I think she’s reached the sort of celebrity critical mass where now she’s Famous For Being Famous.
Actually, that is who I had in mind. This has been going on as long as there’s been money in celebrity.
Though I’d probably call her career path more Fabian than Sinatra.
But only time will tell.
Oh, come on, she was talking to her older brother, which might not be far from talking to her parents. The message she provided is meant to reassure, not inform.
What I’m curious about is why so many people apparently hate her because she’s good-looking and sexy. I’ll agree, mostly she’s lucky, not talented, but I think knowing how to be sexy and remain mainstream is a major gift. So many on this thread think it’s just her looks and her sexiness in front of cameras, but really, if you’ll just take the time to look at a little porn, you’ll see that there are some awesomely beautiful women who do things in front of cameras that make Britney look tame indeed. These women are just as attractive as Britney, in many instances, and much sexier. So it’s not JUST looks and it’s not JUST sexiness.
I’d say her whole secret is marketing. She’s sexy but in a safe way which keeps her mainstream. It’s a tough curve to hang onto, because if you get too sexy, you’re not mainstream, but if you back up on the heat too much, you’re not sexy. You lose in either event.
Esquire had a very interesting interview with her and some very incisive commentary along with the photo spread in the issue iwth her on the cover. The pics are awesome, but the article is very much worth reading, as it shows how carefully Spears presents her persona.
Or how carefully Spears’ agent presents her persona. I don’t think I’ve ever heard one word out of her mouth that wasn’t carefully crafted. I pity her actually; she has grown up without one original thought in her head.
I love Britney!
I think she’s hot and I like to dance to her music.
Britney = (tits + ass)*shake + (marketing)^2
No, no! That’s Christina Aguliera. Britney is only a mid-level ho.
It ain’t her two hits ahem that make her popular.
Jonathan Chance. Yup.
There are a number of very talanted entertainers who don’t write their own songs or play any instruments, that we respect. But whenever a Brittney comes along, we get comments like:
Well, d’oh!
Sinatra didn’t write any of the songs he recorded. Presley gets credit for writing songs, but back in the 50’s it was common practice to let the artist share the credit as a way of pushing money his(her?) way.
And um, d’oh! again. Using sex to sell an image is not a very original thing. Look at footage of Sinatra in the 40’s, when the girls were throwing their unmentionables onto the stage. It would be easier to list the celebrities who haven’t used sex to further their career.
And of course, when someone is writing their own music and performing it, they instantly get more respect. Why isn’t it the same with actors. Few actors write their on plays/screenplays and then star in them. There is Sam Shepard, Billy Bob Thornton and Sly Stallone…
I really, really don’t care about the background of a performer, I just want to be entertained. Ms Spears doesn’t entertain me, though I recognize that she clearly has a talent, mainly that ellusive “Larger than Life” quality, which makes her the media’s darling and the perfect vehicle to sell records and books, and clothes and whatever. It’s the same type of merchandising we see with LoTR or StarWars and in the end, it’s not like anyone is stealing my money or forcing me to consume what they produce. So why even bother?
Britney is the quintessential 14 year old. Wait, how old is she?
Gaspode, where in my post do I state that I worship performers like Sinatra and Elvis? That they are any “better” than Ms. Spears? And where did I say that using sex to sell an image was her idea alone?
There’s no need to jump all over an observation about Britney’s target audience.
MMmmm Britney…Porn…
I think the comparison to the Spice Girls is pretty accurate. I never really got them or their music which was “popular” in pop music circles, I’m not a pop music fan myself. Have to admit, they made a lot of bucks for somebody not any more talented than Britney. But they had to divide by 5.
What do I think of Broccoli Spears? Well, she’s hot as hell, and I have a mute button for a reason.
Beyond that, I don’t give a fig if she exists or not.
Baby Fish Mouth - I just used your quote as an example of comments that are very common in these types of discussions. Many times I hear that the audience prefer artists that write their own material, but there are so many respected artists out there, who only perform other people’s material. Then I went on to give examples of such entertainers, not implying that you made that connection.
As for the sex part, you lput that in as an explanation, and I think that if it were only sex, then Jenna Jameson or Ron Jeremy could sell 40 million albums. They don’t.
Damn, jinwicked. I think I just fell in love with you. Wanna get hitched?
For one thing, she’s so exposed to the media that practically everyone who doesn’t live in a cave has an idea of who she is. Even if your grandmother couldn’t pick Britney Spears out of a lineup, if someone says “She’s no Britney Spears” she’ll know what you’re trying to say. Somehow, and I’m not entirely sure how, she has taken the archetype slot formerly held by Marilyn Monroe, Famouse Sexy Woman. Identifying with someone who is considered as being extremely well known for being attractive is a way to indulge the fantasy of being attractive to everyone - it doesn’t matter that not everyone finds Britney attractive.
She has become identified with some masterfully crafted pop songs - I know this is not her doing, but it makes an important difference. I have always been able to recognize when a song is going to be a huge hit, even if I don’t like it, and when I heard that “Hit Me One More Time” song the first time on the radio I knew it was going to be a huge hit. She combines her wide recognition with a quality product (music as craftsmanship, not art) with value to a great deal of her target audience.
Britney also started young, and her image evolved over the years - admittedly quite quickly, but people do change a lot between 17 and 22. This has made part of the low end of the all-desired 18-35 demographic identify with her strongly, leading to a long period of character identification. There will be die-hard Britney fans 20 years from now, even if she is considered an embarassment by most of the population. The fact she started young also appeals to those males who find teenage girls attractive (I assume there’s some out there considering all the laws against having sex with them).
She’s also dated a lot of guys who were considered attractive to large portions of her intended audience. It’s a good way to keep in the news and it makes you the kind of person they want to be.
Finally, she did maintain a somewhat wholesome image for a pop star, without being TOO wholesome. Basically projects “It’s OK to say no, but when you’re ready there’s nothing wrong with yes” vibe. Flexible morality is appealing to young horny people.
Yes, because in the entire world, there are absolutely no teenage girls that look as good/better than Britney (airbrushing aside), and who have confidence in their appearance. :rolleyes:
I dunno. When I saw Britney’s first video, years ago, I saw something… I don’t know, her “I’d be doing porn if I weren’t this lucky” look in her eyes, the mediocrity completely overwhelmed by sheer marketing, the sex appeal, the pornstar makeup, all of the above, I don’t know for sure… something that made me think to myself:
“She’ll be doing porn before she’s thru.”
And If you look at her photo shoots, she’s nearly proven me right. Her spreads show more skin than any other mainstream performer, and she’s showing more in each one. They’re still not primarily intended as wank material, so I won’t claim my boobie prize yet.
But now her latest album has a song about masturbation…
She’ll be showing her naked breasts soon enough… and if her career starts to slide, look for softcore depictions of intercourse. Her entire career is built on her sexuality, because she’s a mediocre singer… so if her fame starts to subside, look for more sexuality.
And she does indeed have a very fine ass.
You haven’t seen any photos of Flea from RHCP, have you?
I saw on the news this morning Britney got her Hollywood star yesterday.