Mangiaracina: Idea of American dream has failed

The irony is that Spears has attained the fame, but it has not let her escape her misery.

By Nick Mangiaracina (Contact)

Friday, February 22nd, 2008

It was only a couple of weeks ago that the Britney Spears’ drama unfolding during the last year came to a head when she lost custody of her children to ex-husband Kevin Federline.

Shortly after the ruling, Spears checked into the hospital, but it was even sooner that she checked out (less than a week later).

Britney’s collapse is no surprise, though.

Her lost custody battle comes after a stand-off with police and an even more bizarre series of events leading up to it.

In fact, in just a year Britney has shaved her head, been in and out of rehab, started wearing increasingly outlandish dress (see official Web site and MTV music awards) and perhaps most extreme, insists she is not simply another mediocre washed-up pop star (two studio albums in the last six years after one each year from 1999 to 2001).

In just a decade, Britney has gone from pop princess to deranged diva — from the spotlight to the high-beam headlights. Now she’s staring at the lights.

One of these lights is the one the media are shining on her, but the other is the one she shines on herself — her pitiful narcissistic cries that insist, “I’m not old news!”

Her extreme behavior supports this.

Britney is on the verge of rivaling Courtney Love for ridiculous and shocking public behavior. She is like a child nagging for dessert, and like bad parents, the media have given her unlimited Ben & Jerry’s. She is growing fatter, uglier and more annoying because of it.

However, this story is not about Britney — it’s about the failure of the American dream.

Fame has taken its toll on the innocent schoolgirl we were introduced to in 1999.

As singer/songwriter Nick Drake once said, “Fame is but a fruit tree, so very unsung.”

Seeking fame is not unique, but acquiring it is.

The irony is that Spears has attained the fame, but it has not let her escape her misery. In fact, it has only isolated her more.

Again though, her situation is not unique. First look at other famous people. There are plenty examples of meltdowns: Start with famous writers.

What’s disturbing is that people still look up to her and people like Britney — or that people still believe fame (or the money that comes with it) will solve all their problems.

There is no one solution to all life’s problems. If you think there is, then you’re addicted to something.

Yet we are the ones addicted to this rags to riches story — this fable beaten into us since about age 6. Why do we seek it?

A former government teacher said, “Getting rich just frees up time for you to spend thinking about your problems.”

It was at that moment when she lost custody of her children that Britney reached the pinnacle of her fame.

She reached the top of the mountain, but when she looked around she found she was the only one there, but it meant nothing because there was no one there to share it with.

Mangiaracina is a Lenexa senior in journalism.

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