

In Newsweek, she bragged about South Asian influences on the CD but then seemed completely unaware of Hinduism.

Judging by her first single from "In the Zone" and advance reviews, whatever is good about the CD is attributable to producers and guest artists such as Moby.

Britney is selling something, but it isn't music. And if you rush to the store Tuesday to get "In the Zone," you're buying. I'm willing to bet though, you won't get no satisfaction.


http://www.kansas.com/images/realcities/realcities/7285/53074545960.jpg

[fatesfaery]

I dunno, I can't say that I'm really crazy about her, but I don't really think she's any worse than most singers today.
As for young girls wanting to emulate her...I don't know about the rest of the world, but I bought my daughter's clothing. If you don't want your daughter dressing like that, don't buy the clothes.

[FreeIs4Me]

Originally posted by fatesfaery
I dunno, I can't say that I'm really crazy about her, but I don't really think she's any worse than most singers today.
As for young girls wanting to emulate her...I don't know about the rest of the world, but I bought my daughter's clothing. If you don't want your daughter dressing like that, don't buy the clothes.

RE the clothes. I too buy my daughters clothes (she is only 4 and basically a size 5T). But because of singers like her - it is very tough to find "real" clothes. The fashions follow the market influence. All of the pants/jeans are super low rise. She doesn't have the hips (yet) to make these styles work! They don't sell undershirts - they sell camisoles. They sell THONGS in her size!!! HHEELLLOO!!! My DD is 4 (FOUR) not 24. She doesn't need to be wearing these. I can only imagine trying to "control" what a 14 year old wears. It is very hard to find things appropriate for a 4 year old to wear - the clothes for little ones are just smaller versions of of teenagers want to wear - which are the clothes that girls like Britney do wear. :(

[jaybird]

Not unlike Marilyn Manson, it's a great marketing job. SOmeone figured out how to make the most for and off this erstwhile Mouseketeer.

[momfromTN]

Parents need to starting writing and emailing these clothing companies and start raising a ruckus about the clothes. THONGS???? OMG!
I had a hard time finding regular, boys black dress shoes for my son for his uniform at kindergarten. All Walmart and Payless, etc, had was shoes with big heels on them. No way. So, I checked at Goodwill, and there was pair of dress shoes, not used at all, in his size for only $3. Kewel.

[fatesfaery]

I suppose I'm lucky. My DD(she's 17) has always frowned on following the crowd. She won't wear low rise jeans, would die before she wore a low cut top or a "belly shirt". Normal outfit for her is jeans, tshirt, hoodie, and Vans tennis shoes.The sales girl at Avenue and I convinced her to buy a pair of thongs a few months ago, but she didn't like them and refuses to wear them.

She currently has magenta hair, she has had some shade of pink, blue or purple hair pretty regularly since she was 12-13, unless the school she was attending had rules against "weird" colored hair. To me hair is hair and dying it pink, blue or lavender is no different than bleaching it, dying it blonde or red or whatever. It's especially fun to watch babies and small children react to her hair......and she gets a suprising amount of compliments from little old ladies.

Thongs for a four year old are absurd, but I think parents who would buy them for a 4 year old are even more absurd.

[ckerr4]

I was a lot more like your daughter fatesfaery than the normal crowd, lol. When the fashion showed, skin, I didn't. Just wasn't me.

And my mom concentrated on what was important - hair was hair - earrings were earrings. Those could be dyed back and taken out. But curfews - lol, those were set in stone :D

[Jolie Rouge]

Originally posted by janelle
Posted on Tue, Nov. 18, 2003

Britney Spears grins and bears it, over and over and over again
BY RICH COPLEY
Lexington Herald-Leader

... And if you are that dumb, you have had legions of managers and executives who knew exactly what was going on, letting you sell every shred of your dignity.


In MHO - the saddest thing is that her own mother is her manager - who exploits her own daughter for cash and attention.

[sinned96]

She's NOT a kids pop star anymore. She's trying to win over the adults now

[cinnamonch]

Originally posted by Jolie Rouge
In MHO - the saddest thing is that her own mother is her manager - who exploits her own daughter for cash and attention.

Same thing can be said for Beyonce. She goes around touting how she is a "Christian" yet look at the songs she sings, the way she dresses, etc. And her mother is her clothing designer and hair stylist.

Problem with the music industry is that like everything else, its all about sex and what they define as being sexy.

[justme23]

Originally posted by jaybird
Not unlike Marilyn Manson, it's a great marketing job. SOmeone figured out how to make the most for and off this erstwhile Mouseketeer.

Not unlike Marilyn Manson? I take it you mean 'goth' clothes? Most of my friends are goth and I can tell you that NONE of them like Marilyn Manson... infact I'm the only one in the group that does and I'm NOT gothic... Goths were around LONG before Manson was... Please correct me if I'm wrong in what you mean.

[HaveKids,LostMind]

Well, I like Britney. My kids like her. But I raise my children, she doesnt! Bottom line, kids can have their own opinions, but its the parent's job to control how your child acts, dresses, etc.

Anyway, she's on SNL tonight. Dressed very classy in the monologue, fully covered in "The Zone" performance and classy again in her second song...

[Jolie Rouge]

Originally posted by sinned96
She's NOT a kids pop star anymore. She's trying to win over the adults now

LOL - not according to the second graders at my son's school ....

I can't tell you how many "Brittany" valentines were passed out last year. Someone asked my DD what her favorite "Brittany" song was -- she started humming the "Pepsi" commercial - it is the only one she knows. :rolleyes: but she *knows* WHO she is ....

[OX_Love_OX]

My girls (10 and 14)think she is a joke, and TG don't want to emulate her. Hubby said something funny...after seeing Britney non-stop on TV all week "Why don't they just ignore her...maybe then she will go away"

[Linus1223]

I like Britney...But was it really necessary for Glamour magazine to name her one of the women of the year? HELLO! She didn't do anything! She broke up with Justin Timberlake and partied every night - how does tha ear her woman of the year? Puh-leaze.

[sinned96]

It was said in an interview that she is not out to please the kids anymore. She's an adult now so that's her target audience

[PrncsNYC]

I have no problem with her or her music. I love her newest song..the ballad. It's very sad and really beautiful.

[Linus1223]

Originally posted by *chelle*
She was named women of the year?? OMG for what?? :eek:

That's why I'm still scratching my head! I could understand if she put out an album but she's been on hiatus for a while..

[brooks45]

It is sad!! women of the year was found with friends drunk off her be-hind at a new york club last week by reporters! I heard and read! I have a funny feelin that britneys career is going to deminish slowly!
A performer can only handle so much preassure going at a fast pace!! look at so many like her before! Elvis for one! I never really thought about her music or any of the gossip one way or another but she is a pretty girl and she knows it and well take advandage of it to make the bucks thats she is! I hope that her production companies dont push her over the edge though! so much pressure to do more and more well eventually cause this!! Like i said! Its sad!

[brooks45]

yeah! I read that too!!! guess modonna showed her the way lol!

[janelle]

I saw her on SNL tonight. She reminds me of a young Madonna only showing more skin. Maybe that's why Madonna is taking such an interest in her.

She was fully dressed tonight but her bustier was on the outside of her T. Now with old women they would be considered senile if they wore their bras over their clothes. HMMMMMMM?????:confused: :confused:

[Linus1223]

LoL @ janelle

[Ladytiger]

Originally posted by janelle
I saw her on SNL tonight. She reminds me of a young Madonna only showing more skin. Maybe that's why Madonna is taking such an interest in her.

She was fully dressed tonight but her bustier was on the outside of her T. Now with old women they would be considered senile if they wore their bras over their clothes. HMMMMMMM?????:confused: :confused:

Poor Kitty! I just spewed my drink on her! LMAO!! We thought it was horrible to have panty lines-now it's cool if you wear low cut jeans and your thong hangs out! If the pants aren't low enough, they roll them down! Yes, I shop for my daughter's clothes too, and she looks fine when she leaves here, then at school, the pants get rolled down, and shirts go up!
I have been at odds with Bratney for a long time. Now she wants to win the hearts of the MEN -the dads and brothers of the teenie boppers that used to worship her.
In my opinion, it's just a matter of time before she doesn't have anyone, just another bennifer waiting to happen.

[janelle]

Oh, don't you just love the Kotex belt hanging out look??? GAAA What is next? The whole Kotex and belt on the outside of the pants? Might as well with underwear on the outside of the clothes.

I can see the guys with their jock straps outside their jeans. Hey, us old people are going to have some good laughs. I told my hubby I never realized how much we made our parents laugh at how we dressed until now. We laugh and laugh. Look over there, just do it without gawking. Oh my. TEEHEE.

[fatesfaery]

Originally posted by janelle
Oh, don't you just love the Kotex belt hanging out look??? GAAA What is next? The whole Kotex and belt on the outside of the pants? Might as well with underwear on the outside of the clothes.


LOL.....It's been so long since I heard anyone mention a Kotex belt
(many here have probably never seen one)

But she has done the underwear outside her clothes thing....in the Slave For You video.

LadyTiger, I remember not being allowed to wear tight jeans or spagetti strapped tops....so I hid them in the back of my closet and put them on after my mom went to work.....tight enough to have to lie on the bed and use a coat hanger to get them zipped.

Geez, I'm so glad my DD likes loose and slouchy.

[janelle]

That's why women over 50 are laughing so much at the new fashions.
Tacky, tacky.:p :p

[PrncsNYC]

I love the low rise jeans...and I wear g-strings with them! :eek: I wouldn't wear my bra on the outside of my shirt but I have worn sheer tops that clearly showed my bra. My comfort level has increased with my increase in getting in shape. Maybe I'll be wearing it on the outside soon enough! :eek:

[Dolly<3]

I like her. I feel sorry for her for having so many people criticize her for GROWING UP, but she's famous and I doubt she cares what anyone thinks when she's walking her belly showing, pants down to her butt self to the bank!

Brit started out as a CHILD and now she's growing up. Of course she doesn't want to be a pop idol for kids anymore, and that's why many kids are rejecting her and her influence. She's an adult now. She makes mistakes like anyone - especially people who are still growing up.

I change my mind on a daily basis b/c I'm always learning something new! I imagine Brit's life leads her to learn way more things, way faster. I don't think she's very talented, but she is good enough to have gotten in and she's smart enough to stay in. Go Brit.