The Re-Education Of Britney Spears

As I watch the various music channels and surf around the internet I am bombarded with the seemingly endless promotion of Britney Spears birthday special, Britney Spears album, Britney Spears this and Britney Spears that. Got me wondering if this is the same Britney Spears who less than a year ago was disheveled, confused, an unfit mother and headed for self-destruction. I am not sure if any of this has REALLY changed but the reality is that the marketing machine has kicked in…in overdrive. As a marketing executive I know all too much about all that goes into the reshaping the image of a superstar. It takes full cooperation from the media, from the record company, from management and most of all from the fans and even non-fans. No change happens by chance. The irony of a well executed marketing plan is that when it is implemented successfully, it seem natural, void of the hidden hands that went into the making of it…

But even more importantly, mainstream America had a point they wanted to prove and make crystal clear. They will support their own particularly when it is someone who the children look up to. (Elvis is a good example) It doesn’t matter if Britney’s last album barely went platinum, it’s irrelevant if her first comeback attempt at the VMA’s 2007 was a disastrous flop and they care little if your reinvention is based on never inventing yourself in the first place. These are some points. But not THE point. The point is to protect, preserve and if need be cover up and clean up your own. By any means…

I can’t help but think about Lauryn Hill. It was 10 years August when Miseducation became the soundtrack to our lives, the songs that we celebrated both emotionally and spiritually. And yet, in some ways, many ways we abandoned Ms. Hill. We talked about her having all those babies. (Five beautiful ones to be exact); we discussed her being crazy; we got a good laugh at some recent photos that some say had her looking like a clown; we made mockery of her post miseducation album and music. We were SO unforgiving of someone who shared and spoke so much of what we could never speak for ourselves and our relationships. Some even thought she should be seriously examined after blasting the Pope during a show at the Vatican.



I know. It wasn’t you. Then I’m not talking to you. But I won’t leave myself completely out of this picture. We should be ashamed. Ms. Hill was/is our musical hero and should continuously be lifted up mind, body and soul.

We are so quick to forgive others but can hardly muster the pleasant emotion needed for forgive our own. And maybe forgive is not the right word. But you know what I mean. Britney’s reinvention did not happen in isolation. It happened due to a concerted effort that included fans willing enough to forget the crazy antics that she displayed. They erased all that in one swipe and replaced it with the Britney that they wanted the world to see. They cleaned her up, dusted her off and re-presented her back to the world. Let us always do the same for our own.