Framing Britney Spears: the documentary that explores the troubled career of the pop princess

Talking about Britney Spears inevitably implies referring to two words: talent and controversy. No one can doubt that we are describing one of the best and most iconic pop singers of the 21st century, who, from a very young age, knew how to revolutionize the world with songs that marked an era and that are still valid in the music industry.

Precisely, Framing Britney Spears is the new documentary, available on the Hulu platform, which seeks to portray her life. This production by The New York Times tries to reconstruct her history during the last 3 decades, which, of course, also involved its controversies.

All about the Britney Spears documentary

First of all, the journalistic investigative work is excellent. Precisely, a documentary format needs to address events in a deep way, although that does not necessarily mean performing a technical or narrative feat. Actually, the format is quite classic. 

However, that does not mean that it is not relevant. On the contrary, the #FreeBritney movement is fully represented within this work. Through important testimonies (such as friends, journalists, lawyers, and family members), she begins to rebuild her life from her beginnings as a child pop star, which in turn led to harassment by the media.

Later, it explores her adolescent stage, and then reaches adulthood and all its controversies. That includes the marketing campaigns she had, her provocative attitudes, her emotional issues, her problems with drugs, her motherhood, her troubled relationships and her undeniable talent, which made her one of the musical paradigms of pop.

Framing Britney Spears also gives special importance to the 90s, known as the MTV Era. At the time, Britney Spears was one of the biggest artists, but also one of the most harassed. This not only applies to the media, but to her own family, as the documentary is responsible for showing how her own father controls her career and her fortune.

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Currently, Britney Spears, 39, seems to overcome all these pressures and assured that she will not tour again until she is in control of her own work. Remember that this happened from an early age, because, as Elle pointed out, only at age 11 did she join the Mickey Mouse Club (where she was with future stars, such as Ryan Gosling, Christina Aguilera or Justin Timberlake).

In 1999 her first album was released, known as Baby One More Time, which was a worldwide success for its self-titled single, which sold about 10 million copies. That is, from that precise moment she was characterized as the "princess of pop", but also as a woman harassed by the media, who had to endure pressure from the press and her own family.

The documentary also explores her relationship with Justin Timberlake, who was always portrayed as the "victim" of Britney Spears' psyche , although it is also implied that, in reality, he took advantage of the machismo of the US media. The harassment of the media had an impact on the actress, who, in 2009, was temporarily protected by her father … although this measure is currently maintained.

The New York Times says that Britney Spears is a superstar "who lives in a golden cage", due to the custody that is associated with the impossibility of her "taking care of herself." However, as the documentary shows, this measure causes her father to take care of all her businesses and that she is not free as an artist, which led to the #FreeBritney movement.

Yes, it is true: some images of the artist, such as the one that appears shaving her head, can look strong. However, we must understand that each person is the owner of their own life and that this does not mean that they are not in a position to make their own decisions. Ultimately, Framing Britney Spears addresses all these aspects of her emotional ups and downs, but also her musical commitment, because she wants to be free to continue her brilliant musical career.