The following is something I wrote over 2 years ago. It was originally posted on my Students UIUC .plan, and like many of my blogs, it's really long. I can't tell if my writing skills have improved in the past couple years, but some of my opinions have changed. But anyways, if you have the time and patience, read on:

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*An Essay on Britney Spears*
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I'm sure everyone reading this knows who Britney Spears is, and no
doubt most of you have your opinions about her. If you didn't know, I'm
personally a pretty big fan of hers, but I've noticed in the past year or
so that the vast majority of people I know have a negative view of her and
her music. Many of you have not hesitated at all to let me know your
distaste for her, and basically give me hell for being a fan. This is why
I am writing this little essay, as a way for me to maybe shed a little
light on why I am a fan, and perhaps get you all off my back. Read on,
and who knows, maybe by the end you will have a slightly different take on
Britney and her music.

I wish I knew exactly why people don't like Britney, but I've
never been able to pinpoint a clear answer. But, from talking with many
different people on the subject, I've noticed that a lot of the same
reasons keep popping up. Here's a list of as many examples as I can name,
and what I think of them:

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"She doesn't write her own songs"
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Well, big deal. Does that mean that it's not real music? Does
it mean that no one can enjoy listening to her CD at all? I don't think
so. First of all, it's pop music. About as deep as her songs ever get
is like, having a crush on a guy or something. Not very deep at all,
I'll be the first to admit that. Plain and simple, her music isn't
intended to stimulate the mind or set off some sort of artistic
revelation, it's there for easy listening, for people to just relax and
enjoy it for what it is.

But since everyone likes to harp on this one fact, I really have
to question why this is such a huge thing. Do the same people who like
to criticize Britney for not writing her own songs listen only to artists
who do their own writing? If so, then good for you. But I really doubt
that's the case. There are countless singers out there, past and
present, who have succeeded while relying on the writing of others, such
as Elvis Presley, Diana Ross and the Supremes, Michael Jackson, Boyz II
Men, or Madonna. I've never heard any of these artists criticized nearly
as heavily for this crime of not writing all of their own music. Let's
not even mention the hip-hop industry and how much it depends on sampled
beats and tunes. So why is it that people single out Britney, and to a
similar extent, the Backstreet Boys or N Sync, for having other people
write songs for them? It doesn't seem like a really good reason for
people to dislike her so intensely as I've seen.

Think about it another way: what if someone is really talented
at writing songs, but has the worst voice or is too ugly to be a singer?
(More on the looks-factor later) Would it be better just to ditch
his/her songs, or is it better if the writer passes on his work to
someone else who is better suited to perform and spread the music to a
wide audience? To me, there's nothing wrong with Britney Spears singing
songs written someone else, for example, Max Martin, of the famous
Swedish production crew, especially when that writer not only agrees to
let her use his songs but has good reason to want her to do so, given
that he gets credit for his writing as well as a well deserved chunk of
the profits.

Of course, I still do respect the artists out there who are
talented enough not only to write their own music but also to sing it
themselves. Even more respect goes to those that can play their own
instruments and perform live. But this is not to say that I don't
believe it's possible to enjoy different kinds of music in different
ways. Nobody cares that dance music is usually little more than a
collection mindless beats, or that there's no words in Beethoven's
symphonies. Sure, there's not much to her songs, but I enjoy them
because I think they are generally pretty catchy tunes. The fact that
she didn't write them herself shouldn't play a significant part in
whether or not people can or can't like the music itself.

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"She got implants at such a young age"
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We don't even know whether or not that's true. There aren't
many established facts on the subject, and she has flat out denied
publicly of having any sort of surgery that people accuse her of doing.
The rumor basically started because somewhere between the time she
released her first single to where she is now, people were saying that
her chest got bigger. This would be between the ages of 16 and 19.
It's not completely impossible that the growth was part of a normal
stage of puberty. I'm no expert, but it seems like if there was a
time her body would decide to grow, that's about the age it would
happen. It's really none of our business to begin with, and what we
really have is only a lot of speculation and rumors. What does any of
this have to do with her music anyways? It's really just another
example of the public's tabloid mentality, we have to pry into the
private lives of celebrities and pass judgment. Maybe she did have an
operation, maybe she didn't. I will say that if she did admit to
getting implants, I would lose some respect. I completely agree that
it's bad for any girl, young or old to do such a drastic thing to
change her own body. But it just seems flat out wrong that people are
basing their whole opinion of her on these rumors alone. In any case,
none of this is relevant to her music. It's definitely not a reason
in itself to not listen to her songs.

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"Christina Aguilera has a better voice"
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Good for Christina. Personally I don't like her at all, no
matter how good her voice is. But just because someone else has a
better voice, doesn't mean I can't be a fan of Britney. Keep in mind
that both girls are in the teen pop music category; they aren't opera
singers or even adult divas like Whitney Houston or Celine Dion.
Also, let's face it, if it weren't for Britney's success, there would
be no Christina as you know her today. Look into the history of
Christina's career, she was around for years before Britney, and
given plenty of opportunities to become a star, for example a chance
to sing the title song of Disney's Mulan soundtrack, "Reflection."
But practically nobody ever heard of her until Britney's arrival broke
open the market for teen female pop singers. Now, a couple years
later, we've seen many trying to duplicate Britney's success but few
achieving nearly as much as she as. Not only Christina Aguilera, but
Jessica Simpson, Mandy Moore, Vitamin C, Dream, and countless other new
similar artists owe a lot to Britney for reestablishing the market and
opening the door for them to the pop industry. Whether the pop
explosion is a good thing or bad thing is another debate, but give
Britney due credit for being the first, and in my opinion, the best in
her genre among many copycats.

So maybe you wonder why I like Britney but I don't like
Christina, they seem like such similar singers. To me, it's pretty
obvious, but if you don't really pay attention to how each of them carry
themselves, let me just say that the two are worlds apart. Britney
manages to maintain some degree of professionalism and stage presence
while not completely losing the charm and cuteness of a teenage girl.
Meanwhile, Christina almost always comes off as a whiny, ditzy, immature
girl. The kind of girl that is used to getting attention from everyone,
that is too good for you and doesn't hesitate to let you know it. It's
really a major turnoff when you think about it. I'm really getting off
topic here though, if anyone wants to hear more of my thoughts about
Christina let me know, maybe I'll write another thing about it.

Anyways, Britney may not have an exceptionally good voice, but
it's not bad either. She can sing better than me, and most people I know.
More importantly, though, she has a recognizable voice; when you hear one of
her songs you can totally tell it's her. She may not have the singing
talent of Celine Dion, or even Christina, but there's a certain Britney
style in her singing that has its charm. I really can't imagine anyone
else singing "You Drive Me Crazy" or "Lucky," and to me that's a sign
of a good artist. Just like when you hear any Smashing Pumpkins,
Nirvana, DMX, Mariah Carey, or 2Pac song, you should be able to
immediately pick up their unmistakable style. Especially in the teen
pop genre, it's less important to be born with an awesome voice than to
be able to put your personal spin on the songs you sing.

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"She's only popular because of her looks"
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That's not completely true. I'll admit that she wouldn't be
where she was if she was ugly, but she also wouldn't be here if her
songs sucked. I guess it's still a matter of opinion, but I've liked
almost all of her songs, and both of her albums are pretty good. If
they weren't, I wouldn't be a fan. Honestly.

But appearance is definitely a major factor in her success,
there's no denying that. It's not really her fault, though. Consider
the most successful and popular female singers today, how many of them
are unattractive? I don't think I can really name one. It might not be
right, but the public still expects performers, especially female ones,
to have some sex appeal. It's true that Britney is significantly
younger, than, for example, Faith Hill, Shania Twain, Madonna, Toni
Braxton, Jennifer Lopez, or Mariah Carey, but she also appeals to a
generally younger audience. If I was 40 and a Britney fan, that would
be a problem then, but I'm only 1 or 2 years older than her. The vast
majority of those who buy her CDs are around our age or younger. She
might not be the best role model for younger girls, but she's not the
worst. Britney's public image isn't nearly as suggestive or overtly
sexual as Madonna, Mariah, or even Christina Aguilera. Her videos are
generally more subtle, and while I know she's probably crossed the line
with some of her live TV performances, it's not all that extreme as a
lot of people make it out to be. Performers have always straddled the
border of what's publicly accepted and what's beyond. Elvis was
censored for shaking his legs on TV in the '60s, and look where we are
today. It would be easy to stick to conservative, cookie cutter live
acts, but her producers have chosen to push the limits and keep her on
the leading edge of style and image. Yes, I agree that some of her
performances, such as the 2000 MTV VMAs, went too far, but I still don't
think that is reason enough to completely hate her or her music.

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"She's so fake"
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It is kind of true, when you watch her on TV, like the Hawaii
special, or Nickelodeon Kid's Choice Awards, that she's often overly
enthusiastic about thanking her fans or whatever. It could be considered
fakeness to some extent. But I think, from watching or reading her
interviews, and how she acts, that she is genuinely thankful and
appreciative for her fans. I don't know whether everyone has heard
about how she was recorded using foul language backstage before a concert
in Brazil, but if you ever get a chance to hear it, pay attention to
what she was so worked up about in the first place. A big reason was
because she thought the producers were going to play a recorded intro
(vamp) for the audience, but didn't, and she was angry because they
were just letting the fans wait out there with no explanation. That, to
me, shows that she at least cares about whether her fans are being
entertained at her shows.

About the fact that she has uses words that make mothers blush,
let me just say that as long as she's not spouting curses on stage, on
Nickelodeon, or in her songs, it really isn't a big deal. Not that it's
ok, but it's nothing you don't hear every day. I've always known people
who curse a whole lot worse, even since elementary school. Why is it
okay for actors/actresses, football players, or rappers and rock stars to
swear freely whenever and wherever they want, but when it's suddenly
discovered that Britney has a potty mouth in private, it's a big issue?
She's still only a teenage girl, remember, cut her some slack.

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"She lip-syncs"
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This one is hard to deny. Like anyone else, I think it would be
better if she sang live at her performances, but the fact that she
doesn't is at least somewhat understandable. First of all, it's not easy
to be dancing all over a stage while at the same time maintaining enough
breath to sing the song. Also, her performances aren't exactly meant to
showcase her voice, again, it's pop music, not something else. The
bottom line is entertainment, of course it's better if she can sing live,
but if doing so will take away the quality of the overall show, maybe it's
not worth it. And plenty of other artists also lip sync for the same
reason, the most recent example I can think of is Jennifer Lopez at the
AMAs and SNL. I say it shouldn't really matter that much, it's still
possible to enjoy her live performance for what it's worth. If not, it
still shouldn't affect how anyone feels about her recorded music anyways.

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"Her song lyrics are so corny"
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Well, I personally don't pay all that much attention to the words,
seeing as how it's teen pop music, but I guess I kind of like the songs
and their theme anyways. It seems like so many songs nowadays are about
how all guys are scrubs and bugaboos or whatnot. Then I get tired of
hearing every rap song brag about how expensive their cars are, how many
hoes they have, or how many cops they shot. Or alternative bands saying
over and over that life sucks this and that. I guess for music to be
considered cool today, it has to fall into one of those categories. That,
and the artist has to have multiple legal issues, drug problems, etc.
It's kind of soothing to listen to a CD that isn't about life's worst
troubles, it's refreshing for an artist not to be fighting censors
constantly or to be in and out of rehab all the time. So what if I can't
completely relate to all her songs about the pain of breaking up, or
having a big crush on someone? Like any of us know about cruising around
Long Beach in a Benz with a bottle of Tanqueray and a hoe on each side. I
think songs about a young girl in love are cute actually. Not that I
would listen to them all day, but there are times when it's nice to just
chill and enjoy a lighthearted song that's not too deep.

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So those are pretty much the main reasons I can think of that
people give when they try to criticize Britney or convince me that I
shouldn't be a fan. I don't feel like any of those are reason enough to
not like her or her music. It's okay if you still don't like her; but I
hope it would just be a matter of personal preference or opinion, and not
just because it's uncool to like her music or something like that.
Obviously, since I'm a fan, I really do enjoy listening to her music,
seeing her perform, watching her videos and stuff. I don't think she's
perfect, and it's not like I want to marry her either. I do think she's
pretty good looking, and I like her style and how she sings and stuff.
But for me, being a fan isn't really based completely on whether or not
she's cute, or whether she has a good voice, or a good personality. I
think it's a combination, the entire package that's appealing. Her
overall style, professionalism, and stage presence is really admirable
for a girl still in her teens. And she handles the pressure being in
the spotlight about as well anyone could expect of her; imagine living a
life where everyone is prying into your private life and spreading nasty
rumors about you. It can't be easy, maybe instead of trying to examine
and judge each and every aspect of her life, we should be a little more
sympathetic.

My personal theory on the whole thing is that the real reason
people have such strong negative reactions to Britney is a lot more
complex, maybe a combination of some of the things I mentioned above.
I think for many girls, they might be kind of jealous of her because it
seems like she has it all- good looks, a life of fame, and the attention
of almost every guy on earth. Then this jealously exaggerates all of
those other reasons I listed, possibly explaining why people focus on
those things more for her than for other artists who are guilty of the
same things. For guys who like to rip on Britney, I think a large part
is trying to act all hard and stuff, since it's so "uncool" to like that
kind of music. Also they don't want to admit that they think she's hot,
for fear of being made fun of. All I have to say is, if you don't
think Britney Spears is attractive, you must be really flaming blind or
something. Sorry, but since I really do like her songs and her look and
her style and everything, I at least admit it and take whatever hits that
come my way. The lamest thing is if you like a certain kind of music
but you keep denying it because you are afraid what other people will
think. I'm not saying these things apply to every single person who
doesn't like Britney, maybe it really is just a matter of opinion and
not liking that type of music. But whenever people spit all these bogus
reasons at me that are just so weak, I have to believe it's something
deeper that they won't admit.

In any case, whether you choose to listen to her music is your
own choice, it's not like I won't be friends with you just because you
aren't a fan. Some of my best friends rip on her all the time, that's
kind of what made me decide to write this thing in the first place. But
if you wanna hang out with me regularly, be prepared to hear some Britney,
that's just a warning beforehand. It's not that bad, really. Really,
just trust me. As long as you have an open mind and can tolerate a
little sappy music, I'll be happy.


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J.C.
2/20/01
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