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Now That Britney’s Free, Will We Turn on Her?
Our culture hates successful women — unless it can see them as victims
The end of Britney Spears’ conservatorship should be a joyful occasion. In many ways, it is; after thirteen years, the singer is finally free from her abusive father. She’s no longer forced to work or subject to horrific reproductive coercion. She can date, marry, have children, speak freely, control her own money, use the phone without asking permission.
Britney Spears deserves this; every mentally ill or disabled person who is abused and made prisoner deserves it. So why am I waiting for the other shoe to drop? Why do I have the feeling that, now we’ve freed Britney, we might not like her any more?
It is normal for the reputation of a female pop star to fluctuate; for the same woman to be portrayed in the press as either angelic or demonic, according to the temper of the times. Women are very rarely allowed the chance to be ordinary, average, or mediocre, especially not famous women, whose press narratives are always crafted for maximum impact. Women can either be perfect, or they can be hated, and our culture really, really enjoys hating women.
The tide can turn. We’ve seen it many times — we have, in fact, seen it many times this weekend. Paris Hilton was a “stupid…
