It's very much unlike me to get caught up in celebrity scandals--at least on my blog. I don't read tabloids or go to their respective websites. The closest I get those are the gossip column on MSNBC (which surprisingly keeps me up to date with all those snarky rumors) and reading Go Fug Yourself.

So the headline I saw on MSNBC today was so juicy that I couldn't help but follow-up on YouTube: Britney Bombs At VMAs.

I don't really keep up to date with current music (over the last four years, I have developed a preference for books on mp3 instead of listening to the radio), and I only watch MTV/VH1 (they're interchangeable in my mind) for America's Next Top Model and The Pick-Up Artist.

Being sick over the weekend (still sick actually), I had a lot of time to sleep and watch the marathon of ANTM my DVR recorded for me. Being on DVR, it meant I fast-forwarded through a lot of VMA commercials which proclaimed, even at a rate of four-times faster the the normal speed of play, that Britney Spears was performing at the shindig. With how many commercials I had to speed through for the VMAs alone, it was as though the destiny of the VMAs and Britney Spears were inexorably linked (and apparently my perception was not far off, according to the MSNBC article I read the VMAs have seen a sharp decline in viewership, and this year re-tooled the entire show to focus more on performances than actual awards).

I have an interest in the spectacle that is Britney Spears. I actually use to respect her as a performer--I really liked watching her dance. I thought she was one of those rare performers who, like Michael Jackson, always outshined her backup dancers and wasn't merely surrounded by them (and I like working out to her music because it's fast and has a good beat). Sometimes I'd go out of my way to see the video of the song if it was mentioned in a news article or if I was curious, and I was always impressed by the dancing.

But lordy lordy lordy... "Britney bombs at the VMAs" may be the nice way of putting it.



To give you an idea of what Britney used to look like, this is a video of Britney Spears from 2001 (and the infamous snake).



I don't think you can help but notice how much her body has changed--and rightfully so. She's not necessarily fat: she's had two children. I think it's a little sad when people cling to what they looked like six years ago. I mean, it's been six years. A lot can change in six years, and it obviously has for Le Britney, what with the babies, the marriage, the divorce, the head shaving... Would it be so horrible if she changed up her image? Did anyone watch the episode of Project Runway that spotlighted Jay McCarroll and the drama surrounding his making Heidi Klum a post-pregnancy Emmy dress? She originally said she wanted the look to be a "hot mama" and the dress should be red. Then she threw Jay for a loop and said she was going to go with a different dress (which meant another designer) with a "earth mother" theme. Heidi Klum and her stylist got it: no one wants to see a mother all sexed up, which is not to suggest that a mother can't still be sexy. Why can't anyone tell Ms. Spears this?

The other thing I just want to point out is the showmanship... it seems to be gone. Because Britney was nothing if not a good showman. But she literally looks confused and trips over herself a couple times.

Remember when I said the destiny of the VMAs and Britney Spears seemed to inexorably linked? When I watched the video footage of the MSNBC article Matt Lauer said, "It's been a rough coupla years." Well, what if the people over at MTV purposely did this? What if they caught on to the spectacle that is Britney Spears and that's why they allowed her to go on stage in such... disarray? Is there a conspiracy afoot (cool, I got to use the word 'afoot')?

I do know one thing... it's time for Britney to get an image overhaul. She ain't 20 years old anymore, and I doubt she has the time, energy or wherewithal to do 1000 sit-ups a day the way she used to. Shout out to Ms. S: Just acknowledge that you are not the same person and move on.

Maybe we could all learn a little something from Britney Spears.

Labels: britney spears, celebrity, news

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