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BRITTANY II

17 December 2000, 04:04

I got to stop watching those stupid rockumentaries shows on TV. This time it was “When Sex Goes Pop” or something like that on MTV. Two subjects I have a mild interest in, and I had to do laundry, plus there is, like, a ton of snow outside so, what the hell.

And there she was. Blonde pop princess watching people dumping on her for MTV. MTV went out and asked a bunch of people what they thought of Britney and her new look and lack of clothing and music and what not. Young women, men and kids gave their honest opinions on Bit Bit and the little songster sat there watching, in her little yellow tinted sunglasses doing little cheers when they gave her new sexy look the thumbs up and making cringing faces at the ones with “gall” enough to criticize her.

Dear fucking GOD, is she that dense? Some of the MOS interviews consisted of really intelligently made points about her influences on her younger fans. The 12 and 13 years olds who were attracted to her bubble gum, pop, virginal image and now are confronted by her explosive entrance into sexy siren, naughty half naked nubile stage. Britney’s big counterpoint and protest to this valid criticism of her was to say that SHE wasn’t these children’s parents and that she has got to be true to herself, which I guess means not realizing right or wrong that she is indeed a huge influence on the younger generations who ARE her fans, who buy her records, who buy into her messages she projects, and right or wrong. At first, she was just annoying me, but after her insensitivity of her impact on the self image of her fans, she truly needs to get some perspective. It’s ironic that she shows so little regard on how she effects those people who have made her what she is, but yet demands from her detractors to respect her right to project whatever image she likes.

The Reality Check Police needs to pay her a visit in the wee small hours of the night.

Another comment that got my ire up is the one that DR. DRE made, which shows that he doesn’t understand or maybe that he doesn’t care that the portrayal of women in his videos (indeed, the music industry itself) DOES influence the thoughts and actions of millions of maliable young people. When it was suggested that images in the media, specifically the images in his videos of women being put in the roles of willing sexual compliancy for men, being their willing toys or objects, surrounded by men, and being sprayed with champaign, by me might have influenced the young men that went “wilding” in Central Park and attacked 50 young women, DR DRE said in essence there was no connection and that we should “kiss his ass.” If you’ve seen the video of this wilding that happened in New York, they spray the women with beer, descending upon them for a mass grope, and in some instances, tearing off their clothes. The misogynistic influence is just an coincidence. Right.

In the home of the brave, and the land of the free, we all can be what we want, promote most any idea, and express ourselves in any way we want, and most will never interfere in any meaningful way with whatever you want to do. But don’t dare tell me that a person on the public stage doesn’t have any effect on the minds and hearts of a million people or more. Don’t tell me that you have the right to such freedoms to bombard and saturate the world with your image and your existence, and then deny any responsibility for the effects of such actions. Whether one cares or not, it is ridiculous to say that what you do doesn’t make a huge impact, whether it is encouraging the devaluation of women, the glorification of misogyny, the objectification of women. It is not for me to say they must care that they are doing all this, for, indeedy, it is a free country, but don’t delude yourself and don’t try to snow me by saying that none of it your doing, or that you don’t have any hand in creating this new culture absorb by the youth that is your target market.

It takes a village to raise a child, but it takes a village to ruin one, too.