My Two Cents About Britney Spears
		By Jesse Smith <slicer69@hotmail.com>
		http://slicer69.tripod.com/


	Living in my late teens and early twenties for the last few
years it is impossible to consider not having heard the name Britney Spears.
However, in case you are not familiar with the name, Miss Spears is a
pop culture singer. Whether she's a good one or not depends entirely on
whom you ask. Music is, after all, completely subjective. So the point
is mute.
	
	Miss Spears hails from the southern United States and has been
performing on stage in one form or another since she was...um...twelve, I
think. She is quite well known for her stunning smile, poppy music and
suggestive music videos. Oh, and some Pepsi ads.

	So, obviously, I'm not doing a music review here. Rather, my focus
is more on the media in general. Stupid fucking people.

	Have I gotten a reaction yet?

	The media seems to love Miss Spears. Or maybe love to hate her. Either
way, she attracts a lot of attention. Her face has graced the cover of
most women's magazines, TV shows, newspapers and phony X rated web sites.

	So what, you may want to know. Lot's of people (Opera, Bill Clinton and
Bill Gates for example) also have the same treatment. Sure, okay. However, I
think I'm focusing on Miss Spears because she's about my age. I'm trying
to imagine what I'd do if I were in the public eye that way all the time. The way
the media and the common people react to Miss Spears...I'd probably have gone
on a killing spree by now, were I in her shoes.

	Like many other people in the constant public eye, she does the same thing
many others do. She keeps on smiling. Got to give her some credit.

	One of my main gripes about people here is that they judge music
based on their opinion of the person who created it. Follow that twisted
logic. Imagine if Michealangelo was considered a failure because he drank.
Or, rather, because it was commonly believed he drank. Many people think
Catherine The Great of Russia died screwing a donkey. There's no evidence,
but it is common opinion. Did that make her a better or worse ruler? Nope.
I don't care if she did or didn't, she still ruled the country the same way.
George Orwell put it best: Truth is statistical.

	So, back to Miss Spears. I've heard dozens of people say they can't stand
the pop artist because...well look at a list:
	She's had breast implants.
	She claimed to be a virgin, but she's not.
	She does commercials for Pepsi, but drinks Coke.
	She's too sexy.
	
	Let's start with these, though the list goes on. First, let me point
out that the same sources that printed those ideas also printed these:
	OJ Simpson is Innocent.
	OJ Simpson is guilty.
	Hitler was smuggled into South American in 1945.
	Communists are evil.
	UFO spotted over northern Canada.
	Bin Ladin may have killed Princess Di.
	The U-2 Spy Plane does not exist.

	Do you get the picture yet? Why anybody listens to the news media
at all is beyond me. Now, whether any of the above stories about Miss Spears 
are true or not is really none of my business. Judging by the sources and the
fact that there's no evidence, I tend not to believe them. I mean, heck, I was
called "gay" all through school, but I still like women. It can't be proved
either way, but so what? It's still my business, not anyone else's.

	Is there a point to my rant? Sure. If you want to judge someone's
music, base your opinion on their music. Want to judge a software company,
judge their products, not "Is their CEO a devil worshipper?" And for God's
sake, if you want to judge if someone is pretty, don't say "No, because
she's a bitch." Personality has nothing to do with that. If you want to
form an opinion on someone's music, listen to it. You want an opinion
on the person, then talk to them. Why is this so complicated?

	As for my two cents on Miss Spears. Well, I like some of her
music. Not all, but some. She seems nice enough in the interviews I've read.
I think for someone so young, she's done quite well. As for the media
stories...well. I assume that the breast implant thing was false. I mean,
she was, what eighteen at the time? Still..um..developing? Virgin or
not, is none of my business. Drinks Coke and does Pepsi commercials? Sure,
why not. I work for one newspaper and read another. People who work
at McDonald's usually don't eat there all the time. Oh, and she's too
sexy? Um, thanks for the tip, Priest. If ya don't like it, don't look.

	I'd like to invite you to comment on this. Not on me or
my looks, my religion or my programming. On this piece of work.
Can we all keep that straight?

	Jesse <slicer69@hotmail.com>