How the Mighty Have Fallen

I've been enjoying watching Fuse music television's 10 Videos That Rocked the World (none more than the original episode of Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit") and today they bring us Britney Spears' "Hit Me Baby One More Time," which, of course, launched American into the era of highly profitable, and acceptable sexualization of teen girls, complete with naughty school girl uniform and pretty much killed off the female singer/songwriter Lilith Fair era.

I was one of those uber hip, angst ridden teens who would have rather hit themselves in the genitals with the wrong end of a hammer than listen to "Baby One More Time" one more time, was just waiting for the day when boybands and teen poptarts were finally, officially, over. At long last that time has come but look what it left in it's wake. Sure, Justin Timberlake and Christina Aguleira made it out virtually unscathed, but someone had to be thrown under the bus and Britney Spears up and did it herself. while I can't say I actually feel sorry for her now, I don't. But one thing watching this special did was bring home exactly how bad things have gotten for her, and she really can't blame anyone other than herself. You can try as you might to lay the blame elsewhere but the woman is 26 years old with two kids, she has to take responsibility for how she ended up. No one forced her to marry KFed.

To emphasize my point, here's a before of Ms. Spears:

*Photo from Rolling Stone.

Annnnnnnnnd after:

*Photo from Bestweekever.tv

Cheap shot? That's a matter of opinion. It's hard to believe there was a time before Britney Spears but there was. And then there was a time when she had a future, and potential. Both of those times, tragically, are gone. Not that I sympathize with her now, but for me it's amazing how much time has passed and exactly how far someone can fall when they make stupid decisions. Britney Spears serves as the visual example that, "If you can't be a good example, be a horrible warning."