"Free Britney Spears" May Have A Point: Is She the Mary Todd Lincoln of 21st Century?

Never a Britney fan, but I've always felt sorry for her.  "Free Britney" is OTT, but they may have a point.  Because I love Alec Baldwin, but he's been arrested several times for actually punching paparazzi, and we all heard his verbally abusive voicemail left to his daughter, calling her a "little pig." Michael Jackson, another former child pop star, showed up to court in pajamas, distorted his face, and at the very least, has poor judgment and made questionable decisions regarding children.

Were they Baker-Acted repeatedly to mental institutions, lost custody of their children to their ex (to whom she pays child support AND alimony), invited to award shows while recovering as jokes, and their fathers became conservator over their multi-million dollar estates?

No, they were not.

In fact, they became bigger stars.

Britney became a "circus freak" public joke whose "conservator" father vacillates between publicly displaying her right back into the entertainment world that broke her, then inexplicably locks her away from society.

A joke that both liberals and conservatives alike are still merciless with - because of one public display of mental illness 11 years ago.

Do you have an explanation of society's treatment of her versus them - other than gender?

Because I can't think of one. 

An adult man displays erratic, even abusive behavior, arrested several times - he's just "eccentric" or "has a bad temper." 

An adult woman display erratic, nonviolent behavior - she's "bat-sh*t crazy" and "mentally ill." 


FYI, in the United States, since 1988, it is illegal to detain or force anyone - male or female - into psychiatric hospitals or to take medication *UNLESS* they are a deemed by the courts and a professional psychiatric team to be suicidal or homicidal -  a danger to themselves or others.

Is she really suicidal/homicidal and a danger to herself and others?

Is she really more dangerous to others and her own children paparazzi-punching, verbally-child-abusing Alec Baldwin?

(Again, I love Alec, but let's not pretend he's not BSC, too - and unlike Britney, don't ever piss Alec Baldwin off -  because he truly IS dangerous when he gets mad.)

Once upon a time, after witnessing the traumatic deaths of her husband and two sons, first lady, Mary Todd Lincoln became obsessed with spiritualism (contacting the dead) and with the fear of losing her remaining son, Robert, to death.  Robert, in turn, had her committed to a mental asylum.

Later, her attorney argued Robert (and others) actually did so to gain control of Lincoln's estate and money, and she was freed and regained control of Lincoln's estate.

Today, it might be argued that Mary Todd Lincoln had PTSD; however, at the time, we had no idea what that was - and men could pay asylum staff to commit sane, wealthy women to mental asylums.

(Also, for a small fee, men could pay to sexually assault asylum women - because who would believe them? When these women ended up pregnant, gosh, what a mystery.)

Now, it's 2019.

Britney Spears is 37 years old and made $47 million dollars herself.

We don't throw women into mental asylums anymore over estates or to keep silent secrets - or do we?


This all began in 2008.

People of both political sides were absolutely merciless to her very public mental breakdown, in which she called the paparazzi herself to meet her at a salon, had them shave her head, and then knocked out a car window with an umbrella.

She was hospitalized and it was revealed she suffered from bipolar disorder.

Yes, it was cuckoo - but there was a method to her madness, too - I actually understood the point she was trying to make.

She was essentially saying, "You want something to talk about?  Obsessed with my appearance?  How you like me now, paparazzi, with a shaved head?" 

Constant hounding and rumors, American societal obsession with perfect appearance, fake people who lie with a smile on your face all day and you don't know who to trust, people treat you like a product.

If you have any chinks in your chain, fame will find those weaknesses, press on them, and break them - and Britney, due to her personality forming under this pressure as a child, and bipolar disorder, broke especially hard.

Then, just a couple of weeks later, the same MTV that built her and made her a star, invited her to their VMA awards, just to display her weight gain and erratic behavior like she's a circus act - solely to watch her act crazy and make fun of her :(

I turned it off, finding their doing so just as sick, if not sicker, than anything she was doing.

Because though I have a very healthy sense of humor, I also have a heart - and I have never found cruelty funny - it was the furthest thing from funny I could think of - and no, she did not deserve it, just because she put herself in the limelight (with the help of her family).

In fact, even if true she's crazy, promiscuous, previously attention-seeking, dumb as a rock - she still doesn't deserve being treated cruelly and like a circus freak.

At the time, though never a fan, I was one of a small handful of people who publicly expressed feeling sorry for her because people were truly merciless towards her.

Okay, we get it, she's a child star gone crazy - so are a lot of people in the entertainment industry - why don't we treat child boy stars gone crazy the same as Britney?

What she needed was help - but all anyone could do - including my supposed fellow "feminist" and "be kind to others" liberals - were throwing shit at her and laughing just as much as deplorables, saying she "deserved" it.

No - nobody deserves being treated cruelly and like a circus freak.

But then, this was a time where Reality TV shows glorifying meanness was cool, as was budding social media - and my fellow liberals were right there, cheering characterless Reality TV along, right alongside with Deplorables.

At the time, I wrote several posts predicting that the glorifcation the characterless and cruelty displayed on Reality TV (as well as on social media) was helping to devolve the ethos of this country irrevocably.

Now, we have a mean, Reality-TV show president.

And you, my fellow liberals can't understand why - and want to point fingers only at Trump Deplorables for their meanness? 

Really? 

I don't think so.

And I see that most of you, my fellow liberals, are STILL being mean to her/have no empathy for her - why?

Regardless, she supposedly doesn't have enough judgment and insight to make her own decisions, but those who do have that legal right allow and encourage her right back in the same fame world that broke her - and that doesn't strike you as odd?

No - my fellow supposed "anti-exploitation" and "feminist" liberals are still getting more popcorn and throwing it at her, right along with Deplorables :(


At least Deplorables admit to being Deplorables, having little to no empathy for women. 

So what are we?

Big Fat Hypocrites.

If she eventually suicides - which she likely will, at this rate - will the mess that was her life be as funny?

As I said, the people who have been legally given control over her estate are supposed to have better judgment and make better decisions than she did - but they aren't.  

It seems to me the entire family may be dysfunctional - the inmates may be running that asylum.

Because if truly cared for her, they'd be encouraging a quiet life away from the stressors that broke her - but they didn't. 

Something is wrong with the people put in charge of her care - whether she can admit that about her own family or not.

Some motherly advice for Britney ...

If the people around you aren't at least 50% more sane than you - and they aren't 100% behind what's in your best interest -  get out and find people who are :)

And here's a hint:  Note that historically, those people were not found neither in the entertainment business OR your dysfunctional family ;)