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“Britney Spears, in particular, stands out as someone whose story is always being told by others” The depictions of these women then force us to ask: are these really their stories, or are they the stories we want to tell about them? And then: why are damaged white women, in particular, the only ones deemed worth memorializing so much? Moreover, they’re templatized as icons, rather than people, who check three boxes: mental illness or substance abuse, challenging ***ual mores, and some form of exploitation by families or partners. Public hunger for the stories of beautiful, blonde, and “damaged” white women continues to thrive even today, with respect to people who are still alive. Many of them now have redemption arcs that allow them to subvert their own images from the past: Paris Hilton, Britney Spears, and Pamela Anderson, to name a few. Britney Spears, in particular, stands out as someone whose story exists in the archive as always told by others — and what makes it so remarkable are the same checkboxes that Princess Diana and Marilyn Monroe ticked. As Britney’s story continues to be told despite her newfound voice and agency, the narrative of tragedy and voyeurism continues to define who she is to us. While we reckon with the legacies of women, simply telling their stories isn’t a way to humanize them unless we turn our gaze back to ourselves and ask: are we really doing these women justice, and are we interested in the same kind of justice for all women? 🔴Source