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The New York Times Presents: Framing Britney Spears
By Ashley Moulton,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Thought-provoking docu with language and mentions of sex.
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The New York Times Presents: Framing Britney Spears
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What's the Story?
THE NEW YORK TIMES PRESENTS: FRAMING BRITNEY SPEARS is one of the documentaries in FX's "The New York Times Presents" series. It chronicles performer Britney Spears' rise to fame and how she ended up in a conservatorship with her father controlling her life and her finances. Because of the circumstances of the conservatorship, there are no current interviews from Spears herself. Instead, the documentary relies on archival interviews with Spears, news story footage, interviews with people close to her, and posts from her Instagram account. Entertainment reporters offer additional context and analysis. The documentary makes the case that the media unfairly portrayed the pop star and ultimately contributed to her mental health struggles. It also dissects American cultural attitudes of the 1990s and 2000s, especially around female sexuality and mental health, as being outdated and damaging.
Is It Any Good?
The New York Times Presents: Framing Britney Spears will make adults who came of age during the early 2000s reflect on how the pop culture media of the time contributed to their own development, and wonder if we're doing any better for today's teenagers. 2020's teens may be reluctant to watch a documentary about their parents' old-fashioned music, as they weren't even alive during Spears' heyday. However, parents who can convince their teens to watch this documentary with them can use it as a springboard for nuanced and complex discussions about sexuality and mental health. It's also a great way to have an organic conversation with teens about media literacy, and the importance of being a critical consumer of news. While entertainment news may seem light and fluffy, it's also a mirror on society's values. Framing Britney Spears is great for teens and parents to watch together, and it'll be especially salient for teens with an interest in feminism and mental health advocacy.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how the media portrayed Spears' sexuality and mental illness in the late '90s and early '00s. Do you think the media would report her story differently today? Why or why not?
How does media reporting on celebrities, or celebrities' own social media accounts, affect how teenagers think about the world? What kind of of positive lessons can be gained from celebrities' stories? Negative lessons?
Did this documentary change your view of fame? Would you like to be famous? Why or why not?
TV Details
- Premiere date: February 5, 2021
- Cast: Britney Spears
- Network: Hulu
- Genre: Reality TV
- TV rating: TV-MA
- Last updated: February 28, 2022
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