Graphic by Anjali Rao-Herel ‘22
By Anika Singh ’24
Staff Writer
“If Britney can get through 2007, you can get through anything” is just one of the viral pop culture phrases often thrown around social media. But the 2021 New York Times documentary “Framing Britney Spears” urges the audience to consider Spears today, living under the conservatorship of her father. The documentary provides an extensive view of the pop sensation and her career, dealing with the life of Spears not as a celebrity, but as a person.
“Framing Britney Spears” is direct in its presentation, opening with the various messages fans have for her, each one showing their love and support as they share what Spears means to them. The audience is taken on a trip down memory lane, following Spears’ life from her roots as a small-town girl from Louisiana to her ultimate rise in the music industry. The documentary presents previously established facts but forces you to look at them in a different light. It has everything from Spears’ “Mickey Mouse Club” days to her infamous 2007 breakdown.
These facts are not new, and the documentary makes no effort to investigate further. Instead, it prompts the viewer to see Spears not as the failure she is often made out to be, but as someone who was failed by everyone around her.
Spears is portrayed not as the problem, as she is often depicted, but instead as a victim of a misogynistic society. She started out young in the industry, and her talent is shown as she hits high notes as a young girl on a television show. The scene cuts to the host, old enough to be her grandfather, asking her if she has a boyfriend and if she’d like him as one, making her uncomfortable. This is one of several cases of sexist comments and degradation that Spears has had to endure, whether about her virginity or her newest relationship. The documentary makes it apparent that she has constantly been reduced from a strong independent pop star to a toxic male-centered idea of a woman, objectified rather than appreciated.
While the film focuses on her life and her struggles, it also touches on the culture of the time. The toxic paparazzi and tabloids, sexism and misogyny in the industry and malignant rumors are just some of the subjects that the documentary points out for the viewer. Through this, the documentary lays out the narrative of Spears as a victim of media harassment — after she was painted as the villain for many years.
The primary goal of “Framing Britney Spears” is to dissect the conservatorship that the star is under. A conservatorship is a court case in which a judge appoints a guardian or protector, a “conservator,” to have full responsibility for the management of the daily life and financial affairs of the conservatee. In 2008, the court placed Spears under the conservatorship of her father, Jamie Spears, after her worsening substance abuse problem and mental health issues came to light.
The film brings in various voices and points of view to analyze the case. Through interviews with lawyers, both those who specialize in conservatorships and those who have previously worked on Spears' case, the audience is informed of the legal procedures, possible future proceedings that might take place and the disadvantage Spears faces in court as the conservatee. The lawyers describe instances of loopholes in the law, like Spears being unable to hire Adam Streisand, her lawyer of choice to represent her in court.
Leaving no stones unturned, the film introduces Daniel Ramos, a photographer who captured Spears in a variety of paparazzi photos. Ramos defends himself in the film, explaining the value of paparazzi pictures back in the day, especially those of Spears. His defense exposes the toxicity of tabloid culture and the inhumane treatment of a human being, namely Spears, due to her celebrity status.
The documentary also brings up the podcast “Britney’s Gram,” hosted by comedians Tess Barker and Barbara Gray, during which Spears’ eccentric Instagram posts are analyzed as a secret form of communication to her fans. This inclusion highlights the support that Spears has from her fans, who show their devotion by staging protests, spreading the hashtag #FreeBritney, attending court hearings and generally working to support her.
“Framing Britney Spears” sheds light on the cruelty of celebrity culture and the treatment of women in the entertainment industry, from the lewd and sexist comments made by interviewers to the lack of empathy the media and public display as they profit off the hardships of another human being. The documentary has allowed people to not only hear these messages, but to finally listen to them properly — something Spears has wanted from the beginning.
“Framing Britney Spears” is available to stream on Hulu and FX.