Britney, Lindsay, Nicole, Christina. Such sweet girls once. Lovable and kind, virginal with a big smile.
What are little girls made of? Sugar and spice, all that’s nice.
What happened to these sweethearts? Who put filth on them? Why did they go “dirrrty”?
We all know sex sells. But actually is not that simple. There’s all kinds of sexy. When launching an artist, it’s marketable to go for a wholesome image - that way you can sell records to little girls in the religious south as well as teenage boys everywhere. Britney is the most blatant example of this. Saying you’ll stay a virgin until married, makes fathers everywhere happy to purchase to your CD for their little pumpkins, thinking you’re a good influence - and at the same time draws daddies into a fantasy. Isn’t it every mans dream to teach an eager virgin the ways of love? At least it’s a collective cultural daydream.
The wholesome marketing plan has it’s limitations though. It doesn’t ensue press coverage for ever. Days of Doris Day are over and in today’s day and age we wait for the kill. So you see, at a point in time the virgin needs to be deflowered. The more fiercely it’s done, the more headlines it’ll get. This is why I believe Britney has made all the right choices career wise. Her persona can be sold, and has been sold with many different marketing slogans. Come see the amazing virgin in a catholic school girl uniform! She sings and dances. Witness the downfall! Laugh with us. Now she’s crazy and shaved her head. Look at her twitch and fumble!
But let’s talk about Xtina also. She’s reformed. She’s a nice girl now. Once the dirrrty girl is now singing about mercy, the voice within and understanding. I think that for Christina the whole journey was easier. She has a great voice and for her going “back to basics” works. However, it’s interesting she is still selling less records than Britney. It can’t be anything to do with the music - it must the story. Britney’s story sells more.
What’s to become of our gal then? I honestly don’t know. If she can pull out a comeback this time around, get people to buy her new CD, then I think sky’s the roof. If she fails however, her career probably ends here. There must be a balance of unstable personal life scattered all over the tabloids and professional success. If she’s only a has-been, then were not bothered. We want her to pull it off once more, then fail, then rise, then fail. Let’s sell some magazines!
Join me all for a prayer for Britney. The lyrics are from Christina’s new song.
Lord have mercy on my soul
For I have walked the sinful road
That I'm down on my knees
Lord have mercy on me, please
Woah, woaa yeah yeah
Woa yeah yeah oh oh
Oh-oh yeah yeah yeah, ohh
So don't let me fool around no more
Send your angels down to guide me through that door
Well I've gone and confessed my regrets
And I pray I'm not held in contempt
I'm so lost, and I need you to help me repent
6 can write as well as read:
It's odd that I know very little about these women's music, but I can't escape the omnipresent exposure of their lives, especially Britney. There's definitely some strange social phenomenon going on here, and your analysis seems pretty apt. I just watch an adaptation of George Eliot's Daniel Deronda and one of the main characters is a young, beautiful, intelligent and very independent woman who marries a rich man to avoid economic misfortune. Her husband is abusive and tries to bend her to his will, to "tame" her. It seemed a pretty useful metaphor for what often is done to women in our society.
It was really no in depth analysis, but thanks. :)
"Her husband is abusive and tries to bend her to his will, to "tame" her. It seemed a pretty useful metaphor for what often is done to women in our society."
Indeed.
I'll be interested in hearing what you think after you've seen it. Sometimes I wonder if I'm finding meanings the author didn't intend, but I guess that's part of it.
Thanks for the wonderful blog review. High praise coming from someone whose writing I admire.
Was that last comment on my blog a reference to the Franz Ferdinand song? :)
"Sometimes I wonder if I'm finding meanings the author didn't intend, but I guess that's part of it."
Yep, what the author intended is just one perspective to a piece of art. I think how the piece translates to an individual or the public at large is just as important, if not more.
"Was that last comment on my blog a reference to the Franz Ferdinand song? :)"
I'm not quite that clever :) The phrase probably stuck to my subconscious.
lately it seems like everything that britney does is a way to get the media focussed on her. I can't name one of her recent singles but she's all over the net with pictures taken here and there with her in weird positions etc. and all those gossips around her. When I was around 12 I was a fan of hers because as you said she was a good example for little girls, the virgin issue and all. The transition from what she was before and what she is now is baffling.
Her new single is called "Gimme more". It's listenable, but not memorable.
Post a Comment