Why Britney Matters
Posted: Tuesday, August 14, 2007 7:54 AM by Noah Oppenheim
We did a story this morning covering the latest developments in the divorce of Britney Spears and Kevin Federline. It’s a sordid mess, and frankly, gives many an icky feeling.
Spears has gone from multi-talented, international superstar to a sad punch line, her life the model of a celebrity implosion. Federline has been a punch line from the start, which makes it doubly alarming that he’s starting to appear the more responsible half of the former couple.
Of course, it’s fair to ask… What makes any of this news? Why should anyone care what happens to these wealthy, foolish people?
First, for the millions who admired Spears as a performer, there is an understandable interest in how an outwardly successful woman could so rapidly decline into a pattern of behavior more commonly associated with the struggling fringes of society. The “fall from grace” is a legitimately fascinating narrative arc, and one Spears is taking to new extremes.
Second, Spears is just the latest illustration of how early fame appears to fundamentally corrupt many of the child stars who enjoy it. What does it say that we now look at talented young performers and actually expect they'll grow into self-destructive addicts?
Finally, you may not care how far Spears ultimately falls – she is an adult with nearly unlimited resources and the freedom to make better choices. But there are two innocent toddlers caught in this mess. I have no insight into what goes on behind closed doors, but there seems to be ample evidence that Spears is not a frontrunner for Mother of the Year. If someone who wasn’t wealthy or famous behaved in the same fashion, what steps would be taken to ensure their children were safe?
Britney vs. K-Fed is hardly a matter of great national import. But it does raise some questions about our society that are worth pondering.
Noah Oppenheim is a Senior Producer of TODAY.
