If Britney Spears kills herself, what's next?

I can't really believe what I am reading. SHE IS A HUMAN BEING.

What if I started a thread ruminating about the potential death/suicide of chissler?(sorry chiss)....? Wouldn't that be just a bit weird? He IS an ATS celeb, of sorts...would that be OK?

People have problems. It's true, and I hate to burst the bubble for you.

She was too young to be created into a corporate/media icon. So are many people these days. We spend too much time centered in personal ideaology that we don't stop to focus upon the perspectives of other people...

How does another person think in their circumstance...as opposed to what do I think in my circumsatnce.......

If anything, I would like that question to be at the forefront of your minds when nonchalantly discussing the life and mind of another human being....

I mean...C'mon...

reply to post by MemoryShock


I agree wholeheartedly with MemoryShock.

I add:
The media disgusts me on a regular basis, and at one point I wanted to be one of "them." My undergrad degree is in Broadcast Journalism. I'm glad that I ended up an attorney instead.

Britney, regardless of how you feel about her, is a human being, and she is obviously mentally ill. Because she is famous, we see all of her problems and behavior broadcasted on television and printed in magazines and on the internet. If she were not famous, how would all of this be handled?

Hopefully, her family and friends would be able to get her help. She probably would not have opportunistic "friends" hanging on like remoras because she has millions of dollars and could make them famous. She would not be constantly followed by a sea of photographers, encouraging her behavior because they profit from it. If you saw her in the mall, or on the street, you would hopefully think to yourself, "that poor thing... She really needs some help." Nobody would be playing armchair psychiatrist, diagnosing her with a different illness every couple of hours.

Because she is famous, it is completely different. When she shaved her head (and pretty much constantly since then), people (including commentators on "news" programs) made fun of her. They made fun of Britney's clothes (or lack thereof), hygiene, behavior and choices. A lot of people laughed at her. I was really disappointed... the past couple of years have provided a great opportunity to open a dialogue about mental illness.

Britney is young, she has been quite successful, she has plenty of money, has been a world-wide sex symbol, etc. For lack of a better description, she "has/had it all." There are a lot of people suffering with mental illness that feel like they are completely alone, and that nobody understands what they are going through. This is the voice of experience... I struggled with depression for several horrible years, and periodically have recurring bouts. I cannot stand to see another human being suffering the way that I have. It completely breaks my heart.

The media could have been talking about the symptoms of depression, of bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, whatever the hell they think she has. They could be talking about the general signs of mental illness to look for, where to go to get help, how to get help for a loved one... Instead, people talked about how crazy she acted, and laughed at her. That is not very encouraging to her or others with similar problems. Magazines write articles criticizing her, and saying how out of control she is, but the LAST thing they want is for her to get control. They make money off of her illness.

I feel like the media is really pulling for her to kill herself. Look at the media circus that followed Anna Nicole Smith's death? They would have material for months.

If she were to kill herself, it would be a tragedy. Every suicide is. It is tremendously sad every time a person that needs help doesn't get it, or doesn't get the right help, or doesn't get it in time. As someone who has battled my own demons, I really do feel for her, and anyone in that situation. Mental illness can affect anyone, and everone probably knows at least one person whose life is affected by it.

Sorry... I had a long day, and I am really tired, so I apologize for rambling, and for grammatical and spelling errors. This topic just really upsets me.

I truly hope that she, and everyone else in her situation, gets the necessary help. It's not easy to fight an internal battle, and it's a lot harder when people stand to make a lot of money off of your losing.

[edit on 9-2-2008 by TheHypnoToad]

Originally posted by TheoOne
So, if Britney kills herself, say, next year or this year, what will be next for the media and paparazzi?

Answer:
Partay!


Awww, was that too mean?
Too bad.
Honestly, I am appalled by the amount of hero worship that people display to this girl.
Seriously.
I don't hate the poor girl, but don't expect me to feel bad for her either because she continues to screw her life up.
I'll give you an analogy (because I know folks up here on ATS love analogies):

If you take a trailer and put a new, fancy coat of paint on it, it's still gonna be a trailer, no matter what.

And that's all that Brittney is, a trailer with a flashy coat of expensive paint on it.

Personally, I'm surprised she hasn't done herself in yet.

I have my own problems, I can't really be bothered with some stupid, obscenely-wealthy girl who continues to throw her life away.


[edited for spelling]

[edit on 2/9/2008 by wu kung]

reply to post by wu kung


Amen to that.

reply to post by ImJaded


Y'see, I'm not the only one.

We live in a society where we worship celebrities and when they do something bad, we think of any excuse to make it not their fault.
It's the media, or the allure of the drug lifestyle, or they just weren't ready for fame yet or blah blah blah.
Wake up people!
These celebrities that y'all are so keen on, do you honestly think that they care about all of you people?
Seriously?
If you answer yes, then you have much bigger problems then what the celebrities are doing with their lives.
Now y'see, this is why I don't watch television.
It rots your brain.
It fills you with images that warp and distort your self-image.
We begin to measure ourselves against what we are told are images of success and glamour and class.
It's kind of like...hmmmm...er....what's that word again...hmmmmm....
Oh yeah...
Brainwashing!

Personally, I love when celebrities become destitute and downtrodden because it brings them back to our level.
Someone is a famous actor, good for them.
That does not mean that I care about their political views or opinions on anything.
I hate being told what to think, especially by someone who's only credentials are "actor" or "musician".
Don't be a fool.

reply to post by wu kung

Originally posted by wu kung
I don't hate the poor girl, but don't expect me to feel bad for her either because she continues to screw her life up.

Seeing as I would be hard stretched to believe that you even knew her, I don;t expect you to feel anything for her. You can't make decisions about some personaility because you have an in-depth, third person identification with her through popular media...which tends toward your 'I don't watch TV for valid reasons' communication...

Leave it at that. My point is that you are talking about the cessation of a life that you have no valid relationship with.

How would you respond if I just started ruminating on the happenings of wu kung(or real world persona)? I don't know you but what I have read from your posts....does my opinion matter at all in this regard?

No. And neither does my opinion regarding the personal life of a celeb that was picked up by America at the ripe old age of sixteen.

Who cares...she has enough to deal with sans people placing bets on when she'll die...

Originally posted by wu kung
Don't be a fool.

Don't ponder foolish things....

reply to post by MemoryShock


I understand where you're coming from, but you neglect one major factor when it comes to the difference between celebrities and the average-joe.

Celebrities actively seek out fame and recognition.
Therefore, they purposefully place themselves in the public eye, which, ergo, makes their goings-on public and open to public ridicule.
Me, I'm a private citizen, but if you want to (hypothetically speaking of course) display my life for the whole world to see, that's fine.
If I did have the publics attention to such a degree, I'd make it my business to try to set a positive example in the areas I would have influence over.
Yes, I'd still be into drunken debauchery and some other things (of which I can't discuss here ) but it would be my responsibility to be...uh...responsible.
Especially when marketing myself toward the younger crowd.

But in all honesty, if someone wanted to make my very low-key, slightly boring life public, then well...who's the one with the real problem?
Hmmmm?

Originally posted by wu kung
But in all honesty, if someone wanted to make my very low-key, slightly boring life public, then well...who's the one with the real problem?
Hmmmm?

Precisely my point....I don't hold Brittany with much regard and as such, I don't ruminate on her life. She is boring to me. C'est la vie. But she was sixteen, was glamoured and praised and given unreal expectations. Her life is really no different than anyone else's, save for the limelight and social alienation.

The one's with the real problem are those who put in inordinate amount of time worrying about her status and not their own....imo.

Here's hoping she lives....you know?

reply to post by MemoryShock


Fair enough.
I respect where you're coming from on that.

Anyone know where I can get socks with pictures of skulls on them?

If she kills herself applause is next,at least from me.

reply to post by masonica_esoterica


Hahahahaha.
The truth is sometimes brutal.
That was mean, but funny.