Billboard: “ The Complicated Reality of Being a Britney Spears Fan During the Conservatorship”

[SlayOut]

This Billboard article was posted yesterday and talks about how the conservatorship/#FreeBritney movement has both united and divided the fanbase. An interesting note towards the end:

Quote

“Spears' situation is a wholly unique confluence of circumstances: The reason she could be exploited this way for this long is because she has such loyal fans; if no one cared about her or her work anymore, she wouldn't be exploitable. Now, her fans may well end up helping to save her—though the bravery and significance of her speaking out cannot be underestimated.

On the other hand, Spears' testimony also left rank-and-file fans—those not at the forefront of the #FreeBritney movement—to wrestle with retroactive guilt for all those ticket and merch purchases, and even for doubting the #FreeBritney movement itself.”

What are your reactions to the article? Have you reflected on how your patronage of the Britney brand (from albums to tickets to merchandise) since the conservatorship was solidified in 2008 may have empowered its abuses?

How have you balanced your love of Britney’s artistic craft with her desire to be free from the conservatorship?

I don’t mean to post this for people to profess their sins or to make everyone go on a guilt trip. After all, the conservatorship is a largely unjust systemic issue in the courts that has been perpetuated by her father and other handlers…

But I’m curious as to how people are reflecting on themselves as fans during these times!

This thread is meant for respectful and open discussion!

[Jadedkitten]

Chile Plz don’t remind me Of this I went to concerts, bought albums and singles I literally help fund her prison cell 

[Easy There]

We went from wanting a new interviews/shows to waiting/wanting new court hearings

[Matou]

I never bought something like crazy. I'm a "flop" fan in a way, I only bought digital Blackout/Glory & physical Circus album + 1 ticket for FFT. It's too easy to blame fans, it's nobody's fault if Britney has this star power we follow

[Puppy]

So they are just gonna ignore the time they took away our satisfaction by bumping her Blackout album to number 2 

[blackoutinthezone]

I try not to be that "I told you so" person but it's definitely a little irritating seeing certain people scream "FREE BRITNEY! THE INJUSTICE!" after spending years telling me "It's a private family matter. She's obviously under the conservatorship for good reason, like the head shaving and her other mental troubles." Whatever. I'm just grateful the truth is finally clear now for Britney's sake.

[Puppy]

I just want to add that everyone feeling guilty about supporting this prison, don’t. This sounds like corporate PR of “we’re not the problem, you guys are!” Just like companies blaming consumers that they should be recycling. 

We didn’t put her in a cship

[SlayOut]

4 minutes ago, Matou said:

I never bought something like crazy. I'm a "flop" fan in a way, I only bought digital Blackout/Glory & physical Circus album + 1 ticket for FFT. It's too easy to blame fans, it's nobody's fault if Britney has this star power we follow

Yeah I only ever bought her albums via iTunes and a couple physical copies. But I’ve never seen her tour and have never bought merch from her website.

I do think fans have an obvious role in creating the star power she has. It’s not like Britney Spears blinked her eyes once and poof she had star power!  Obviously she is talented, creative, and a sweetheart which would attract any brand or company. But her passionate, well-meaning fans helped propel and amplify her star power and her juggernaut rise to fame. Along with the music industry and other companies who saw that Britney had mass appeal and power.

[Heitorzinho]

It makes you think, definitely. Now our consum can be more responsible and thoughtful. But I do like what @Puppy said: yes, we bought it but at the same time we didn't know then.

[mangotango]

I can't call myself a stan in the same way I think a lot of people can here. I adored Britney when she came on the scene and I was a little kid and tween, and remained a general fan later but not more than your average person. I came back into the Britney sphere only last spring when I learned about the Free Britney movement. 

But, I think this was a little unfair to all of those who were/are her hardcore stans throughout these years:

Quote

The reason she could be exploited this way for this long is because she has such loyal fans

No, that is not the reason. The reason she could be exploited for so long is because of her greedy, horrible family not looking out for her when the claws of Hollywood and Lou Taylor got a grip of her. And then all of them enabling it for over a decade. The only thing the fans have enabled to continue is her artistry, but I feel it is incorrect and unfair to say they therefore enabled her conservatorship.

I know there were some people who saw the signs and questioned and worried already from day one, and that is amazing. But I also understand the vast majority didn't. Even with all we know now, I still find it unfathomable how this could have happened and how the judicial system allowed it to happen and continue to happen. Remove all the things we know now, and the much more constructive approaches to mental health and celebrity we have today compared to back in 2007-2008, and the idea of something like this happening to one of the world's biggest and  most celebrated artists in modern time seems impossible. 

I don't know, just my two cents as an outsider looking in. 

[Matou]

2 minutes ago, SlayOut said:

Yeah I only ever bought her albums via iTunes and a couple physical copies. But I’ve never seen her tour and have never bought merch from her website.

I do think fans have an obvious role in creating the star power she has. It’s not like Britney Spears blinked her eyes once and poof she had star power!  Obviously she is talented, creative, and a sweetheart which would attract any brand or company. But her passionate, well-meaning fans helped propel and amplify her star power and her juggernaut rise to fame. Along with the music industry and other companies who saw that Britney had mass appeal and power.

You kill me !

We create, we follow kidding, her fame was already made the first 1-2 years. It's a mix between her & us.

[Stefani]

I spent hundreds of dollars on concert tickets and merch and it was mostly going into Jamie's pockets. I ask the Holy Spearit for forgiveness because I have sinned. 

I should sue Jamie for my coins. 

[SlayOut]

Just now, Stefani said:

I spent hundreds of dollars on concert tickets and merch and it was mostly going into Jamie's pockets. I ask the Holy Spearit for forgiveness because I have sinned. 

I should sue Jamie for my coins. 

Get that class action lawsuit coin!

[Jadedkitten]

2 minutes ago, Stefani said:

I spent hundreds of dollars on concert tickets and merch and it was mostly going into Jamie's pockets. I ask the Holy Spearit for forgiveness because I have sinned. 

I should sue Jamie for my coins. 

 all will be forgiven if I get 10 mins alone in a room with colon 

[Puppy]

1 minute ago, Heitorzinho said:

It makes you think, definitely. Now our consum can be more responsible and thoughtful. But I do like what @Puppy said: yes, we bought it but at the same time we didn't know then.

Thanks for the shoutout! I feel we shouldn’t feel guilty, whether she liked it or not, her hard work was put into it and it made us happy. Just want fans to not let this whole ordeal taint her legacy and the amazing work she’s been able to put out while under this. It’s a testament to how strong and insanely talented she is and we need to remember to celebrate her work as it’s her team that took advantage of both us and her. 

[Urbanney]

I don't really feel guilty. They exploited us just like they did Britney. They took advantage of the fact that we thought Britney would want more privacy, better treatment by the media and people in general to make us not question things and to silence those who did question things publicly.

Many fans could tell something was wrong, or at least different, especially during the FF era, but we just thought she was doing her best while under treatment for mental illness or disability. It's not exactly a quick or rational conclusion to jump from "Britney looks unhappy" -> "She must be being forced to work and being human trafficked and enslaved legally by literally her entire family and everyone who supposedly supports her." 

We also would have to accept that the entire California legal system is flawed and that every single thing that was supposed to be in place to protect her failed her. The judge, the lawyer, the doctor, the police and emergency personnel who put her in a 5150, I mean everyone.

It sounds very conspiratorial and fake, especially without much evidence. We were played by team con.

[MX3]

I always questioned the validity of the c ship and proudly favoured her pre- cship albums over post. 
 

I do have mixed feelings of my buying her merch and streaming songs like swimming in the stars  - especially going to Vegas and buying her recent calendar wnd writing her court dates in the calendar…. So ****ed when u think about it. 
 

it has been tough. 

[BreatheForBritney]

I think regardless of whether or not her success/ability to capture fans continued to sustain after 2007, they still were going to treat her that way, she was still a multi-millionaire, they were still gonna go after her money one way or another and/or try to control her. In fact, I feel that they have been treating her that way since she was a child, people don't just suddenly change.  I don't think fans should feel guilty about wanting to support Britney, we should celebrate how far #FreeBritney have become.

[Phonography423]

I mean…it’s not like I was gonna just stop buying her albums. She makes bops. We can’t control our inner hair flips. 

[Lil-Jay]

43 minutes ago, Puppy said:

So they are just gonna ignore the time they took away our satisfaction by bumping her Blackout album to number 2 

Forget about the conservatorship abuse folks, this is the real cruelty right there!