Saturday
Jan052008
How Much Is Too Much?
Saturday, January 5, 2008 at 10:41AM The Blogmother
Professor Tracey, WAOD Contributor
I am not a Britney Spears fan and I am not a big fan of watching any celebrity public spectacle or downward spiral. After skipping numerous channels focusing on her latest extremely public breakdown and patiently watching a segment about her on Keith Olbermann, I was thoroughly disgusted. How much is too much? Yes, she is a celebrity and part of the cost of fame is living your life in the public eye, but I saw a woman going to pieces in front of her children. It's not about liking Spears or what she brought it on herself, but where are we as a nation that we enjoy watching such sadness? And for me particularly, when I see such lack of concern and compassion toward a white woman and her children, I know in my heart that women of color and their children are in deep trouble.
Many times on this blog we have expressed such hopelessness about the complete indifference to the violence leveled at black women and girls, particularly in the case of Dunbar Village. My question is what do you do in a country where watching the destruction of a family (in Britney Spears' case) is a public past time? What do you do in a nation that laments and blames the struggles of black people on their failure to build and maintain families, yet gleeful watches with anticipation the dismantling of the idea of family? Are we really that crass and cynical as a country?
As much was made of Obama's "historic" victory in Iowa, my excitement was at the "historic" moment of him standing on that stage with his very black family. I truly wonder do Americans really believe in family or is it something we pay lip service to? What do you think?
I am not a Britney Spears fan and I am not a big fan of watching any celebrity public spectacle or downward spiral. After skipping numerous channels focusing on her latest extremely public breakdown and patiently watching a segment about her on Keith Olbermann, I was thoroughly disgusted. How much is too much? Yes, she is a celebrity and part of the cost of fame is living your life in the public eye, but I saw a woman going to pieces in front of her children. It's not about liking Spears or what she brought it on herself, but where are we as a nation that we enjoy watching such sadness? And for me particularly, when I see such lack of concern and compassion toward a white woman and her children, I know in my heart that women of color and their children are in deep trouble.
Many times on this blog we have expressed such hopelessness about the complete indifference to the violence leveled at black women and girls, particularly in the case of Dunbar Village. My question is what do you do in a country where watching the destruction of a family (in Britney Spears' case) is a public past time? What do you do in a nation that laments and blames the struggles of black people on their failure to build and maintain families, yet gleeful watches with anticipation the dismantling of the idea of family? Are we really that crass and cynical as a country?
As much was made of Obama's "historic" victory in Iowa, my excitement was at the "historic" moment of him standing on that stage with his very black family. I truly wonder do Americans really believe in family or is it something we pay lip service to? What do you think?
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The Media
Reader Comments (9)
I was thinking the same thing last night Professor Tracey. This is a woman who is sick and in need of a lot of help and people watch it like its a movie because she's rich and they don't like her music.
And the people who are most disgusting and heartless are those who consider themselves compassionate. No one takes glee in the downfall of a celebrity like conservatives. I was watching FOX News and they had a "Britney Watch" graphic. Are you kidding me.
The only sickness people have compassion for our things like cancer.
THANK YOU FOR POSTING THIS, PROFESSOR TRACY.
They did a long segment on her on CNN last night, and I was SO angered and upset, but wasn't sure where I could blog about it!
Listen, I don't read celebrity blogs, buy scandal sheets, or watch celebrity tv-zines, so WHY DO I KNOW EVERY LITTLE DETAIL of this woman's life?? She is covered more than the president of the United States!
It's horrible, and I honestly fear that this sick fascination of the MEDIA (I refuse to believe that this story is driven by the viewing public) is going to kill this young woman.
She is clearly in trouble of suicidal proportions. It feels like a death watch. So even I, who could care less about 'celebrities', am very, very concerned that this woman's life is in serious jeopardy. Couldn't those vultures leave her alone, even for a few weeks?
symphony,
Just about all of the conservatives that I know are horrified by FOX news. I had one conservative republican friend call FOX 'the Al-Jazeera of the rabid right.'
A lot of conservatives are angered by what they consider the 'rabid right'.
So I honestly believe that there was a premeditated grab at the media bullhorn by the far right, as part of a strategy to control the conservative end of the Republican Party -- which is why I am gleefully watching the moderate, libertarian and conservative Republicans duke it out with each other right now.
I cannot understand for the life of me why Fox news is not shut down or at least become a more respectable news source.
As for Britney...I am sick and tired of hearing about her. I think this whole thing is a vicious circle. This is the only way she can get attention. I am wondering if Fox, TMZ and the paparzzi stopped following her, if she would just straighten herself out.
Lessons to be learned from Britney: men are gaining favor in the courts regarding custody, alimony is now an equal opportunity endeavor, and a life of debauchery always catches up with you.
As for what I think, as far as Americans go, I would expect nothing more. I was born and raised in the U.S., but I am no american. America is death, greed, and destruction. I have no positive expectations for this country, and I have my whole life to justify this position. All this celebrity stuff is just a distraction from reality.
I will read news every now and then these days because for the most part it is distracting from the issues we really should be concerned about. However I did hear about the latest on Brittany Spears. I am concerned for her very life. I believe I heard that either a piece about her or she herself may be on Dr. Phil's program next week. A while back I also heard about a church that wanted to reach out to her with a letter writing campaign. I just wonder if the letters actually got to her. At least some people are making a sincere attempt to reach out to her in love and compassion.
From the comments made here it appears that there have been everywhere in every venue since this latest incident. This is a sad day in America. If the media will devour Brittany as a cute white chick, minorities do not have a chance in hell. At the same time I am concerned for her. She is a human being that has value to God just because she was born. I would hate to see her life end because of her emotional instability. If she gets the right help her life can be spared and be productive for herself and her children.
She is apart of the majority and she has the money to get help and to console her. She will be just fine. This too shall pass. I see this happen everyday to black mothers who don't even have the fincial means, family support or empathy consideration.
Sorry, no sympathy from me. I don't like her and I don't like her sister either. I don't usually feel for any woman that could selfishly get in relations with a man knowing he has a present and more future obligations with a pregnant woman. Especially if the pregnant woman is a black woman. I don't forget. I felt for Shar deeply when all this happened, and the media didn't care either. I'm just being honest. Yes, there is no doubt in my mind that Brit spitefully competed and thought her race and money was preferred over Shar in the public's eye. Not to mention she also thought it would spare her from that man's wrath. Her sh*t backfired and now she HAS to deal with it, in the public's eye too. Spit to the sky, and it comes down on your face.
People need to stop feeling for her and stop feeding her attention, she likes it. The only thing all this news coverage could do for me, is to prompt me to do the evil laugh. Sorry to be cold. Brit is upset because she's humiliated, can't get her way, played out, and has to pay out child support to a man who also has to support black children. Read all the spiteful comments Brit has said about Shar's kids, during her divorce with KF. Good.
Peace.
Excellent post Ms. La ~ msviswan:-)
Britney needs to take responsibility for her actions. I don't feel sorry for her. If she would remain out of the public's eye, she could ''put a lot of people out of business.'' Stop giving the TMZ's of the world something to talk about. I will not take part in this ''pity party'' for Britney Spears.
The Britney saga is the best reason I can think of to turn off the so-called TV news.
A hundred years from now, historians will struggle to understand why we would consume this type of news programming.