punk rock blues

Thursday, March 15, 2007

Britney

It was back at the end of the 20th Century when some of the ladies I worked with at this telemarketing joint were discussing, of all things, Marilyn Manson. Manson had been booked on the Denver stop of Ozzfest that year and a coalition of local church groups were attempting to have him banned from the show; a proposition that these ladies approved of strenuously.

Happily it took an act of our State Assembly to uphold the 1st amendment and Manson was allowed (imagine!) to appear. However, listening to these chickens cackle I, of course, had to chime in w/my own 2 cents:

" Everyone," I said, " is all over Manson who, as far as I can see does nothing worse than urge folks to think for themselves. Am I the only one here worried about the social implications of a 16 yr old girl, dressed like a hooker, singing a song called "Hit Me Baby, One More Time!?"

I spoke, and speak, of course of Britney Spears. Long reviled in the media - and this reporter's mind - as an emblem of all that is wrong w/America - not on a Donald Trump scale, of course, but close - perhaps it's past time to stop treating this young woman like a spectator sport and recognize her for the victim she is.

Now I hate the whole victim mentality as much as the next curmudgeon and Spears has certainlybeen complicit in her teen whore marketing, not to mention how difficult it is to muster sympathy for the super rich in the 1st place, but even just a little research reveals that as far as having a 'normal' life goes, this poor kid never stood a chance.

I remember seeing her 1st big profile in Rolling Stone years ago. Along w/the requisite, professionaly shot suggestive photos there appeared an earlier shot, taken of the singer at the age 15, so provacitively posed as to border on child pornography. This photo had been taken by her father.

Spears, obviously a gifted child, talented and beautiful, has been groomed and packaged,trained like a racehorse and reduced to little more than a lovely commodity by those who could only benefit since she was, like, 9 years old. Beauty pageants and talent shows etc., all leading up to the devil that is Disney and the Mickey Mouse Club, her meteoric rise to the peak of popstardom and now the sadly inevitable trainwreck detailed on newschannel crawls across the world.

Anyone else out there reminded of Michael Jackson?

Perceived by those closest to her as more gravy train than person, Spears has apparently been pushed over an edge while those who should know better stood by watching. Breakdowns like this don't come out of the blue, either, I'msure there were signs - a 55 hour marriage, perhaps? - that this girl was in trouble, but everyone from the record company, her management, her family all the way down to her fans prefeered to let this show go on as long as it was profitable and, in the fan's case, entertaining.

Anyone else out there reminded of Sid Vicious?

When I last checked Ms. Spears was still in rehab which is, as they say in the Recovery Industry, righ where she belongs. I say that w/no malice. I mean to say that anyone so sad and confused as to be that self-destructive while, for all intents and purposes, sitting on top of the world, needs to come to a full stop and address these problems. Problems that not only can, but, left unchecked, will result in nothing less than a beautiful corpse in an early grave.

Anyone else out there reminded of Kurt Cobain?

If I could somehow gain the attention of Britney Spears through the magic of cyberspace this is what I'd say:

Britney,

Hi. My name is Tim and I'm an alcoholic and as one drunk to another, nothing more or less, I am begging you to step away from the rock and roll circus for the time being and take whatever time is neccessary for you to get better. The music industry has proven that it is not yr friend, nor does it have anything resembling yr best interest at heart.

Screw yr career darling, this is yr life at stake here.

Yr fortunate enough to be able to afford the best help available. Ask for that help. Hell, demand that help because you deserve it. Listen to the people who really care. Listen to the other drunks trying to get sober one day at a time. Sure 70% of 'em are gonna be assholes. That's just the national average. But, even abroken clock is right twice a day and by that I mean it might be one of those assholes who says the one thing that makes it click, that makes life maybe just that little bit easier that it gets you through the day.

And the day is all any of us, popstar or pauper, has. I implore you to seize yrs today. Work for yrself instead of some band of salivating vultures for a change and work through whatever demons- and I'm betting there are many - that stand in the way of the peace and happiness that are, as a loving and feeling human being, nothing less than yr due.

And when yr ready to record that 'fuck you', hate rock comeback record email me at timbyrnes@antimusic.net