Inspired by Framing Britney Spears, people are watching interviews with old celebrities to draw attention to the inappropriate treatment of women.
The series of documents of February 5 by The New York Times Presents exhibited Britney Spears’ troubled past – her mental breakdown in 2007, her guardianship and the #FreeBritney movement – as a media cast. The doc revisits a 2003 “without barriers” Prime time interview with Diane Sawyer, who incited 22-year-old Spears about her alleged infidelity to Justin Timberlake (highlighting her public account of the couple’s separation) and questioning her sex appeal, which she said “upset” mothers. Sawyer even showed the pop star a quote from former Maryland first lady Kendel Ehrlich, who said, “Seriously, if I had a chance to shoot Britney Spears, I think I would.” (Ehrlich later dismissed his statement as “an inadvertent figure of speech” in relation to female models).
The demand for Sawyer and Timberlake to apologize increased and, although the journalist did not respond publicly, Timberlake Instagram apologized to Spears and Janet Jackson, after similarities were drawn for his performance at the 2004 Super Bowl break with Jackson and that “wardrobe malfunction,” the consequences of which he largely avoided.
The celebrity retribution request continued when the meme tells Literally.Iconic posted a 2007 David Letterman interview with Paris Hilton, 26, during which he interrogated the heiress for her three-week prison sentence for violating parole after a traffic offense. “She came there to promote her newest fragrance, but he thought that intimidation and character killing would be better for his show,” wrote the account founder Costa in his post, while followers criticized the nightly TV host for lack of professionalism and praised Hilton for her composure. “Painful to watch,” wrote one.
And a 2013 clip of Letterman interviewing Lindsay Lohan before her three-month rehabilitation period (which she served in exchange for avoiding jail time for charges related to reckless driving), reappeared. Although the actress, then 26, was promoting her film Scary Movie 5, she was aggressively pressured by Letterman about her drug use and related legal battles. “We didn’t discuss this in the pre-interview,” replied an uncomfortable Lohan.
With sexism documented for decades, why do people see it differently? “The death of George Floyd, election-related extremism, the Me Too movement and prominent economic disparities [by the pandemic] they forced us to say, ‘Wait, there are privileged groups that have been involved in micro-aggressions’ and it is more difficult to ignore, “Anita Thomas, a psychologist and executive vice president and dean at St. Catherine University, told Yahoo Life. a new perspective that oppression existed but was not recognized … it was always wrong, but easy to minimize. This is the extent of oppression. “
She adds: “Girls and pre-teens are often sexualized and objectified, with no connection to their humanity.” For example, Britney Framing includes a 1992 clip of 10-year-old Spears competing on the talent show Star Search. “I realized last week that you have the most adorable and beautiful eyes,” said presenter Ed McMahon, then 69, to Spears. “Do you have a boyfriend?” When Spears replied that boys are “bad”, McMahon replied, “I’m not bad, what about me?”
Thomas likens a new consciousness to “walking in a mist that has dissipated.” Monica Lewinsky, an esteemed late night television target in the 90s for her affair with President Bill Clinton, alluded to this in 2018 Vanity Fair essay, by crediting the Me Too movement with clarifying the role of power dynamics. “And yet, I don’t believe I would feel so isolated if everything had happened today,” she wrote. “One of the most inspiring aspects of this newly energized movement is the large number of women who have spoken out in support of each other. And the volume in numbers has translated into the volume of public voice. Historically, the one who shapes history (and is so he often creates ‘the truth’. But this collective increase in the level of decibels has provided resonance for women’s narratives. “
Los Angeles therapist Bethany Marshall says the media’s treatment of women can also be attributed to the herd mentality, the instinct to conform to the group’s behavior, especially when older white men, as in the media, have decided the norms cultural. “Asking the ‘tough questions’ has become a power trip and a rationalization to humiliate people because of ratings,” she told Yahoo Life. “But now you have people on social media with a voice.” She adds that Me Too better identified predatory behavior by “breaking our collective denial”.
And that is the message. How Britney Framing director Samantha Stark told the Irish podcast The stiff shoulder, “I think this story is about how we treat women in our society. We spent a good part of the film looking at media coverage of Britney in the early 2000s and seeing how this teenager was asked, ‘Are you a virgin?’ ‘ We’re all going to talk about your breasts now. ‘ “
Stark added, “She was very embarrassed by her sexuality at the time – it looks terrible to watch now. It hasn’t been long since that happened. It’s a story about Britney, but it’s also a story about us.”
Read more on Yahoo Life:
Lauren Burnham and Arie Luyendyk Jr. had sex for 18 days in a row when trying to get pregnant. That’s the wrong approach
‘Bachelorette’ star Hannah Brown reveals that she ‘was struggling with an eating disorder’: ‘I was so, so hungry’
Dan Levy’s mother catches the attention of childhood bullies who “made life miserable” before her appearance on “SNL”
Do you want to receive lifestyle and wellness news in your inbox? Sign here for the Yahoo Life newsletter.