While I may not be the biggest Britney Spears fangirl in the world (I do find some of her songs and music videos quite fun and catchy, though), I’d been long-waiting for her documentary, “Framing Britney Spears” (which is part of the “New York Times Presents” series), since I’ve grown up around news coverage and tabloid gossip from her highly publicised pop career days, the toll it took on her to constantly be in the public glare, and the numerous parodies that left a poor taste those who watched her ordeal. Her ordeal was additionally unsettling due to the profit people made off of mockery of her mental health—along with the harsh conservatorship of her father that she is currently under—which is proving to be a menace to her well-being.
“Framing Britney Spears” is a much-needed documentary, especially to shed light on Britney’s current struggles of trying to free herself from the controlling thumb of her father—even in her adulthood—and brings many perspectives to the fore as well. Hopefully it will also serve its purpose of introducing a whole new generation to a vulnerable Britney…the Britney whom her fans know and love who was a victim of a toxic media frenzy.
“Framing Britney Spears” also highlights the serious damage done to Britney’s mental health, especially during her younger years when she was still coming in terms with being constantly in the spotlight, hounded by the press who tried to squeeze every detail out of the pop-star’s private life despite her repeated pleas. Many of these are caught on camera and are quite disturbing to watch, especially Britney having to deal with the paparazzi 24/7 and her battle as a single mom battling for the custody of her children with her ex husband Kevin Federline.
Apart from exposing the intrusive blood-sucking press and paparazzi for all their worth and documenting their tumultuous relationship with Britney, the documentary also serves as an eye-opener to the double standards and misogyny prevailing the music industry. We get to see the horrific slut shaming Spears was subjected to by certain men (and even women) in the early 2000s due to her bold persona, which was dismissed as ‘slutty’ and ‘skimpy’ by many.
A scene from the documentary “Framing Britney Spears,” Left/Right, 2021.
The montage of radio interviews featuring influential men in the industry—such as Justin Timberlake—passing defamatory statements about Britney on air are hard to watch and eye-opening, buffered by clips from talk shows where she was put down by celebrities, the public, and journalists alike. Spears was even sent a death threat for ‘corrupting children’ by a parent and painted in the worst light possible, which will shock even the hardest hearts to the core. A scene that left me in disbelief and fuming was one where paparazzo Daniel Ramos—who was witness to —as well as responsible for Britney’s meltdown in 2007—tries to justify his stalkerish behaviour by passing it off as ‘caring for Britney’ in an interview. This is of course despite a clip showing him harassing a visibly fed-up Britney by pushing a camera in her face despite pleas by her friend to leave her alone.
On the bright side, it was refreshing to hear Britney’s lifelong friends like Paris Hilton, who also underwent mental trauma at the hands of her family (something that is detailed in her own documentary “This is Paris”) stand up for Britney and fight for her rights on her behalf.
“Framing Britney Spears” does a great job at delving into the underserved hate Britney was/is at the receiving end of, and also includes insightful information about the unjust conservatorship imposed upon Britney by her father which has led to the #FreeBritney movement by her fanbase (who also make multiple appearances in the documentary to fight for her cause on her behalf).
If you’ve been following the #FreeBritney movement closely, the ending may be bittersweet, but hopefully there is a light at the end of the tunnel for Ms. Spears. “Framing Britney Spears” is definitely hard to sit through, but is a must watch, regardless of whether you’re a diehard Britney fan or not.
*”Framing Britney Spears” is available to watch on Hulu and FXNow. Click to learn more.
