For The Record, Britney…

December 1st, 2008

courtesy Getty Images

I don’t have cable, which isn’t normally a problem. But last night required a special trip to a special friend’s house (special on account of her cable subscription), because something legendary was airing on Much. This was kind of like our generation’s “Thriller” – anyone entranced by pop culture was huddled in front of their TV to see Britney talk about The Year It Went Wrong. So many questions… would she talk about Adnan? Would she talk about the head shaving incident? Would it all boil down to a marketing ploy for “Circus”?

At its rawest, Britney spoke sincerely, admitting that amidst 24-hour surveillance, she feels ignored – like she’s talking to a wall, and nobody ever really listens. “It’s better not to feel anything at all and have hope than to feel the other way,” she says. “But it’s bad,” she said, tearfully. “I’m sad.” At its lightest, Britney is shown goofing around with her assistant and entourage, trying on clothes and imitating her father (hunched over in her Office Britney womanizer costume, drawling on a cell phone). At its scariest, you realize that swarms of paparazzi are no better than zombies, and that Britney still isn’t completely ok.

I know there are questions left unanswered but I feel like Britney spoke candidly. Obviously what we saw has been controlled by her manager, publicists, father, and overlords but there was no way to mask the fact that Britney still needs help. The world wants to see a triumphant comeback (a term she dislikes) but I feel like now is too soon. Since her breakdown, she’s released two albums and hasn’t taken a break from the spotlight. I still believe that she needs to pack up and just leave for a good year or two – someplace where she won’t be hounded by photographers (is this possible?), and can just try to reach a place in her head where she feels loved and secure. But there is one major problem with this plan: as much as she bemoans the constant tabloid obsession, I don’t know if she can live without it. It is the life she knows, and possibly what helps her feel secure.

So I guess what I really took away from watching this special was a feeling of sadness. Britney’s truly likable, and I want to root for her – but she needs some real friends, she needs a break, and she needs to find some people she can trust. Then she can take all of these experiences, write an album, and then start the comeback we really want to see.

PS: Is it just me, or did this documentary feel like it lasted 27 hours? I blame the commercial breaks every 4 minutes.

And now, on a lighter note: Things I Learned Watching Britney: For The Record

* Cheese grits = breakfast of southern champions.
* Britney goes through life like a karate kid.
* Britney is sad.
* Emma on Degrassi should not hook up with that sweaty dude.
* Gossip Girl is on Thursday nights.
* Britney’s assistant is possibly her best friend.
* Dance is her soul’s medicine.
* Britney can’t go anywhere without a horde of zombies chasing after her. This is terrifying.
* Madonna had a facelift.
* Sean P and JJ are adorable, and I fear for them.

Did you watch? What did you learn? What did you think? Is Britney ok?

And if you missed it, watch tonight at 8pm, Wednesday @ 7 or 10pm ET, Thursday @ 3:30pm ET or December 20 @ 10pm ET!

Posted on Monday, December 1st, 2008 at 12:44 pm by Wendy and is filed under Celebrities & Pop Culture.