Why You Should Watch ‘Framing Britney Spears’ Again
Britney Spears’ father will eventually step down as her conservator. The pop star has been under a conservatorship for more than 10 years; now, she’s fighting for freedom. Prior to the official court proceedings, the New York Times Presents: Framing Britney Spears documentary was released in early 2021. The documentary depicts the rise of the #FreeBritney movement and the celebrity’s life.
However, did this newfound attention on the singer take a wrong turn? Spears shared her dissent over the media coverage, and now the judge is under fire on social media. The documentary takes on a new meaning as the star’s case forges ahead.
What does the documentary reveal?
The film focuses on the #FreeBritney movement and speculates Jamie Spears’ intentions. After it glazes over the “Circus” singer’s astronomical fame, the flick introduces its darker focus: how the media affected Spears.
The doc cuts to moments when the paparazzi hounded her in public. One photographer offers his side to the story when, back then, a photo would bring a huge paycheck. He claims that Spears never asked them to leave her alone. However, the film’s director Samantha Stark asks, “What about when she said, ‘Leave me alone?'”
Another focus of the flick is Spears’ high-profile relationship with fellow singer Justin Timberlake. The doc shows a recording of the former NSYNC member commenting on their sexual relations. Timberlake’s song “Cry Me A River” implies that Spears cheated on him. This resulted in widespread criticism against the young pop star. Diane Sawyer is also featured in the film contributing to Spears’ public scrutiny Spears.
Above all, the film reverts to Spears’ father seeking financial control over her career.
How watching it now is different
The “Hit Me Baby One More Time” singer wasn’t thrilled with the film. According to Rolling Stone, Spears didn’t appreciate seeing the “humiliating moments from the past” in a deleted Instagram post. She slammed the film for scolding the media for its mistreatment of her yet by “[doing] the same thing…Why highlight the most negative and traumatizing times in my life from forever ago?”
Perhaps viewers may perceive the film differently after hearing Spears’ reaction.
Even Stark understood Spears’ frustration. “While we were making the film, we talked a lot about re-traumatizing Britney and her family by showing these moments,” Stark admitted. “Part of the reason it’s called Framing Britney Spears is there are these still-photo frames that were humiliating to her. We thought it was really important to pull outside the frame because so many people had all these assumptions based on one frame, one image they saw.”
Regarding the court case, Judge Brenda Penny is now a target on social media. After the judge refused to expedite the next hearing, countless commenters threatened the judge for her lack of action. Spears’s critique against the documentary could carry more weight if the media intensifies its focus on those involved with the case.
Britney said the 2000s were ‘simpler’ times
Although Spears’ past with the media isn’t positive, she still thinks that the 2000s were better. The “Toxic” singer posted a throwback-filled tweet with trending outfits of that decade. She implied that social media complicates modern society.
The post is contradictory to what Framing Britney Spears revolves around. The film emphasizes how damaging the media was toward the performer. Nevertheless, Spears chose to focus on the positives of the 2000s.
Related: Britney Spears Says She’s ‘Been Way Too Cautious’ With What She Posts on Instagram
