The New York Times recently released a documentary titled “Framing Britney Spears,” which chronicles the complexities of the pop star’s conservatorship and the #FreeBritney movement. After a lifelong battle with toxic media paparazzi that exploited the artist throughout her childhood and early adult life, Britney Spears is finally getting some positive attention. 

Accredited as the “Princess of Pop,” Britney Spears is responsible for some of the most successful albums of the 21st century. She redefined pop music, shifted the attention away from the 2000’s boy band craze and saw “…Baby One More Time” be named the greatest debut single of all time by Rolling Stone in 2020.  

At one point in their careers, artists including Lady Gaga, Beyoncé and Taylor Swift and entertainers including Kim Kardashian, Emma Watson and Zendaya credited Britney as a main source of their inspiration. Without Spears’ body forward image and sex-positive lyrics, the pop genre wouldn’t be where it is today. 

Even though she was the best-selling teenage artist of all time, Spears was often villainized by the media. Her reputation suffered at the hands of journalists, critics and paparazzi alike, all of whom gave a multitude of jarring interviews filled with insensitive, sexist and inappropriate comments.

For example, Dutch TV interviewer Ivo Niehe came under fire when the documentary was released for a disgusting interview he conducted with Spears when she was just 17, namely for asking about rumors insinuating she had breast implants. Niehe is quoted as saying, “There’s one subject we didn’t discuss. Everyone’s talking about it. Well … your breasts.” 

Spears was repeatedly asked questions about her virginity, sex life and her highly publicized relationship with Justin Timberlake. When that relationship went south, Timberlake weaponized it by using a Britney Spears look-alike in his highly sexualized “Cry Me a River” music video and boasted about taking the artist’s virginity in a 2002 radio interview. 

The former First Lady of Maryland, Kendel Ehrlich, was caught in a media scandal when a quote from her surfaced stating, “Really, if I had an opportunity to shoot Britney Spears, I think I would.” Diana Sawyer read this quote to Britney during a 2003 interview, which resulted in the artist — just 21 at the time —  breaking down in tears. 

There’s an impossible double standard for women in entertainment. One must be sexy, but not slutty. One must be skinny, but still have good assets. One must be physically appealing to men, but relatable enough to not intimidate women. 

It’s difficult to imagine how exhausting such a lifestyle would be. 

When Spears had her highly publicized breakdown in 2008, it was easy for the media to push the narrative that she was a crazy and unstable villain. However, upon looking back at the events leading up to the breakdown, it’s evident she has always been the victim.

Spears was suffering from postpartum depression and a scathing divorce, her life completely devoid of a sense of normalcy, all while witnessing her most private and vulnerable moments broadcasted to the entire world.  

It’s not surprising she reached a breaking point that necessitated emotional and medical support.

Britney is not the only “princess” to be mistreated recently by the media — Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex, went public with racist allegations towards the Crown and British media in an all-exclusive interview.  

The interview, hosted by Oprah Winfrey, outlined Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, and Markle’s experience leaving the monarchy and their roles as new parents. Oprah’s interview went viral after a bombshell moment where Markle claimed the British media would fabricate stories about her and that members of the royal family were concerned about the skin color of the couple’s baby, Archie. 

Twitter erupted and promptly unearthed past articles written about the former American actress, highlighting drastic differences between pieces written about Markle and Kate Middleton, with the most notable example being from the Daily Mail about Kate’s pregnancy. The article praised Kate for holding her pregnancy bump, whereas Meghan faced criticism and insult for the same action. 

Modern princesses of the royal household have always been in the spotlight of British media, but Princess Diana was the only other whose paparazzi detail matched that of Britney Spears — that is, until Meghan Markle’s racial background revealed just how systemic racial and sexist prejudices are in the media. 

Public response to both interviews has favored the women over the media institutions, but it serves as a reminder that the media bias that attacked Britney in the early 2000’s was still present for Meghan in 2021. Following the new Spears documentary, celebrities and reporters issued apologies for the way they treated Britney, but too many of them — especially Justin Timberlake’s —  were half-hearted and performative. 

The way these women have been described and treated in the media alludes to the larger issue of sexism within the field — an issue that is only intensified when involving women of color. 

Luckily, the media has begun to shift away from their outrightly sexist actions by holding reporters, comedians and politicians accountable for this type of inappropriate behavior. However, the problem is far from resolved.  

Not only the media, but members of the public — men, especially — have a responsibility to ensure this kind of behavior changes. Sexism and racism cannot be allowed to flourish in the media. At the end of the day, if Britney Spears were a man and created similar content, he would have been praised instead of scolded. 

Even through the ludicrous media attention, Britney emerged as the first teenage artist to become a symbol of modern femininity. The attacks levied against the star had the opposite effect on her popularity, as fans flocked to both her music and what she represented. 

Britney Spears walked so female artists after her could run. She fought sexism in the music industry head-on, and everyone should be thrilled her story is finally being told in a different light. 

Micky is a sophomore in LAS.

[email protected]