Reference News Network reported on March 16 that the website of the New York Times published a report titled "Talk about Britney... What about the other women? The article, written by Jessica Bennett, argues that some of the young girls who have been criticized by the report should be revisited, and that some entertainment journalists who have experienced the era of gossip tabloids are reviewing their stories through a critical perspective, and some are expressing regret and even issuing apologies. The full text is excerpted below:
In 2007, Britney Spears, Lindsay Rohan, and Paris Hilton apparently fueled a debate among parents about children and "values," which led Newsweek to publish a cover story titled "The Wild Girl Effect."
The article depicts well-known images and stories about these women — their fun-seeking, their rehabilitation, what they wear or don't wear — and how they influence young fans.
According to a poll, 77 percent of Americans believe these women "affect girls too much" — but aren't these women just young women? Then all the way through the male perspective, including the entertainment executives who shaped them, the paparazzi who filmed them, and the editors who put them on the cover of the magazine.
More than a decade later, we're talking about these women again — this time through a modern lens. Fans have fought for years to get Britney out of her father's supervision, and now there's a popular new documentary on the subject, The Rise and Fall of Britney Spears (and Rising Again?). ) is under new scrutiny.
At the same time, a succession of female stars from the 1990s are also being — perhaps should — being revisited. Rohan is now out of the spotlight and lives in Dubai, where, she says, she feels safe in her life for the first time. Hilton detailed in a 2020 documentary about the emotional and physical abuse she suffered as a teenager. After the 2004 Super Bowl "Bare Milk Incident," Jenny Jackson was blacklisted, while Justin Timberlake, the man who tore off Jenny's bra at the time, grew to fame.
Brandy Norwood, a singer and star who starred in the sitcom "Mosha," once said she cheated on her marriage because she feared that her status as an unmarried mother would threaten her career. Anna Nicole Smith, a troubled actress and model, was called "white trash" while she was alive and described as "overly sexy" in the obituary of her death. There's also Whitney Houston, whose marital problems and her fight against drug addiction were broadcast to the world on bravo reality shows in the early 2000s.
Daniel Smith, former editor-in-chief of Atmosphere magazine and host of the podcast Black Girls Songbook, said: "I saw Britney on TV and when she shaved her hair, I remember thinking: 'Why is everyone acting like she's okay?'" How can people find this funny? How can this be entertainment? ’”
She said: "I feel the same way about Whitney. It was shocking to see her so schadenfreude when she had a nervous breakdown. ”
Some of the women themselves have retold their stories. Jessica Simpson published a memoir in 2020 that tells the story of that period in the spotlight, including her struggle with alcoholism. In a 2018 report in Vogue, Christina Aguilera described how it felt to be compared to Britney – "Britney is a good girl, and I am a bad girl".
Monica Lewinsky was perhaps the first woman of her time to retellear her story. As a 21-year-old intern, she has been heavily criticized in the media for her relationship with Clinton. She has since earned a master's degree in the field of social psychology. In 2014, she carefully reappeared in the public eye, publishing an article and a TED Talk discussing the shame of being made public. Now, she's making a documentary on the subject and exploring how this stigma permeates society.
Lewinsky said on the phone: "We tend to forget about the collective experience. We point this harsh criticism and jealousy toward women to one woman, but it actually affects all women. Whether we are the object of criticism or not, we suffer collateral damage. ”
Today, this view is more widely accepted. Abuse and discrimination are now often seen as systemic problems, and those who endure abuse and discrimination are given more trust and compassion. Contemporary artists will talk frankly about mental health. Their approach to seeking help is often appreciated rather than ridiculed. Social media has already allowed celebrities to take back some of their control.
Now, some entertainment journalists who have lived through the era of gossip tabloids are looking back at their stories through a critical lens. Some are expressing regret and even issuing apologies.
Lindsay Rohan
Whitney Houston
Britney spears
Monica Lewinsky
Paris hilton
Source: Reference News Network